Fig. 1. Overall business activity of glass fiber manufacturers from 2015 to early 2021, based on data from Gardner Intelligence.
As the coronavirus pandemic enters its second year, and as the global economy slowly re-opens, the worldwide glass fiber supply chain is facing shortage of some products, caused by shipping delays and a fast-evolving demand environment. As a result, some glass fiber formats are in short supply, affecting the fabrication of composite parts and structures for the marine, recreational vehicles and some consumer markets.
As noted in
CompositesWorld’s monthly Composites Fabricating Index reports by Gardner Intelligence Chief Economist Michael Guckes, even as production and new orders recover, supply chain challenges continue to persist across the entire composites (and manufacturing in general) market into the new year.