Glass manufacturing uses compressed air across the hot and cold ends of the plant: glass forming, cooling, annealing, conveying, inspection and process control. The air must be dry and clean, because moisture or oil on the glass surface creates defects and rejects.
Key applications
- Blow and blow, and press and blow forming machines
- Cooling air for moulds and finished ware
- Pneumatic conveying of batch and cullet
- Inspection, stacking and palletising automation
Air quality and pressure
Forming and cooling air must be oil-free and dry to prevent surface marks and contamination. Control air for valves and instruments needs a low dew point for reliable operation. Different machine sections run at different pressures, so the system is zoned rather than run at a single pressure.
System design
Glass plants run continuously, so reliability and redundancy are essential. Multiple screw compressors with sequencing, generous receiver capacity and low-pressure blowers for cooling air keep the hot end running without interruption.