Automation: here’s how it will change the glass industry forever

Belgium based Cnud-Efco and German GFT have joined forces to introduce a groundbreaking innovation in the glass industry.

Cnud-Efco has a long-standing reputation in annealing all types of glass, while GFT is a young and ingenious tin-bath design company.

Today, their joint knowhow and expertise introduces a new and cutting-edge technology that’s set to be a game-changer. Industry 4.0 needs no introduction, with times and challenges rapidly evolving. Tools for transparent processing, increased efficiency and better benchmarking are the industry’s holy grail.

That’s why Cnud-Efco GFT decided to collaborate with Siemens on the development of automation software that stabilizes and optimizes the forming and annealing process. The idea is growing out to be the long-awaited, fully automated solution for tin-bath and Lehr.

CEO Géraldine Seynaeve: “By combining our expertise with the skills of the people at Siemens, we’ve put the right team in place. They’re working hard on the realization of this project. An additional partner is being identified as we speak, to test the automation at a real Float-plant without negatively impacting the process.”

Once fully operational, what impact does it have on the industry? “Look at it like an autopilot on an airplane. Over 90% of the work is done by automated systems. But for the essential part, human input is indispensable. Our automatization does the same. It will support people and notably help to increase efficiency.”

It’s the result of an extensive R&D project that’s driven by an impressive knowhow of forming, annealing and automation.

“It’s all about maximizing benefits and transparency”, the Head of R&D adds. “It increases the yield, reduces change-over-times and stabilizes the process. It will be easier to benchmark and implement best practices. A huge plus, especially for clients with more than one float-line.”