Summary:

The toughened glass is a type of safety glass processed by the controlled thermal or chemical treatments to increase its strength compared with normal glass. Stability has developed a PLC & HMI based System to Automate Glass Toughing Process & Supplied entire Electrical, Instrumentation & Automation System for this Project.

Solution:

Toughened glass acquires a degree of strength for excess of the strength of normal glass sheet or plate glass, which if broken shatters into small and comparatively harmless pieces. It is claimed that the resistance to mechanical stock of toughened plate glass is 4 to 5 times more than that of ordinary plate glass. A toughened glass has better resistance to the vibration, mechanical shock and abrasion.The raw plate glass sheet, which is free from waviness, distortion etc., is cut to required size and shape and then all the edges are ground and polished as per end use of the product. This is called edge 4 grinding and polishing and is very important for toughening because it will lead to breakages during process. No glass sheet can be toughened without edge grinding and polishing. After the edge grinding and polishing the glass sheets are washed manually or by machine and then dried.

The glass sheets are fed into the furnace (Electrically PLC operated). The sheets are kept in the furnace above its softening point and temperature of furnace will be controlled through PLC system, which varies according to the composition of glass. After attaining required temperature, the glass sheets are automatically moved out of the furnace and placed in the air blowing quenching boxes for 20 to 25 seconds and air flow will be controlled based on quenching process. After quenching glass sheet is toughened. For bend glass toughening, the glass sheets pass through a set of dies (as per the shape) after furnace and then to the quenching boxes.With increased transportation facilities the demand of the product is increasing at a steady pace especially in the automobile industry, railways, ships building both for production and replacement.