鶹ֱapp Restarts Fiberglass Furnace in Slovakia

On April 25, 2023, 鶹ֱ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,” said John Vasuta, President of 鶹ֱapp Engineered Products. "The teams from Trnava and our 鶹ֱ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 鶹ֱapp’s commitment to continue serving the industry in Europe with regional production.

At JEC World in April 2023, 鶹ֱ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, 鶹ֱapp showcased its innovative Neomera® PA-6 organosheet products, which feature exceptionally good mechanical properties thanks to their patented reactive sizing technology.


Miroslav Bucany

4 Questions for Miroslav Bučány,

Project Engineering Manager in Trnava, Slovakia

Thecommissioning of a new glass furnace is a major technical achievement andrequires a lot of experience and technical expertise. As the project manager,Miroslav Bučány was heavily involved, so we asked him some questions about therebuild.

1.How didthe teams from Trnava and 鶹ֱapp Technical Center work together toachieve such a long life for the old furnace?

Due to ourlong company history, 鶹ֱapp has already mastered multiple furnacerebuilds. Of course, each rebuild teaches you something new, and thetechnological components are also constantly improving. Nevertheless, theproject can only be brought to success if the teams work together effectively.The technological capabilities at the JMTC combined with the experience of ouremployees in Trnava, who work at the furnace every day, were fundamentalfactors in the record-breaking lifespan of the old furnace.

2. What difficulties did the team in Trnava face while performing the rebuild of thefurnace?

The projectand operations team faced a few technical and time-related challenges. We hadto replace the existing abatement/filter technology entirely, as well asinnovate with basement scrap vibrating conveyors. Implementing automation inthe winding area was also a big hurdle. All this required extra effort andengineering worked hard to coordinate all external vendors, JM operations and maintenanceteams to keep the project within the approved cost and time constraints.

3.Whattechnical advancements facilitated the successful rebuild of the furnace?

Thesuccessful rebuild of the furnace was enabled by advancements in technology,including implementation of improved melter design layouts, several smallimprovements in the forming area, a new abatement/filter technology system, newtechnology for collecting waste fiber in the basement, innovations in thecombustion system, more accurate temperature gauges and sensors, and enhancedmaterials. These technical advancements will ensure smooth operation of thefurnace, improved efficiency, reduced emissions, and an extended lifespan.

4.Whatimpact has this furnace rebuild had for the European market?

Thissuccessful rebuild has proven 鶹ֱapp's commitment to serving theEuropean industry with regional production. It’s a reaffirmation to ourcustomers that we will provide them with a security of supply from Europe. Weare especially proud to serve the market with products made in Trnava.

Did you know...

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 furnace

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