Market confidence despite Brexit ‘fears’

Returning from a successful Glasstec, Joe Hague, MD of the Promac Group, reports significant market confidence despite Brexit ‘fears’

Promac Group has said UK glass processors are confident about the future, with two-thirds of those polled planning investment in machinery within the next two years. The survey of UK glass processors and IGU manufacturers at this year’s Glasstec, found that despite initial fears about Brexit, UK visitors to the international expo were continuing to invest in new equipment and machinery. According to the poll 49 per cent of respondents said that they expected to see ‘significant’ growth through to 2018.

A further 14 per cent said that they expected to see ‘sustained’ if more modest growth, while 32 per cent, said that they were ‘unsure’. Five per cent suggested that the market would start to contract by 2018. Of the total of those polled 68 per cent of respondents said that they expected to make investment in new machinery within the next 12 months. Joe Hague, Managing Director, Promac Group, said that there appeared to be a high level of optimism among glass processors. He said: “Brexit was obviously the subject of significant discussion but the sense was that the industry in the UK would see continuing growth and that people were prepared to invest in it. “We would suggest that this is in part down to the availability of money and very low rates of interest on commercial loans but Sterling has also recovered some of its post-referendum losses and there’s a general recognition out there that this is a good time to invest.”

Hague reported brisk business at the show with cutting-edge technologies from Promac’s glass processing supply partners on show, including Forel, Goldglass, Macotec, Mappi and SoftSolution. Products on show included Forel’s high-speed insulating glass production line. Capable of producing a residential IGU every 20 seconds, its features include coating removal (edge deletion), flexible spacer application, grid insertion/application, argon gas filling, and secondary hot-melt sealing.

Showcased for the first time at Glasstec, it also features a new gas filling analyser, which scans and assesses gas levels inside the IGU, ensuring their performance. Forel also showcased its Vertical Laminated Glass Cutting Line, which delivers a step change in factory layout design by processing cut-to-size laminate glass in the vertical axis reducing footprint whilst increasing output, plus its new Sorting System, which scans, collects, sorts and then racks cut glass, optimising production. Mappi, another leading flat-glass machinery manufacturer from the Promac ‘stable’ profiled its latest ATS EcoConvection Series glass tempering technology.

Float glass cutting line manufacturer Macotec, showcased its new Master Shape 3.7FR automatic glass cutting table, the Strato Active automatic laminated glass cutting table, plus its automatic cutting lines. Glass spraying technology specialist Goldglass showcased its highly efficient and easy to use MRC 2350 CL, which uses automatic shape detection to deliver high quality paint finishes to glass. Suitable for use with organic and ceramic paints, it can also be used to paint composite doors.