Firms to opt for used machines in glass making to cut costs

The potential for used machinery in float glass industry is all set to rise as the present economic conditions push companies planning expansion to cut costs, says Johan Coenen, General Manager of Glass Market Consultancy (GMC).

Additionally, he said that the GCC's demand for glass, especially solar glass is all set to increase during the next decade as more number of energy-efficient projects are being planned.

The Belgium-based GMC says growing number of enquiries from the UAE and the neighbouring countries has made the company consider setting up an office in the region.

"I have been operating in the region for the past two years, wherein I flew in and out of the country. But now there is a need to have an office and technicians based here. We are looking at the possibility of starting the facility either in the Sharjah free zone or at Jebel Ali," said Coenen.

The number of enquiries have actually increased in 2009, according to him. "In the past two months, we have been having about 600 to 900 international enquiries every month from across the world and about 200 odd from the region. This has pushed us to aggressively enter the market," he added.

"Based in Dubai, we are targeting markets such as Iran, South Asia, and the other Arab countries. There are many firms who are considering expanding capacity or investing in a new branch of flat glass production," said Coenen.

The GCC's advantage lies with the fact that raw material is easily accessible, the energy cost is cheaper compared to Europe and the overhead costs can be dramatically cut down, apart from the strategic location for re-exporting the product, he said.

One of the facilities GMC offers is facilitating new and used machinery for the flat glass industry. "In used machinery, we can offer a partial or total rebuilt, complete with guarantee. Additionally, GMC is able to supply machinery related inspection and survey, dismantling, relocation and storage, reconditioning, installation, start up and commissioning, maintenance and warranty," he said. By using an extensive, global network of agents and contacts, machinery and production lines can be delivered, installed and commissioned anywhere in the world. "Our services also include factory design and engineering. We can completely relocate a whole factory from Europe to the Gulf for probably one-third of the cost," said Coenen.

The company was established in 1997. GMC taps the market for architectural glass and is also an active player in the fast growing market for pre-processing and final processing of solar glass for integrated solutions and solar power plants.