The Arrival of the Digital Age in Glass Coating
H. Hagenström, T. Strietzel, A. Nilsson
Architectural glass coating is a mature technology with equipment and processes that show some, but no significant, differences between producing companies or equipment suppliers. Most players in the market apply a similar technology on similar equipment.
Therefore, mature markets lead to significant cost pressure which can best be dealt with if the productivity of a specific coating line is high and a good share of products with a high added value are produced. In other words, higher profits can be obtained if producers of coated glass are able to work at a minimum down-time and control complex layer stacks with a small team.
These requirements translate into the topic of this article: Improvement of process control and increase of productivity with advanced technology. We would like to show how data collection, data analysis and data processing can contribute to meeting the current market challenges. Our solutions are bundled under the name of VA INDIGO that has a scope from process support to digital services.
VON ARDENNE has established itself as a vital supplier for the vacuum coating industry for more than 40 years. The company offers a portfolio of solutions covering many applications, especially for flat substrates and large coating areas and is a leading provider, not only of equipment, but also of process technology.