Industrial gases supplier BOC has installed its 35th CGM advanced melting technology system in one of Saint-Gobain's float glass furnaces. In a 90 day trial late 2005, the CGM technology enabled SG to boost production by 19% over air fuel operations & 9% over conventional oxy-fuel boosting technologies used in the furnace before the CGM system was installed. Following the trial, SG agreed to adopt the technology under a longer term contract. "Our plant has never achieved the higher pull rates obtained by the use of the CGM technology without damaging the superstructure of the furnace," said Claude Voide, international technical director of SG Glass. BOC claims that its CGM technology melts glass faster than side-fired configurations by directly applying oxy-fuel flames on the batch in the furnace. The resulting improved heat transfer rate has several benefits, including better quality, increased pull, decreased furnace size, decreased NOx emissions and improved thermal efficiency.
