Arglass has announced a partnership with Zippe for the construction of their second plant in Valdosta, USA. The project is scheduled for installation in December 2024 and commissioning in Q2 of 2025, with the goal of improving operational efficiency and sustainability through the use of modern technology.
At the center of this collaboration is the Zippe batch plant, specifically designed to meet the requirements of contemporary glass production. The system has a capacity of 495 tons per day for the second furnace, with a focus on optimizing raw material handling, pre-mixing, and batch transport processes. Its modular design ensures easy integration into Arglass’s existing infrastructure, minimizing downtime during installation and commissioning phases.
Key features of the batch plant include mechanical raw material feeding mechanisms like truck and train unloading systems equipped with vibratory tray feeders and elevators. A silo system capable of storing up to 10 raw materials, with the largest silo having a volume of 500m3, feeds into an automatic pre-mix plant. This pre-mix plant, along with a 3,000-litre mixer and precise weighing line, guarantees consistent formulation and quality control throughout the production process.
In addition to focusing on operational efficiency, Arglass is also committed to sustainability. They are implementing a cullet return system to serve four IS machines, incorporating scraping conveyors, crushers, falling tubes, and conveyor belts to efficiently recycle glass cullet. The integration of Zippe’s ZMART intelligent scraping conveyor control system is notable, as it optimizes conveyor speed based on gob weight and quantity to reduce wear and energy consumption.