Global market review of automotive glazing systems - forecasts to 2014

Europe tends to lead styling trends for advanced glass shapes, including panoramic windshields and large roof glazings, as well as colour tints such as blue glass. So, with design trends pointing to greater usage of glass in the future, and a growing trend toward aerodynamic design, glassmakers must be able to control the pattern of temperatures in the glass throughout the shaping process if shape, optical quality and stress patterns are to be achieved.

Vehiclemakers’ needs with respect to glass are also becoming increasingly sophisticated and diversified, priority is being given to the heat resistance of the cabin, sound-proofing, upgraded glass antennae, the adoption of lighter-weight glass varieties and the encapsulation of glass.

In our fifth edition of the popular Global market review of automotive glazing systems report we discuss the latest trends and technologies in more detail, review the emerging markets, and provide forecasts showing how the replacement glass market will evolve in Europe from 2004 through to 2014.

Chapter 1: Introduction – Brief introduction to the report.

Chapter 2: The market - The main drivers of growth in the automotive glass market relate to product complexity, solar-control, security, and the complete glazing system. These trends present various challenges such as creating new shapes in glass to follow styling trends, keeping weight down as glass areas increase and addressing overheating problems resulting from so much light entering the cabin. This chapter investigates these trends, and includes comment from Pat Zito, head of NSG’s automotive business, and from Pilkington.