Glassmaker Corning Inc. has announced the development of a novel 3-D glass-forming technology to shape its Gorilla Glass, used as cover glass in millions of smartphones and other handheld devices. The company is working with G-Tech Optoelectronics Corp. to establish a vertically integrated operation in Taiwan, with the goal of commercializing 3-D-shaped Gorilla Glass parts in 2014. The technology is in response to continued product design changes in the consumer electronics industry, Corning said, as more than half of the top 10 smartphone manufacturers currently market devices that incorporate cover glass with subtle curves, and "the demand for even more-dramatic form factors is increasing," Corning said. The relationship with GTOC, the largest glass-processing service provider in Taiwan, allows Corning to provide a "one roof" solution, the company said. “We can now take Gorilla Glass all the way from flat sheet to a finished 3-D-shaped product in Asia, expediting turnaround times and minimizing logistical complexity,” said James R. Steiner, senior vice president and general manager of Corning Specialty Materials. Corning’s 3-D-forming technology can achieve precise tolerances and high throughput on a platform that is more economical than alternative two-mold forming methods. It uses Gorilla Glass of uniform thickness, helping designers to introduce thinner and lighter devices and to take advantage of the emergence of conformable displays for mobile and wearable applications. In a separate announcement, Corning said that it is unveiling a version of Gorilla Glass at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) this week that is formulated to keep touch surfaces clean of bacteria and microbes. The glass, formulated with ionic silver — an antibacterial agent — is the first EPA-registered antimicrobial cover glass, Corning said. Process and metrology innovations enable the precise control of silver levels necessary to preserve the mechanical, optical and dielectric properties of the glass. "Corning's antimicrobial Gorilla Glass inhibits the growth of algae, mold, mildew, fungi and bacteria because of its built-in antimicrobial property, which is intrinsic to the glass and effective for the lifetime of a device," Steiner said. Antimicrobial Gorilla Glass is being tested with numerous manufacturers for various applications, and high-volume production capability has been demonstrated, the company said. The RoomWizard by Steelcase, a web-based room scheduling system, will feature antimicrobial Corning Gorilla Glass and is being showcased at its booth at CES. For more information, visit: www.corninggorillaglass.com