Added value from automotive glazing

Automotive glazing can add value through improved safety, security and thermal and acoustic benefits. There are benefits that the suppliers can pass on to car manufacturers, who in turn can use them to promote their vehicles to prospective customers.

Suppliers can also add value for the OEM customer by:
· Simplifying the assembly process
· Finding engineering solutions that result in cost savings
· Maximising efficiency during the development process
· Offering sophisticated logistics services

These benefits have been identified by Saint-Gobain Sekurit, one of the world’s leading automotive glass systems suppliers. The company has launched new solutions and technologies, which have significantly increased the value of the company’s products and portfolio, as well as bringing added value to OEM customers.

The company says glazing is playing an increasingly significant role, which includes its capacity to increase the level of equipment of the vehicles; in addition to its first functions improving comfort and safety/security. Glazing is perceived by as an element of differentiation and customization.

Saint-Gobain Sekurit believes strongly in investing in its Research and Development efforts of modular glazing in order to bring its clients the most appropriate technical solutions. Modular glaz-ing is described as a complete glazing system supplied to the car manufacturers. The technology of extrusion, encapsulation and pre-assembly are the main solutions proposed by Saint-Gobain
Sekurit:

Extrusion improves the aerodynamics and acoustics of vehicles. Besides, the flush aspect of the glazing with the bodywork enhances the aesthetics of the vehicle. The glass frame can be precisely designed to suit the carmakers’ constraints for assembling the glazing onto the car body.

Pre-assembly is a service for incorporating components and functions on a glass pane. A high diver-sity of components can be pre-assembled on glass either manually or via automated equipment.

These systems or modules are almost “ready-to-mount” and require only a few operations before being assembled on the car bodies. Using modules requires less space in the car makers’ factories and helps in improving their productivity by reducing the glazing assembly time and labor.

All the company’s R&D teams are in close contact with the car manufacturers and constantly com-municate with its worldwide plants to gather multiple industrial experiences and needs, and further strengthen their competence.

With 350 years of world-class engineering expertise and a presence in 22 countries with more than 12,000 employees and its extensive R&D capabilities, Saint-Gobain Sekurit makes use of all its resources in order to provide customers with high added value products and services.

Saint-Gobain Sekurit is a leader in the innovation and manufacture of high quality glazing solutions. With a manufacturing presence throughout Europe and extending to Asia and the Americas, Saint-Gobain Sekurit can be considered one of the top suppliers of automotive glass to the world.