Boost for UK production
10th July 2018

PILKINGTON is manufacturing two more of its solar control products in the UK to shorten lead times for customers as demand for specialist glazing grows.

The company has started producing Suncool 60/31 from its St Helens manufacturing base. The solar control product allows 60 per cent light transmittance but only 31 per cent of the sun’s heat energy in.

Suncool Silver 50/30 is also set to be manufactured there from September, but predominantly for export. The high external reflection gives the product a distinctive silver appearance, which is increasingly popular with US architects.

The move for both lines comes after a sustained period of growth for solar control products. Pilkington UK has seen sales of its Pilkington Suncool range increase by 47 per cent since 2016.

Leo Pyrah, product manager for solar control products, said: “Manufacturing these products in St Helens reaffirms our commitment to supporting our customers, and is a result of significant investment in our state-of-the-art off-line coater over the last few years.

“Architects and specifiers are increasingly looking for products that combine functionality with aesthetics. We want to provide building design professionals with a wide choice of solar control solutions, particularly while this type of glazing becomes better understood in the industry and more commonplace in the built environment.”