As glass becomes a more prominent design feature in modern cars, Morgan Advanced Materials has slashed its lead times for Halroll FS fused silica rollers used for glass tempering, by expanding its distributor network footprint into North America.

Fused silica rollers are used as transport rollers during the glass tempering process, which ensures that safety glass is shatter proof. By making the glass more durable, safety concerns associated with vitreous components in cars can be addressed. The superior thermal shock resistance properties and material strength of the fused silica rollers mean they are well suited to deliver a high quality, scratch-free glass finish.

Current lead times for fused silica rollers vary but can typically reach up to 12 weeks for high volumes, leaving North American manufacturers of tempered glass at the mercy of suppliers in the event of unexpected downtime. In catering for the North American market, Morgan has significantly reduced lead times and increased its responsiveness to customer demand in the region.

Not only does tempered glass look more appealing from an aesthetic standpoint, its transparent properties ensure that overall driver visibility is improved, as the driver’s view is no longer impeded by opaque materials. Optimising safety remains an ongoing concern for the automotive industry and must be balanced against the requirement for greater aesthetics. These tandem requirements are fuelling demand for glass tempering, which treats glass with the aim of minimizing the likelihood of dangerous shards in the event of a crash.

Kevin McAloon, Business Development Director at Morgan Advanced Materials, explained: “In terms of performance, our unrivalled material development capability makes our Halroll FS fused silica rollers ideal to meet the demands of the glass tempering industry. Our mechanical endcaps ensure our rollers run true over a long life in the glass tempering furnace. The challenge for us was to become more responsive to market demand and by introducing a US stocking point in New Jersey, we envision this will drastically reduce lead times and therefore the impact of any unexpected downtime. Although we sell primarily to customers for scheduled maintenance, unexpected downtime is a potentially costly scenario which must always be accounted for.”

Morgan Advanced Materials will also be showcasing its full range of Halroll FS fused silica rollers at Glass Build America, Atlanta, Georgia, September 12-14 on booth number 3514.