Analysis and design
Required function, layout, operating conditions and existing machinery define the scope of supply and verification criteria.
FLOAT & FLAT GLASS
Technologies and integration
for flat glass.
Auxiliary equipment, automation and logistics: from the hot zone to preparing sheets for shipping.
IOCCO develops solutions for new plants and existing lines, connecting process, handling and control requirements.
THE PROCESS
From molten glass to a flat sheet
A continuous ribbon, from forming to the finished product.
In the float process, molten glass spreads over a bath of liquid tin to form a continuous ribbon. Bath conditions and regulating devices help determine thickness and surface characteristics.
The ribbon passes through the annealing lehr, where controlled cooling reduces internal stresses. Quality inspection, cutting and handling prepare the sheets for storage and shipment.
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Melting
Molten glass preparation
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Float bath
Ribbon formation on tin
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Annealing
Controlled cooling
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Cold End
Inspection, cutting and handling
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Logistics
Storage and pack preparation
The process is shown as a whole. IOCCO's scope covers hot-zone auxiliary equipment, cold-end systems and logistics solutions, with interfaces defined for each plant.
HOT ZONE
Hot Zone
Equipment serving the float bath.
Regulation, cooling and observation require devices designed for hot-zone conditions. Geometry, materials, positioning and accessibility are defined in relation to the plant.
Supply may cover an individual device or a set of auxiliary equipment, including upgrades and cold repairs.
Regulation and process interaction
- Tweel float
- Equipment associated with controlling glass entry into the bath. Geometry and movement must match the furnace configuration.
- Top roll float
- Top rolls for the float process. Design considers supports, positioning and operating conditions at the installation area.
- Stirrers float
- Hot-zone stirrer systems, with structures and movements integrated into the process interfaces.
Cooling and positioning
- Waist speck tin coolers
- Coolers dedicated to the float bath. Position, circuits and accessibility are defined around plant interfaces.
- Head cooler float
- Head cooler carriages and supports. Travel, access and connection points are defined for the layout.
- Exit cooler float
- Exit cooler carriages in the outlet zone. The configuration connects the cooling device with its supports and movements.
- Float barrage cooling
- Barrages and associated cooling systems developed for the geometry and operating conditions.
Sealing and observation
- Float side sealing
- Float bath side-sealing equipment. Dimensions and accessibility form part of the design.
- Fence Pusher and carbon flags
- Fences, pushers and carbon flags are separate hot-zone equipment. Supply and interfaces are identified for the required configuration.
- Equipment for camera float
- Process observation equipment. Fixed and mobile periscopes are available; position and access guide selection.
AFTER FORMING
Cold End
Maintaining sheet flow.
After annealing, handling and format preparation connect the glass ribbon to subsequent stages. Conveyors, breakout and unloading are coordinated with product characteristics and line sequences.
Surface protection, cullet management and pack preparation complete the path towards logistics.
Transfer, formats and unloading
- Conveyor glass
- Conveyors transfer sheets between stations. Contact surfaces, pitch and speed depend on the glass being handled.
- Breakout cutting
- Breakout after cutting produces the required formats, coordinating glass support and subsequent transfers.
- Cutting off edge float glass
- Edge removal equipment downstream of the float process, coordinated with feed and scrap collection.
- Unloading gantry glass
- Gantry equipment unloads sheets from the line. Size, weight and destination determine gripping and stacking sequences.
Surface protection and treatment
- Spacer application glass pack
- Spacer insertion during pack preparation, coordinated with sheet arrival and stacking methods.
- Powder lucite
- Powder application to glass according to surface separation and protection needs. Dosing and coverage must be verified on the product.
- Top-Tin & oxide removal
- In-line machine for removing top-tin and oxide deposits. Treatment suitability must be verified for the required surface.
Scrap and pack preparation
- Scraps treatment glass
- Collection and treatment of cutting scrap. Drop points, transfers and connections to cullet handling are defined.
- Crusher glass
- Glass cullet crusher. Feed, throughput and discharge are sized for the line.
- Packing end caps
- Pack preparation for packaging and shipment. Tilting tables and storage connect preparation and logistics.
STORAGE AND SHIPPING
Automatic Storage & End-Caps
Materials available in the required sequence.
Application requirement. Connect the line outlet to storage positions and pack preparation, making materials available in the required sequence.
From storage to shipment
Line outlet →Identification →Storage →Retrieval →Pack preparation
Complexity to manage. Formats, weight, buffer capacity and shipping priorities must match handling capabilities and warehouse dimensions.
IOCCO's contribution. Grippers, cranes and gantries connect locations; control coordinates identification, storage and retrieval according to the plant architecture.
Operational value. Storage and handling are part of the same flow: pack information accompanies shipping preparation sequences.
Let's assess your warehouse formats and flowsIdentification, buffers and retrieval sequences are defined in relation to production organisation.
Cranes, gantries and gripping devices connect the different positions. Load capacities, geometry and handling capabilities are sized for the application.
End-Caps: preparing packs for shipment
Tilting tables present packs for protection and packaging operations, connecting preparation and transfer to racks. Supports, movements and safeguards are defined for operating conditions.
Identification, supervision and safeguards
Barcode or RFID identification, pack data and factory-system interfaces are defined within the control architecture. Fences, interlocks and protective devices form part of the application's risk assessment.
Storage sized around production flow
Storage and handling capacities are defined together: formats, volumes, retrieval times and shipping sequences guide sizing. The layout connects production needs with warehouse organisation.
INTEGRATION AND CONTINUITY
Supply defined around interfaces
From individual equipment to flow coordination.
Manufacturing and integration
Construction, assembly and control connect equipment with the process and plant systems.
Commissioning and support
Commissioning, training and assistance support start-up, maintenance and upgrades.
DOCUMENTATION
Float, Flat Glass & Appliance catalogue
Download the IOCCO catalogue for Float, flat and appliance glass.
Download the catalogue (PDF)