Interpane

Interpane is a German flat-glass manufacturer and refiner headquartered in Lauenförde in the Weserbergland region of Lower Saxony. Founded in 1971 by Georg F. Hesselbach, the company grew into one of Europe's significant flat-glass refiners, with production sites across Germany, Austria, France and Slovakia. Its product range covers float and low-iron glass, coated thermal-insulation glass, acoustic and solar-control insulating glass, safety glass, glass for furniture design and interior architecture, and glass for solar applications. Since mid-2012 Interpane has been a 51% subsidiary of Asahi Glass Europe (AGC), the European arm of the Japanese AGC group, and now operates under the AGC Interpane brand. As part of AGC Glass Europe it is described as one of the world's largest glass manufacturers and refiners, serving global architectural projects as well as energy-efficient residential, office and public buildings. The company positions itself as a partner for architects and planners from first concept to completed building, offering functional glazing, coating-on-demand special solutions and technical consulting. Interpane's product brands include Stratobel safety glass (long sold in the DACH region as ipasafe) and the iplus range of thermal-insulation glass. The company produces more than 2 million square metres of insulating glass and around 10 million square metres of coated base glass annually, and operates float-glass lines at Osterweddingen (Germany) and Seingbouse (France). Its Lauenförde site houses the group holding, an insulating-glass and coated-float production operation, and the research and development centre. Other German sites include Belgern, Häsen, Hildesheim, Plattling, Osterweddingen and Wipperfürth, with additional plants in Parndorf (Austria), Hœrdt and Seingbouse (France) and Malacky (Slovakia). Interpane is known for technical firsts: its self-developed "iplus neutral" functional glass, introduced in 1982, is regarded as the first colour-neutral warm glass in glass history, achieved through a special silver coating that became a standard in high-quality thermal glass. Its Plattling plant was the first company worldwide to coat full jumbo-format sheets (6.00 m × 3.21 m) using a vacuum process. In 2025 the company took over safety-glass manufacturer SGT GmbH in Oelsnitz/Vogtl.

Interpane was founded in 1971 by Georg F. Hesselbach, with its headquarters and first production site in Lauenförde in the Weserbergland region of Lower Saxony, Germany. The company established itself as a flat-glass refiner, developing its own functional-glass technologies. In 1982 it presented the self-developed functional glass "iplus neutral", regarded as the first colour-neutral warm glass in glass history; the effect was achieved through a special silver coating, and the process has since become a standard in the manufacture of high-quality thermal glass. Interpane Plattling was the first company worldwide to coat full jumbo-format sheets (6.00 m × 3.21 m) using a vacuum process. The company expanded through the 1970s and 1980s, adding production sites in Austria (Parndorf, 1973) and Germany (Wipperfürth, 1973; Hildesheim, 1986). After German reunification, Interpane founded its first production facility in the new federal states at Belgern in 1991, followed by a second eastern German insulating-glass plant in Häsen. In 2001 float-glass production began at Seingbouse in France, where the float line has an annual capacity of around 250,000 tonnes, making it one of the largest European facilities of its kind; the site specialises in high-quality thermal-protection coatings. In autumn 2009 a new flat-glass factory, f | glass GmbH, was created as a joint venture with the Dutch Scheuten Glas in Osterweddingen, Saxony-Anhalt; the nearly 800-metre-long plant produces flat glass, low-iron glass and semi-finished products using the float process. The Buxtehude site was sold as of 30 June 2015, and since 2016 Interpane has also operated in Malacky, Slovakia, producing triple insulating glass in cooperation with the Parndorf plant. Since mid-2012 Interpane has been a 51% subsidiary of Asahi Glass Europe (AGC), the European arm of the Japanese AGC group originally known as Asahi Glass Company, headquartered in Tokyo and represented in more than 30 countries with over 200 companies. Under the AGC Interpane brand, the company is described as one of the world's largest glass manufacturers and refiners, with a broad and deep product range for functional glazing used in global project architecture and in energy-efficient residential, office and public buildings. Its Lauenförde site houses the group holding (Interpane Glas Industrie AG), an insulating-glass and coated-float production operation, and the Interpane Entwicklungs- und Beratungsgesellschaft (E & B) research and development centre; the company's registered seat has since moved to Plattling. In 2025 Interpane took over the safety-glass manufacturer SGT GmbH in Oelsnitz/Vogtl.

• 2025

  Interpane takes over safety-glass manufacturer SGT GmbH in Oelsnitz/Vogtl.

• 2016

  Interpane begins operations in Malacky, Slovakia, producing triple insulating glass.

• 2015

  Buxtehude site sold as of 30 June 2015.

• 2012

  Interpane becomes a 51% subsidiary of Asahi Glass Europe (AGC).

• 2009

  f | glass GmbH flat-glass factory created as a joint venture with Scheuten Glas in Osterweddingen.

• 2001

  Float-glass production begins at Seingbouse, France.

• 1991

  Belgern plant founded as the first production facility in the new German federal states.

• 1986

  Hildesheim becomes a production site for safety glass.

• 1982

  Interpane presents "iplus neutral", regarded as the first colour-neutral warm glass in glass history.

• 1973

  Production sites established in Parndorf, Austria, and Wipperfürth, Germany.

• 1971

  Georg F. Hesselbach founds Interpane with headquarters and first production site in Lauenförde.

Premium functional glazing and engineering partner for architects, planners, glass processors and window makers, backed by AGC Glass Europe.

• iplus neutral

  Self-developed functional glass introduced in 1982, regarded as the first colour-neutral warm glass in glass history, achieved through a special silver coating.

• Stratobel

  Range of safety and laminated safety glass products with active, passive and constructive safety properties, long sold in the DACH region as ipasafe.

• ipasafe

  DACH-region brand name for Stratobel safety glass.

• Coating on Demand

  Special coating solution for global project architecture.

• Insulating glass

  More than 2 million square metres produced annually.

• Coated base glass

  Around 10 million square metres produced annually.

1. 1AGC Interpane - Homeagc-interpane.com
2. 2AGC Interpane - Über unsagc-interpane.com
3. 3AGC Interpane - Sicherheit und Brandschutzagc-interpane.com
4. 4Interpanewikidata.org
5. 5Interpanede.wikipedia.org