On April 25, 2023, Âé¶¹Ö±²¥app Engineered Products restarted a glass melter, after it was taken out of service for a routine rebuild. The furnace had previously reached the end of its service life after a record campaign of 10 years.
“This is an outstanding achievement from a technology perspective,â€� said John Vasuta, President of Âé¶¹Ö±²¥app Engineered Products. "The teams from Trnava and our Âé¶¹Ö±²¥app Technical Center in the U.S. worked together extremely well and did a fantastic job to achieve such a long life for the furnace. The rebuild also went remarkably smoothly."
This furnace rebuild also affirms Âé¶¹Ö±²¥app’s commitment to continue serving the industry in Europe with regional production.
At JEC World in April 2023, Âé¶¹Ö±²¥app showcased its full potential of StarRov® single-end rovings, MultiStar® multi-end rovings and ThermoFlow® and StarStran® chopped strands – all of which expand the capabilities of thermoplastic and thermoset composites. In addition, Âé¶¹Ö±²¥app showcased its innovative Neomera® PA-6 organosheet products, which feature exceptionally good mechanical properties thanks to their patented reactive sizing technology.

4 Questions for Miroslav Bu�ány,
Project Engineering Manager in Trnava, SlovakiaÌý
Ìý
TheÌýcommissioning of a new glass furnace is a major technical achievement andÌýrequires a lot of experience and technical expertise. As the project manager,ÌýMiroslav BuÄ�ány was heavily involved, so we asked him some questions about theÌýrebuild.Ìý Ìý
Ìý
1.ÌýHow didÌýthe teams from Trnava and Âé¶¹Ö±²¥app Technical Center work together toÌýachieve such a long life for the old furnace?Ìý
Due to ourÌýlong company history, Âé¶¹Ö±²¥app has already mastered multiple furnaceÌýrebuilds. Of course, each rebuild teaches you something new, and theÌýtechnological components are also constantly improving. Nevertheless, theÌýproject can only be brought to success if the teams work together effectively.ÌýThe technological capabilities at the JMTC combined with the experience of ourÌýemployees in Trnava, who work at the furnace every day, were fundamentalÌýfactors in the record-breaking lifespan of the old furnace.Ìý
Ìý
2. What difficulties did the team in Trnava face while performing the rebuild of theÌýfurnace?Ìý
The projectÌýand operations team faced a few technical and time-related challenges. We hadÌýto replace the existing abatement/filter technology entirely, as well asÌýinnovate with basement scrap vibrating conveyors. Implementing automation inÌýthe winding area was also a big hurdle. All this required extra effort andÌýengineering worked hard to coordinate all external vendors, JM operations and maintenanceÌýteams to keep the project within the approved cost and time constraints.
Ìý
3.ÌýWhatÌýtechnical advancements facilitated the successful rebuild of the furnace?
TheÌýsuccessful rebuild of the furnace was enabled by advancements in technology,Ìýincluding implementation of improved melter design layouts, several smallÌýimprovements in the forming area, a new abatement/filter technology system, newÌýtechnology for collecting waste fiber in the basement, innovations in theÌýcombustion system, more accurate temperature gauges and sensors, and enhancedÌýmaterials. These technical advancements will ensure smooth operation of theÌýfurnace, improved efficiency, reduced emissions, and an extended lifespan.
Ìý
4.ÌýWhatÌýimpact has this furnace rebuild had for the European market?
ThisÌýsuccessful rebuild has proven Âé¶¹Ö±²¥app's commitment to serving theÌýEuropean industry with regional production. It’s a reaffirmation to ourÌýcustomers that we will provide them with a security of supply from Europe. WeÌýare especially proud to serve the market with products made in Trnava.
Ìý

Did you know...
...900 tons of refractory material and 150 tons of construction steel were built into our new furnace
...60,000 hours of work was carried out to complete the rebuild
...2 days after the furnace generated its first glass, we were able to produce our first sellable material
...1,500°C / 2,730°F is the temperature inside the furnaceÌý
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