Have you invested in a high-quality glass tempering furnace? From an economic point of view, you have certainly made a good choice: such a furnace guarantees you a long service life and high performance.
However, after a few decades of use, you may need to ask a little more of your furnace. And thinking about a refurbishment might be another good choice.
What is revamping and who can do it?
Revamping a glass tempering furnace is a process of renovation and modernisation to improve its efficiency, performance and lifetime.
It may involve the replacement of obsolete components with more modern solutions, with the aim of improving the energy efficiency, safety and productivity of the furnace. A thorough analysis of the furnace must be carried out prior to any refurbishment to identify any critical issues and to assess the performance that can be achieved with the work to be carried out.
Once the kiln has undergone this ‘repowering’, its life cycle can be significantly extended, bringing forward the need for a new installation by a few years.
Who should you turn to when you need to upgrade your oven? The best choice is always to speak to the manufacturer themselves, if they offer this type of service.
If your oven was bought from a manufacturer who designs and manufactures the machines, if it was built with high quality raw materials and robust technology, you may be surprised at how much a refurbishment can ‘rejuvenate’ it.
The most common refurbishment interventions
The refurbishment of glass furnaces can involve several elements of the machinery. Here are some of the most common interventions that can revolutionise the current performance of your furnace:
- Modernisation of electrical components: is your furnace very old? Then it is possible that some components are no longer on the market. If they no longer work properly, it is better to replace them with compatible ones. This can improve the performance of the stove and reduce consumption.
- Replacement of mechanical elements: it is possible that after decades of intensive use, some of the mechanical components of your hardening furnace are worn out. For example, you can replace the rollers of the various sections that make up the machine, some of the heating elements in the heating chamber, the motors that move the various zones, and other elements.
- Upgrading the electronics: you can equip your oven with new software to give it new functions and also optimise its consumption. Integration with remote monitoring and data analysis systems is also possible.
- Add convection: does your current oven lack convection technology? With an upgrade, you can add this capability and expand your production to include additional types of glass, such as all types of low-e glass.
Once your furnace has been refurbished, you will have a machine that is more reliable by reducing the risk of breakdowns, but above all it will be more efficient: more modern components and software will reduce energy consumption and optimise productivity, or even allow you to expand your range to include new products.
How do you assess the refurbishment of your furnace?
The refurbishment of a hardening furnace is a strategic investment, but the key to its success is an accurate assessment of the current state of the machine and a clear definition of the objectives of the intervention.
Before intervening, it is essential to analyse the condition of the furnace on the basis of parameters such as
- Age of the equipment: how old is it? Are its components still on the market?
- Energy efficiency: is there heat loss? Is the consumption too high compared to the expected consumption?
- Accuracy of process parameters: does the furnace maintain the correct temperatures and cycles, or are there variations?
- Reliability and maintenance: are breakdowns or stoppages frequent? Has routine maintenance always been carried out correctly?
- Safety and regulatory compliance: does the furnace meet the latest regulations or is it in need of upgrading?
Once the assessment is complete, a report must be drawn up with critical points and possible actions to be taken, prioritised according to the objectives to be achieved, which may be to reduce consumption, increase productivity, improve tempering quality, etc. The report will also show the performance that can be achieved thanks to the interventions carried out.
At Mazzaroppi we design and build glass tempering furnaces that last for decades. In order to keep our equipment at the top of its game, we also carry out more or less extensive upgrades on our machines.
Would you like to know how you can take your tempering furnace to a higher level of performance?
Give us a call to find out more.