Coinciding with the International Year of Glass, industry professionals met after four long years in Düsseldorf for Glasstec, the international trade fair dedicated to glass technology and the glass industry, taking place from 20 to 23 September 2022.
Exhibitors presented the latest innovations in glass production, processing and finishing technologies as well as new product ranges and applications with glass.
Hot topic of Glasstec
Glasstec qualifies as the largest global stage for the glass industry, where the five topics crucial for the development and success of the entire industry, which is facing a complicated economic situation, were discussed. Specifically, the main topics are:
- Climate → emissions reduction and renewable energies;
- Urbanism → glass in the architecture of the future;
- Value → sustainable value chain;
- Resources → efficient and sustainable use of resources;
- Well-being → a better quality of life thanks to glass.
Solutions for float glass processing
These macro-trends, particularly those relating to climate and resources, are a priority for CD Automation’s technical department, which is called upon to study the processes involved in the glass production lines, define the complete system of hardware and software required, carry out the start-up and provide first-class service throughout the life of the plants.
Let us now look in detail at CD Automation’s offer and applications for the glass industry, starting with the production of float glass.
This process involves the transit of the molten glass ribbon as it exits the furnace, over a bath of liquid tin, the float bath, from which the product takes its name. CD Automation offers SCR units for float and annealing glass production lines. This is the typical cycle for the glass industry, with Profinet/ Ethernet IP, Modbus TCP communication.
CD Automation offers
Usually, the system can have 30 to 35 zones, each zone with a power range from 100 to 150 KW. The product recommended by CD Automation for this application is the REVO C-3PH. For each zone, it is possible to have a dedicated terminal to be positioned in front of the panel, connected directly to the unit. In case of emergency, the unit can be operated by setting its power in manual mode. In the Tin Bath part, the silicon carbide elements are placed on the secondary side of a transformer, while the REVO C and REVO S 2PH series are used to control the normal three-phase connected resistors in the Annealing Lehr part. In addition, the company supplies REVO PC: this high-performance unit, with its special algorithm, reduces energy costs, synchronisation and power limits for each zone.
CD Automation, with its decades of experience, also supports the glass industry in the following applications:
- Boosting Power Control,
- Tin Furnace Power Control,
- Power Control of Continuous Annealing Furnace.
Solutions for glass tempering plants
The Legnano-based company’s expertise is not limited to float glass production lines. CD Automation’s SCR units are, in fact, the winning allies for glass tempering systems, a heat treatment that aims to put the surface layer of the material under compression to improve its resistance to breakage and minimise personal injury, in case of glass damage. Static units are used in the glass heating part of the process. Among the most widely used products are the REVO S series, with logic input, load and SCR diagnostics, and theREVEX, REVO C and REVO PC series, which allow more data on process variables through fieldbus.
Solutions for glass laminating and bending plants
Together with the glass tempering process, the lamination process takes place, which consists of joining several layers of glass with a plastic film. This process prevents glass fragments from detaching from the plastic film in case of breakage. Also linked to this process in the glass industry are those of bending and screen printing.
With the thermal tempering process, the bending furnace is heated to temperatures between 650 and 750°C to obtain a sufficiently viscous sheet, which is adhered to a concave or convex mould positioned inside the machine. A cooling phase follows, in which the glass remains compressed in the mould.
This is a process where the precision required in power control must be very high. This process therefore requires units capable of very accurate power control in either phase angle, single or half cycle load firing modes. We therefore recommend the use of REVEX, REVO C or REVO PN units.
The list of heating elements
CD Automation’s static units can regulate power in the following glass industry applications using heating elements:
- Silicon carbide elements. A semiconductor material with a much higher resistivity than metallic materials. Elements made of this material characterise electric convection furnaces, laboratory melting furnaces (with temperatures up to 1500°C), glass fusing furnaces (up to 1350°C) and float glass manufacture.
- Kanthal Super elements. These resistors change with temperature, but do not change with age, compared to their predecessors, and are used in high-temperature furnaces (1600°C to 1800°C).
- Traditional heating elements. They are used in furnaces with radiation or convection heating, continuous furnaces, chamber furnaces, basin furnaces (up to 900°C), glass tempering furnaces, glass annealing furnaces, windshield moulding, auto glass and glass lamination.
- Infrared lamps. In secondary glass industry processing, infrared radiation is used for localised, fast and direct heating. This type of heating has a high penetrative efficiency, requires little cost and is easy to install and maintain. Infrared lamps distinguish furnaces for fusing, decorating, firing float glass and glass decals. But also, glass fusing furnaces (up to 1000°C), glass screen printing drying, glass laminating and tempering processes, solar cell production lines (metallised and diffusion), photovoltaic module production lines (preheating and stringing) and thin film in preheating lines.
Do you work in the glass industry and need tips on how to manage the thermal process efficiently and sustainably? Contact us and book a free consultation session with one of our experts.
