ZEELAND — A recent acquisition by Gentex Corp. will allow the Zeeland-based company to expand on its offerings to the aerospace industry.

Gentex — best known as a supplier of automatic dimming rearview mirrors and electronics for the automotive industry — has purchased a new technology to create lightweight, ultra-thin glass that is used for aircraft cabin partitions, mirrors and wood veneer applications.

Neil Boehm
COURTESY PHOTO

The company already supplies the aerospace industry with electronically dimmable windows that darken on demand to dim the sunlight while allowing passengers to see out.

Gentex (Nasdaq: GNTX) officials say the company plans to use the technology for a variety of applications, including glass dust panels, class dividers and mirrors for cabins, galleys and lavatories.

“This new laminating technology complements our expertise in glass processing while opening the door to new features within the aircraft cabin,” Gentex Chief Technology Officer Neil Boehm said in a statement. 

The technology and related patents were included in the company’s acquisition of Air-Craftglass in 2020. Air-Craftglass was a startup based in Belgium that was created to develop glass solutions for both private and commercial aircraft.

“Gentex is now in the process of bringing Air-Craftglass’ proprietary production techniques in-house to develop a comprehensive collection of glass, mirrors and wood veneer products for aerospace and potentially other industries,” Boehm said.