Chiefway Malaysia unveils smart glass-manufacturing facility

ALAM: Smart glass manufacturer Chiefway Malaysia this week launched its new plant here that will develop and manufacture smart glass locally as the popularity of smart homes and eco-friendly developments continue to grow.

Smart glass or switchable glass, is glass that uses advanced technologies to block light and insulate. Smart glass can change from translucent to transparent, blocking some, all or certain wavelengths of light. This is a useful piece of technology that has a wide range of applications, simultaneously catering to privacy, health and environmental concerns.

Chiefway Malaysia CEO and founder Jeffrey Chong said the current local and regional smart glass markets are largely dominated by China and other North Asian countries. Hence this new plant is an important step in establishing Malaysia in this new and booming smart glass market.

“The price of smart glass is (largely) unaffordable to Malaysians. That’s the reason we are here. We have the technology and we manufacture (smart glass) ourselves to make it more affordable for Malaysians. We’re moving towards bigger volume (production), which can reduce the costs,” Chong told the media at the launch of the plant.

The plant allows Chiefway Malaysia to further expand its manufacturing capabilities and meet the growing needs of Malaysia and regional markets. The facility is 8,000 sq ft in size, with high tech manufacturing devices and patented tools to help develop Chiefway’s smart glass formulation.

For its first phase, Chong said it invested RM1.2 million for the plant, which is able to produce 2,000 metres2 of smart glass every month. This allows Chiefway Malaysia’s production to cater to both the local (70%) and export (30%) markets. This year, Chong expects RM8 million sales from the Malaysian market. It is also exporting smart glass to Europe and the Middle East.

For Malaysia, the presence of a local manufacturer presents several benefits for local developers and construction companies as it enables them to procure smart glass at reasonable prices with a quick turnaround between orders and deliveries. A local option also ensures developers that they will receive their delicate and high-tech smart glass in safe and secure condition.

To help amplify the rollout of smart glass products and projects, Chiefway Malaysia also signed a memorandum of understanding with security group Dormakaba Malaysia and awning specialist Datsen Malaysia. The collaboration looks to enhance its services within the Malaysian market while also creating pathways for Chiefway to further penetrate global markets.

Chiefway offers a wide range of smart glass products to meet a variety of users’ purposes. Some of the product ranges include hollow glass, brilliant colour glass, firerated glass, one-way glass, doubleglazed glass and pattern blinds smart glass. – by