A System for Precise & Fast Glass Processing

“The development of our systron LOOP system for brilliant cup wheel polish was significantly driven by the collaboration with Thiele Glas. The goal was to create a vertical glass processing line capable of producing glass with precise dimensions and angles—even for linear custom shapes—while achieving cup wheel polishing quality. This combination of precise grinding and complex CNC processing in a single system offers numerous possibilities for the glass industry,” explains systron CEO Franz Schachner.

It not only allows the processing of rectangular glass sheets with the highest quality but also the production of typical CNC glass with complex shapes and interior processing. When combined with the systron proHD processing centre, various requirements can be met through a continuous, efficient process.

A key feature of the systron LOOP is its ability to process glass panes up to 3.5 x 3.5 meters in a well-thought-out, fully automated process. The glass goes through four rounds on the TLR edge grinding machine and is automatically rotated 90° after each round. There are no setup times for different sheet dimensions, ensuring high productivity even with frequent changes. The simple and reliable transport system, as well as the flexible rotating unit, make the system ideal for large and heavy glass plates. The grinding and brilliant polishing of the glass is done using 11 spindles.

“The system’s efficiency is highlighted by the short processing times: for instance, the production of a standard shower door (2 x 1 m) with cup wheel polishing can be reduced by 20% depending on the available space,” says Alfred Thiele, CEO of Thiele AG.

The systron LOOP can process glass panes with maximum dimensions of 3500 x 3500 mm and minimum dimensions of 300 x 300 mm, allowing for a wide range of applications.

The modular design of the systron LOOP system allows for easy adaptation to space and specific production requirements. The intuitive machine software is clearly displayed on a multi-touch panel, enabling quick and accurate manual axis positioning. A digital twin on the operator terminal provides an exact representation of the machine’s current state, significantly simplifying operation and monitoring. This improves both the efficiency of commissioning and operational performance.

The system is fully virtualized, allowing the glass sheets to be checked at defined checkpoints via sensors. This enables automatic adjustment of dynamics (speed, acceleration, deceleration) based on the sheet dimensions. For example, a square glass sheet experiences much higher acceleration and deceleration than a sheet with a length/height ratio of 1:8. This enhances production safety and reliability. Additionally, the operator panel always provides a comprehensive view of the entire glass processing process, and communication with the system is possible through the virtualized interface.

To prevent scratches and contamination during the processing, the integrated washing machine of the edge grinding system is recommended. It cleans the glass during processing and is also suitable for low-E glass, ensuring the edges remain clean and free of residue.

For dimensionally accurate and angle-precise products that also require complex interior processing, the systron LOOP can be combined with the proHD glass processing centre with integrated waterjet. This Combo offers:

• Dimensionally accurate pre-grinding and precise interior processing: Ideal for demanding applications requiring high dimensional and angular accuracy.
• Very short cycle times: Efficiency is maximized, especially for small batch sizes.
• Bypass function for complex CNC glass: The system can flexibly adapt to the processing of different types and shapes of glass.

The systron engineers paid particular attention to flexibility and reliability in the development of the LOOP system.

“The transport system is modular and can be optimally adapted to the customer’s conditions. We are also flexible when it comes to the integrated edger. We have already had good experiences with the TLR11 edge grinding machine from Lattuada but could also integrate other manufacturers,” explains LOOP developer Markus Widhalm.

Thiele Glas is one of Germany’s leading flat glass refinement companies, with a total of six locations, 75,000 m² of production space, 400 employees, and approximately 30 trainees. The innovation leader already owns four machine types from systron. Since January 2023, Thiele has been operating the first systron LOOP system at its Wermsdorf plant, with a second one set to follow in Schrozberg.