- Glass processor to increase production capacity as part of AED 175 million expansion
Emirates Glass LLC (EGL), one of the leading processors of architectural flat glass in the Middle East and a subsidiary of Dubai Investments (DI), has announced that the commissioning of its new AED 100 million glass coating line is progressing right on schedule and will be prepared to go online for the first time in August 2009. EGL’s acquisition of this state-of-the-art coating line joins the ranks of many other accomplishments that embellish the company’s showcase of successes. The new production facility upgrade is part of an overall expansion programme worth AED 175 million as the company relocates its entire operations to the Dubai Investments Park and will also house the company’s new headquarter.
The new glass coating line, the Terra G machine, is set to boost the company’s current production capacity threefold up to 3.7 million square metres of various types of coated glass per annum. Imported from Germany, the 219m long new coating line, capable of handling jumbo size stock sheets in addition to regular size glass, is now undergoing installation at EGL’s new manufacturing facilities in the Dubai Investments Park and heralds the arrival of a new generation of offline coating technology in the region. The machine is designed to use rotatable targets as well as planars, enabling sputtering of several metallic and non-metallic materials including precious metals such as platinum, gold and silver. The coating line combines the latest developments towards producing coatings that are mechanically and chemically much more durable, through a wider range of aesthetics and performance values. The products will include many options of coloured coatings on clear glass, rendering them very economical to use and at the same time lending to architects an extensive range of colours to choose from. Simulation software linked to the machine will greatly facilitate the research and development of coatings tailored for any climate and region. In line with the growing demand for them, most of the coated products will be realized in temperable versions and, as such, provide the much-needed flexibility to end users of the glass.
Commenting on the announcement, Mr. Ziad Yazbeck, General Manager, Emirates Glass, said, “Our expansion programme comes on the back of a thriving glass marketplace which has effectively fuelled our growth and fortified our position as the leading glass coating company in the region.
“Expanded operations and a broadened clientele have necessitated that we undertake the expansion of our manufacturing line to support our ambitions of being in the forefront of the global glass processing industry,” Yazbeck continued.
Emirates Glass’ production equipment is poised to become the largest and most complex armada of machinery in the Middle East, which, once operational, will be able produce a wide range of high-performance, energy-efficient glass types with high selectivity ratios, now being favoured among architects and developers throughout the region.
“As our new equipment goes online in August, we are confident that we can accommodate the burgeoning demand for superior glass products as well as satisfy the demanding technical specifications required for the state-of-the-art iconic projects of today. Our technology and expertise play together to emblazon a reborn Emirates Glass ready to overcome all forthcoming challenges,” Yazbeck concluded.
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