Relief and joy as new float line is commissioned

After a gruelling 18 months of intensive construction and development, our new high quality float glass line was successfully commissioned on 20 April, at PFG in Springs.

This followed a tense few weeks leading up to the commissioning, when many different last-minute activities had to come together at the right time so that the molten glass - already elevated to the right temperature in the furnace - could be released into the lehr and the process of drawing a ribbon could begin.

Excellent teamwork saw a group of experienced glassmakers from PFG and Guardian take turns to guide the new ribbon along the line, using long steel rods through side portholes to lift the ribbon´s thin over the rollers. The team was successful at first attempt. Once the ribbon was established the volume of glass feeding through the line was increased to widen the ribbon so that the residue tin and irregularities could work their way out of the ‘system´.