Lisec
As an industry pioneer, LiSEC has long been concerned with the question of how robot technology can be utilised for the glass industry. Here, material-specific factors must be taken into account, such as the gentle placement of the glass to prevent breakage or the appropriate suction cup technology. Through extensive tests in a realistic environment, potential weak points were identified and optimal solutions found to ensure smooth integration of the robots into the production process.
Robots are currently used at three points in flat glass processing in particular: during loading and unloading and frame setting in insulating glass production and in the tempering process during tempering bed placement.
Loading and unloading
In insulating glass production, robots with a special gripper are suitable for loading a glass block onto a vertical line or from a vertical line onto a glass block. They can lift glass weights of up to 480 kg! This means that the insulating glass line can be loaded fully automatically with individual panes or unloaded with insulating glass elements.
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The robot's vacuum suction pad adapts flexibly to the products and glass blocks. The linear arrangement of the suction pads enables the elements to be rotated if necessary, and the fixed support fingers and extendable suction pads allow elements with thermoplastic spacers to be transported gently.
Why use robots to load and unload the insulating glass line?
Automated loading and unloading ensures continuous production. When the glass panes are set down manually, the suction cup can slip and damage the glass surface. Robots always set down with the same precision, so the optimised suction and set-down process ensures consistent product quality. In conjunction with identification of the glass racks, robots can also stack flexibly on different transport containers.
Framing
Another possible application for robots in insulating glass production is the linking function between the frame production line and the ISO line. Here, the robot takes spacer frames with butyl applied on both sides from a vertical transport line for coated frames, aligns the frames in the required position using a gripper system and swivels to the ISO line. There, the frame is positioned with high positioning accuracy on the glass pane, which is aligned exactly in the centre of a predetermined position on the frame setting station. Such systems are suitable for all standard rigid spacer bar types, even glazing bars can be processed!
Why use robots for framing?
Framing requires precision and efficiency. The use of a robot enables optimised framing, resulting in high-quality end products. As the frame is always clamped on all sides from lifting after butylising to positioning on the glass, this results in a process-stable production sequence for all frame sizes. Additional advantages are the extended spatial possibilities resulting from the robot's large range of movement. This means that frame production can be positioned at almost any angle to the isoline.
Tempering bed loading
During the tempering process in the oven, the glass is heated to approx. 700 °C and then rapidly cooled by means of an air stream. During this process, uniform heat distribution on the glass pane is critical. If this is not the case, waves are created on the glass surface, which have a negative impact on the optical quality of the end product. To prevent uneven heating, the tempering bed is covered with precisely positioned glass, calculated by powerful optimisation software.
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This loading is realised by a robot that ensures the stable and continuous loading and unloading of the tempering bed. When the glass pane reaches the removal position, the robot lowers the required suction cups on the gripper and activates the vacuum. Far more flexible than roller conveyor systems, it is able to rotate the glass pane if necessary and place it in the exact calculated position directly at the hardening furnace inlet. The gripper with its low-pressure suction cups can also process glass panes with cut-outs.
Why use robots for loading the tempering bed?
Continuous loading of the tempering furnace enables the best possible utilisation to be achieved. It also ensures that production is of consistent quality around the clock, as the tempering bed is always loaded according to the same algorithm.
Summary
Robots offer advantages over human employees: they carry out work processes with the same precision time and time again and do not become tired or inattentive in the process. They take over repetitive and time-consuming functions, while employees can concentrate their skills on more demanding activities, such as loading and unloading the insulating glass line, setting frames or loading the tempering bed. This leads to an increase in overall productivity and product quality.
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