July 22, 2024.
Sekisui Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.
Sekisui Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. (Representative Director and President: Keita Kato, hereinafter "the Company")'s High-Performance Plastics Company (President: Ikusuke Shimizu) has decided to install a "new film line" at the production base of intermediate films for laminated glass in Thailand (Rayong Province). The investment amount for this production capacity enhancement is approximately 8 billion yen, and the new film line is scheduled to start operation in the second half of the fiscal year ending March 2027. In addition, the new film line plans to produce a high-performance product group (N-HPP*1) centered on wedge-shaped intermediate films for Head-Up Display (HUD).
*1 N-HPP: Abbreviation for New-High Performance Products. Refers to a collective term for high-performance films such as HUD-compatible, design, sound-shielding, heat-shielding, and color/design films, excluding sound-shielding films from conventional high-performance films.
1. Background and purpose
The Intermediate Film Business Unit globally supplies and sells intermediate films for laminated glass used in automobiles and buildings, and boasts the world's top share (our estimation in fiscal year 2023) in the intermediate film market for automobiles. The number of automobiles produced worldwide is expected to grow at an annual rate of approximately 1% to 2% in the future, and is expected to reach 98 million units (90 million units in fiscal 2023)*2 by 2030. In addition, the shift to new energy vehicles (EVs, etc.) is accelerating, and the demand for intermediate films for laminated glass is expected to expand more than the number of automobiles produced, as the parts of automobiles in which they are used, such as side and roof glass, are widening and repair demand is also expanding.
Furthermore, we expect the demand for intermediate films with high functionality, such as those with HUD compatibility, design, sound-shielding, heat-shielding, and color/design films, to increase at a high growth rate of over 5% annually, reflecting the expansion of needs for automotive performance such as safety, comfort, and energy efficiency.
Against this backdrop, we started full-scale production of sound-shielding intermediate films at our Mexican plant (Morelos State) in the second half of 2017, and HUD-compatible wedge-shaped intermediate films in our Dutch plant (Ruurmond City) in the second half of 2020. We have now decided to enhance the production capacity of the intermediate film production line including HUD-compatible wedge-shaped intermediate films and color/design intermediate films at our Thai plant.
*2 Based on various sources and our estimation.
2. Overview of the Thai factory where production capacity is being strengthened
① Location:
SEKISUI S-LEC (THAILAND) CO., LTD. (100% owned by the Company, President: Yasumiki Suzuki)
64/31 Moo4 Eastern Seaboard Industrial Estate, T.Plukdaeng A.Plukdaeng Rayong 21140, Thailand
② Products manufactured:
Intermediate films for laminated glass (conventional films, sound-shielding films, heat-shielding films, color/design films, HUD-compatible wedge-shaped films)
③ Production capacity being enhanced this time:
Enhancement of production capacity for 7 million automobiles per year
In the future, we will work towards the realization of a sustainable society by developing and providing high-value-added products that are highly functional and contribute to the continuing growth of the automotive industry and the solution of social issues. Regarding intermediate films for laminated glass, sound-shielding films, heat-shielding films, color/design films, and HUD-compatible wedge-shaped intermediate films, our Group's intermediate film production and raw material (PVB resin) production bases are as follows: Intermediate Film Business Unit, High-Performance Plastics Company. Email: s-lec@sekisui.com
【Reference】
Regarding intermediate films for laminated glass, sound-shielding films, heat-shielding films, color/design films, and HUD-compatible wedge-shaped intermediate films
For inquiries about this matter, please contact
Corporate communication department, Public relations group.
E-mail: kouhou@sekisui.com
To those who are not in the media industry:
Intermediate Film Business Unit, High-Performance Plastics Company
E-mail: s-lec@sekisui.com