Sharp drop in demand for flat glass in Europe threatens plant shutdown

Glass factories in Europe that manufacture sheet glass may soon be in a difficult situation due to the epidemic of the coronavirus COVID-19. On the one hand, they cannot quickly and without loss stop production overnight, because this is due to the need to turn off glass melting furnaces. On the other hand, glass companies are currently receiving far fewer orders than at the beginning of the year.

Glass factories supply their products mainly for the needs of the automotive and construction industries, including the window market. In recent weeks, many have found themselves in a situation where the number of orders decreases. Already now we can talk about a drop in orders from the automotive industry, when several car factories in Europe decided to stop production. However, Glass for Europe, the European association of glass manufacturers, recognized that many enterprises in the construction sector, including the SEC market, are also stopping production, which naturally leads to a decrease in demand for architectural glass.

Glass melts in a continuous production process and the furnace is heated to a temperature of 1600 ° C. Pausing production ultimately means shutting down the glassmaking furnace and restarting it, which is time consuming and very expensive. To some extent, it is like building a production line again.

Another problem that currently arises in the production of flat glass is access to raw materials and additives. Although many of them come from European countries, due to more difficult border crossings than a month ago, mainly due to health checks, transport is often delayed. Glass factories need a lot of raw materials because the average production capacity is about 650 tons of glass per day. And due to the continuous production process, downtime should not be allowed.

Glass for Europe believes that the impact of COVID-19 on sheet glass production will be enormous. Currently, 75% of production goes to the construction market, and 20% for the automotive industry. If all automobile plants stop for several months, this means the closure of the European automobile glass factory.

In the construction industry in Europe at this stage there is a sharp drop in demand for glass. As a result, this will cause problems for subsequent glass factories, as well as for those enterprises that are involved in the processing of glass and the manufacture of double-glazed windows. Small and medium-sized manufacturing companies can be in a very difficult situation. Without proper support, they face bankruptcy. Which will also negatively affect the entire industry in terms of commercial contacts between different companies.

The Glass for Europe Association calls on the authorities of different countries to take into account the importance of the sheet glass sector and its importance for the European economy, as well as on other continents. The organization emphasizes that currently the most important is maintaining the supply chain and production capacity. As a result, it will be easier for companies from the sheet glass segment to return to business after the crisis.

Prepared by the tybet.ru/WinAwards press center based on materials from Glass for Europe and the European press.