Vitro Architectural Glass

Vitro Architectural Glass Expands MSVD Coating Capabilities with Launch of Coater 8

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

PITTSBURGH, October 25, 2023 – 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.”

For more information about Solarban® glass and other Vitro Architectural Glass products, visit www.vitroglazings.com or call 1-855-VTRO-GLS (887-6457).

KOI Tower in Monterrey, Mexico, features a facade composed primarily of double-pane insulating glass units (IGUs) fabricated with Solarban® R100 solar control low-e glass on Optiblue® tinted glass by Vitro Architectural Glass.

Achieving the delicate balance of solar heat gain protection, optimizing daylighting and providing views, Watershed in Seattle, Washington, features Solarban® 60 glass by Vitro Architectural Glass.
(Photography: Built Work Photography, LLC.)

Solarban® 90 solar control low-e glass by Vitro Architectural Glass dons the Biblioteca TEC Campus Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico.

181 Fremont, a 57-story office and condominium tower sheathed in Solarban® 70 glass by Vitro Architectural Glass, was named San Francisco’s top building of the decade by the San Francisco Chronicle in 2020.
(Photography: Tom Kessler)

About Vitro Architectural Glass

Vitro Architectural Glass, part of Vitro, S.A.B. de C.V. (BMV: VITROA), is the largest glass producer in the Western Hemisphere, manufacturing a range of industry-leading, energy-efficient, high-performance products such as Solarban®, Sungate® and Starphire Ultra-Clear® glasses. Committed to continually raising the industry standard for sustainability, Vitro was the first U.S. glass manufacturer to have its complete collection of architectural glass products earn Cradle to Cradle Certified® status and the first North American manufacturer to publish third-party verified Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for flat glass and processed glass products. Additionally, as of April 2024, all Vitro architectural glass products meet the Top 20% Low Embodied Carbon (LEC) material Global Warming Potential (GWP) threshold the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) established pursuant to the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 and related guidance from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Vitro operates seven glass production facilities across North America, four residential glass fabrication plants in Canada and one of the world’s largest glass research and development facilities in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. For more information, please visit VitroGlazings.com.

Vitro Architectural Glass

Media Contact:
Robert J. Struble
Vitro Architectural Glass
412-820-8138
rstruble@vitro.com
www.vitroglazings.com