Glass furnace optimize & control system: glass heat profile - Glassquality

Owl 5

Glass Furnace Optimization System

The Owl 5 transmits data to the furnace control system allowing the furnace to automatically select a recipe and optimize the heat profile, improving cycle time, minimizing distortion, and optimize flatness

Load Validator technology is included in Owl 5 OR as a stand-alone system.

With the Owl 5 Furance Optimization System, you will have your best furnace operator on every shift.

Owl 5 Furnace Optimization System

» Key Application: Tempering Furnaces

» Discern most colored glass, as well as various coating & colored glass combinations

» Automated measurement of Thickness,

» Size, Coating (LowE 1, 2, 3, i89, Non-coated), Locations of parts

» Detect faulty loads

» Real-time feedback to the furnace

» Stop conveyor in event of a fault

» Systematic and repeatable adjustments made to furnace with no operator interruption

Load Validator™ Geometry + Fault Detection System

» Key Application: Coating Line, Tempering Furnaces

» For use on critical continuous processes such as a high vacuum coating system or washer preceding tempering.

» Detect fault conditions in the glass or load geometry.

» Alarm the conveyor system to stop the glass load before the load enters the continuous process.

Proven to increase over 20%
productivity and quality!

The Owl® 5 is a patented, non-contact optical system measuring the glass thickness, type of low-E coating (1, 2, 3 silver layers, 4th surface low-E), color, glass dimensions and sheet locations as the load approaches the furnace

The system is for loads entering a batch or continuous tempering furnace.

  1. Conveyor begins transfer of glass.  The encoder signal activates the measurement system.
  2. The glass enters the measurement system
  3. Images are captured sequentially over the full load length and width
  4. Thickness and low E coating information collected
  5. The trailing edge of the load clears the system
  6. Algorithms process data and transfer information to the furnace control system
  7. Furnace control systems adjust according to load information, and stores result in the case of a fault condition.
  8. Load transfers into the furnace

Owl 5 Furnace Optimization System HMI

#CONDITIONTOLERANCE
0NO ERRORN/A
1WIDE LOAD+/- 3mm
2PART OVERLAP6mm
3BROKEN GLASSANY SEPARATION
4SHORT PART+/- 12mm*
5MINIMUM DISTANCE BETWEEN PARTS
TRAVEL DIRECTION (5a)
CROSS CONVEYOR (5b)


+/- 12mm
+/- 3mm
6CORNER OFF (6a)
NON-RECTANGULAR (6b)
6mm
>120mm
7LONG LOAD+/-12mm*
* DEPENDING ON CONVEYOR ACCURACY 

Missing Part Notifier technology included in the Owl 5:

  • Provides a check for losses in the furnace.
  • The Owl 5 communicates with an Osprey to confirm all parts in a load are present – if not it will alarm the operator.
  • Missing Part Notifier provides a .csv report for all loads

  • Improves optical quality by optimizing heat-time or heat-profile and preventing overheating of small loads
  • Eliminates lost production due to recipe changes
  • Eliminates operator errors due to incorrect inputs
  • Detects 7 fault conditions including wide load, part overlap or stacking, broken glass, short part, minimum distance between parts, corner off, and long load.
  • Ability to stop a faulty load from moving into the furnace.

  • Improves optical quality by optimizing heat-time or heat-profile and preventing overheating of small loads
  • Eliminates lost production due to recipe changes
  • Eliminates operator errors due to incorrect inputs
  • Non-contact, real-time measurement of glass size, thickness and low-E coating
  • Detects 7 fault conditions including wide load, part overlap or stacking, broken glass, short part, minimum distance between parts, corner off, and long load.
  • Ability to stop a faulty load from moving into the furnace.

Typical Load Validator screen

Good load
Bad load Short lite Corner off Non-rectangular
Bad load – Corner off Part spacing/overlap Bad load Corner off Part spacing/overlap
Bad load – Excessive long load

ROI of a LiteSentry Owl

What is the value of 10 seconds In a 24-hour period?

240 second cycle time = 360 load vs @ 230 second cycle time = 376 loads

16 loads additional throughput per day

Load Validator technology pays for itself by preventing as few as 4 to 5 shutdowns based on:

  • 5 to 20 hours per shutdown
  • Minimum of $2,000 per hour of non-production NOT including lost revenue
  • $20,000 average financial impact of coater interruption 

Learn how the new Owl® 5 can increase
your bottom line.