Logistics is a crucial factor for success in the flat glass industry. While the sorting of cut panes before the IG line has long been established, there has been no solution for the automatic sorting of "wet," not yet hardened elements at the end of the IG line. Now, LiSEC's innovative solutions bridge this gap, effectively address the challenges of wet sorting, and, thanks to their modularity, seamlessly integrate into any production line.
In the flat glass industry, logistics plays a crucial role in ensuring a secure supply chain during processing steps and facilitating a stable production process. A key function of logistics is to decouple critical processing steps within the value chain. This approach allows for the optimization of every production area while ensuring that subsequent process steps are adequately supplied. This is essential to fully leverage the potential of each step. Otherwise, the supply requirements of the following step can significantly constrain the optimization potential.
THE CHALLENGE AT THE END OF THE IG LINE
The friction between two consecutive processing steps is particularly noticeable at the end of the insulating glass line. While production on the IG line is optimized for setup times, the IG elements must be stacked on the shipping rack in a sequence dictated by customer specifications and loading restrictions for the subsequent step, comissioning.
This is where automatic reordering unlocks optimisation potential. It removes the strict dependency between shipping and production, thereby eliminating search times and the need for reordering on the shipping racks. Remakes can also be seamlessly integrated into the process with minimal effort.
Quality assurance when sorting wet items
Another challenge with sorting wet elements is preventing deformation, particularly in IG elements with thermoplastic spacers. To avoid deformation, curing must occur vertically with all glass panes adequately supported. In this context, automation also provides significant benefits for maintaining high product quality.
Taking these challenges into account, LiSEC has developed a solution that meets the following requirements:
- IG-Sort ensures maximum flexibility with order comissioning at the touch of a button
- IG-Sort facilitates the safe storage of TPA elements for quick retrieval and effortless curing
- IG-Sort guarantees high product quality through precise processing, consistency, and reproducibility
- IG-Sort has a compact design that allows it to be utilized in confined spaces at the end of the IG line
- IG-Sort is adaptable to various spacer types, element sizes, and storage capacities, making it versatile enough to integrate into any production line
Summary
The sorting of wet elements between the IG line and commissioning is an essential step in optimizing insulating glass production. IG-Sort automates handling at the end of the insulating glass line, enabling curing, sorting, and stacking in the required order, and supports productivity by decoupling customer-related batches.
If you want to learn more about the benefits of sorting wet elements, speak with our expert consultants who can offer you tailored solutions!
