Allied Glass has completed a furnace repair of G1 furnace at its Knottingley site. This is the first furnace to be developed by Allied's in-house engineering project management team. After a 12m tendering process, it sourced European refractory materials for the build and chose technologies from European equipment suppliers including Sorg, ACSI and STG. A sealed doghouse and batch charger, a low-NOx combustion system, integrated waste gas oxygen control, a PLC control system and new gas metering and control skids are some of the investments designed to give better process control for production performance. The furnace will feed five IS machines, including one fed by a colouring forehearth. The production line received a £3M upgrade in 2012, when the forehearth capacity was increased and a new IS machine and inspection line installed. The new furnace is expected to be in production by April, 2013.
