Xinyi installs new furnace

A new low-iron patterned glass furnace with a daily capacity of 500 tons, or 393,000 square feetper day, started on Aug. 23 at the Wuhu plant of Xinyi Glass, according to an Aug. 26 company release.In addition, the existing furnace at the plant,with a daily capacity of 300 tons or236,000 square feet per day,produces Sol-Clear patterned solar glass. That furnace has been in operation since January 2008, and supplies SPF U1 grade solar glass to customers in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Japan and China. The new furnace, built in 11 months and to be commissioned toward end of 2009, makes Xinyi one of the largest patterned solar glass substrate manufacturers in the world, according to the release. The news lines producesolar glass lites up to 2400millimeterby 3350 mm, or 94 inches by132 inches.Besides solar glass, Xinyi Glass currently runs four float glass furnaces with a combined daily capacity of 2,600 tons.