PSR designs forehearths for Glass Futures
Parkinson-Spencer Refractories are supplying forehearths to Glass Futures the Global Centre for Excellence for Glass. The not-for-profit research and development facility will feature a 30 tonne per day glass melting furnace as well as raw materials and cold-end processing to support research and development projects with the container, flat glass, fibreglass and tableware industries. Clients will be able to use the plant to bridge the difficult gap between the lab and full-scale manufacturing.
PSR has designed the distributor, colourant alcove, container forehearth and rolled plate forehearth as well as a drain forehearth for the pilot plant. Each must be able to switch between maximum and minimum tonnage operations on each line. To accommodate this, past designs for a forehearth casing jacking system have been revisited to address the problem of head loss at high pull and low operating temperatures and the unwanted increase in glass depth that occurs if the forehearth casing remains sloped down at low pull and high operating temperatures. This allows the forehearths to operate efficiently under a wider range of production conditions as necessitated by the vast array of possible projects demanded by Glass Futures research partners.
As with all PSR forehearths, both lines will be constructed ready for the future installation of a Cord Dispersal Stirrer system in the event that this is required to combat the common cat-scratch cord defect.
Image: Parkinson Spencer Refractories are supplying a range of forehearths to Glass Futures .