In 1959, Pilkington rewrote glass manufacturing history with the invention of the float glass process. The process was revolutionary because it produced a perfectly flat sheet glass while maintaining the beauty of furnace firing. Just one week after Pilkington’s announcement of the float process, NSG approached the company for licensing the technology.
Although NSG’s initial request was declined by Pilkington on grounds that certain parts of the technology was not yet perfected, NSG began negotiating with Pilkington in the UK in 1961. The licensing contract was eventually signed in March 1964 and the Japanese government’s approval was obtained in August that year.