Press Glass has invested in a Glaston ProL convection control upgrade at its Ridgeway, Virginia, plant.
Glaston and Press Glass share a longstanding partnership, a statement said. Most of the tempering lines in Press Glass’s European facilities are from Glaston, the statement added. The company’s US branch has Glaston FC Series and Jumbo Series tempering lines at the Ridgeway factory for larger projects and an additional smaller line in Stoneville for smaller IG units and heavier interior glass. Currently, a fourth line – another tempering furnace is being assembled and will be delivered soon.
“Glaston is considered the ‘Cadillac’ of the market. The price point may be higher, but a Glaston machinery lasts longer and produces higher quality,” said Gregg Vanier, director of manufacturing and technology at Press Glass.
In another move forward, Press Glass was the first in the world to invest in Glaston’s convection upgrade for its lamination line in Ridgeway, completed in April 2023.
Gregg added: “It was clear we needed to upgrade when the market started asking for more complex end products. We needed better control to help process the multilayer laminates that are more common in the US market than the monolayers in Europe.”
The ProL convection upgrade helps eliminate trapped air inside the layers that causes a lack of adhesion, it said.
Gregg said: “Since commissioning, we have been able to gain traction in the market. We just had our most efficient production period in terms of square footage produced per day. The upgrade also led to higher quality, enabling us to reach 98% on-time delivery.”
Additionally, Press Glass stated that the new upgrade features have significantly simplified the lamination process itself, further contributing to the overall efficiency.
