Managing Risk with a Critical Stage Furnace

If you manage furnace operations, you have experienced the push to increase glass pull, increase temperature, increase wear – increase the overall campaign of a furnace while also protecting your people and operations from a glass leak. A critical stage furnace requires close monitoring for successful risk management.

However, the tools that have been available to manage this process have only given speculative data to aid in decision-making. Manufacturers have had to err on the side of caution, often moving up rebuild schedules that could have been kept or spending money on maintenance that may not have been needed. SmartMelter® has changed the process of risk management with a monitoring program that allows furnace life to be pushed with confidence.

A New Standard in Risk Management

For the first time in the history of glass manufacturing, the actual condition of the furnace can be measured, monitored, and visualized in 3-D. SmartMelter® detects the exact locations of glass penetration into the furnace sidewalls and bottom and measures residual refractory thickness. Quality control is performed by our data analysis team, which produces a detailed map of your furnace condition. All of this is done without interrupting furnace operations or compromising the security of your intellectual property. The progress of glass infiltration can be monitored regularly throughout the critical stage of furnace life, allowing manufacturers to push the productivity of their furnace with less risk. SmartMelter® monitoring program options also include the crown, throat, and specialty blocks.

Customer Success with a Critical Stage Furnace

Using SmartMelter®, Cardinal Glass prevented a catastrophic leak on one furnace and saved over 30% in repair costs on a second furnace.

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Smart Furnace Maintenance

Are you spending money on furnace maintenance that might not be needed? Is the money you are spending directed to the right areas? What repairs will be needed in the next year that would be best scheduled during your December downtime? How well are your cooling techniques working? Do you know how far to lower the glass line for your next hot repair?

In the past, these questions were difficult to answer definitively. Maintenance schedules were planned based on the best educated guesses that could be gathered from visual inspection, historical data, and temperature sensors. However, SmartMelter® has changed the maintenance process with a monitoring program that produces the necessary deterministic data to answer these questions.

A New Standard in Furnace Maintenance

For the first time in the history of glass manufacturing, the actual condition of the furnace can be measured, monitored, and visualized in 3-D. SmartMelter® detects the exact locations of glass penetration into the furnace sidewalls and bottom and measures residual refractory thickness. Quality control is performed by our data analysis team, which produces a detailed map of your furnace condition. All of this is done without interrupting furnace operations or compromising the security of your intellectual property. Maintenance can be targeted to areas of specific need, improving repair schedules and budget planning. SmartMelter® monitoring program options also include the crown, throat, and specialty block.

Customer Success with Condition-based Maintenance

Libbey Glass was able to increase campaign life of a furnace by 25% using SmartMelter® monitoring.

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Making Data-Driven Decisions about Furnace Operations

In the planning stage and early years of furnace life, decisions need to be made about design, materials, techniques, or even the planned product mix that will be used during the campaign. What if you could have an early understanding of how these decisions about furnace operations affect its health?

In the past, the data needed to identify and predict trends was not available in detail. Decisions made with the intention of increasing furnace life could not be validated until late in its campaign. However, SmartMelter® monitoring can show the effects of decisions as they occur, giving glass manufacturers insight into what is happening. They can identify necessary adjustments and change the course of damage early in the campaign.

Determining Product Mix

SmartMelter® can also help manufacturers determine the right product mix for a furnace by assessing the furnace condition in advance. For example, if low iron glass is planned, SmartMelter® can determine whether the furnace bottom is in the necessary condition to handle the higher temperatures and increased wear.

Evaluate if Heat-up Was Successful

Sometimes undetected problems happen when a furnace is first heated. Expansion joints might not close well, or glass could leak through the joints into the insulation. These are dangerous issues, but they are usually unknown to the manufacturer. This can cause a surprise glass leak just months into the operation of a new furnace. A SmartMelter® inspection just after heat-up can identify these issues right away so that the manufacturer can take necessary actions to prevent a glass leak.

A New Standard in Furnace Maintenance

For the first time in the history of glass manufacturing, the actual condition of the furnace can be measured, monitored, and visualized in 3-D. SmartMelter® detects the exact locations of glass penetration into the furnace sidewalls and bottom and measures residual refractory thickness. Quality control is performed by our data analysis team, which produces a detailed map of your furnace condition. All of this is done without interrupting furnace operations or compromising the security of your intellectual property. Trends can be identified in current furnace operations that will inform future planning decisions. New techniques can be evaluated earlier in the furnace campaign and adjusted if necessary. SmartMelter® monitoring program options also include the crown, throat, and specialty block.

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