Fiberglass Windows Are Gaining Popularity

Once regarded as a niche product with maybe 2% share of total U.S. window sales, fiberglass products have gained traction during the last few years. The most recent market report jointly released by the American Architectural Manufacturers Association and the Window & Door Manufacturers Association shows fiberglass with a 3.2% share of market, fiberglass chopped strand mat with 2.6% of remodeling/replacement. More contractors are installing them because more homeowners are asking for them.

Two factors have helped push fiberglass windows out of the niche category and toward the mainstream: More manufacturers — including Marvin Windows and Doors, Pella Corp., and Milgard Windows & Doors — offer fiberglass products, and more homeowners know about them.

Companies that offer both vinyl and fiberglass, or all three — wood, vinyl, and fiberglass — windows, see stronger interest in fiberglass. Another selling point: The fact that because the window is, in effect, all glass, it comes without the frame expansion and contraction, which can cause vinyl windows to lose their dimensional integrity. There is never a seal failure on fiberglass windows.

Contractors who install fiberglass say that cost alone makes it unlikely that fiberglass will rival wood and vinyl in market share, but it is becoming a product of demand. If it’s 3.5% now, fiberglass’ market share will be 10% or 12% in the foreseeable future.

Global Fiberglass Market Continue Growth

One India-based market research firm MarketsandMarkets (M&M) made a report with comprehensive examination of the global fiberglass market—where it’s at and where it’s headed. Fiberglass Market by Type (Roving, Yarns), fiberglass chopped strand mat by Application (Composites, Insulations) & by Region—Trends & Forecasts to 2020 defines and segments the fiberglass market with analysis and forecast of the market size. The report projects the global fiberglass market value to reach $15.57 billion by 2020.

This report says the current market is largely dominated by the developed markets. Asia-Pacific and North America collectively held 78.1% of the global market share in 2015. Asia-Pacific is the dominant market globally. The growth is due to the increasing applicability of fiberglass in various industries such as building & construction. The industrial development of the region is driving upwards the demand of various composite materials used in this market sector.

North America is one of the fastest-growing consumers of fiberglass—a trend that is expected to continue in the near future, Asia-Pacific is the biggest market for fiberglass, accounting for a share of about 55% of the total market size. In terms of volume, China is the highest revenue-generating market for fiberglass in Asia-Pacific. And, it appears to be the faster-growing market for fiberglass in that region. 

Meanwhile, Asia-Pacific and North America are at the forefront of the global fiberglass market, with China and Japan the key markets in Asia-Pacific. China consumed more than half of the demand for fiberglass in that region followed by Japan where consumption is growing at a steady rate. Despite some production capacities present in developing countries, such as China and India, these capacities have proven to be more export-oriented than in the favor of promoting domestic growth for fiber glass. China has developed significant market share in the global fiberglass market, however the competition from carbon fiber and rock wool restricts this market growth.

Fiberglass chopped strand mat applications in the car roof

With the improvement of our living level, the car used more and more ordinary in people's lives. Cars have become necessities. Meanwhile automotive industry led its related industries to booming development. Glass fiber chopped strand mat more widely used in the car roof, retaining fender, bumper. The needs and requirements of fiberglass chopped strand mat in car ceiling much higher than other parts.

Used in the car roof chopped strand mat is generally 100g-250g. Currently, Volkswagen, BMW, Mercedes, Hyundai, Ford and other well-known companies are making use of fiberglass mat car roof. Glass fiber main raw material is : quartz sand, alumina and pyrophyllite, limestone, dolomite, boric acid, soda ash, Glauber's salt, fluorite. It has good insulation, heat resistance, corrosion resistance, high mechanical strength. If chopped strand mats used in the car roof, not only has the excellent performance of its own, the price is also relatively cheap and cost savings. Furthermore, FRP products have a social role in energy conservation and environmental protection, so it has been sought after by many companies.

Because of the energy conservation and environmental protection, the glass fiber chopped strand mat applications will be more and more broad. Not only in the field of automobile ships and other transportation, dining table, windows, bridges and other daily life will also be widely disseminated.

FIBERGLASS INSULATION

Scientists developed a method to produce glass fiber in commercial quantities 70 years ago, and created fiberglass insulation. This innovation offered home and commercial building owners an effective, practical way to keep their buildings warm in the winter, cool in the summer and make more efficient use of the energy needed to operate their buildings. In the decades that followed, fiberglass insulation gained popularity and has become the insulation of choice for most American homes.

Fiberglass insulation is made from fine glass fibers, bound together to create a blanket, or a mat,fiberglass chopped strand mat then inserted into wall cavities, attics and other spaces to reduce heat flow, maintain a consistent indoor temperature, as well as absorb sound and reduce noise levels for a better indoor environment. These properties also make fiberglass insulation an ideal material for countless other applications such as appliances, vehicles, pipes and ducts. 

The most important job of any insulation system is to minimize the energy needed to maintain a consistent indoor temperature – keeping homes and buildings comfortable throughout the year.  When coupled with good building practices, including a well sealed building envelope, insulation helps reduce energy use for heating and cooling, which can account for up to 50 percent of a home’s utility costs. It’s the time-tested field performance of fiberglass insulation, coupled with recent advances in the sustainability of these products, and topped off with the total installed affordability that has helped fiberglass insulation have such staying power for seven decades. Fiberglass insulation remains a great choice for better performing homes and buildings for today and tomorrow.

Detail analysis for good FRP molding techniques II

The reproduction of mold production: after the main mold release wax, you can turn the system produce mold, fiberglass chopped strand mat production mold reproduction of the following steps:

1) spraying gel coat: As started making production mode, you must use better performance plastic mold clothing, in order to ensure that the final effect of the mold. And require injection to achieve a certain thickness (0.7-0.8mm).

2) mold laminate: after initial solidification tooling gel coat, you can begin the overlay. Overlay process can not be too fast, the general day lay 2-3 layers of fiberglass cloth or glass fiber mat. Overlay to use a certain amount of mold resin. The performance of this resin is superior to ordinary resins. Overlay process workers should be equipped with plastic, namely resin to add accelerators and curing agent, then using glue tool coating, a layer of fiberglass fabric coated with a layer of plastic, at the same time use the flat iron roll rush fabric row go bubble, make glue evenly. After reaching the specified thickness, ply ends. Under normal circumstances the thickness of the die to reach 3-5 times the product thickness. So time plies generally longer sustainable 6-7 days. (If you choose zero shrinkage mold resin can improve the efficiency, one can laminate 10mm)

3) Strengthening the curing mold: Mold can be naturally cured, can also be heat cured, but there are some general best natural cure period. After the natural curing period, to give the mold reinforcement, the mold in the production process Buzhi Yu damage.

4) production of the mold surface treatment: the production mold curing to the required time, you can play down from the main mold, unmolding can be manual workers, the mold can also be played with a high pressure gas. Production of unmolding need to do the same surface treatment, which including sandpaper, polishing, draw process lines, playing stripping products. Lay the product can be used in the production release product. Materials used in this phase are: tooling gel coat, mold resin, ordinary resin; curing agents, accelerators; fiberglass surface mat, glass fiber mat, glass fiber cloth; fine sandpaper, mold cleaning agent, sealing agent, polishing cream, stripping product (stripping wax, semi-permanent release agent, etc.). The tools in addition to mold processing tools, plus capped layer tools: such as rubber roller, plastic brush, iron roll. Mold making is a delicate and lengthy process, usually a front mold production cycle close to a month's time.

Glass Fibre and FRP Development Tendency

Fiberglass glass is one widely used material in septic tanks, roofing, pipes, high performance aircraft, automobiles,fiberglass chopped strand mat external door skins and water tanks. It is also known as glass reinforced plastics, is manufactured by reinforcing the plastic matrix using fine fibers of glass. Fiberglass being light weight, robust material and extremely strong are used extensively for manufacturing a wide range of products. The raw material required to manufacture fiber glass is easily available at low cost, thus, making it favorable than carbon fibers for various applications.

 

Major applications of fiberglass can be found in such as construction, automobiles, infrastructure, consumer goods and other transportation sectors among others. The growing construction and automobile industry are expected to be the key driver for the growth of fiberglass market. The growing demand for light weight and fuel efficient vehicle is expected to boost the demand of these materials in automobile industry. The increasing demand for fiberglass in China is expected to play a crucial role in augmenting the overall growth of the market. Rapid growth in demand for fiber glass in China is mainly due to the growing construction, wing energy sector and electrical goods industry. Asia Pacific is expected to be the leading manufacturer as well as consumer of the fiberglass market over the next few years. 

Now days, global fiberglass market is intensively competitive with the existing major players competing majorly on the basis of quality, scale of operations, technology, price and innovation among others. The overall fiberglass market is highly concentrated owing to the presence of few large players in the market which account for major share in the market due to their huge production capacities. Chinese players are expected to dominate the global manufacturing of fiberglass market. Sichuan Weibo New Material Group Co., Ltd. the parent company of Sichuan Sincere&Long-term Complex Material Co., Ltd. fiberglass chopped strand mat manufacturer, also play an important role in global fiberglass market. It is the fourth largest fiberglass manufacturer in China.

Fiberglass Underground Storage Tank

Fiberglass Underground Storage Tank

Nowdays, fiberglass underground storage tank are widely used in USA. It is because of the high success rate. The historical success rate for the application of fiberglass tanks in USA is primarily due to industry requiring the following high manufacturing standards/quality, industry installation procedures and installer training/oversight.

1.Manufacturing Standards/Quality: Fiberglass underground petroleum storage tanks are manufactured in an automated process rather than a job-shop operation. This automated process lends itself to standardized manufacturing and Quality Control procedures from the time raw materials and components are received, to interim composite sampling and final product testing. While each tank manufacturer follows its patented procedures, the product is performance tested to meet a third party independent laboratory standard Underwriters Laboratories UL 1316 Standard for Glass-Fiber Reinforced Plastic Underground Storage Tanks for Petroleum Products, Alcohols and Alcohol-Gasoline Mixtures. Finally, UL is retained as the Quality Assurance contractor and routinely inspects the manufacturing facility to ensure that Quality Assurance Quality Control (QAQC) procedures are followed. Thus, USA fiberglass tanks are quality manufactured, meet a third party performance standard, follow third party QAQC procedures and come with a 30-year warranty.

2.Industry Installation Procedures: While each fiberglass tank manufacturer publishes detailed installation procedures, the petroleum industry (American Petroleum Institute) and the tank installer industry (Petroleum Equipment Institute) also publish and routinely update underground tank installation standards (API 1516 Installation of Underground Petroleum Storage Tanks and PEI 100 Recommended Practices for Installation of Underground Liquid Storage Systems). These installation standards are codified in the Model Fire and Building Codes by the Authority Having Jurisdiction (e. g., cities, counties and states) and required by the federal government (i.e., Environmental Protection Agency). Thus, the proper procedures for the installation of fiberglass tanks are readily available and mandated in the USA.

3.Installer Training/oversight: Oversight in the USA is required by federal government rules, state inspectors and fire code jurisdictions. For example, New York City has historically required on-site fire personnel oversight while a tank is being installed.

Sichuan Sincere&Long-term Complex Material can supply good quality of fiberglass chopped strand mat used in fiberglass underground storage tank. You can get more details on our website: www.zccyfiberglass.com.