Saint Gobain - Registration document 2016

36 / 330

2 ONE AMBITION: TO IMPROVE THE WELL-BEING OF ALL
3. Solutions specifically for industrial markets
36 SAINT-GOBAIN - REGISTRATION DOCUMENT 2016
SOLUTIONS FOR THE AEROSPACE MARKET 3.2
production quality.
Saint-Gobain, which is recognized for its experience and
global passenger traffic is expected to increase by 4.5% per
year to 2035. Benefiting from an increase in their standard of
living, the populations of fast-growing countries will thus
represent 60% of air passengers. Further, heightened
competition between airlines has led to pressure on operating
costs. This context is reviving the demand for weight
reduction, particularly by replacing metal parts with
composite materials, which are lighter, to reduce jet fuel
consumption. The aerospace sector’s very high equipment
safety and reliability standards are a significant challenge for
With the global growth in passenger traffic, the aerospace
market offers strong growth potential. According to Airbus (1),
The Group’s aerospace solutions specifically include cockpit
glass, high-performance plastics and ceramics used in aircraft
engines. Saint-Gobain’s cockpit windows and windshields,
both glass and acrylic, are fitted in civil and military aircraft.
The Performance Plastics Activity supplies the industry with
radomes, composite mold-release films, seals and
low-pressure conduits. Ceramic powders and ingots, used for
the coatings of aircraft engine components, act as a thermal
barrier and offer abrasion and corrosion resistance.
INNOVATIONS FOR THE HEALTHCARE MARKET 3.3
biotechnology is having an increasing impact. At a time when
liquid management techniques are evolving, the
biopharmaceutical sector is seeing a new need for single-use
solutions, requiring a more tailored approach.
Biopharmacy is one of the most promising markets in the
healthcare industry. An aging population and enhanced
medical procedures are creating new needs, while
fluid circulation during intravenous and ophthalmic treatment
and non-invasive surgical intervention. Finally, for the medical
imaging market the Group manufactures crystals and
scintillators, which are used in particular in medical scanners.
used in handling fluids. Saint-Gobain has developed and
designed high-purity plastic components intended to control
Healthcare is also a sector where solution reliability and the
strict demands of standards are of the utmost importance.
The Group also markets a number of tailor-made, single-use
plastic solutions (tubes, connectors, pockets, filters, etc.),
SOLUTIONS FOR THE ENERGY MARKETS 3.4
The energy sector is currently experiencing a profound
realignment of its model, specifically related to our current
economies’ heavy dependence on oil. Aware of the risks
these changes may represent for their long-term investments,
large financial institutions are pushing energy players to
reorient themselves toward greener energy sources.
pellets to increase the conductivity – and therefore yield – of
gas and oil wells. Saint-Gobain also designs numerous
high-performance products aimed at the wind energy sector:
seals for marine-based wind farms, and glass fiber textiles to
improve the surface condition of turbine blades. The Group
develops high-tech products, from oil exploration
(scintillators used to identify geological layers), to waste
recycling (refractory furnace linings), and including
operations and storage (seals, flexible caps and insulators for
drill pump wires and cables, etc.).
The Group is developing technical solutions specifically
tailored to the manufacturing processes of the energy sector,
mindful of current needs as well as emerging trends.
Specifically, the Group is active in the market for ceramic
Mapping Demand 2016/2035, Airbus, 2016, ISBN: 978-2-9554382-1-6. (1)