US demand to grow 5% annually through 2012. US demand for advanced flat glass is expected to grow five percent annually, reaching $7.2 billion by 2012. This reflects the increasing acceptance and market penetration of a variety of advanced flat glass products, including laminated glass used in motor vehicle sidelites and sunroofs, and as antiburglary or ballistic glass; smart glass for solar control applications; self- leaning glass; and heads-up display glass.
Promising “smart glass” beginning to commercialize
Among the advanced flat glass products which has held out the most promise is “smart glass,” which can automatically change its light transmission qualities as a means of saving energy and reducing heat gain in structures. While the expected impact of these products has been slow to develop, it appears that commercialization is finally beginning to materialize.
Laminated glass products to increase market share
Laminated glass products, used in a variety of applications, including safety glass, ballistic glass, anti-burglary glass and hurricane glass, are increasing their share of total flat glass demand. These products possess much greater strength than competing tempered or annealed glass, offering performance advantages to a variety of flat glass users, including builders and manufacturers of motor vehicles, aircraft and other transportation equipment.
Motor vehicle market to remain dominant; architectural market to grow the most rapidly
Although motor vehicles will remain the largest single market for advanced glass products, more rapid gains will be posted in architectural markets. This will derive from a recovery in new home building activity, albeit from a weak 2007 base, coupled with the wide variety of new advanced flat glass products which are now penetrating the market. On the motor vehicle side, growth will be driven by the increasing inclusion of laminated sidelites, electrochromic mirrors and heads-up display screens, offset in part by slow growth in vehicle production and competition from plastic film products, particularly in solar control applications.
Study coverage
Details on these and other findings are contained in the new industry study, Advanced Flat Glass. Available for $4500, this study analyzes the $5.6 billion US market for advanced flat glass products. It presents historical demand data (1997, 2002, 2007) plus forecasts for the years 2012 and 2017 for security and safety glass (tempered and laminated vehicle safety glass, fire-rated glass, ballistic glass, burglary resistant glass and hurricane glass); solar control glass (lowemissivity glass, reflective glass and smart glass); and other advanced flat glass products (heads-up display windscreens, ultraclear and colorless glass, self-cleaning glass and miscellaneous products). In addition, the study considers market environment factors, evaluates company market share and profiles leading competitors.
