QUALITY CONTROLS IN COMPLEX MANUFACTURING PROCESSES
Insulated glazing usually consists of double-paned, but also often triple-paned glass, which have different functions due to the differences in their manufacturing and coating. Such a complex and functional glass structure is produced during a lengthy manufacturing process in which many small steps are taken that are susceptible to error – making it even harder for businesses to guarantee a constant and repeatable glass quality. Complaints can only be reduced or even completely avoided through extensive quality control.
MONITOR GLASS QUALITY AT DIFFERENT STAGES
The Viprotron machines with their precise, camera-oriented image processing systems control the quality of insulated glazing reliably during various stages of its manufacturing. They can be integrated at different stages of the production line:
AREAS OF APPLICATION
After the washing machine
The Quality Scanner is integrated into the insulation glass production line directly after the washing machine. At this point, the scanner detects every kind of glass defects reliably by stopping the damaged glass in the inspection area and projecting the error clearly and precisely onto the monitor and the optional Defect Pointer. Dirty glass can be cleaned and then continue to be manufactured, while defective glass is discharged. With the incorporation of the Quality Scanner, the manufacturing time of the production line can be maximized, as qualitatively faultless glass does not need to be inspected manually.
After the press
When the Quality Checker is integrated after the press, only the glass that fulfills the standards of the manufacturer and the customer are taken out of the production line. The machine inspects the glass panes for scratches, verifies that butyl has not leaked into the visible areas and checks if the spacers and georgian bars were positioned correctly in the double, triple, or quadruple glazed glass.
The Anisotropy Scanner measures at full production speed with polarizing light in transmission and indicates whether the isotropy minimum target value of the entire unit has been reached or exceeded. Although the isotropy values of individual panes are an excellent control and at the same time a good information tool for furnace control, they provide only limited information about the effect of the individual anisotropy curves in the entire insulating glass. Here, the anisotropy scanner can remove all doubts.
The Double-Sided Coating Sensor has its ideal place of application after the press. It shows whether there is a metallic layer on the outside of an insulating glass unit, which will certainly oxidize sooner or later and thus lead to a complaint.
Complaint management
The Quality Scanner and Quality Checker store the results of the quality inspection in an extensive database. In the event of a complaint, the database can then be consulted to enquire into the quality of the glass during the manufacturing and at the end of the production line, before the insulated glass left the factory.
