$60 million investment allows for increased production of industry-leading low-e glass

To meet the growing demand for magnetron sputtered vacuum deposition (MSVD) products in North America, Vitro Architectural Glass (formerly PPG Glass) has launched a new MSVD coater, Coater 8, at its Planta Mexicali facility in Baja California, Mexico.

Expected to be North America's most sophisticated MSVD coater, the dynamic unit will apply Vitro’s highest-performing solar control low-emissivity (low-e) coatings to architectural, automotive, and oversized glass in sizes up to 130-by-240 inches.

“Investing in a new MSVD coater enables us to shift production of some of our low-e glass products to Mexicali, which will improve access to high-performance glass for the Western U.S. and Mexico and enable us to increase production of our industry-leading Solarban® solar control low-e glass at our Wichita Falls and Carlisle Plants,” said Ricardo Maiz, President, Vitro Architectural Glass.

The MSVD coating process enables glass manufacturers to apply ultra-thin layers of silver to glass to create low-e coatings that deflect solar energy and transmit high daylight levels. Low-e glass makes homes and buildings more energy efficient by reducing demand for heating, air-conditioning and artificial lighting.

“Vitro remains committed to investing in high technology coatings that improve solar control and thermal performance,” said Maiz. “We’re dedicated to raising the industry standard for sustainability and providing the most energy-efficient solutions to architects, fabricators, and building owners, and our research and development team is constantly working to improve the environmental performance of our glass products even further.”