Global market review of automotive glazing systems - forecasts to 2016

In this sixth edition of our glazing report, we review the key market drivers for automotive glazing, and update the report's market analysis.

As glazing plays an increasing role in the overall design of a vehicle, vehicle makers are looking for ways to use glass on other areas of the body. This has led to increased research into how sunroofs can be used more effectively as a design feature. The sunroof has subsequently emerged as a key styling feature and can in some cases replace the majority of the roof panel.

Higher and wider windshields have also led to the quantity of glass used in vehicle manufacture to gradually increase. The trends in MPVs, for instance, have seen bulky A-pillars become obtrusive for forward vision. Consequently, some car designers are focusing more and more on panoramic windshields that wrap around at the sides pushing the A-pillar back towards the front door.

This report presents the latest trends and innovations in automotive glazing, providing exclusive interviews with Saint-Gobain Sekurit and the California Air Resources Board plus extracts from interviews with Pittsburgh Glass Works and other leading glass suppliers and vehicle makers.

Following our market introduction in Chapter 1, Chapter 2 The market, predicts in some detail how the replacement glass market will evolve in Europe from 2006 through 2016. Data includes European country volumes for the aftermarket sector, plus world regional OE volumes and values for these years.

Vehicle production may have decreased during 2009 yet there is still a lot of development work being undertaken in the automotive glazing industry. The main drivers of growth relate to product complexity (curvature and surface tolerance), solar control, security and the complete glazing system.

This chapter begins by reviewing recent market trends, then looks at recent activity from the major OE suppliers, and developments in key markets. Global and regional 2008 market share percentages are given for the supply of OE and aftermarket glass, plus the market volume and value data tables are provided here.

Chapter 3 Technical review
An auto executive told us: "...if you look at what is happening with CARB relative to CO2 reduction and you look at these increasingly large glass roofs, then that is opening up more and more opportunity for heat to enter the vehicle. So these types of technologies for keeping cars cool and more efficient will become increasingly important around the world, not just in California..."

This chapter sets out a review of recent innovations in the auto glazing arena. Included are sections covering:

* panoramic roofs
* solar controlled glazing
* large-, acoustic- and heated-windshields
* laminated side glazing
* polycarbonate glazing
* switchable glazing
* bare-edge glass
* enamels
* shade bands

Plus, Saint-Gobain talk exclusively about the Citroën C3's Zenith windshield.

Chapter 4 Manufacturers
This chapter provides profiles of the major manufacturers, namely Asahi Glass, Central Glass, Fuyao Group, Guardian Industries, Nippon Sheet Glass, Pittsburgh Glass Works and Saint-Gobain.