How INMATE/CI™ Works

Through the use of two cutting tables or a dual-head, numerically controlled (NC) glass cutter, both lites of glass are scored at the same time.  Breakout personnel break out the glass in sequence and load it directly onto a conveyor leading to the washer, eliminating the damage possible with the traditional practice of racking lites into harp racks.  Lites pass through the washer and assembly personnel retrieve the spacer and grids for those lites in the same production sequence as the lites.

Breakout

The Breakout monitor displays a breakout sequence number, listing the order in which lites are to broken out and placed on the conveyor.  This information replaces the rack and slot number associated with a traditional racking configuration. 

The conveyor feeds directly into the washer without the handling risk involved with racking glass into harp racks.

The following business benefits result as a direct outcome from implementing PMC's products and services.

Maximum efficiency

The elimination of racking of glass from Cutting to IG Assembly assures maximum efficiency in your facility.  Glass is cut in production sequence, which greatly reduces turnaround time for Insulating Glass unit fabrication.  By eliminating glass racks on the production floor, you gain valuable floor space and allow for more efficient operations.

Puts an end to sorting of glass for production

Glass delivered in production sequence eliminates sorting, excessive handling, and the potential for scratching or breaking.  Lites are matched with their mates at breakout through IG assembly.  The need to search for a mate for an IG unit is eliminated.

Increased productivity

Increased operator efficiency means orders are processed quickly and accurately.  Operators are free from routine, time consuming tasks such as racking lites or searching for a mate for an IG unit.  In addition, the elimination of excessive handling of glass greatly reduces the potential of remakes.

Cost Savings

Less scratching or breaking of lites due to handling translates to cost savings.  When combined with the decreased manpower required to process orders and increased operator efficiency, the savings are even greater.

IG Assembly

Lites come out of the washer and reach assembly in production sequence.  Operators assemble units by retrieving spacer/grids in the sequence they arrive, since their sequence matches the sequence of lites reaching Assembly.  The unit is then sent through the oven press.

Spacers/Grids

The Grid Preparation and Spacer Preparation departments must both process the schedule in the sequence that the glass is arriving at IG Assembly.  The generation of WinIG script files makes this possible.  Grids and spacers are prepared in breakout sequence and grids are inserted into the spacers before reaching assembly.

Off-Load Label Printing

As the unit passes into the oven press, it passes a photo eye.  This triggers a signal which prints an IG unit label at Off-Load.  The off-load operator places the label on the finished unit and racks it in an off-load rack. 

Off-Load Racking

IG unit labels identify the rack and slot into which each completed IG unit is to be placed.  Finished units are placed into IG unit Harp Racks, which provide a slot large enough to store a finished Insulating Glass unit rather than cut lites.  IG units then travel to the next phase of production in production sequence.