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Press Release

Grenzebach Maschinenbau GmbHAlbanusstrae 1-386663 Asbach-Bumenheim /Hamlar

Tel. 0049 906 982-2000Fax 0049 906 982-2108e-mail: info@grenzebach.comwww.grenzebach.com

Rolled glass rise like a phoenix?

Thoughts on solar glass

After the industrial success story of float glass rolled glass was in the role of asleeping beauty. It was always perceived in the low quality sector as far as normalflat glass was concerned. The main right to exist was coming from the demand ofpatterned and wired glass for various applications like shower doors. The number oflines constantly decreased and lines were replaced by float lines allover the globe.But there is life in the old dog yet. Patterned glass lines rose like a phoenix in the

past few years. The reason is the huge demand for solar glass that we areexperiencing mainly in China these days. Low iron flat glass with a light trappingsurface and reduced reflection for crystalline as well as for thin film modules andsolar thermal applications is taking off. High optical qualities are not required and thereflection on the glass surface of float glass has a negative impact on the efficiency ofthose modules if no expensive antireflective coatings were applied.

While Europe and North America are still discussing if float or rolled glass is thebetter option for solar glass China already created facts. The energy needed for a tonof rolled glass is significantly lower than for a ton of float glass. Several big Chineseflat glass manufacturers build a tank of the size of a normal float furnace at appr. 600

to per day and simply add four or five exits to that tank. There is no expensive tinbath needed and such exits are quite easy to operate. This gives them a lot offlexibility to run several products at the same time while utilizing just one big tank. Isthat easy!

Well engineered manufacturing equipment for rolled glass

For more than 40 years Grenzebach, based in Asbach-Bumenheim/Hamlar,Germany, are a leading manufacturer of handling and conveyor equipment for the flatglass and building materials industry. In all these years Grenzebach supplied

complete cold end equipment for over 220 float glass processing lines and 40 rolledglass lines. Grenzebach plant and equipment excel in mechanical sturdiness andimpress through a most intelligent combination of control and optimization

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technology. This constitutes a key asset to the business success of our worldwidecustomers.

Grenzebachs renown bases on its reliability as equipment supplier to the patternedglass industry. The core technologies as cutting and stacking are very similar to

those in the float business. An endless ribbon is arriving at different speeds,thicknesses and widths in the cold end. With its new daughter company GrenzebachAlgoscan a wide range of defect inspection systems can be supplied. In particular theinspection system for patterned glass with its telecentric optics and highly developedsoftware is very sophisticated. In spite of the pattern on the glass surface defects inthe glass will be reliably detected.

Since now information about the defect type, size and position is available, theGrenzebach host and optimization system is an option for a pattern glass line. Thusthe yield of such a line can be significantly improved. The well-known cuttingequipment accurately cuts the ribbon into the requested sizes. Defective plates

automatically will be sent to a crusher while the good glass is going to the finaldestinations where stackers or robots pick up the glass. Because of the structure ofthe glass surface a special protection in the glass stack may be required.Grenzebach offers both automatic paper application machines as well as stringermachines for the interleaving of strings between the glass. The structured surface isprotected that way for transportation.

Bottom cutting a unique Grenzebach technology

So far in all the patterned glass lines the structure is applied to the bottom of theribbon only. The reason is that cutting and snapping is so far only performed at thetop side of a flowing ribbon. This mainly is the case if the structure is very rough as itis with almost all solar patterns using a pyramid structure. Grenzebach is offeringnow also online cutting solutions where patterned glass may be cut online also fromthe bottom side. This revolutionary technology opens space for many newapplications. Patterns may just be on the topside or even two patterns can bepresent, whereas the side to be cut must remain at a limited roughness. Thesnapping tools after the cutting process also can handle cuts from the bottom.

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Grenzebach as innovative partner to many industries

Founded back in 1960 the Grenzebach Group has grown and become a globalplayer with manufacturing facilities in Germany, in the USA and in China. With aworld-wide network of agents fostering close contacts to customers. With an overall

manning of 1500 the Grenzebach Group develops, manufactures and suppliesprocessing lines and components for manufacturing and treating flat glass andbuilding material board, for processing and transforming crude gypsum into finishedplasterboard and special-purpose equipment for cutting and drying veneers. Otherareas of competence are logistic and airport baggage handling systems.

Egbert Wenninger

Member of Executive ManagementVice President Sales Glass Technology