SILVERSTAR

Since the end of 1998, Euroglas have been producing coated glass in their own plant. On the coating line installed in their Haldensleben site, primarily in-house produced lehr end sizes are processed. Production is focused on heat insulating coatings, but solar control and combined coatings can be produced as well. Based on a technology to the state-of-the-art and ow cycle times, the line is capable of achieving up to 2 million of m2, depending on the glass type.

1. Infeed

A portal loading system assures constant feeding to the line. It takes the glass from four innenlader stillages and places it onto the line. Glass thicknesses from 3 to 15 mm, and sizes of 150 x 321 up to 600 x 321 cm - and mixtures - can be processed. Cut sizes can be loaded onto the line inbetween the lehr end sizes.

Cleaning

The glass sheets are cleaned by using purest water - free from any environmentally hazardous chemicals. Passage across two successive zones assures the surface cleanliness re-quired for the coating process. The water used is 100 % treated, with water consumption, hence, being reduced by 70 %.

3. Coating

Very thin advanced coatings, k-values of 1.0, combined heat/solar control coatings of highest selectivity - all these features are achieved on our coating line. The coatings are applied onto the glass in high-vacuum by the magnetron sputtering sources using dc and medium-frequency technology. The flexible, extendable concept of the line - individual coating stations can be quickly displaced - allows for the line to be transferred within the shortest period of time. Furthermore, future and even more complex coating systems can be produced.

4. Process control

Process control is performed by using several transmission spectrometers in the coating process, with all sputtering sources being equipped with plasma emission monitors to precisely adjust the coating parameters. The glass sheets are controlled across the total width of 321 cm, by measuring the reflection and transmission spectra as well as the silver coat thickness. This is how Euroglas assure compliance with k and g-values and a constantly uniform reflection colour of the glass sheets supplied.

5. Stacking

Finally, the glass is stacked onto five innenlader stillages in a 45-second cycle time. All packs can be produced by direct control via the central host computer. Stacking is organized with the coat facing the stillage or the sucker, as desired. Of course, the packs are sealed against moisture.