AGC invests in new laminating line at production site in Osterweddingen, Germany

In view of the positive business outlook for laminated glass, AGC has decided to install a new laminating line at its production site in Osterweddingen, Germany. The amount involved in this major investment is estimated at over ten million euros.

An investment that meets the needs of our customers

AGC's Architectural Glass division is seeing an increasing demand for "well-being and wellness" in buildings. People are increasingly looking for safety, security, acoustic comfort, daylight and thermal comfort. To match production capacity to customers' growing and more complex needs, AGC decided to invest in Germany, the EU's largest market, where growth prospects for laminated safety glass (thanks to the recently updated German standard DIN 18008) are significant and which has a solid foundation. AGC's production site in Osterweddingen is strategically located in the heart of Europe, between the DACH markets (Germany, Austria and Switzerland) and Central Europe (Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary).

The new laminating line will also help optimize the road transport of AGC's glass across Europe, further reducing AGC's carbon footprint by saving 1,100 tons of CO2 emissions per year.

With this investment, Osterweddingen will become a fully integrated production site, where the standard glass and extra-clear glass produced by the existing float glass line can then be converted into value-added products, on the coater, on the processing lines for solar energy applications and on the new laminating line. With this state-of-the-art high-capacity laminating line, AGC has a flexible tool that can produce the full range of laminated glass, from the DLF "Tailor Made Size" to the Jumbo "XXL Size," with or without high-efficiency coatings.

Enrico Ceriani, VP Primary Glass, AGC Glass Europe notes: 

“At AGC, we make customers part of our everyday thinking, focusing on their expectations and needs. This strategic investment responds to the growing demand for well-being and wellness at home, at work and elsewhere. The unmatched strength of glass is that it combines a wide range of functions such as safety, security, sound and energy conservation with transparency, making people feel connected to their environment at all times!“

The new laminating line is expected to be put into operation by the end of 2023. Preparatory work has already begun in Osterweddingen.