UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

Design, Commissioning, Operation,

and Manufacturing of a Float Glass
Manufacturing Plant

Submitted by:

Guico, Cyrus Christian O.

Javier, Philippe Fausto D.
Jocson, Angelo Gabriel T.
Julian, Harold E.
Lago, Neil Ian R.

5ME-D

Submitted to:

Engr. Alberto Loresco

 Abstract

Float glass

Float glass is sheet glass made by floating molten glass on a bed of molten tin. This method

gives the glass uniform thickness and a very flat surface. Float glass is more commonly known

as window glass. Because it is inexpensive and sometimes free, it is often used in the glass

fusing process. The molten glass spreads onto the surface of the metal and produces a high

quality, consistent level sheet of glass that is later heat polished. The glass has no wave or

distortion and is now the standard method for glass production; over 90% of the world

production of flat glass is float glass. Float glass is a specialized type of glass with an extremely

smooth and uniform structure, with superb optical properties. For this reason, it is used in a wide

variety of different applications including windows, solar panels, LCD displays, and automotive

windscreens. Float gas is produced via the float glass process, which involves floating the molten

glass on a bed of molten metal and then allowing the glass to set. The method means large panes

can be produced easily, and thickness can also be controlled. The float glass process has

significantly reduced the cost of producing glass that is flat and smooth. Modern glass is

produced from several different materials including sand, dolomite, limestone, carbonate, sodium

sulfate and also scrap glass. All of these materials are heated to extreme temperatures (2,800 °F)

to form molten glass. This glassy liquid is then poured onto a ‘tin bath’ consisting of molten tin,

which acts as a level template for the glass to distribute over and then harden. As the glass

hardens the tin template ensures the glass has flat top and bottom surfaces. Once it has cooled

and completely solidified the monolithic sheet of glass can be cut into smaller sections. The

molten tin is prone to oxidizing – this is prevented by keeping the tin bath in an atmosphere of
90% hydrogen and 10% nitrogen. Today, float glass is the most widely used form of glass in

consumer products. Due to both its high quality with no additional polishing required and its

structural flexibility during production, it can easily be shaped and bent into a variety of forms

while in a heated, syrupy state. This makes it ideal for a variety of applications such as

 Automobile glass (e.g. windshields, windows, mirrors)

 Mirrors

 Furniture (e.g. in tables and shelves)

 Insulated glass

 Windows and doors

Most forms of specialized glass such as toughened glass, frosted glass, laminated safety glass

and soundproof glass consist of standard float glass that has been further processed.
History of float glass

In the earlier days, window glass was made by blowing glass bottles or large glass disks. The

bottles were cut into pieces, flattened together and then window panes were cut from the large

surface. Most glass for windows up to the early 19th century was made from rounds, while

during the 19th century it was done using the bottle method.

Alastair Pilkington has been identified by many sources as the inventor of the float glass process,

even though it was first patented in 1848 by Henry Bessemer, an English engineer. Before the

development of float glass, larger sheets of plate glass were made by casting a large puddle of

glass on an iron surface, and then grinding and polishing both sides for smoothness and clarity –

a very expensive process.

Until the 16th century, window glass or flat glass was generally cut from large discs (or rondels)

of crown glass. Larger sheets of glass were made by blowing large cylinders which were cut

open and flattened, then cut into panes. Most window glass in the early 19th century was made

using the cylinder method. The 'cylinders' were 6 to 8 feet (180 to 240 cm) long and 10 to 14

inches (25 to 36 cm) in diameter, limiting the width that panes of glass could be cut, and

resulting in windows divided by transoms into rectangular panels.

The first advances in automating glass manufacturing were patented in 1848 by Henry Bessemer,

an English engineer. His system produced a continuous ribbon of flat glass by forming the ribbon

between rollers. This was an expensive process, as the surfaces of the glass needed polishing. If

the glass could be set on a perfectly smooth, flat body, like the surface of an open pan of calm

liquid, this would reduce costs considerably. Attempts were made to form flat glass on a bath of

molten tin—one of the few liquids denser than glass that would be calm at the high temperatures
needed to make glass—most notably in the US. Several patents were granted, but this process

was unworkable at the time.

Before the development of float glass, larger sheets of plate glass were made by casting a large

puddle of glass on an iron surface, and then polishing both sides, a costly process. From the early

1920s, a continuous ribbon of plate glass was passed through a lengthy series of inline grinders

and polishers, reducing glass losses and cost.

Glass of lower quality, drawn glass, was made by drawing upwards from a pool of molten glass a

thin sheet, held at the edges by rollers. As it cooled the rising sheet stiffened and could then be

cut. The two surfaces were of lower quality i.e. not as smooth or uniform as those of float glass.

This process continued in use for many years after the development of float glass.

Between 1953 and 1957, Sir Alastair Pilkington and Kenneth Bickerstaff of the UK's Pilkington

Brothers developed the first successful commercial application for forming a continuous ribbon

of glass using a molten tin bath on which the molten glass flows unhindered under the influence

of gravity. The success of this process lay in the careful balance of the volume of glass fed onto

the bath, where it was flattened by its own weight. Full scale profitable sales of float glass were

first achieved in 1960.

In 1964, CH3 Tank, the first purpose-built float line in the world, was built after the conversion

of CH4 Tank. CH1 Tank closed down in 1977 as CH2 Float Line started up. The Pilkington's

production line at Cowley Hill, St Helens, the birthplace of float glass, is no longer in operation

as of 2014 although Pilkington continue to operate other float glass facilities within the town.
Float Glass Manufacturing

The phrase “to float” means “to be buoyant”. And this is basically the principle on which

the float glass manufacturing process is based. In the float glass process, molten glass is fed onto

a float bath of molten tin. This tin bath is 4-8 meters wide and up to 60 meters long. To prevent

the tin surface from oxidizing with the atmospheric oxygen, the tin bath is placed under a

protective gas atmosphere. This atmosphere must be carefully controlled since its composition is

instrumental for the properties of the contact surface between the glass and the tin which, in turn,

influence the thickness of the glass sheet.

The glass floats like an endless ribbon on the tin. At the entrance where the glass first makes

contact with the tin surface, the temperature of the liquid metal is about 600oC. Tin is the only

metal that remains in a liquid state at 600oC.

Immediately after the exit from the float chamber, special rollers take up the glass and feed it

into the annealing lehr from which it exits at about 200oC. After cooling to room temperature on

an open roller track, it is cut, packed, and stored either for shipment or for further processing into

products such as safety glass, reflective glass, self-cleaning glass, mirrors or double

glazed or multi-glazed units.

Float glass can be made in thickness between 1.5 to 20mm. There are two techniques to

accomplish this. To produce thin float glass, rollers control the width and speed of the glass

ribbon. For thick float glass, the glass floats against graphite barriers, so that the ribbon flows out

thicker. Thus the desired widths and thicknesses can be achieved.

While each glass plant is different from the other, the float glass production process can be

divided into five universal steps:

1. Batching of raw materials:

The main components, namely, soda lime glass, silica sand (73%), calcium oxide (9%), soda

(13%) and magnesium (4%), are weighed and mixed into batches to which recycled glass (cullet)

is added. The use of ‘cullet’ reduces the consumption of natural gas. The materials are tested and

stored for later mixing under computerized control.

2. Melting of raw materials in the furnace:

The batched raw materials pass from a mixing silo to a five-chambered furnace where they

become molten at a temperature of approximately 1500°C.

3. Drawing the molten glass onto the tin bath:

The molten glass is “floated” onto a bath of molten tin at a temperature of about 1000°C. It

forms a ribbon with a working width of 3210mm which is normally between 3 and 25mm thick.

The glass which is highly viscous and the tin which is very fluid do not mix and the contact

surface between these two materials is perfectly flat.

4. Cooling of the molten glass in the annealing lehr:

On leaving the bath of molten tin, the glass – now at a temperature of 600°C – has cooled down

sufficiently to pass to an annealing chamber called a lehr. The glass is now hard enough to pass

over rollers and is annealed, which modifies the internal stresses enabling it to be cut and worked

in a predictable way and ensuring flatness of the glass. As both surfaces are fire finished, they

need no grinding or polishing.

5. Quality checks, automatic cutting, and storage:

After cooling, the glass undergoes rigorous quality checks and is washed. It is then cut into

sheets of sizes of up to 6000mm x 3210mm which are in turn stacked, stored and ready for

transport.

Applications

1. Float glass is used for glazing wherever full transparency is required in buildings.

2. It is used as a base material for safety glass, reflective glass and self-cleaning glass,

among others.

It can be used in precision mechanics, especially where extreme surface flatness is required. E.g.,

for visual displays.

Float glass uses common glass-making raw materials, typically consisting of sand, soda ash

(sodium carbonate), dolomite, limestone, and salt cake (sodium sulfate) etc. Other materials may

be used as colourants, refining agents or to adjust the physical and chemical properties of the

glass. The raw materials are mixed in a batch process, then fed together with

suitable cullet (waste glass), in a controlled ratio, into a furnace where it is heated to

approximately 1500 °C. Common float glass furnaces are 9 m wide, 45 m long, and contain more

than 1200 tons of glass. Once molten, the temperature of the glass is stabilised to approximately

1200 °C to ensure a homogeneous specific gravity.

The molten glass is fed into a "tin bath", a bath of molten tin (about 3–4 m wide, 50 m long,

6 cm deep), from a delivery canal and is poured into the tin bath by a ceramic lip known as the

spout lip. The amount of glass allowed to pour onto the molten tin is controlled by a gate called

a tweel.
Tin is suitable for the float glass process because it has a high specific gravity, is cohesive, and

is immiscible with molten glass. Tin, however, oxidises in a natural atmosphere to form tin

dioxide (SnO2). Known in the production process as dross, the tin dioxide adheres to the glass.

To prevent oxidation, the tin bath is provided with a positive pressure protective atmosphere

of nitrogen and hydrogen.

The glass flows onto the tin surface forming a floating ribbon with perfectly smooth surfaces on

both sides and of even thickness. As the glass flows along the tin bath, the temperature is

gradually reduced from 1100 °C until at approximately 600 °C the sheet can be lifted from the

tin onto rollers. The glass ribbon is pulled off the bath by rollers at a controlled speed. Variation

in the flow speed and roller speed enables glass sheets of varying thickness to be formed. Top

rollers positioned above the molten tin may be used to control both the thickness and the width

of the glass ribbon.

Once off the bath, the glass sheet passes through a lehr kiln for approximately 100 m, where it is

cooled gradually so that it anneals without strain and does not crack from the temperature

change. On exiting the "cold end" of the kiln, the glass is cut by machines.
 Float Glass Manufacturing Plant Design

Objective

The main objective of this paper is to propose a design of a float glass manufacturing plant that

would be built, commissioned, and operated for Philippine setting. The float glass manufacturing

plant would compose of clear and coated glass, automotive wind shield glass, and mirror glass

production. The plant design will involve plant site location, plant lay-out, manufacturing

process, and equipment selection for a float glass manufacturing plant.

Manufacturing Process

The following are the manufacturing processes that the float glass manufacturing plant would

operate. These shall include the raw materials needed for manufacture and the necessary

processes to undergo to produce the end products of the manufacturing plant which are

automotive wind shield glass, clear and coated glass, and mirror glass.

 AUTOMOTIVE WIND SHIELD

I. Raw Materials

 Silica (SiO 2), Sodium Oxide (Na 2 O), and Calcium Oxide (CaO) from Soda ash

(Na 2 CO 3), and limestone (CaCO 3).

 Soda ash acts as a flux where it lowers the melting point of the batch composition.

Lime is added to the batch in order to improve the hardness and chemical

durability of the glass.

 Glass used for windshields also usually contains several other oxides: potassium

oxide (K 2 O derived from potash), magnesium oxide (MgO), and aluminum oxide

(AI 2 O 3 derived from feldspar).

II. Manufacturing Process

1. Mixing of Raw Materials

The raw materials are carefully weighed in the appropriate amounts and

mixed together with a small amount of water to prevent segregation of the

ingredients. Cullet (broken waste glass) is also used as a raw material.

2. Melting of Raw Materials

Figure 1. Float Glass Process

Once the batch is made, it is fed to a large tank for melting using the float

glass process. First, the batch is heated to a molten state, and then it is fed into a

tank called the float chamber, which holds a bath of molten tin. The float chamber

is very large—from about 13 feet to 26.25 feet (4 to 8 meters wide and up to almost

197 feet (60 meters) long; at its entrance, the temperature of the tin is about 1,835
o
F (1,000 oC), while at the exit the tin's temperature is slightly cooler—1,115 oF
 (600 oC). In the float chamber, the glass doesn't submerge into the tin but floats

on top of it, moving through the tank as though on a conveyor belt. The perfectly

flat surface of the tin causes the molten glass also to become flat, while the high

temperatures clean the glass of impurities. The decreased temperature at the exit of

the chamber allows the glass to harden enough to move into the next chamber, a

furnace

After the glass exits from the float chamber, rollers pick it up and feed it

into a special furnace called a lehr. (If any solar coatings are desired, they are

applied before the glass enters the lehr.) In this furnace, the glass is cooled gradually

to about 395 oF (200 oC); after the glass exits the lehr, it cools to room temperature.

It is now very hard and strong and ready to be cut.

3. Cutting and Tempering

The glass is cut into the desired dimensions using a diamond scribe—a

tool with sharp metal points containing diamond dust. Diamond is used because it

is harder than glass. The scribe marks a cut line into the glass, which is then broken

or snapped at this line. This step is usually automated and is monitored by cameras

and optoelectronic measuring systems. Next, the cut piece must be bent into

shape. The sheet of glass is placed into a form or mold of metal or refractory

material. The glass-filled mold is then heated in a furnace to the point where the

glass sags to the shape of the mold.

After this shaping step, the glass must be hardened in a heating step called

tempering. First, the glass is quickly heated to about 1,565 oF (850 oC), and then it
 is blasted with jets of cold air. Called quenching, this process toughens the glass

by putting the outer surface into compression and the inside into tension. This

allows the windshield, when damaged, to break into many small pieces of glass

without sharp edges. The size of the pieces can also be changed by modifying the

tempering procedure so that the windshield breaks into larger pieces, allowing good

vision until the wind-shield can be replaced.

4. Laminating

Figure 2. Laminating Process

After the glass is tempered and cleaned, it goes through a laminating

process. In this process, two sheets of glass are bonded together with a layer of

plastic (the plastic layer goes inside the two glass sheets). The lamination takes

place in an autoclave, a special oven that uses both heat and pressure to form a

single, strong unit that is resistant to tearing. The plastic interlayer is often tinted to

act as an ultraviolet filter. When laminated glass is broken, the broken pieces of
 glass remain bound to the internal tear-resistant plastic layer, and the broken sheet

remains transparent. Thus, visibility remains good. Unlike traditional safety glass,

laminated glass can be further processed—cut, drilled, and edge-worked, as

necessary. A typical laminated windshield is very thin: each glass layer is

approximately .03 inch (.76 millimeter) thick, while the plastic interlayer is

approximately .098 inch (2.5 millimeters) thick.

5. Assembly

After laminating, the windshield is ready to be assembled with plastic

moldings, so it can be installed on the car. Known as glass encapsulation, this

assembly process is usually done at the glass manufacturer. First, the peripheral

section of the windshield is set in a predetermined position in a mold cavity. Next,

molten plastic is injected into the mold; when it cools, it forms a plastic frame

around the glass. The windshield assembly is then shipped to the car manufacturer,

where it is installed in an automobile. The installation is done by direct glazing, a

process that uses a polyurethane adhesive to bond the windshield and automobile

body.

Source: Automobile Windshield. (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://www.madehow.com/Volume-1/Automobile-Windshield.html
 CLEAR AND COATED GLASS

Figure 3. Clear Glass Process

1. Melting and Refining Raw Materials

Fine grained ingredients closely controlled for quality, are mixed to make a batch,

which flows into the furnace, which is heated up to 1500 oC. This temperature is the melting

point of glass. The raw materials that float glass is made up of are Silica Sand (SiO2),

Sodium Oxide from Soda Ash (Na2O), Calcium oxide from Limestone (CaO), Dolomite

(MgO), and Feldspar (Al2O3). The mentioned raw materials primarily mixed in batch

helps to make clear glass. If certain metal oxides are mixed to this batch they impart colors

to the glass giving it a body tint. Examples are the following:

 NiO & CoO – to give grey tinted glasses (Oxides of Nickel & Cobalt)

 SeO – to give Bronze tinted glasses (oxide of Selenium)

 Fe2O3 – To give Green tinted glasses (oxides of iron which at times is also present as

impurity in Silica Sand)

 CoO – To give blue tinted glass (oxides of Cobalt)

Apart from the above basic raw material, broken glass aka cullet, is added to the mixture

to the tune of nearly 25% ~ 30% which acts primarily as flux. The flux in a batch helps
 in reducing the melting point of the batch thus reducing the energy consumed to carry out

the process.

2. Float Bath

Glass from the furnace gently flows over the refractory spout on to the mirror-like

surface of molten tin, starting at 1100 oC and leaving the float bath as solid ribbon at 600
o
C.

3. Coating (for Reflective Glass)

Coatings that make profound changes in optical properties can be applied by

advanced high temperature technology to the cooling ribbon of glass. Online Chemical

Vapour Deposition (CVD) is the most significant advance in the float process since it

was invented. CVD can be used to lay down a variety of coatings, a few microns thick, for

reflect visible and infra-red radiance for instance. Multiple coatings can be deposited in the

few seconds available as the glass flows beneath the coater (e.g. Sunergy)

4. Annealing

Despite the tranquility with which the glass is formed, considerable stresses are

developed in the ribbon as the glass cools. The glass is made to move through the

annealing lehr where such internal stresses are removed, as the glass is cooled gradually,

to make the glass more prone to cutting.

5. Inspection
 To ensure the highest quality, glass manufacturers carry out inspection at every

stage. Occasionally a bubble that is not removed during refining, a sand grain that

refuses to melt or a tremor in the tin puts ripples in the glass ribbon. Automated online

inspection does two things. It reveals process faults upstream that can be corrected. And it

enables computers downstream to steer round the flaws. Inspection technology now allows

100 million inspections per second to be made across the ribbon, locating flaws the unaided

eye would be unable to see.

6. Cutting to Order

The entire process of glass making is finally complete when diamond steels trim

off selvedge – stressed edges- and cut ribbon to size dictated by the computer. Glass

is finally sold only in square meters.

Source: Doors & Window Glass Manufacturing Process | Leading Glass Manufacturer in

India. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.aisglass.com/glass-manufacturing-process

 MIRROR GLASS

I. Raw Materials

 Glass sheets are made from silica, which can be mined or refined from sand.

 Glass made from natural crystals of silica is known as fused quartz. There are also

synthetic glasses, which are referred to as synthetic fused silica. The silica, or quartz,

is melted to high temperatures, and poured or rolled out into sheets.

 A few other types of glass are used for high-quality scientific grade mirrors. These

usually contain some other chemical component to strengthen the glass or make it

resistant to certain environmental extremes. Pyrex, for example, is a borosilicate

glass—a glass composed of silica and boron—that is used when mirrors must

withstand high temperatures.

 These base materials must be coated to make a mirror. Metallic coatings are the

most common. A variety of metals, such as silver, gold, and chrome, are appropriate

for this application. Aluminum is the most commonly used metallic coating for

mirrors.

 Scientific grade mirrors are sometimes coated with other materials, like silicon oxides

and silicon nitrides, in up to hundreds of layers of, each a 10,000th of an inch thick.

These types of coatings, referred to as dielectric coatings, are used both by themselves

as reflectors, and as protective finishes on metallic coatings. They are more scratch

resistant than metal. Scientific mirrors also use silver coatings, and sometimes gold

coatings as well, to reflect light of a particular color of light more or less well.
II. Manufacturing Process

1. Cutting and Shaping the Glass

Figure 4. Mirror Manufacturing Process

The first step in manufacturing any mirror is cutting the outline of the glass

"blank" to suit the application. Some mirror manufacturers cut their own glass, others

receive glass that has already been cut into blanks. Regardless of who cuts the glass,

very hard, finely pointed blades are used to do the cutting. Diamond scribes or saws—

sharp metal points or saws with diamond dust embedded in them—are often used

because the diamond will wear down the glass before the glass wears down the diamond.

The cutting method used depends entirely on the final shape the mirror will take. In one
 method, the blades or scribes may be used to cut partway through the glass; pressure

can then be used to break the glass along the score line. In another method, a machine

uses a diamond saw to cut all the way through the glass by drawing the blade back and

forth or up and down multiple times, like an automated bandsaw. Cutting is usually

done before the metal coating is applied, because the coating may flake off the glass

as a result of the cut. An alternative to cutting the glass to form blanks is to mold the

glass in its molten state.

Blanks are then placed in optical grinding machines. These machines consist of

large base plates full of depressions that hold the blanks. The blank-filled base is placed

against another metal plate with the desired surface shape: flat, convex, or concave. A

grinding compound—a gritty liquid—is spread over the glass blanks as they are

rubbed or rolled against the curved surface. The action is similar to grinding spices with

a mortar and pestle. The grit in the compound gradually wears away the glass surface

until it assumes the same shape as the grinding plate. Finer and finer grits are used until

the surface is very smooth and even.

2. Applying the Reflective Material

When the glass surfaces are shaped appropriately and polished to a smooth finish,

they are coated with whatever reflective material the designer has chosen.

Regardless of the coating material, it is applied in an apparatus called an evaporator.

The evaporator is a large vacuum chamber with an upper plate for supporting the blank

mirrors, and a lower crucible for melting the coating metal. It is so called because metal

is heated in the crucible to the point that it evaporates into the vacuum, depositing a

coating on the surface of the glass much like hot breath will steam a cold window.
Blanks are centered over holes in the upper plate that allow the metal vapor to reach the

surface of the glass. Metals can be heated to several hundreds or thousands of degrees

(depending on the boiling point of the metal), before they vaporize. The temperature

and timing for this procedure are controlled very precisely to achieve exactly the right

thickness of metal. This method of coating creates very uniform and highly reflective

surfaces.

The shape of the holes in the upper plate will be transferred to the glass in metal,

like paint through a stencil. This effect is often used to intentionally pattern the mirror.

Metal stencils, or masks, can be applied to the surface of the glass to create one or more

patterns.

Dielectric coatings—either as reflective layers or as protective layers over metal

ones—are applied in much the same way, except that gases are used instead of metal

chunks. Silicon oxides and silicon nitrides are typically used as dielectric coatings.

When these gases combine in extreme heat, they react to form a solid substance. This

reaction product forms a coating just like metal does.

Several evaporation steps may be combined to make a multiple-layer coating.

Clear dielectric materials may be evaporated on top of metal or other dielectrics to

change the reflective or mechanical properties of a surface. Mirrors with silvering on

the back of the glass, for instance, often have an opaque dielectric layer applied to

improve the reflectivity and keep the metal from scratching. One-way mirrors are the

exception to this procedure, in which case great care must be taken not to damage the

thin metal coating.

 Finally, when the proper coatings have been applied, the finished mirror is

mounted in a base or packed carefully in a shock resistant package for shipping.

Source: Mirror. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.madehow.com/Volume-

1/Mirror.html

Site Location

Selecting a proper site for a float glass manufacturing plant is vital for its long term efficiency and

a lot many factors come into play when deciding where to install the manufacturing plant. Of

course it may not be possible to get everything which is desirable at a single place but still the

location should contain an optimum mix of the requirements for the settings to be feasible for long

term economic justification of the manufacturing plant. The matric of criteria of plant site location

are below.

Environmental Consideration 20%

Economic Consideration 20%

Social Consideration 20%

Safety Consideration 20%

Sustainability Consideration 20%

With these matric of criteria, the ideal site location for a float glass manufacturing plant was easily

determined when different considerations such as environmental, economic, social, safety, and

sustainability are taken into account. These play a vital role in ensuring that the float glass

manufacturing plant proposed would operate for a long run.

The proposed site location for the float glass manufacturing plant is situated in an open area inside

the Laguna Technopark located in Biñan, Laguna. Today, the industrial estate now has 8 phases

which covers 460 hectares that cater to light and medium, non-polluting enterprises, from both

global and local markets. In the 2014 annual report of the Philippine Economic Zone Authority,

the locator-companies in Laguna Technopark generated over 100,000 in direct employment.

Laguna Technopark Aerial View

Open Area in the Complex

  Environmental Consideration

The Laguna Technopark is already a developed area which means that in constructing a

manufacturing plant, particularly float glass manufacturing plant, little to no trees would be cut

down for the construction of a manufacturing plant. Furthermore, no conservation place would be

destroyed or compromised in the construction of the manufacturing plant. No protected

environmental areas would be endangered in the area since it was already developed. Constructing

a manufacturing plant in this area is also ideal since it is away from wild life habitat and

environmental protected areas. Being a part of Laguna Technopark also entails to have Corporate

Social Responsibility in which part of it is environmental protection and conservation.

 Economic Consideration

The proposed site location is easily accessible through the South Luzon Expresway. Potential

customers and partners can easily visit the manufacturing plant due to its location.

 50 km from the International Airport

 52 km from the Port of Manila

 44 km from the Makati Central Business District, the country’s largest financial center.

Located in the dynamic Calabarzon region, a booming regional center and a priority growth

center of the Philippine government. Calabarzon consists of the five provinces of Cavite,

Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon. Laguna Technopark is easily accessible from the

Philippines’ primary international airports – the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1

to 3. It is also driving distance from two international seaports – Port of Manila and Batangas

International Port. It is also easily reached through the 10-lane South Luzon Expressway which

boasts of a skyway section from Makati through Alabang – bypassing Metro Manila’s busy
residential areas. With it being near to several business districts and trading centers, constructing

a manufacturing plant would be strategic as the manufacturing plant would be easily visited by

potential customers and partners. Having a location where it would be easy to go to would be

helpful in the economic aspect of the manufacturing plant as more customers and partners would

come due to its strategic location. Furthermore, transportation of its raw materials and delivery of

its end products would be easily managed due to its location being near to business districts and

commercial areas. This would save a lot of money for the manufacturing plant in transporting its

goods and services to their consumers.

 Social Consideration

Being near to many subdivisions and residential area, the proposed float glass manufacturing plant

would be able to give jobs and opportunities to residents living nearby. Furthermore, it being near

the South Luzon Expressway would be also a gateway for residents outside the area to seek

opportunity for it is easy to come to the said location. With the growing demand for jobs in the

South, constructing a manufacturing plant would give much consideration to the residents who are

seeking for a source of their livelihood.

 Safety Consideration

The proposed area is equipped with security system, emergency response, and disaster control.

Laguna Technopark is monitored by security which means that only employees and those with

official business may enter the complex. The area is also equipped with proper emergency response

team who acts immediately whenever an accident occurs. The area is also nearby various hospitals

that attend to the accidents that happen within the complex. The complex is also trained for disaster

prevention. The complex is equipped with fire protection equipment within the vicinity and even
have their own team of disaster response whenever disaster strikes. Safety is not compromised in

the complex.

 Sustainability Consideration

High quality infrastructures at Laguna Technopark include:

 Highway-grade concrete roads

 Digital hybrid fiver-optic telecommunication network capable of full video, data, internet

and voice communications

 Ample supply of industrial and potable water sourced from deep wells

 Centralized sewerage system and waste-water treatment facility

 Available pipelines for the supply of industrial gasses

 Sewer and drainage system

 Power Sub-station with 1-133MVA and 1-50MVA transformer

Such services by the complex allow a manufacturing plant to operate freely and for a long run.

Its strategic location also helps in the sustainability of the manufacturing plant to operate and

maintain its enterprise.

Plant Lay-out

The float glass manufacturing plant would be constructed in an open area within the Laguna

Technopark complex. The available land area for float glass manufacturing plant is 50,232m2. A

facility for a float glass manufacturing plant is to constructed within the open area. Out of the

50,232m2 total land area, only 33,456m2 would be utilized by the manufacturing plant to give

room for further expansion of the manufacturing plant.

 Total Land Area Available

Area to be Utilized by the Manufacturing Plant

For the whole facility, an area for clear and coated glass production, automotive windshield glass

production, and mirror glass production areas should be provided. A separate office for

administration division, packaging area, and storage area must be also incorporated in the

facility.
For the float glass manufacturing plant, 5 separate buildings each made for the production lines

of clear and coated glass, automotive windshield glass, and mirror glass, admin office, and

storage area. The remaining open area around the manufacturing plant is for other auxiliary

applications such as space for gatherings and events, parking area, recreational area, and space

for future expansion.

For the construction of the facility, DATEM CONSTRUCTION INC. will commission in

constructing the proposed float glass manufacturing plant facility. The construction firm will be

responsible in the structural construction of the manufacturing plant. EMZ ELECTRICAL

CONTRACTOR CORP. will commission in designing electrical plans for the whole facility. For

piping lay-out, HVAC systems, and Fire protection system, WEL CONTRACTING CORP. will

commission in the mechanical works in the said facility.

  ADMIN OFFICE

The administration office will shelter the office for administrative division of the float glass

manufacturing plant. It houses the executives, managers, finance department, accounting

department, sales department, purchasing department, human resource department, facilities

management, pollution control department, health and safety department, and personnel.

Provisions for contractors:

1. Earthquake resistant structure

2. In accordance to the structural code and building code of the Philippines

3. No exposed pipes and wirings

4. Installation of generator for back-up power

5. HVAC and Fire Protection system is in accordance with Mechanical Engineering

Standards
  PRODUCTION LINE

There are 3 production lines in the float glass manufacturing plant namely for Clear and Coated

Glass, Automotive Windshield Glass, and Mirror Glass. All 3 production lines handle all the

production requirements of the manufacturing plant. All processes from gathering of raw

materials to processing to quality assurance are handled in the production lines.

Provisions for contractors:

1. Earthquake resistant structure

2. In accordance to the structural code and building code of the Philippines

3. Proper allowances and tolerances for the equipment

4. Enough distance for forklifts and handling equipment to move freely

5. No exposed pipes and wirings

6. Installation of generator for back-up power

7. HVAC and Fire Protection system is in accordance with Mechanical Engineering

Standards
Equipment Selection

1) LBW1800PB Vertical Automatic glass production line/float glass production line for

clear and coated glass production

 Product Specifications

Power Output 30kW

Voltage 380V, 60Hz
Min. Glass Size 300*400mm
Washing Glass Specs 10m/min
Insulating Glass Thickness 48mm
Flow Volume 0.8m3/min
Dimension 18390*2500*2950mm
Capacity 700-800pcs/8 hrs of operation

LBW1800PBVertical Automatic Insulating Glass Outside Assembly Flat Press Production Line

is a high-efficiency insulating glass processing equipment. This line can not only produce

ordinary insulating glass but also for low-e insulating glass. It is a better mass production

equipment to produce insulating glass with high automatic degree, high efficiency, easiness of

operation and maintenance. It has seven parts:

1 input conveyor

2 washing section

3 inspecting section

4 spacer attaching section

5 assembly conveyor

6 press machine

7 output conveyor
2) Glasino CNC float glass production line glass cutting machine line
 Product Specifications
Power Output 8kW
Voltage 380V, 50Hz
Weight 5000kg
Dimension 9000*4000*900mm

Max. glass loading size mm 2600*2000

Min. glass loading size mm 1500*1000
Automatic Loding machine
Glass Thickness mm 3~25
Max. glass cutting size mm 2500*2000
Max. Cutting speed m/min 200
CNC Automatic Glass Cutting Macine
Cutting Precision mm/m 0.20
Tabletop size mm 2600*2000
Breaking bar number pcs 2
Glass Breaking Table
Cutting line total power Kw 8
3) 1200BTempered Glass Float Glass Washing Machine/Double Glass Production

Line/Glass
 Product Specification

Max. glass size:1200mm

Min. glass size :150*150mm

Glass thickness range:3-12mm

Processing speed:1.5-6m/min

Power:9kw

Wt.:900kg

Structure: Horizontal

Transmission: Automatic conveying glass

1. Suitable for each kind of flat glass.

2. Wash and dry the glass in a fast way.

3. Good washing performance (without any leaving on the glass)

4. Frequency converter- low noise and vibration.

5. The fixtures and water tank are made of stainless steel, the fixtures is durable enough cause it

made by hard steel(3mm thickness).

6. Composed by 4 parts, in-feed, washing, drying and out-feed.

4) HCVAC Coating Glass Mirror Production Line
 Product Specifications

Power Output 30-50 kW

Voltage 380V, 60Hz
Weight 5-9 tons
Flow Volume 0.8m3/min
Dimension 28390*3500*3950mm
Capacity 700-800pcs/8 hrs of operation
5) PRISMATIC Automatic Windshield Glass Production Line
 Product Specifications

Power Output 45kW

Voltage 380V, 50Hz
Weight 100000kg
Flow Volume 1.2m3/min
Dimension 17500*1250*2750
Capacity 1000pcs/12 hrs of operation
Supply Ability 10Set/sets per month