FGI INVESTS IN FULLY AUTOMATED PAINT LINE

Installation of a fully automated paint line at Float Glass Industries means FGI can now produce high quality toughened painted panels in just two to three working weeks from receipt of order. The new Giardina Roller Coater at FGI’s glass processing facility in Manchester is one of the largest paint lines in the UK.

FGI is launching a new painted ceramic frit panel range under the brand name Everclad which will be available to the company’s Everseal insulating glass customers and to all sealed unit manufacturers. There is currently a choice of eight standard colours – White, Black, Graphite, Cactus, Harmonic Blue, Mid Grey, Light and Dark Bronze – plus a wide selection of non-standard RAL colours, all subject to a minimum order of 50m2 for each colour. Everclad panels will be sold by FGI in single form or incorporated into Everseal Warm Edge TPS insulated glass units. FGI also offers the option of applying insulation to the rear of the panels to meet specific project insulation requirements.

FGI’s Giardina equipment can produce painted panels up to 2400mm x 4200mm and applies an even and controlled layer of paint to the upper surface of the glass as it moves along the machine’s conveyor. The glass then passes through an on-line drying oven, followed by a cooling chamber to enable ease of handling at the offload end of the line.

The quick and highly efficient process gives FGI the ability to produce in excess of 500m2 of painted glass per shift and uses a safe, environmentally friendly water-based paint. Once the paint has been applied, the glass is toughened and it is during this process that the paint is ‘fired’ into the surface, resulting in an exceptionally resilient and scratch resistant coating. Compared with the uneven coating of some spray paint systems, which apply the paint after toughening, the Giardina roller coater delivers a consistent colour finish across the entire panel which can be colour-matched to the glazing.

FGI’s Joint Managing Director, Dawn Offland, believes the company’s new roller coater line addresses a shortage of supply capacity for ceramic enamelled panels in the UK, which has often resulted in lead times of 6 to 8 weeks. She says: “Being able to produce high quality panels in-house gives FGI control over quality and means much shorter lead times for new and existing commercial customers.”