Bystronic glass: Quick production of triple insulating glass units

/em> The high and increasing proportion of triple insulating glass is forcing insulating glass manufacturers to adjust their production processes according to the demand. Therefore Bystronic glass offers its speed’line which is able to produce triple insulating glass in the same time it takes other lines to produce double units. The production line consists of two tps’applicator components arranged one after the other, the new speed’assembler for the quick assembly and gas-filling of insulating glass units as well as the speed’sealer sealing robot.

„Three work steps are decisive with regard to the quick production of triple insulating glass units: The application of the spacers, the gas-filling of the spaces between the lites and the sealing of the units”, explains Klaus Puschmann, Product Manager at Bystronic glass. In the speed’line, all three processes are perfectly designed for the production of triple units and enable the quickest cycle times.

Simultaneous application of two spacers

On the speed’line, the fully automated application of the spacers is performed for example by two tps’applicator components arranged one after the other. In order to achieve the maximum throughput, the thermoplastic TPS® warm edge spacers are applied to glass plates 2 and 3 of the triple insulating glass units almost simultaneously. This ensures the continuous and quick supply of glass plates with spacers. As is usually the case with TPS®, the respectively required spacer is applied directly to the glass plate – no separate pre-production or provision of suitable spacers is required. The material from the drum is applied as a strand at approximately 120 degrees Celsius in a patented and proven process. „As a result, this permits a real, order-based production without any time losses, without having to divide the orders into standard and special formats or without having to subsequently sort the units. Even changing shapes and formats with different spaces between the lites does not influence the flexibility of the speed’line due to the fact that it performs this without manual interventions and equipping times. The required applications are triggered by the production data that has been stored in advance“, explains Klaus Puschmann.

Simultaneous filling of both spaces between the lites with inert gas

The quick assembling, gas-filling and pressing of triple insulating glass units is performed by the speed’assembler which was presented at glasstec 2012 for the first time. Previously, the gas-filling of both of the spaces between the lites of triple units was performed sequentially: the first space between the lites was filled with inert gas first and the second space followed. “Our new speed’assembler is the first unit to simultaneously fill both of the spaces between the lites of triple units with inert gas. This is beneficial to the cycle time as it reduces the filling time for each unit by half”, reports Klaus Puschmann and explains: “This is made possible by an optimised filling technology that works with twice as many gas dosing units than has generally been the case to date. The gas filling is performed via a filling gap on the fixed press plate and a second filling gap on the mobile press plate. In doing so, the centre glass plate is constantly supported in order to prevent heavy glass plates from sliding.” This new filling technology is present upon the inlet and outlet sides respectively in the tandem version of the speed’assembler. As a result, it is possible to simultaneously create two gas-filled triple insulating glass units. In addition to TPS® insulating glass units, it is also possible to process units with conventional or flexible spacers with the new filling technology in the speed’assembler. It turns out to be a further advantage that the triple unit is pressed only once. Previous assembling robots need two work steps which means that the first space and necessarily also the butyl beads are pressed twice. If the butyl beads cannot resist this double pressing they can become the weak spot of the whole insulating glass unit meaning that the gas filled space will be permeable.

Quickly and flexibly seal in two cycles

The speed’sealer makes the quick and flexible sealing of triple insulating glass units in two cycles possible in the last stage of insulating glass production. This ensures that no equipping times are required to exchange nozzles, even when producing units with alternating or asymmetric spaces between the lites. The core of the speed’sealer is its dynamic mixer. “In contrast to the static mixers that are very common in the sector, the dynamic one works with a significantly reduced material pressure. With a flow rate of up to six litres per minute, it also makes the utmost material volume available”, explains the Product Manager. As a result, it is able to seal even deep spacer setbacks of rectangular units and model formats considerably quicker than other robots. What also sets it apart from other sealing robots is its automatic material changing system that permits an operator-free changing of the sealing material – from polysulphide to silicone for example – inside two minutes.

“The three decisive work steps of the insulating glass production are designed for the quick manufacturing of triple units in the speed’line – nevertheless the line is also able to produce double units with an impressive cycle time”, Klaus Puschmann points out. Therefore Bystronic glass has developed a specific calculation programme which determines the profit ratio of the investment in the new technology at full costs.The amount of time saving and the number of additionally produced insulating glass units can be displayed for the existing customers’ production batches.

About Bystronic glass

Bystronic glass symbolizes innovation with machinery, systems and services for the processing of architectural and automotive glass focussed on tomorrow’s market. From basic requirements through to entire, customized installations Bystronic glass provides pioneering solutions – naturally, all in the highest quality. Bystronic glass is an international brand with globally operating companies that support their customers on site and through own sales and service companies. Since 1994, Bystronic glass is part of the Conzzeta AG, a renowned Swiss industrial holding company.