2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil glass roof for player benches unveiled

AGC today unveiled the official glass roof for player benches for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil. The glass roof, made from chemically strengthened glass, provides unparallelled visibility, durability and damage resistance, and is an evolution from the model provided last year by AGC to the FIFA Confederations Cup Brazil 2013.

It also shows that this technology, originally developed to protect small electronic devices such as smartphones and tablets, can be applied to large fixtures, paving the way for greater potential for chemically strengthened glass to be explored by architects and designers.

The player benches, composed entirely of AGC-made materials such as fluoropolymer-coated frames made with fiber reinforced plastic, will be supplied to all 12 venues, and be used at all matches of the world's biggest sporting event taking place between 12 June and 13 July.

One of the key attributes of the glass roof for player benches for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil is clear visibility. The rear portion of the bench is applied with anti-reflective coating, making its reflective properties 13 times lower than conventional glass to ensure the best-possible visual experience for football fans.

Protection for players and staff on the bench is provided by a double layer of chemically strengthened Dragontrail X, considered the world's strongest cover glass for electronic devices. Dragontrail X is characterized by low center tension and the world's highest compression stress. The technology, first showcased at CES 2014, makes glass exceedingly durable against external shock. Dragontrail X is the latest offering in AGC's Dragontrail line that first debuted in 2011, and is 30% stronger than conventional Dragontrail products, and up to eight times stronger than soda lime glass.

Like the Confederations Cup version, the new glass roof is also highly resistant to scratching, as well as deformation and discoloration, promising years-long product life even in outdoor environments characterized by fluctuating temperature and humidity.

"I'm proud that the bench featuring AGC's new glass technology developed by our diligent engineers and workers will be shared with the players and thousands of football fans at the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil," stated Kazuhiko Ishimura, President and CEO of AGC Asahi Glass, on the occasion of the unveiling of the bench in Sao Paulo. "This glass bench roof represents new possibilities for the application of our chemically strengthened glass technology in a variety of purposes."

Thierry Weil, FIFA Marketing Director, welcomed AGC's involvement at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, stating: "We're happy to have the support of a strong and innovative company like AGC, who is constantly looking to develop and improve their product. The quality of AGC's product is extremely high and will fit in very well at the 2014 FIFA World Cup stadia."

In October 2012, AGC was named a 2014 FIFA World Cup Branded Licensee as the first B-to-B company to market the "Official Licensed Glass Roof of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Player Benches" for the FIFA Confederations Cup 2013 and the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil.