“Glass” in the Faculty of Materials Engineering

Prof. Sven Wiltzsch

Everyone knows and uses glass. It is inconspicuous in our everyday lives (we all look outside through windows, and drink our water or beer from a glass), and the glass industry in Germany is just as inconspicuous and small.

What is less well known is that glass is a difficult material in terms of both its structure and its manufacture, and that real experts/glass engineers are therefore a rare and sought-after species who can quickly rise to the position of project manager or plant manager in the industry.

The aim of the education in the field of glass given as part of the bachelor’s degree in “Materials Engineering” and the master’s degree in “New Materials, Nano- and Production Technology” is to lay the foundations for industrial practice as a glass engineer and thereby facilitate our students’ entry into their future career in glass engineering.

In the Technology of Materials course, part of the bachelor’s degree programme, students will be introduced to the basics of glass in terms of its structure and properties, with a specific focus on how they affect production.

The Glass specialization in the bachelor’s programme builds on this, covering all the aspects of glass production, from raw materials to the melt and the final moulding, with a focus on practical issues.

In the Special Glass course, part of the master’s degree programme, students learn about glass ceramics, borosilicate glasses, construction glass, optical glasses, glasses for electrical applications, and selected key areas of glass technology.