Flat Glass

Carmeuse offers a variety of lime-based products and advanced service solutions to address the many challenges you face with your flat/float glass production.

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The Process of Flat Glass Production

The process of manufacturing flat or float glass, the ubiquitous material used in windows and architectural applications, is a crucial part of many industries. It typically begins with a mix of high-quality raw materials, including silica sand, soda ash, limestone, and sometimes recycled glass, carefully proportioned to create the glass batch. This batch is then continuously fed onto a molten tin bath within a high-temperature furnace, which gives the process its name, "float glass." As the glass flows across the molten tin surface, it spreads uniformly, forming a pristine, flat sheet. The glass gradually cools and hardens as it moves through the annealing lehr, a long oven-like chamber. This controlled cooling process relieves internal stresses, ensuring the resulting glass is strong and distortion-free. Once cooled and solidified, the glass undergoes cutting, shaping, and other treatments to meet specific requirements for architectural and automotive applications. The float glass manufacturing process embodies precision, efficiency, and advanced technology, ultimately delivering the high-quality, transparent, and versatile material we commonly use.

Lime or Soda Ash Storage & Conveying Systems

High volume production places high demand on your equipment. Carmeuse, through our wholly owned subsidiary, Storage & Transfer Technologies, Inc., provides comprehensive equipment and storage solutions for storage and pneumatic transfer of your bulk materials. Our experienced engineers can design tailored solutions, including new lime handling systems and retrofits or upgrades for existing equipment.

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