7 min read
Development Trend of Insulating Glass Market at Home and Abroad

The development of insulating glass in China began in the early 1960s, and the trial production was successfully established in the Shenyang Glass Factory in the early 1970s, and it began to be popularized and applied. In the mid-1980s, after the introduction of the first fully automated insulating glass production equipment line from abroad to Shenzhen, Guangdong, Chinese country's insulating glass manufacturing entered a new stage. So far, my country has built more than 200 insulating glass lines, including 70 foreign production lines, with a total national production capacity of about 12 million m².     

1. Chinese Insulating Glass Market Dynamics    

Before the 1990s, most of the key sealants used for insulating glass were imported. With the rising demand for insulating glass in the domestic market, insulating glass production units and matching sealing materials (organosilicone, polysulfide sealant, and silicone sealant) development and production are progressing smoothly in the direction of localization, and great progress has been made.     

The production process of insulating glass has gone through welding, welding, and gluing. So far, the gluing method is still the main method. The new generation of glue strip methods has also entered the Chinese market. This new adhesive strip method is an integrated process of butyl rubber, corrugated aluminum strip, and desiccant. In the manufacturing process, operations such as operation and installation of desiccant are eliminated, and corner bolts are also eliminated, which are shared with the center spacer, and the sealant required for the traditional center spacer is eliminated, making the process simple and easy to operate, and its output Its specifications and specifications are fully adapted to the changes in the market. It is increasingly favored by customers in the domestic market due to its superior sealing, good heat insulation, reliable use quality, and durable life.     

It is reported that this new generation of insulating glass produced in the United States not only has a 40% market share in the United States, but also has been sent to more than 50 countries and regions in the world, and has a history of nearly 10 years in China. Jinan LIJIANG Glass is the first company to introduce the U.S. kind of adhesive strip method to produce insulating glass equipment lines and supporting adhesive strips. Insulating glass components for windows with various specifications and control of building cost, and the product price is about 20% lower than that of traditional aluminum frame structure glued insulating glass components. , it has been favored by the Chinese market. Among the more than 70 insulating glass production lines that have been introduced, 16 have introduced this kind of rubber strip insulating glass production line, which has become a new favorite process line in my country's insulating glass production. At present, Shandong, Beijing, Liaoning, and other places have been mass-produced and listed. 

Figure 1 The Jinan LIJIANG rubber strip insulating glass production line

Figure 1 The Jinan LIJIANG rubber strip insulating glass production line

According to the introduction of relevant persons, my country imports about 1 million m of glue strips (price is 2 US dollars/m) every year for the glue strip type insulating glass, which is providing key supporting materials for the localized production of adhesive strip type insulating glass.     

Since insulating glass has entered the ranks of energy-saving building materials, the Ministry of Construction listed insulating glass as one of the building materials energy-saving products officially implemented on October 1, 2000, in the "Administrative Regulations on Energy Conservation of Civil Buildings", making my country's insulating glass an important the building energy-saving materials are facing a good development trend and opportunities.     

During this period, Jinan LIJIANG Glass quickly launched the LJBZ2025 insulating glass production line, which is fully domesticated. High-tech means such as light control, electronic control, and computer programming control are adopted.     

According to reports, this domestic insulating glass production line has the characteristics of simple operation, energy-saving, labor-saving, and high yield. Frame type glued insulating glass, and can also produce other composite processing glass products. Currently, this type of insulating glass production line is applying for a patent.     

From the perspective of the domestic market, the production and demand for insulating glass are increasing year by year, and the trend of eastern products moving to the west is becoming more and more obvious. The virtual joint operation and virtual integration of processes, technologies, materials, and equipment in the eastern region and the western region have begun to take shape.  

From a set of incomplete statistics, it is not difficult to see that the production and use of insulating glass (in the market) in my country are on the rise:    

  • 1995: 703,000 m²
  • 1996: 559,000 m²
  • 1997: 959,800 m²
  • 1998: 900,000 m²
  • 1999: The usage of insulating glass in China exceeds 5 million m², which is the peak of market demand in recent years.

The reprocessing rate of flat glass in my country will rise to 25% to 30% after 2020. Among them, the market demand for insulating glass will rise to 45 million m² in 2025, and the average annual demand will rise to 9 million m² (including exports). ). Its domestic market prospect is very broad. 

2. International Insulating Glass Market Dynamics     

The production technology of insulating glass first originated in the United States, and it has been widely promoted and applied in Europe. Because it has the most prominent unique function - energy saving, it has been rapidly promoted, produced, and applied in North America, European countries, Japan, South Korea, China, and other countries. Its international market is increasingly optimistic.     

The United States is a major producer of insulating glass in the international market, as well as one of the major consumers. In the late 1980s, the peak annual consumption of insulating glass reached 80 million m². Today, the penetration rate of insulating glass in the United States has reached more than 83%.     

At present, there are 1,600 insulating glass manufacturers in Europe, with an average daily output of 6.5 million m² and an annual output of about 229 million m² of insulating glass, making it the world leader in the production, sales, and application of insulating glass.

Among European countries, Germany is the leader in the manufacture and application of insulating glass. There are 359 insulating glass manufacturing plants in Germany. Each factory produces an average of 8.75 million m² of insulating glass per day. , sales in the forefront of Europe and the world. Nowadays, a large number of low-emissivity film insulating glass are being developed and produced, so that the energy-saving efficiency has reached more than 30%. Only before the 1980s, the total use of insulating glass in West Germany reached 210 million m², saving energy costs by 5.2 billion marks, making the German insulating glass market prosperous. According to reports, not long ago, the float glass production line of the German company SCHOTT succeeded in producing borosilicate float glass. The insulating glass made of this original sheet and a piece of low-emissivity film energy-saving coated glass integrates energy saving, fire prevention, sound insulation, and noise reduction, and is known as a "world-class new product" in the insulating glass market.

Figure 2 The production and application of insulating glass from among European countries

Figure 2 The production and application of insulating glass from among European countries 

In Japan, the production and application of insulating glass have a history of more than 30 years, and the market production, supply, and sales are prosperous and enduring. The penetration rate of insulating glass in Japan has reached more than 10%, and the government is stepping up efforts to make the penetration rate of insulating glass in Japan reach 50% in Europe and the United States. At present, the use and penetration rate of insulating glass in the north of Hokkaido in Japan is nearly 90%. In recent years, the market demand for insulating glass in Japan has continuously increased by 20%, which has become a new economic growth point for the Japanese glass processing industry. It is expected that this strong momentum will continue until 2025 when 50% of the housing will be installed with insulating glass. At present, major glass companies in Japan have made plans to build insulating glass factories to meet this rapidly growing market demand. It is reported that Japan's largest flat glass company, Asahi Glass Company, plans to build 20 new insulating glass factories by 2025, which will double the production capacity of insulating glass. At present, a Japanese-American joint venture is preparing to invest 15 billion yen (about 125 million US dollars) to build an insulating glass factory with an annual output of 9 million m². Since the penetration rate of insulating glass in Korea is as high as 90%, there will be a huge demand market.     

It is also reported that the world's insulating glass market is still the most active in Europe. The market demand for insulating glass in 2020 is roughly as follows: the total output of insulating glass in the world's major countries in 2020 is about 259 million m², of which Europe is 139 million m², and the United States and Canada A total of 100 million m², Japan 8 million m², South Korea 8 million m², and other countries a total of 2 million m²; data reported that among European countries, Germany is 34.5 million m², (3% less than the previous year), the United Kingdom and Ireland 20.5 million m², France 12 million m², Turkey 13 million m², Italy 9.4 million m² (same output as the previous year), Spain and Portugal 10.2 million m² (same output as the previous year), Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands produce 800 million m² of insulating glass Ten thousand m² (rise up 0.9% over the previous year), Austria 3.2 million m² (rise up 6.7% over the previous year), Switzerland 2.5 million m² (same output as the previous year), Scandinavian countries produced a total of 12.6 million insulating glass m² (4.5% less than the previous year), 3.1 million m² in Eastern European countries (same as the previous year).   

Figure 3 The production and application of insulating glass from around the world

Figure 3 The production and application of insulating glass from around the world

It is reported that since the European Union plans to implement new energy-saving regulations throughout Europe, the European glass market in recent years has seen a rapid increase in the demand for insulating glass made of energy-saving coated (Low-E missivity film) glass, and the market has become increasingly optimistic. In Germany, the double-layer Low-E insulating glass produced today is 34 marks/m². The insulating glass is made of single-sided low-emissivity glass and a piece of transparent float glass is 8 marks/m².


For more information about Jinan LIJIANG Glass insulating glass processing equipment and insulating glass processing accessories, please click here to learn more. 

Comments
* The email will not be published on the website.