2025.02.07
Up-close View: The Power of the Frontline
Transforming Insulated Glass Worldwide with Glavenir
Pushing Equipment Development Beyond “Amazing!”:Takeshi Shimizu

We take an up-close and personal look at the people who are supporting the Panasonic Group’s growth at their own operational frontlines.

VIG Business Promotion Department, Exterior Products & Systems Business Division Panasonic Housing Solutions Co., Ltd.

After graduating from university, Shimizu was involved in developing plasma displays (PDP) and OLED displays. In 2016, he transitioned to his current role, leveraging the production process skills gained from PDP development.

Vacuum Insulated Glass (VIG) Glavenir is a product that applies the internal structure of the plasma displays (PDP) I once worked on. I am responsible for everything related to its manufacturing, from process development to production. Glavenir offers exceptional thermal insulation while being thin and lightweight. It significantly enhances the insulation performance of refrigerated and frozen display cases as well as residential buildings. Additionally, reducing thickness and minimizing raw material usage significantly cuts CO₂ emissions both during production and after installation. When we showcased this technology at CES (one of the world’s largest technology trade show held annually in January in Las Vegas, U.S.A.), it attracted significant attention.

When VIG was first adopted by Hussmann for incoming orders of walk-in cooler automatic doors, incidents of breakage did occur. I still vividly remember the faces of the struggling workers when I first visited the site. To supply a high-strength, cost-effective VIG, we developed a sealing technology that eliminates the need for exhaust tubes^*, along with proprietary equipment and optimized settings to make it possible. In just one year, we successfully created and launched a sleek, reinforced VIG without exhaust tubes. Solving a fundamental challenge for the field was an incredibly meaningful experience.

＊ Exhaust tube: A glass tube that connects to the interior of VIG, used to evacuate air and create a vacuum inside

My current focus is on selling manufacturing lines to glass factories in Europe and North America. Initially, we only sold the core equipment, but after recognizing the benefits of shorter setup times, we decided to offer complete manufacturing lines as a packaged solution. However, external buyers expressed concerns about whether the production line could truly achieve high efficiency, whether the costs were justifiable, and whether speed alone was enough—emphasizing that durability and mass-production stability were equally critical. These challenges made me realize that the key was maximizing productivity at the lowest possible cost while ensuring buyers felt confident in their investment.

To address this, I refined a method that combines general-purpose equipment with customized components tailored to each customer. By pushing the speed of individual systems to their limits while increasing stability, we were able to minimize costs. When potential buyers visited a fully operational production line in Japan and responded with enthusiasm, describing it as both amazing and spectacular, I felt a deep sense of fulfillment, knowing that our efforts had paid off.

Moving forward, I will continue developing equipment that is even more impressive. Eventually, I aim to create a curved VIG for mobility applications such as automobiles and trains.