For.El. at Vitrum 2011

This project represents the maximum expression of technological evolution in the field of high performance glazing. The various stages of the insulating-glass assembly process are automated and executed in sequence on a single vertical operating line.



Many solutions have been engineered to allow handling large sheets of glass with complete safety for the operators, helping the difficult phases of loading and unloading the machines. As thicknesses and dimensions of the units required by the market are growing, an intense effort has been made in the re-design of each machine in order to reach a load bearing capacity of 450 kilograms per meter.



The line starts with two edge-working machines. First is the automatic coating remover, to eliminate the oxide that would decrease the adhesion of sealants around the insulated glass unit.







This is followed by a vertical arrissing and grinding unit which finishes the edge of the glass and eliminates faults caused by cutting that could lead to breakage (for instance due to thermal stress) and undesired sharp edges.







Each phase of the production is connected to the previous and the next throughout the entire line, processing the glass sheets at high speed and in a fully automated way for rectangular shapes, thanks to a dimension self-measuring system. The operator can choose between different standards of finish, from seaming to rough grinding with rounded corners. This solution is meeting  great success as it allows great flexibility in the processing of varied mixes of dimensions, so not only useful before an IG line, but as a pre-processing before tempering or in  the manufacturing of solar panels. The next crucial process is the washing, performed  recognising the presence of low emissive coatings and therefore disablinges the hard washing brushes, that would otherwise damage the glass surface permanently. The following quality inspection system recognises and stores in electronic form any glass faults, enabling the operator to assess the imperfection and avoid  customer complaints. The spacer profile is then applied and the plant can at this stage be equipped with either a classic rigid spacer positioning conveyor or the flexible warm-edge profile  applicator.







This machine enables the highest possible automation of the line, preparing the flexible spacer with a double layer of hot butyl prior to its application onto the glass. The tandem press couples the glass sheets and fills the unit with gas (Argon and/or Krypton)  with a percentage of over the 95% .







The machine displayed is also able to produce stepped units with an offset up to  100mm. The machine body is split into 2 sections, each of those with a length of 3100 mm, so that for smaller sheets only one part can be selected. The process is completed by the automatic sealing robot able to handle the use of two different  sealants (silicone, polysulphide). In case of stepped units, the machine is able to apply a thin layer of sealant also over the outer offset, avoiding the use of expensive screen printed lites. On the last conveyor eventually, the line features a patented solution to ease the delicate operation of downloading big and heavy units, thanks to a combined use of vacuum cups and movable rollers.







We invite you come and see the line in operation on our booth  (Hall 13 – Booth H19), and we’ll be glad to fix with you a meeting by appointment in order to give you any details you may require (please contact us at: sales@forelspa.com). We are sure that you’ll be wondered by the incredible features and capabilities of this line!