This year marks two major anniversaries in glass machinery supply, with the 50^th anniversary of Cooltemper and 30^th anniversary of Unilam as sole UK agent. 

Cooltemper has been at the forefront of thermal processing technology for many decades; originally founded to serve the rigorous demands of the Japanese electronics industry, Cooltemper has grown into a global leader for safety glass tempering and bespoke industrial heating solutions.

Today, the company’s engineering expertise spans four primary industrial pillars and a diverse array of specialised glass sectors.

Core industrial sectors

While Cooltemper is a world leader in glass, its engineering heritage extends across the most demanding industrial environments:

• Glass industry: Global leadership in safety tempering and heat-treatment systems.
• Electronics: Precision vacuum sintering and soldering for LED and micro-parts.
• Metal industry: Bespoke industrial furnaces for metal tempering and annealing.
• Ceramic: Advanced thermal processing for technical ceramics.

Specialised glass applications

Cooltemper collaborates with processors in over 45 countries, providing tailored solutions for the world’s most critical glass applications:

Architectural: High-performance, thin triple and structural glazing.

Interior: Precision tempering for aesthetic and functional design.

Solar: Ultra clear, high-efficiency glass for solar panels.

Automative: Curved display and interior glass solutions.

Smart devices: Thin-tempering for mobile and optical glass.

Pharmaceutical: Specialised thermal treatment for medical-grade glass

The Unilam / Cooltemper advantage

Unilam & Cooltemper combined have one of the longest partnerships among glass machinery suppliers, and are uniquely placed as an agile customer-oriented offering. According to Unilam, this flexibility allows us the provision of innovative solutions that other suppliers cannot match.

From smaller processors to global manufacturers, the company’s commitment to precision, innovation, and partnership remains the same.

Unilam Machinery is renowned throughout the industry offering innovative and intelligent solutions for glass production since 1996. Whilst perhaps best known over the years for the Cooltemper range of toughening plants, the last 14 years has seen the company’s product offer evolve further, including sealed unit lines and EVA / PVB laminating systems.

Unilam is said to have developed IGIS sealed unit lines and Sagertec laminating systems to be among the most popular machines in their respective sectors.

At the helm of Unilam are three directors with over 80 years combined experience in glass, all intrinsically linked with Cooltemper.  Managing director, Dave Hargrave, previously founded Glasscraft and purchased his first Cooltemper plant in 2002, going on to purchase a second plant in 2007.

Dave transitioned from glass production facility ownership to machinery supply, joining the board and becoming one of the owners of Unilam.

Nolan Millard previously worked for a large independent glass manufacturing group before joining Unilam in 2006, going on to becoming a shareholder and director.

Damian Wilkinson has worked for several well-known glass manufacturers since the late 90s, working with Cooltemper plants at various companies since 2001. Damian now assumes a position on the board with a shareholding in the company.

All three directors have a vast knowledge of all aspects of glass and glass production requirements to help guide customers through the investment process.

David Hargrave commented: “We are extremely proud to have offered the market leading Cooltemper range of toughening plants and heat soak ovens for 30 years, making us probably the longest standing independent supplier of the same brand of glass machinery in the UK.

“Working with Cooltemper for such a long time has given Unilam unrivalled levels of knowledge, which along with our team of eight service engineers and over £300,000 of spare parts stocked in our 16,000ft2 facility in Leeds enables the service and support on which we have built our business and reputation.”

The evolution of thin triple glazed units is unfolding new opportunities and Unilam can offer machinery solutions for thin triple IG production and solutions for chemically tempering glass from as thin as 0.55mm!  Indeed, Unilam will be one of only a handful of suppliers that can offer full solutions for this new product line moving forward.

Another new advancement for 2026 sees the introduction of carbon fibre composite impellers in the tempering process.  This development can yield over 50% savings in energy efficiency over the quenching process, helping Cooltemper and Unilam to stay are the forefront of innovation and energy efficiency for the next 30 years!