1. Product Description:- Silvered glass is popularly known as mirror and it is used for seeing the image of any physical body. Mirror is very useful item in our daily life. It is used in every home and almost by every individual. In addition, mirror is used in automobiles, trucks, trains and in so many other areas.
2. Rationale:- About 19.2 million people live in the Amhara Region of whom close to 1.92 million are urban residents. Considering the difference in urban and rural culture, we can say that almost all of the urban residents and 50 percent (women) of the rural people of the Region use mirrors. All the mirror requirement of all these people is imported through Addis Ababa. Producing the glass that could be converted to mirror in the Region might take sometime. But it is possible to import the glass, make the coating and the preparation of frames and cases in the Region and make the Region self-sufficient in the supply of mirrors. This is why this project idea is included in this document.
3. Market Potential: As indicated above, total number of people who are potential customers of mirror is about 10.6 million. This is about 2.12 million families. If we assume that there is at least one mirror in every family, that means there are 2.12 million mirrors (of different shapes and sizes) in the Amhara Region. If twenty percent of these mirrors are replaced every year and the demand for new mirror is about 3 percent per year, total annual demand for mirror in the Region will be 488,000 (20% of 2.12 million + 3% of 2.12 million). This conservative demand estimation for mirrors indicates that there is sufficient market for mirrors in the Region which can absorb the production of a number of mirror producing plants.
4. Source of Raw Material: To be imported.
5. Process and Technology: Cleaning of the glass surface to be polished or to be silvered. The glass surface is cleaned with the help of anionic detergent. After washing the glass is applied in a blow of hot air. (The solution for coating one side of the glass is prepared separately.) For preparing the first solution the silver nitrate and ammonium nitrate are dissolved in distilled water. Equal volumes of the above solutions are mixed; the mixture is then made to 80 percent larger by adding water. The cleaned glass plats are put on a table and silvering or coating is done one one side of the glass.
6. Estimated Investment: For a plant which will produce 1000m2 of mirror per day the estimated investment will be
n Building/Shade 200m2 at Birr 2000/m2 = Birr 400,000
n Machinery = Birr 80,000
n Working Capital = Birr 200,000
680,000
7. Benefits: Saves foreign exchange and regional financial resources, promotes self-sufficiency in industrial production, and introduces new skills and technology.
8. Location: Combolcha, Bahir Dar.