#TuromasFairs
Glass Processing Automation Days, GPAD, is a two-day educational experience that provides leading glass manufacturers the opportunity to learn about the latest technological developments in equipment and software solutions. The venue chosen for this year’s event was San Antonio (Texas) on March 27th and 28th.
On Thursday, March 28th, it was the turn of Manuel Borda and Martin Bracamonte, both part of the IGE – Glass Technologies, Inc. (In the [#TuromasFairs] section) team, TUROMAS distributors in North America. They spoke about Industry 4.0 in the glass sector and the smart technology that the Spanish firm utilizes today.
Industry 4.0
The Fourth Industrial Revolution or Industry 4.0 aims to automate production and logistics activities in factories across any sector to optimize work.
In the glass industry, the networked operation of equipment, machines, and storage systems in a glass processing plant can be perfected through the incorporation of robotic technology. This integration translates into exponential growth in productivity, a reduction in energy and human costs, and an improvement in cycle times in the medium term.
Machinery manufacturers joining the smart trend sign collaboration agreements with brands specialized in robotization, software expert firms, and make significant investments in R&D to personalize and implement their own measures.
TUROMAS 4.0
Industry 4.0 makes it possible to share the data provided by machines in a more or less standardized way, whether internally with the machine control software, externally with the manufacturer’s analysis software, or with third-party equipment and software.
Aware that capturing, interpreting, and exploiting this data opens an almost infinite range of possibilities at all levels, TUROMAS has designed software compatible with any optimizer on the market.
TUROMAS Software
Through the development of three programs—Linkglass, Stockglass, and Storeglass—TUROMAS offers the client an integral solution to interpret and manage their company’s production data.
Linkglass is an application that manages production from a single control interface. Operators do not intervene in the selection of the work order or the programming of loading sequences, eliminating uncertainties and enabling better forecasting of the production chain.
Stockglass is an application that monitors and controls glass stock in real-time, which is very useful for inventory management and consulting the availability and location of material to plan production cycles.
Storeglass is an on-plant application to manage non-automated glass warehouses, favoring the control of material inputs and outputs and product-associated data.
All information can be added to the Stockglass system to complete reports on stocks and production.
External Analysis
Furthermore, the analysis of data from machines by external platforms has made it possible to create applications for remote damage or breakage management, predictive maintenance of different machine parts based on workload, or the prevention of bottlenecks.
Predictive maintenance of different machine parts according to workload
TUROMAS R&D professionals establish which devices and machine parts may wear out and affect correct operation.
Defining when a mechanism approaches its replacement or recommended adjustment levels allows customers to plan predictive maintenance actions with sufficient notice.
Bottleneck prevention
TUROMAS machines report data through which processing times can be classified, making it possible to foresee the time cost of producing a batch according to its complexity and size before moving it to production.
With this information, it is possible to simulate the evolution of a workload to know when and where machine problems or delays might arise. Thus, the TUROMAS technical team advises the client on changes in the production cycle to increase machine performance.
Remote breakdown management
TUROMAS After-Sales Service technicians can remotely access machine control components to prevent breakdowns or failures that hinder customer productivity.
More 4.0 Milestones
Smart Warehouse
A warehouse that automatically regulates production speed/cadence in real-time, making it possible to work under the strictest safety levels, optimize cycle times, and care for components by avoiding overexertion.
The TUROMAS SR warehouse (In the [More 4.0 Milestones] section), for example, moves glass racks with up to 16,000 kilograms in an automated way to position them in front of the loading area. Through information obtained from various sensors, the controller verifies the glass load at all times to dynamically adjust displacement speed by controlling inertia.
The Fourth Industrial Revolution has brought other significant developments for TUROMAS—advances that have transformed production systems and increased efficiency, excellence, and safety.
4 Tool
An exclusive patented cutting system. It detects glass thickness and adjusts pressure parameters, the cutting wheel, and lubrication at all times to ensure maximum precision in cutting glass from 0.55 mm to 25 mm. To achieve this, it relies on continuous real-time data feedback.
The Fourth Industrial Revolution has brought other significant developments for TUROMAS—advances that have transformed production systems and increased efficiency, excellence, and safety.
Automatic Glass Rotation
A patented method that allows the glass to be rotated in the safest way, avoiding contact at all times with the low-emissivity coating to preserve all its properties.
