AGC Flat Glass Philippines, Inc. was incorporated in 1988 as the corporate vehicle to undertake a multi -billion peso joint venture between Republic Glass Holdings Corporation of the Philippines and Asahi Glass Company, Ltd of Japan.
Its mother company, Asahi Glass Company, Ltd of Japan was established in 1907 and was Japan’s first commercial manufacturer of flat glass. Since then, the company has expanded its operations to include chemicals, glass for automobiles, display glass for cathode ray tubes, liquid crystals and electronics. With headquarters located in Tokyo, Japan, Asahi Glass Company has become a multinational company with operations centering on glass, electronics, chemicals and displays with a global network of over 200 subsidiaries in 24 countries.
The Philippine Float Plant, considered one of the most advanced in the world, started commercial operations in 1991. The float process is a state- of- the- art technique that floats molten glass on top of a molten tin bath to produce distortion-free glass of superior quality. The production line is controlled by “high tech” equipment and computer systems that are integrated in a control room which monitors and regulates the whole production process. This is conducted with the aid of cameras installed inside the furnace and float baths to strictly monitor the different stages of the glass forming process. The line has built –in automatic defect detectors-computer controlled cameras that direct the cutters to cut specific combinations to avoid the defects and at the same time optimize the recovery of the highest quality glass products.
The company has been in the glass business for almost half a century. It manufactures and distributes architectural glass products such as float glass, figured glass and mirrors for the construction, automotive and other industries. Other products like coated glass, fire resistant glass, tempered glass, laminated glass and double glazed glass are likewise available as supported by its worldwide network which includes USA, Belgium, Japan and others. It has also started the manufacture of Solite, a new high –value added export product used in flat plate solar collectors that convert solar energy to electric energy.
The company’s upgraded float glass facility is located at the Asahi Special Economic Zone in Pasig City, Philippines. It is capable of producing an estimate of 520 Metric Tons of float glass products per day. This plant is complemented by a patterned glass furnace with a capacity of 110 Metric Tons per day. These modern facilities churn out high-value added glass products at quality levels that are higher than global standards.
Its manufacturing operation employs extensive use of environment-friendly process as in the use of indigenous and recyclable materials. The company is also certified with an ISO 9002:2001 for its quality management system and an ISO 14001:2004 Certification for compliance to its environmental management system. Related to this, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has also awarded a Permit to Operate for the company’s flagship project for environment reservation, the Exhaust Gas Treatment Plan (EGTP). The EGTP is an anti air pollution device that would significantly reduce pollutants resulting into emissions that are compliant to the Clean Air Act of the Philippines.
With these developments, AGC Flat Glass Philippines, Inc. continues to ride the wave of operational excellence and looks beyond to continually pursue innovations in order to create value not only for the Asahi Group but for the Philippine as well.
