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Opportunities for Plastics in the European Automotive Glazing Market
Frost & Sullivan, June 2006
This Frost & Sullivan research service titled Opportunities for Plastics in the European Automotive Glazing Market provides an in-depth analysis of the western European automotive glazing market. In this study, Frost & Sullivan’s expert analysts thoroughly examine the following market sectors: laminated and tempered glass, polycarbonate and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA).
Market Sectors
Expert Frost & Sullivan analysts thoroughly examine the following market sectors in this research:
- Laminated glass
- Tempered glass
- Polycarbonate
- PMMA
Market Overview
Active Market-place and Increasing Glazing Area to Boost Market Growth
Historically, automotive glazing included laminated glass for windscreens and tempered glass for all other windows. This is rapidly changing as laminated glass, which is an important market for polyvinyl butyral (PVB) film producers, is being used in other windows. Increased safety and weight reduction provided by laminated glass is tilting the market in its favour, according to the analyst of this study. Also polycarbonate glass, which is a recent entrant into this space, is being backed by strong investment to increase penetration. Being the only transparent plastic that can fulfil the glazing expectations, polycarbonate stands a good chance of gaining market share.
In addition to an active marketplace, which is likely to encourage research and development to find upgrades for existing technologies, increasing glazing area per vehicle is also likely to boost the growth of this market. New designs favour bigger windows including the windscreen and are likely to benefit the laminated glass segment. The growth of the glazing area is also helped by the introduction of panoramic roofs. These roofs represent a large area for glazing that was not previously common and are expected to encourage higher demand in the polycarbonate glass segment.
Desire for Curvatures and Continuing Demand for Western European Automobiles from Eastern Europe Likely to Enable Steady Market Growth
The automotive industry is highly influenced by new trends based on aesthetics. Apart from the increase in glazing area, the shapes required to suit new designs are becoming more complicated in glazing. Greater curvatures are being used to achieve more aerodynamic properties. Overall, weight reduction in a vehicle promotes an increase in glazing area, as glazing is lighter than metallic bodywork. Competing materials among glazing alternatives that offer higher weight saving advantages are favoured to others.
Car sales remained almost constant in Western Europe, growing only 0.04 percent between 2002 and 2004; however, in Eastern Europe, the growth rate for car sales was 8.2 percent, notes the analyst. Car production in Western Europe in 2004 was 14.9 million, while in Eastern Europe, it amounted to 3.0 million. Although car sales in Eastern Europe only amount to 16 percent of the overall market, their progress has helped the market maintain a modest growth. Major western European glazing companies are active in Eastern Europe and are therefore likely to benefit from this trend.
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