dammmagnum

Here is a message that I got from one of our Electronic Industry trade websites about possible Glass Fiber shortage in 2012
thank you
Jim

Glass Fiber Shortage for 2012
Friday, December 09, 2011 | Business Wire

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Research and Markets has announced the addition of the Global and Chinese Glass Fiber Industry Report, 2010-2012 report to their offerings.

As an excellent composite material and important metal substitute, glass fiber has been applied to construction, transportation, electric and electronics, wind power and other industries widely. From 2000 to 2010, the global glass fiber output saw steady growth, with the annual compound growth rate of 7.2%. In 2011, the global glass fiber output will reach 4.88 million tons, and the demand will be 4.86 million tons, roughly achieving balance.

In the future, affected by sluggish capacity expansion and increasing demand, glass fiber prices will continue to rise slightly. In 2012, glass fiber will be in short supply in the world.

Before 2007, the global glass fiber production was mainly concentrated in Europe and America. With the transfer of the global industry, China's glass fiber capacity has grown, and China has become the largest glass fiber producer and consumer. China's apparent consumption of glass fiber was 800,000 tons in 2005 and 3.355 million tons in 2010; from 2005 to 2010, the average annual compound growth rate was 33.6%.

Key Features:

This report analyzes supply and demand and competition patterns of the global and China glass fiber industry. It also analyzes import, export, upstream and downstream of China glass fiber industry. In addition, it studies three key global companies and 11 key Chinese enterprises.

glassdave

great . . . . . . Funny thing is if they are the number one producer AND the number one consumer why should it affect anything here?

dammmagnum

Dave

Most of the glass suppliers we are using in the electronic fiields are in Asia. there are not many glass weavers left in the USA
When Japan had the earthquark last year, it had a lot of laminate suppliers worried about getting glass cloth.
The pain for us was that when you used a new glass supplier you had to go thru a qualification process.

Thank you
Jim

glassdave

hehe . . . . i guess i never thought about all the other uses besides boats lol.

dammmagnum

Dave,

My company alone use millions of sq feet of laminate and pre-pregs a year with a mixture of many glass styles.
the laminates range from 0.001" thickness with single ply glass to 0.093" thickness multi ply glass. plus the pre-pregs, with different resin systems.

Thank you
Jim

J-Bonz

Glad I am done glassing.........

glassdave

no your not . . . . . well atleast you got some cheap glass left yet