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For many years edge deletion on machinery in the glass industry has been in its current format. Previously standard soft-coated glasses were mixed with hard coated products, the switch to soft coated has been market led and is now probably at its maximum. However other market demands have changed there are now new expectations for processors to consider, for example protective coverings or film on high performance products . 

Steve Goble, Managing Director, HEGLA UK discusses the potential of the next generation edge deletion options from the leading system supplier. 

“It has always been important to remove debris from the Edge Deletion Process and has as fast a process as possible, standard soft-coated products simply did not create the problems that we are seeing today with vastly improved coatings, multiple silver layers and surface protection before the toughening process."

Over the last few years glass suppliers have developed a broad range of high performance toughenable products that are coated with different protective membranes/polymers which must be ground through to edge delete during the glass cutting process. 

By its very nature this has become a problematic issue for processors across the UK. Today edge deletion requires the removal of many more types of protective coatings during production. The amount of debris created by this is enormous by comparison to a few years ago and has slowed down the process, machines that were not designed for these coatings.

With a focus on market-led needs and the requirements for processors to supply larger volumes of glass in multiple coated formats, HEGLA recognised the need to address the issue. Consequently, a new generation of machinery designed specifically to combat issues associated with debris caused by edge deletion has been developed.

Steve continues, “Physically the commercial market has been transformed, while glass performance requirements are now unrecognisable to even 10 years ago. Having identified the issue, the HEGLA team has designed a new solution that is a complete change to system that has served the industry for ca 25 years with single edge deletion as well as Hegla’s unique Twin Edge Deletion.

Technical redevelopments and alterations to software have been quite considerable to improve the edge deletion process to the point where standard soft coated glass can now be edge deleted faster than before as well as coping with the new products. 

The UK market is now recognising the problems that older systems generate, with leading glass processors now looking at the next generation edge deletion machinery that can cope with multi coatings and surface protection."