FLACHGLAS Wernberg modernizes second laminating line with Glaston ProL-zone

“We are extremely satisfied with the two latest laminating line upgrade projects. There have been considerable savings in energy consumption, which also have a positive impact on the sustainability of our everyday operations,” says Martin Geiss, Technical Manager at FLACHGLAS Wernberg. “Many concerns we used to have about quality, reliability and feasibility are a thing of the past.”

FLACHGLAS in Germany has just completed a second laminating line upgrade at its Wernberg facility with Glaston’s ProL featuring patented Convection Control. This follows on last year’s upgrade of a glass lamination line with ProL, completed in January 2024, which delivered significant improvements in energy consumption, product quality and ease of use.

These are the most recent in a series of initiatives to modernize FLACHGLAS’s production equipment with Glaston.

IMPROVED HANDLING OF COMPLEX LAMINATES

The second laminating line processes sandwich structures up to 100 mm thick, as well as demanding special interlayers such as SentryGlas® and sound insulation films. In traditional production, these products often require time-consuming recipe testing or expensive manual packaging in vacuum bags before the autoclave. With the Convection Control, however, they can be produced flawlessly straight on the line.

“The results are impressive again,” says Julian Lobinger, Technical Project Manager at FLACHGLAS. “Thanks to the Convection Control, producing these laminates is child’s play. The technology eliminates unnecessary manual work, reduces film wastage and the need for accessories and removes the human factor as a potential source of error.”

Since glass sandwiches packaged in film take up more space, eliminating this step has freed up capacity in the autoclave, providing another significant benefit.

CONSISTENT QUALITY WITH CONVECTION CONTROL

Convection Control keeps heating uniform across the entire laminate by precisely adjusting airflow and temperature based on the position of the glass. This level of precision, impossible to achieve with radiation heating, prevents edge overheating and ensures consistently high quality for any glass type, whether coated, painted or Low-E. Operators no longer need to create individual heating profiles for each glass type, simplifying the process considerably and reducing errors.

Results speak for themselves. During the Glaston factory tour at GPD 2025 in Tampere, Finland, visitors saw the perfect quality of an 83 mm thick, 2,000 x 2,500 mm laminate from Wernberg – produced in a single pass at the push of a button, without any special recipe.

NEW OPPORTUNITIES AHEAD

“The fact that even with our demanding production scenarios, the line produces flawless quality - without recipes, waiting times or readjustments – opens up completely new possibilities for FLACHGLAS,” Geiss says. “Our company is now ideally equipped to compete in the market with specially refined glass products.”

The latest modernization has once again delivered notable energy savings, which also supports the sustainability targets of FLACHGLAS Wernberg.

“This upgrade will help to secure and strengthen our market position,” he adds.

The company’s commitment to modernization doesn’t stop here. FLACHGLAS has already ordered a new tempering furnace to replace the capacity of their two other plants. Commissioning is planned for early 2026 and is expected to bring further improvements in energy efficiency.