biography
| name: |
Pilkington, Sir Alastair
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originally Lionel Alexander Bethune Pilkington
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| sex:
| male
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| lived:
| (1920–95)
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| biography:
| Glass manufacturer, born in Newbury, West Berkshire, S England, UK. He studied at Cambridge, joined the family firm of glass-makers, and in 1952 conceived the idea of float glass as a method of manufacturing plate glass without having to grind it to achieve a satisfactory finish. His team successfully introduced the new technique of pouring glass straight from the furnace on to the surface of a bath of molten tin. Director of Pilkington plc (formerly Pilkington Brothers) of St Helens in 1955, he became president of the firm in 1985. He was knighted in 1970, and acted as Pro-Chancellor of Lancaster University (1980–90). |
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