Pilkington

Process

Raw
Materia
ls

Coatin
g
Inspecti
on

Mixing
Anneali
ng

Cuttin
g

Heatin
g
Float
Bath

-Also known as the float glass process

-Only way to manufacture flat glass, plate
glass or sheet glass for windows, glass
doors, transparent walls, and windshields
-Still used to this day
-Composed of six stages

 Main ingredients are mixed into the

batch; sand, lime, dolomite, soda, and
sulfate
Broken-down glass is also added
Heated up to 1600 degrees Celsius
Controlled by computer

- Glass leaves the furnace at

1100 degrees Celsius onto
molten tin
- Glass flattens out
- Top rollers manage the
thickness of the glass

- Removes the stress in the glass from

the previous process
- Glass passes through the annealing lehr
and is cooled from 600 degrees Celsius to
room temperature

- The glass is
coated with a
micron-thick
metallic layer
-This layer adds
special properties
to the glass, such
as reflecting heat

- The ribbon then passes through a online inspection.

- Flaws imply wastage.

- Diamond wheels cut away any flaws

(bubbles, etc.) ad selvedge (stressed
edges)
- Ribbon is cut as per customers
requirement by computer