BY MIKA ERONEN
Windshield serial bending furnace repeatability requires stability fromthe process and perfect controls of all process variables. In serialbending furnaces the nature of continuous, speedy production, andimproved automation leaves less room for operator dependent processvariables and automation can correct the variations. Neverthelessserial bending furnace production process stability requires perfectlyoptimized production set-up, perfectly adjusted furnace parameters,perfected heating element configuration, skilled and active operators,continuous process control, and careful production planning.
We have recognized in our field work that serial furnace bendingprocess quality has often room for significant improvements that canimprove repeatability, quality and capacity. This training programexplains the fundamentals of serial bending furnace production andtakes the participants through the entire bending process cycle, fromloading to unloading, explaining each stage in detail, basic andadvanced actions at each stage, tips how to control geometry and size,introduces common mistakes and ways to control process variation.
2
1. WS Design History and Today
2. Glass properties
3. Windshield Bending Methods
4. Gravity Bending and Serial Bending Process Description
5. Infrared heating
a) Infrared radiation types
b) Controlling IR-Radiation
6. Serial Bending Key-Parameters
a) Bending Cycle target time
b) Bending Cycle Window
c) Residual mass affects
7. Designing heating element configurations
8. Production set-up
Copyrights Mika Eronen 3
8. Bending Process Step By
Step
a)Loading
b)Pre-heating
c)Pre-Bending
d)Bending ▪ Using Adjustable Heating Elements
▪ Applying Heat Mirrors
e)Final Bending▪ The dominating section
▪ Acquiring final Shape
▪ Maintaining final shape
▪ Cross Curvature Controlling
f) Annealing
g) Cooling
h) Unloading
4
9. Quality Controls Actions after bending
10. Challenges of serial production
11. Common mistakes
12. Process Variation
13. Elimination process variation
5
MIKA ERONENMIKA ERONENMIKA ERONENMIKA ERONEN
SAFETY GLASS EXPERTS INTERNATIONAL LTD
PROCESS EXPERT, OWNER
AREA AREA AREA AREA OF EXPERTISE: OF EXPERTISE: OF EXPERTISE: OF EXPERTISE: PRODUCTION OF LAMINATED
WINDSHIELDS, SAG BENDING PROCESS, RIM MOLD
TOOLING AND LAMINATION
INDUSTRY INDUSTRY INDUSTRY INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE: EXPERIENCE: EXPERIENCE: EXPERIENCE: 13 YEARS, INCLUDING
EXTENSIVE INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
EDUCATION: EDUCATION: EDUCATION: EDUCATION: 6/2010 SPECIALIZATION STUDIES IN
PRODUCTION CONTROL AND OPERATIONS
MANAGEMENT
6/2009 DEGREE ON PROFESSIONAL SPECIALIZATION
STUDIES OF CONSULTING
Copyrights Safety Glass Experts International Oy Ltd 6