FLOAT LINE REPAIR

PFG has completed a four-week project to replace over 360 tons of ‘checkers´, or internal pack refractory bricks, on the Float line furnace. This followed the collapse of the refractory stack (and the resulting loss of energy and efficiency) since the checkers extract heat from the waste gases and use this heat to preheat combustion air - a critical part of the glass-making process.

The float glass manufacturing process was developed by Pilkington in 1959, taking flat glass technology to a revolutionary new level.

The glass gains its lustrous finish and perfect flatness by floating on a bath of molten tin in a chemically controlled atmosphere. The ribbon of glass is then cooled, while still moving, until the surfaces are hard enough for it to be taken out of the bath without the roller marking the surface. The glass is then automatically cut and stacked, ready to be packed for distribution to local and international customers.

The PFG site was developed by Pilkington in the 1950s, with the first drawn sheet glass line (SP1) commissioned in 1951. A second line, SP2, was introduced in 1965. In 1977, the float glass line (SP3) was commissioned and its first campaign ran for eight years. Since then the line has been enhanced on several occasions, to include the latest technology and introduce ever-improving quality and control systems.

Float line glass is branded ClearVue and is produced in widths ranging from 2mm - 6mm, lengths of up to a maximum of five metres and a maximum width of 3 210mm.

Tint runs on the line produce green- and blue-tinted glass, of 2mm - 4mm thicknesses.