Glass plays a vital role in scientific discovery, technological advancement, and artistic expression. From chemistry labs and cleanrooms to design studios and public exhibits, glass materials support learning and innovation at every level. Behind many of these breakthroughs is a reliable partner—Swift Glass.
For over 100 years, Swift Glass has been a trusted supplier of high-performance glass components to universities, research institutions, and mission-driven organizations around the world. Today, we proudly serve more than 300 educational and non-profit partners.
Our Valued Academic Partners: A Legacy of Collaboration
Swift Glass partners with academic and research institutions across the globe. Our clients include more than 300 universities, non-profit organizations, and research-focused programs. These collaborations are built on shared values: precision, innovation, and a commitment to advance science, technology, and education.
Institutions We Proudly Serve:
How Swift Glass Partners with Academia
We understand the specialized needs of academic labs, faculty researchers, and student teams. Our services are designed to meet exacting technical requirements while supporting fast turnarounds and dependable quality.
Custom Glass Fabrication
Swift Glass fabricates specialized glass components used in experimental setups, testing systems, optical setups, and other research-driven applications. We work with a wide range of glass materials, including:
Our in-house capabilities include:
- CNC machining
- Polishing and beveling
- Waterjet and laser cutting
- Drilling and shaping
- Thermal strengthening
Whether you need precision-cut panels, complex geometries, or replacement parts for sensitive lab equipment, our team can deliver with accuracy and consistency.
Supporting Educational Programs and Student Projects
Swift Glass regularly works with university teams and labs on academic projects, competitions, and instructional setups. We supply glass tubing, slides, covers, viewports, and other custom components to meet the demands of college-level engineering and science programs. Clients appreciate our responsive support, especially when working within tight timelines or unique technical parameters.
Partner Spotlight: A New Tool for Vision-Impaired Students
Swift Glass partners with a Texas A&M graduate student on a project to aid vision-impaired students:
Amanda Lacy, a graduate student at Texas A&M University, came to Swift Glass with a unique project to specifically aid vision-impaired students improve their learning experience.
Vision-impaired students struggle to grasp key concepts in lessons that include graphic illustrations. “A picture is worth a thousand words,” but for these students, it causes hurdles in their education, as a more in-depth explanation of the illustration is required.
To mitigate this, Amanda has set out to create a learning tool for these students utilizing lithophane technology. The current tools at the disposal of vision-impaired students include mechanical parts that wear and break often, in addition to being very expensive.
Amanda’s solution would involve a piece of glass as a substrate on the bed of 3D printer to which printed tactile graphics could be applied to the glass. The entire glass substrate bed would then be removed for placement into a unit. Not only would the 3D printed material have braille, but it would also have a transparent nature to allow for light to illuminate and signify to partially sighted users which part of the lesson the instructor is teaching.
This exciting research could significantly decrease the cost and time needed to produce tactile graphics and help these students follow along in lesson plans in real-time without the need for follow-up discussions.
It was our pleasure to provide Amanda with some glass samples for her testing, and look forward to the results!
Quality, Precision, and Reliability
Swift Glass is ISO 9001:2015 certified and committed to delivering high-quality glass components. Our highly experienced team and advanced equipment support dependable performance and attention to detail on every project. Our strict quality control process ensures that our academic clients receive components that meet stringent scientific and engineering standards.
Beyond Academia: Supporting Non-Profit Innovation
We also support non-profit organizations with technical glass needs similar to those of research institutions. This includes:
- Museums
- Art centers
- Research institutes
- Research hospitals
- Conservation centers
- Scientific foundations
- Science centers
- Zoos and zoological societies
Contact Us for Your Glass Needs
Swift Glass is proud to support innovation in science and education. From academic research to nonprofit initiatives, our team delivers high-performance glass solutions with a proven commitment to quality and collaboration.
Ready to start your next project? Contact us or request a quote today.
