Dosetec furnaces charging machine for Saint-Gobain Isover glass wool factory

Saint-Gobain Isover Oy constructed a new glass wool factory in Yegorievsk. The production capacity of the isolation wool in the factory is 20,000 tons per year. Production will be doubled when the factory is supplied with another glass furnace. Dosetec has been selected to be the supplier of the installation of this expansion project.

Saint-Gobain Isover Oy constructed a new glass wool factory in Yegorievsk, in the autumn 2003. The production capacity of the isolation wool in the factory is 20,000 tons per year. Production will be doubled in 2005 when the factory is supplied with another glass furnace. Vaakakoskinen has been selected to be the supplier of the installation of this expansion project. Dosetec dosing system takes care of charging the glass furnace and supplying the raw material for the furnace hall. Furthermore, a separate conveyor system takes the pieces of glass back from the glass furnace to the charging device.

Automatic furnace charging machine

Dosing the raw material mixture from furnace silos into glass furnace is carried out by a furnace charging machine provided with an intermediate hopper, rails and a belt conveyor. A filter unit with dust collection system is connected to a furnace wagon. The furnace charging machine automatically picks up the raw material mixture from the storage silos, and then transfers on rails to the glass furnace. Dosing the raw material mixture into the furnace is carried out by a belt conveyor whose unloading spout is transferred inside the furnace. The unloading spout moves inside the furnace lengthwise and crosswise, as programmed in advance. The automation control system of the furnace charging machine has been carried out by Siemens PLC and because of the criticality of the operation it has been separated from other automation in the factory.

Furnace charging has to work day and night, year by year

The production is only interrupted at about 5-year intervals while the glass furnace is renovated. For possible malfunctions in the furnace charging machine there is a separate vibrating feeder that charges the furnace from above.