There is no debate - in today's global glass manufacturing, automation is essential, not optional. Good news is that a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) is helping identify efficiencies, reduce waste, and downtime in various glass production processes.
Whether you cut flat glass, temper safety glass, or inspect glass products for quality, PLCs provide controlled environments that allow for a repeatable process to allow manufacturers to focus on productivity and quality of product.
In this article we will describe three elements of what we identified to be PLC uses in glass manufacturing and how our Members have been deploying PLCs to assist with staying competitive and in controlling costs.
1. Automated Glass Cutting and Edging
Cutting and edging are fundamental steps in glass manufacturing. Glass projects require millimeter tolerances in order for the project specification to be achieved. A PLC assists with reducing human error and can control the entire glass cutting and edging process by programming the specific measurements, shapes, and tolerances.
Benefits of forming a relationship with your PLC supplier:
1. Reduced waste of material which equates to cost saving.
2. Increased speed through delivery of consistent and accurate processes.
3. The ability to integrate into the glass design CAD software to formulate a design cut - a design to cut capability helps material waste and offers an acceleration in production outputs.
By incorporating PLC's into any glass manufacturing process, manufacturers have collectively had more control over repeatability and accuracy, which allows for better production efficiencies and ultimately savings.
2. Temperature and Pressure Management in Tempering and Laminating
Tempering and laminating takes place under critical thermal and pressure conditions usually over 600oC. It involves high-PSI compression which requires highly stable parameters. PLC's allow you to monitor and control these key parameters in real-time.
Key parameters include:
Furnace temperature
Surface pressure
Humidity and voltage
Why it's important:
When your equipment is operating, your PLC allows operator's to maximize consistency of output by controlling and automatically altering machine settings based on safety and quality pre-sets. If these two pre-set settings are affected, an alarm will alert the staff quickly enough to avoid damaging the glass and potentially costly downtime.
Outcome: You are producing safe, strong glass products whether it is window glass, screen glass, or automotive glass.
3. Automated Glass Inspection and Defect Identification
Prior to physical transportation and shipment, glass must go through rigorous quality control measures and checks before leaving your facility. With the coupling of PLCs to inspection stations with vision sensors and defect detection systems, you anything glass can be inspected and sorted at high speeds and with extreme accuracy.
Benefits include:
Detection of cracks, chips, or surface inconsistencies early
Less dependent on human inspection
Customer satisfaction remain positive with fewer returns or complaints
Most importantly, this method allows you to send only defect-free glass to your customers which also increases reliability on your brand.
Improve Your Glass Manufacturing Efficiency with TopAutoDevice
From glass processors to OEMs and systems integrators, TopAutoDevice is the company to meet your automation needs and expand your operations. We offer an extensive selection of industrial grade PLCs, including brands like Siemens, Omron, Schneider, ABB, and so on.
In Conclusion
PLCs have changed the way glass manufacturers do business, providing control, reliability, and process optimization throughout the entire manufacturing process. Programmable logic controllers for glass manufacturing process automation is now a necessity, not a trend as manufacturers look to create factories of the future, beginning with the initial process of cutting and moving through inspection.
