Posted to News on 5th Oct 2006, 13:42
Pilkington choose Eurotherm for global alliance agreement
Pilkington, one of the world's largest manufacturers of glass and glazing products for the building and automotive markets, has signed a Global Alliance agreement with Eurotherm Limited. The glass manufacturer will now standardise internationally wherever possible on "hot end" control solutions based on Eurotherm's EurothermSuite family of distributed control and information systems, with its associated instrumentation.
This significant international agreement will be applicable to all of the float glass manufacturing plants which Pilkington operates in many countries globally. The agreement comes as the result of a long and successful working relationship between the two companies which goes back over several years.
Float glass plants, which produce high-quality clear, tinted and coated glass for buildings and vehicles, need to operate non-stop for up to 15 years. This clearly requires control and information systems of the highest integrity and performance. The float process, invented by Pilkington in the 1950s, has been licensed to more than 40 manufacturers in 30 countries. Pilkington was acquired by the Japanese glassmaker NSG in June 2006 and Pilkington and NSG together operate or have interests in 46 float lines worldwide.
Eurotherm's EurothermSuite offering now features what is claimed to be the most comprehensive set of control solutions available in a package from a single source. It includes process controllers and indicators, data recorders and data acquisition systems, and complete process automation systems. Such systems are now designed to function within open networked environments, providing integration with management systems via industry standard technologies. All are supported by a wide range of configuration and diagnostic tools, and a portfolio of life-cycle support service options.
Martyn Bevan, Eurotherm's Business Manager Glass Solutions, commenting on the Pilkington agreement, said: "For many years now Eurotherm have been supplying process control and monitoring systems to the world's glass manufacturers, and have built up a global reputation for meeting the diverse control requirements of the industry. We have delivered a large number of systems controlling Float Glass, Blown Container/Product, Glass Fibre, Crystal and Ribbon/Tubing lines, providing cost effective solutions for both the "Hot" and "Cold" ends of the manufacturing process. This Includes batch, furnace, distributor, forehearth, mandrel, Lehr, annealing, bushings and utilities plant areas. Over time, our international working relationship with Pilkington has proved to be technically reliable, extremely productive, and cost-effective, facts which have now been recognised formally by their choice of us as a global supplier."
