Glasstec 2024, held in Düsseldorf in October, was an opportunity for even the most sceptical to see the efficiency of Mazzaroppi furnaces in action: we brought a fully functional TP Compact furnace to our stand and demonstrated that it is possible to temper glass to perfection with just 180 KW of power!
Glass tempering has always been considered an extremely energy-intensive process. And it is precisely this belief that often leads glassworks and smaller companies not to have their own furnace, relying on external suppliers for tempering and thus losing out in terms of operational autonomy.
Fortunately, there is no need to equip yourself with a large electrical cabinet and spend a fortune on bills to temper glass at home. That is, if you choose a highly energy-efficient Mazzaroppi furnace.
The secret of energy-efficient glass tempering lies in technology: here are the innovative features and tricks that can reduce consumption without compromising the quality of the result.
1. Breakdown of total consumption
There is productive and non-productive consumption: both contribute to the total balance of energy required by the furnace for quenching.
In addition to what the machine consumes during production, any ‘idle’ consumption must also be taken into account. For example, if the furnace is left on at night or when it is not in use, all the energy required to keep it ready for quenching is wasted.
What can be done to avoid this type of consumption, which only represents a cost to the company?
Equipping a furnace that can start up and reach curing temperature very quickly reduces idle time. This is because the furnace can be easily switched off when it is no longer needed, without slowing down the work when it is restarted: thanks to the M Start&Stop ignition technology, Mazzaroppi furnaces can reach a temperature of 680° in just 30 minutes. This means that even small/medium-sized glassworks and companies that do not work night shifts can safely switch off the furnace at the end of the day and start it up again the next morning at full speed, avoiding leaving it on all the time and increasing the energy bill for wasted energy.
In order to absorb large and continuous temperature fluctuations, just-in-time ovens are built with low-absorption materials and low internal thermal mass.
2. Containing the energy peak
In order to contain the peak energy consumption of the oven, it is necessary to have advanced systems that allow very low dissipation and focus on increasing efficiency.
An oven equipped with software that guarantees this type of functionality can consume up to 70% less energy than less innovative solutions.
The deviation of the peak power, i.e. the maximum power required by the kiln, from the average power is reduced, while at the same time ensuring optimal temperature control of the kiln. As a result, 180 KW of power is sufficient to temper glass to perfection.
3. Optimising the heating of individual areas of the furnace
When tempering glass, one of the main causes of wasted energy is that portions of the furnace are also heated that are not occupied by the glass at that precise moment.
In order to optimise heat distribution, advanced software is required, which is able to recognise the exact portion of the furnace in which the glass is located and use the hot air only in that area, also adapting it to the percentage of occupied space.
On the contrary, management software, such as Mazzaroppi’s M Opticonvection, is designed to achieve superior hardening quality while reducing consumption to levels unimaginable with other solutions on the market.
They are based on complex algorithms that take into account many variables, with the ultimate aim of guaranteeing an incredibly favourable ratio between consumption and hardening quality.
In short, to reduce energy consumption and therefore the environmental and economic impact of tempering, it is necessary to heat the glass, not the furnace.
Is your tempering furnace really energy efficient?
Or do you rely on a third party to do the tempering because you think it would cost you too much to keep a furnace running?
Ask for the free Mazzaroppi Energy Saving Check and we will tell you how much you could save with the most energy efficient solutions on the market! Mazzaroppi furnaces can guarantee you up to 70% less energy consumption than competing solutions.
CEO Mazzaroppi Engineering Srl
