Beyond the glass: Glass Planet’s evolution with Forel solutions

Glass Planet, a South African company based in Johannesburg began its journey within the local glass market in 2001 as a family business. Since its inception, investment in technically advanced machinery has been a continuous part of the company’s strategy with the aim to grow and enhance product innovation and competitiveness. Forel’s partnership, technology and support, has played its part in delivering this benchmark company’s performance, enabling exploration and diversification into new markets such as residential and commercial insulating glass units. Over the past 25 years, Glass Planet has been recognised for excellence in glass processing and IGU production with an established proven background in supplying balustrades, parapets and digitally printed multi-layered glass.

The challenge: ambition and a will to improve.

The career path for Steve Pypers (CEO of Glass Planet) within the glass sector, began initially with limited knowledge of the insulating glass industry however, this was offset by an extraordinary determination and strong desire to succeed and take on a new professional challenge. The company, which in its early days accounted for only three employees expanded rapidly and within this phase Steve realised the need for high-performance machinery coupled with a reliable partner capable of providing advice, guidance and support to realise his visionary concept. At first the focus was on glass processing with precision grinding, drilling, milling and tempering and only later did the focus shift to producing high specification, quality insulating glass panels, which required significant investment and expansion to the existing infrastructure.

A Forel solution: T-Spacer™ flexible profile IGU production line.

We asked Steve Pypers to tell us what motivated him to choose Forel as a supplier for the new machinery used to develop and produce the technically advanced quality insulating glass. “Even at an early stage when the company was planning its major investment, discussion and professionalism played a crucial role in establishing a relationship of trust”, comments Steve. “This approach was maintained throughout all phases of the project, from the design requirements to the machinery installation”.

The first Forel production line was configured and installed four years ago and consisted of EM + DM + VW vertical edge processing, drill and milling combined in line with a vertical glass washer. The ability to produce industrial grade and polished edge processing further strengthened Glass Planet‘s product range which also strengthened their conviction to rely on Forel further, when it became time to implement the investment into an insulating glass production line and the near doubling of the production plant floorspace, which now reaches a size of over 10,000 sqm.

The insulating glass production line is equipped with T-Spacer™ flexible spacer applicator combined with automatic gas coupling press and high-precision automatic sealing robot. This complete solution promises to be the largest insulating glass production line installed below the equator in Africa and the largest on the continent with flexible profile. This has enabled Glass Planet to take a leap forward in volume production by optimising the processes to produce standard, stepped, triple and shaped insulated glass units automatically.

“Improving accuracy and repeatability with guaranteed high and consistent quality standards,” says Steve Pypers, “meeting the demands of the market and responding effectively to the growing demand for glass with larger thicknesses and staggered glass, has challenged us and pushed us towards a more sophisticated engineering approach.”

Thanks to Forel’s solutions, Glass Planet has transformed its business from traditional processing to becoming a manufacturer recognised and appreciated by the market for quality and innovation. The company has seen a radical change, with rapid growth in production capacity alongside an established reputation within the industry.

Steve Continues: “In the last few years, the face of the company has definitely changed because the perspective has changed: we have chosen the flexible T-Spacer™ profile, the automated gas filling press and the sealing robot for the speed, accuracy and repeatability of the entire production phase. This, in addition to having an exponential effect on our capacity, has boosted and satisfied market demands for both residential and commercial insulating glass units. We started from the base in terms of insulating glass knowledge, with little knowledge of materials, but we pushed ourselves to a higher level. So, it has definitely been a win-win day after day, and we have been surprised at how the market now looks at Glass Planet as a producer of high-quality insulating glass.”

Beyond technology: the value of human relationship in business growth.

The added value is the human relationship: In addition to the efficiency of the technological solutions, the importance of the human relationship with Forel emerged from the conversation with the founder of Glass Planet, highlighting how the professionalism, availability and sense of family that characterise the technology partner are the same founding values of the South African company, including considering customers as part of a family. This trait has helped create a true partnership, based on trust and collaboration.

Glass Planet‘s story shows how the combination of cutting-edge technology and strong partnerships can lead to extraordinary results. Glass Planet has overcome initial challenges to become an innovative and successful provider of glass products renowned for quality and precision across the entire African continent.