Austria’s largest glass processor, Glas Gasperlmair, produces all special shapes with cut-outs exclusively on systron waterjet processing centres.

Seven years – seven systron glass processing lines. In 2015, Glas Gasperlmair GesmbH from Wagrain (Salzburg, Austria) invested in the very first systron proHD glass processing centre with integrated waterjet technology.  Since then, a trustful cooperation started, with new machines installed every year.

What began in 1969 as a one-man glazier business can now look back on an impressive success story. “We can do everything the market demands,” company founder Josef Gasperlmair can proudly assert. 450 well-trained employees, 72,000 m² of production facilities and a large, extremely diverse and modern machinery park satisfy every requirement when it comes to glass. They process around 40,000 tons of raw glass each year. Main final products are tempered & semi-tempered safety glass, laminated safety glass, insulating glass, fire protection glass, curved, enamelled or printed glass. Glas Gasperlmair is not only a pioneer in terms of innovation and quality. With a 99.1% adherence to deadlines, reliability is also a great strength and of course a factor that is very important to partners and suppliers.

systron managing director Franz Schachner and Josef Gasperlmair have been knowing each other for over a decade. “I got to know Mr. Schachner as an enormously talented, motivated service technician who was always open to new developments. When I found out that he was going to start his own business, I was interested in their developments. Mr. Schachner and his business partner and software developer Reinhard Gruber presented the proHD concept to me,” Josef Gasperlmair explains the beginnings of the cooperation. This proHD glass processing centre provides the possibilities of seaming, milling, countersinking, grinding and polishing outer and inner contours, as well as drill holes and cut-outs using a high-pressure waterjet. After a 9-month development period, the prototype 5027proHD (YOM 2015) was put into operation at Glas Gasperlmair. The head of the company adds:

“We agreed on everything with a handshake, I had strong confidence in the project. Everyone knew that a prototype will not run smoothly right away, but this machine was economical from the start.”

Right after proHD serial number 1 (YOM 2015), the next systron proHD (YOM 2016), this time with a length of 6m, was set up at Glas Gasperlmair. It was followed by:

• 2017 another systron proHD processing centre with waterjet
• 2018 a systron es1 seaming & grinding machine
• 2019 the systron HD high-pressure waterjet cutting machine
• 2021 another systron es2 seaming machine plus a systron WM washing & drying station
• Beginning of 2022, a systron proHD with automated glass storage on the inlet and outlet side as well as a WM were installed
• The next systron es2 seaming machine with 2 processing heads will follow at the end of 2022

“We are also extremely satisfied with the systron seaming machines, the output is excellent, and they run very reliably,” says Josef Gasperlmair.

All systems are operated in 3 shifts in a very demanding, abrasive environment consisting of water, abrasives and glass dust. Service is correspondingly important:

“The systron service team supports us very reliably.”

The glass pioneer is sure:

“Waterjet processing is indispensable. This technology has enormous advantages, especially for complex glass products.

Drilling is more difficult to adjust, not to mention the unattainable cycle times. In addition, waterjet holes and cut-outs do not have to be post-processed before tempering because no micro-cracks occur with this high-pressure process. We produce between 400 and 600 glass doors every day, the holes for metal fittings do not have to be grinded unless explicitly requested. During the pandemic we have also made thousands of glass partitions, some with 15 little holes as speech openings – all with our proHD waterjet centres. We process all special shapes and cut-outs on our systron machines.

The more complex the glass is, the more economically we work with it. We analysed that instead of a vertical machining centre from systron, we would have needed 5 horizontal machines.”

Yes. Josef Gasperlmair is also investing in automation. That’s why he ordered the latest proHD with a 20-slots glass storage. The load of the inline glass storage is processed fully automatically and then buffered in the storage on the outlet side. Due to the significant reduction in working distances, the operation of a second machine in face-to-face mode is an option. For this purpose, the 3525proHD YOM 2017 was placed opposite the new processing centre. “The next step would be robot assembly and unloading. However, our wide product mix makes this a challenge. Our system with glass racks has become well established and makes us very flexible,” says Josef Gasperlmair.

www.glas-gasperlmair.at