“The idea of investing in Glaston’s ProL-zone laminating furnace started as an R&D project for us. We wanted to see how it functions on one of our own safety glass lamination machines built in-house. The goal for us is to raise capacity and improve our lamination line’s energy efficiency. We’re starting an extremely demanding safety glass project and plan to put ProL-zone to the test,” says Aki Harjunpää, CEO of Jaakko-Tuote, Finland.
Jaakko-Tuote has relied on Glaston over the years for the latest technology to help them stay ahead in the industry. To reach six-meter tempering capability in 2018, the company was the first in Scandinavia to buy the Glaston Jumbo Series tempering line.
Based in Panelia, a small town in southwestern Finland, the company has proven it can push boundaries and rise to new challenges with exceptional quality results recognized throughout the world.
“We focus on high-quality safety glass applications – nothing standard. Everything we make are specialties – thick glass and glass with Low-E qualities,” says Aki. The company’s latest challenge is to provide safety glass at a very high level. So, they plan to use ProL-zone for this demanding architectural safety glass project.
Turning up the volume
Jaakko-Tuote decided on the Glaston ProL-zone to take advantage of the forced convection technology that enables the best possible control over chamber temperature. “This allows us to have greater volume during every shift. Additionally, it is more energy efficient, consuming less energy and better supporting our company’s green values.”
“Another thing our operators like with the new ProL is the operator interface. It is easy to use, and changeover times are minimal. We are satisfied with the investment and support from Glaston. We plan to consider changes in our production of laminated safety glass for the future, too, by updating our other laminating lines with similar arrangements.”
The company placed the order in August 2021, and ProL-zone was installed during the last week of February 2022. It took exactly seven business days for the installation and commissioning – less than originally planned.
Glaston’s ProL-zone laminating furnace is a quick and cost-effective upgrade to recharge any existing laminating line with full convection. Because ProL-zone does not differentiate between glass types, it enables glass processors to reach higher production capacity when laminating clear glass and Low-E glass. The convection system ensures heat uniformity and provides consistent quality. In addition, it offers up to a 100% capacity increase over traditional infrared heating.