Immerse yourself in Trade Show Sensation at Softsolution Showroom, the pinnacle of innovation in flat glass quality assurance. Explore cutting-edge solutions like LineScanner, Osprey, CulletScanner, VirtualDigitizing, and the revolutionary BowScanner, setting new industry standards.
Experience Real-Scanning Technology firsthand at your scheduled appointment, engaging with experts for insights and tailored demonstrations. Send test glasses in advance for a personalized experience. Witness the future of quality assurance live and in person!
The excitement was clearly visible as Jonas Pfannenstill proudly received the BEST TECH AWARD Vitrum 2023 in the Software, VR & AI category. The groundbreaking technology showcased in the scanner software at VITRUM 2023 redefines industry standards with revolutionary software features.
At Softsolution, we continuously enhance our quality assurance software for the flat glass sector through innovative software and artificial intelligence solutions, setting new benchmarks. This recognition reaffirms our commitment to technological progress, solidifying our position as an undisputed industry leader.
“We will celebrate our 20th anniversary of participating in Vitrum at Vitrum 2025, as we first joined the event in 2005,” announced Jonas Pfannenstill, International Sales Manager at Softsolution. “Milan’s Vitrum provides the perfect platform for introducing new products, and the exchange of information with customers and partners takes precedence, alongside excellent networking opportunities.”
The official award ceremony took place during the Best Tech Awards, celebrating the best technologies presented at VITRUM 2023. Winners were selected based on the opinions of visitors present at the exhibition.
A heartfelt thank you to all our customers and visitors who voted Softsolution as the winner!
For more information on the BEST TECH AWARD Vitrum 2023, click here.
United Plate Glass, a leading supplier of architectural glass products for over 40 years, is proud to be a long-standing customer of LiteSentry-Softsolution. The company has utilized both the LineScanner and Osprey 10 Complete for their quality inspection needs, ensuring the highest quality glass for their customers.
“We’ve been using the LineScanner for many years now,” says Cory Brown, Director of Operations at United Plate Glass. “It’s been a vital tool in our quality assurance process. In fact, our operators told me that rejects would double if we removed the LineScanner from our tempering furnace. Softsolution has been a great partner all these years, providing us with excellent support and service.”
United Plate Glass recently added the Osprey 10 Distortion to their quality inspection line. “The Osprey 10 Distortion is a fantastic machine, from LiteSentry” says Brown. “It’s an excellent product with repeatability, stability, and tremendous accuracy. It’s a great addition to our quality control process.”
Brown highly recommends LiteSentry-Softsolution to other glass manufacturers. “If you’re looking for the best quality inspection solutions available, look no further than LiteSentry-Softsolution. They’re a top-notch company with exceptional products and services.”
United Plate Glass’s commitment to quality began even before their investment in the LiteSentry-Softsolution quality inspection systems, with the implementation of the VirtualDigitizing software for digitizing templates back in 2011.
Interested in learning more about our products – come and see our Live Presentations from April 25-28 2024 in Shanghai/ China.
We look forward to meeting you in person at booth N2-121.
Glass South America is the most important event of the glass industry in Latin America, and it gathers qualified professionals of the market who are looking for new technologies, suppliers and networking.
Stop by to engage with our team, gain insights into our product solutions, and understand how we’re redefining industry standards.
You would like to talk to our experts on site, then visit us at the LiteSentry-Softsolution booth and learn more about the latest trends and product developments.
We are looking forward to your visit.
See the most advanced metrology technology at the Softsolution – LiteSentry booth, at Dallas in Texas.
In addition to technical innovations, highlights, and bundled know-how from both companies, our sales team awaits you in a relaxed trade fair atmosphere from September 30 – October 2, 2024.
Booth N° 47019.
We are looking forward to your visit.
Visit us to gain an insight into our impressive technologies and discover the latest advances and developments that we have driven forward.
If you would like to learn more about our products, we cordially invite you to visit us at glasstec from October 22 to 25 in Düsseldorf/Germany.
In 2021, Tianjin North Glass Industrial Technology Co., Ltd. integrated a horizontal LineScanner immediately after the tempering furnace for the first time to conduct anisotropy and edge stress inspections.
Following the successful deployment of the initial LineScanner, North Glass implemented a second LineScanner and an Osprey 10 Complete after the tempering furnace. This made it possible to not only examine anisotropy but also assess the distortion of tempered glass.
As a subsidiary of Luoyang North Glass Technology Co., Ltd., the company has made significant investments to establish a major glass deep-processing enterprise equipped with state-of-the-art technology from NorthGlass.
The company boasts impressive production capacities, including an 18-meter ultra-large LOW-E production line covering 8 million square meters and additional production lines for tempered glass, laminated glass, and safety insulated glass. Tianjin North Glass’s flagship products, ultra-large energy-saving glass, and structural glass products are utilized in Apple’s “Glass Spaceship” project in the United States.
The use of the LineScanner ensures precise monitoring of anisotropy in tempered glass, allowing timely adjustments in the tempering process. These real-time data provide comprehensive documentation of glass quality, helping to avoid uncontrolled operations and ensuring consistent quality in the tempering process. The LineScanner examines anisotropies, generates thermal images, and determines the edge stress of each produced pane, highlighting its uniqueness.
The Quality Manager at Tianjin North Glass explains: “The LineScanner can accurately monitor the anisotropy of tempered glass and provide timely instructions for adjusting the tempering process. This ensures the stability and traceability of quality control.”
The Glenny Glass Co., a leading manufacturer of high-quality glass products, is pleased to announce that it has invested in a LiteSentry-Softsolution LineScanner for quality inspection on its TCME COOLTEMPER furnace. The LineScanner is a state-of-the-art system that uses advanced scanning technology to detect even the smallest defects in glass products.
The Glenny Glass Co. has been in business since 1851 and is committed to providing its customers with the highest quality glass products available. The company has a long history of innovation and is always looking for ways to improve its manufacturing processes. The investment in the LineScanner is a significant step forward in the company’s efforts to ensure that its products meet the highest quality standards.
“We are excited to add the LineScanner to our manufacturing process,” said Braxton Smith, Warehouse Operations Manager at The Glenny Glass Co. “This system will allow us to detect even the smallest defects in our products, which will help us to ensure that our customers receive the highest quality products possible. In just the few short months since the installation, we’ve already seen tremendous results.”
The LineScanner is a non-contact system that uses high-resolution scanning technology to scan glass products as they exit their tempering furnace. The system can detect a wide range of defects, including scratches, bubbles, and inclusions. The LineScanner also generates detailed reports that can be used to identify and address the root causes of defects.
LiteSentry-Softsolution is a leading provider of quality control and inspection systems for the glass industry. LiteSentry-Softsolution’s LineScanner is used by glass manufacturers all over the world to ensure the quality of their products. The system is known for its accuracy, reliability, and ease of use. In 2021, quality inspection specialists, LiteSentry and Softsolution joined forces.
Established in 1976, FG Glass has evolved beyond its initial role of glass processing and procurement. The company plays a pivotal role in shaping architectural landmarks across the globe.
Softsolution takes great pleasure in announcing the successful completion of the installation at FG Glass in India. The Osprey Distortion System, a cutting-edge technology designed for analyzing and monitoring localized distortions during the glass production tempering process, has been seamlessly integrated. This groundbreaking solution empowers clients to enhance the quality of their products and streamline production procedures.
The installation process at FG Glass in India proceeded flawlessly, devoid of any incidents. Softsolution’s expert team collaborated closely with FG Glass to ensure the seamless integration and configuration of the system. In addition, extensive training of the operating staff was carried out to ensure optimal use of the Osprey Distortion System on site.
The positive feedback from the customer confirms that this technology not only meets their expectations, but also meets their requirements.
This achievement marks yet another successful chapter in our partnership with FG Glass. They have already effectively implemented the Osprey Distortion System in a tempering furnace located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The successful implementation of the Osprey Distortion System at FG Glass in India consolidates our position as the preferred partner for innovative solutions in the field of glass processing technology.
Jonas Pfannenstill, Sales Manager at Softsolution, expresses his gratitude, stating, ” We would like to thank FG Glass for the ongoing collaboration and look forward to further opportunities to create value together.”
Glass is one of the most beautiful and functional materials in business- and everyday life. To meet the highest quality requirements – essential for industry, architecture, and automotive – technologies are needed to check the correctness of the glass. One manufacturer that has committed itself to these quality requirements is the Belgian company, HG-Glas.
With high-tech machinery and a large inventory of glass types, HG-Glas has recently been equipped with four horizontal LineScanners from Softsolution to check processed and tempered glass for defects in the glass on the grinding and drilling line after washing. Therefore, the LineScanners have been seamlessly integrated into the Lisec line and the Lisec ERP system. This integration enables smooth data exchange and efficient communication between the different systems. All captured scan data is stored in the archive system and can be retrieved from there at any time.
Softsolution’s LineScanners are a state-of-the-art technology that makes them possible to automatically check the surface quality, edge, and dimension of the slices. This automated inspection system detects possible defects in the glasses before they enter the tempering furnace. Even the smallest irregularities are detected to ensure the highest possible quality of the end products.
Furthermore, the company has opted for the Archive database to have scans and evaluations visible in this knowledge database to minimize critical workflows during the production process. As another add-on, they have chosen the Management Console to get a real-time status of the running machines to improve the high demands of glass quality.
The data collected allows trends to be identified and potential bottlenecks or opportunities for improvement to be identified.
A modern machinery park for quality assurance plays an increasingly important role in SMEs in the glass processing industry and will continue to be a central topic for medium-sized companies in the future. The expansion of automation, increasing digitalization, and consistently high, verifiable quality are extremely important. The LineScanner with data management at Flachglas Sachsen and Sülzfeld makes daily work easier for operators and provides customers with 100% traceability of the delivered glass.
Recently, Softsolution integrated three additional LineScanners into the main operation of Flachglas Sachsen, in addition to the existing single-pane LineScanner since 2010. These scanners now also inspect finished insulating glass elements at the locations in Grimma and Sülzfeld. Benjamin Thalmann, managing director of both companies, emphasizes the advantages of this investment and explains in detail how modern quality assurance systems ensure continuity in operational processes.
To produce insulating glass focusing on combinations of laminated safety glass (VSG), Benjamin Thalmann relies on scanner-based inspection systems. These systems inspect individual glass panes at the inspection station for the highest and, above all, consistent quality. The glass defect detection provided by Softsolution’s software delivers reliable results regarding surface condition, coating, and glass thickness directly at the production line.
The three new LineScanners positioned after the press on the ISO lines now perform the final inspection of the finished ISO elements, including frame alignment, muntin layout and angles, butyl defects, and the correct construction in terms of glass thickness, coating side, spacer thickness, and overall thickness. Scratches, inclusions, coating defects, as well as fingerprints, dirt, etc., are also detected and documented in the archive for each ISO element.
From this data archive, certificates for each glass pane or ISO element can be retrieved at any time and without gaps, providing them to the end customer. “With this efficient process, we achieve a high level of quality in our products and such a high production reliability that we can speak of almost 100% delivery reliability,” emphasizes Mr. Thalmann. At any point in production, production managers receive feedback and certainty about the quality status of the produced ISO units. “This ensures that only high-quality products leave our production,” adds the long-time managing director. Additionally, he notes that his customers appreciate the punctual and proper delivery.
“In the event of inquiries or customer complaints, even weeks or months after delivery, we are still able to provide the certificates for each glass pane with the push of a button. Thanks to the connected data archive, a quality certificate for an ISO unit can be provided precisely, quickly, and easily with 100% accuracy,” explains Mr. Thalmann.
Periodic evaluations of the archive data provide top management with deep insights and form the basis for internal statistics and resulting decisions for the future of the company. Through the LineScanner’s management console, the owner or manager can monitor production data remotely at any time.
Regarding this, Mr. Thalmann comments briefly and concisely, “We will maintain and further improve our high level of quality permanently!” The investment in Softsolution’s LineScanners has proven to be extremely beneficial for the operation, as confirmed by Markus Stefan, Sales Manager at Softsolution. The decision to invest was primarily based on the ease of documenting glass quality for customers.
The data integration with Hanic forms the basis for this integrated solution and allows the system to compare the respective order data in terms of quality criteria, dimensions, glass construction, etc. The quick retrieval of documented quality certificates is always possible in the data archive, enabling easy and efficient handling of claims.
FLACHGLAS SACHSEN AND SÜLZFELD
The variety of glass for facades and interior glass, the high competence of the employees, and the company’s innovation have significantly shaped its development. We had the privilege of accompanying both flat glass companies in this quality assurance process. Mr. Thalmann emphasizes the importance of systematically securing this quality and relies on high-quality integrated solutions from Softsolution.
A wide range of services, reliable customer service, and various glass processing and finishing options are part of the portfolio offered nationwide. Around 150 employees in both companies contribute their knowledge and experience to provide professional and customer-oriented glass solutions.
An essential pillar is facade glass. The flat glass companies offer functional glasses of the latest generation for individual facade solutions. The focus at the company locations in Grimma and Sülzfeld is on climate protection glass, laminated safety glass (VSG), sun protection, thermal insulation, as well as sound and burglary protection. The portfolio is rounded off with facade panels and fall protection.
For further details and the link to the website, please visit: https://www.flachglas-partner.de
With more than 50 years of experience in glass technology and production, Ciraylar in Karatay/Konya (TR) has become one of the largest producers in the region in the production capacities of float glass, heat-insulated double glass, tempered glass, and laminated glass.
When tempered glass is produced, it undergoes a rapid heating and cooling process, which creates compressive stress on the surface while the core remains in tension. However, if precise optical or aesthetic requirements are crucial, specialized glass types or additional processing steps may be necessary to achieve the desired level of performance.
To meet these high-quality standards with tempered glass, the Turkish company has invested in a 2440 mm horizontal Osprey 10 Complete from LiteSentry-Softsolution, the only system on the market that measures both, optical distortion and anisotropy. In addition, each glass lite/batch is measured and the data is automatically recorded and stored in the software.
“The Osprey system allows us to control the tempering quality of our tempered glasses at all times reliably. This gives us security and proof, that we only deliver good quality glass according to our customers’ requirements/standards. With the report function, we can provide our customers with detailed reports and prove the production quality. We look forward to forwarding this benefit to our international customers.”, says CEO Fahrettin Ciray
Alutec is a leading building façade and architectural interiors specialist based out of Qatar. For over two decades, Alutec has been reshaping Qatar’s skyline.
Each product – from customized window, door, and partition systems applications in the commercial, residential, education, hospitality, entertainment, and retail industries – is manufactured in-house in their facilities to ensure control over the schedule, quality and cost requirements to consistently deliver top quality products to their customers around the world.
In order to control optical distortion in glass, which is caused by a lack of flatness in the glass surface, often caused by the glass not being evenly heated during the production process, Alutec invested in a Osprey 10 Complete system from LiteSentry – Softsolution.
The Osprey measures parameters such as optical distortion, anisotropy, belly bending, and skunk stripes to provide quick and accurate data for glass quality control by featuring an intuitive user interface and a powerful software system. Its accuracy and reliability make it the perfect tool for quality assurance of glass products, as Alutec requires.
“We at Alutec are delighted to have installed the latest Osprey 10 Complete scanning technology for tempered glass, at our tier-one glazing facility in Doha. This assists us in several ways:
- To gain live data on distortion and iridescence, ensuring we know our tempered products are within specified tolerances, immediately post tempering.
- To track the data over time, allowing us to accurately review our processes, in our continuous drive for improvement.
- To remove ambiguity from the approval process. The analyzed data from Osprey is key to this process. We at Alutec are always driving science over opinion.
Many thanks to the Osprey team for their quick turnaround during the install process and it was also very nice to hear how extremely low our distortion is, in comparison to the global norms experienced by the Osprey install team.”, says Mr. John Douglas from Alutec.
White haze is a phenomenon that has been around as long as tempered glass manufacturing. Tracking down what is causing white haze can be extremely challenging and it can take a lot of experience to being able to identify the real root cause behind the issue.
Moreover, what makes white haze as a phenomenon even more difficult is that there hasn’t been a system to reliably measure and grade white haze. Identifying and determining how strong the observed white haze is, has been so far purely relying on subjective evaluations made by eye. And as with any process development, if you cannot reliably measure something, it also makes fixing the issue that much harder.
In order to overcome this issue, Glaston and Softsolution decided to start tackling this issue together: combining Glaston’s know-how of the tempering process and AI based solution with Softsolution’s expertise optical glass quality scanning equipment. The target was to develop a scanner that can reliably detect white haze as well as recognize the level of white haze.
With the development efforts it was proven that white haze can be reliably detected from tempered glass automatically. The system is using a neural network that has been taught to detect where white haze is located on the glass and also how strong the detected white haze is.
Already three years ago we installed a horizontal LineScanner checking anisotropy and edge stress at the Turkish company Tamcam Oto Cam Sanayii A.S.
Once again, Tamcam has chosen the scanning technology from Softsolution to inspect surface-, and edge quality with a 1600m horizontal LineScanner after the washing machine on a CBG (cut, break, grinding) line.
“We are very pleased that we can continue the partnership and of course look forward to further joint projects,” says Jonas Pfannenstill
Our team has successfully completed the ISO 9001 certification! With Quality Austria, we have improved our quality management and promoted organizational development, resource efficiency, and legal compliance. By focusing on processes and continuous improvement, we optimize value creation.
A big thank you to Georg Aigner and Wolfgang Klamert, a great team led by Florian Jägersberger who made significant contributions to the implementation of the ISO certification. As a result, we can make future-oriented and sustainable changes at Softsolution.
A quality management system according to ISO 9001 helps to guarantee that an organization is capable of meeting customer requirements and statutory and regulatory requirements placed on their products and services. Such a system also makes it possible to ensure that the organization is continually working on the improvement of customer satisfaction. In order to guarantee all this, the process approach is anchored in the standard. This process approach comprises a consistent process focus, the further development of the processes enabled by the use of the Plan-Do-Check-Act model (PDCA cycle), and a constant look at risks and opportunities.
WHTB Glass was founded in early 2002 and is a leading provider of processed glass products. With a 20-year track record of investing in the most modern, state-of-the-art fabricating equipment and a culture dedicated to quality assurance, WHTB’s investment in the Osprey 10 Complete comes as no surprise.
“With real-time 100 percent inspection of distortion and anisotropy, we can provide the highest quality glass consistently to our customers” states Alan Tan, Operations Manager of WHTB Glass.
The production facility in Shirley, New York specializes in oversized and technically complex products such as double silver and triple silver soft coated glass fabricating capabilities. WHTB Glass is ideally set up to produce both high-volume and specialty glass products cost-effectively, quickly, and with the highest quality control.
“The training provided to our team by the engineer at commissioning was second to none” adds Tan, “we chose the Customer Care Agreement with an annual site visit to ensure the Osprey always has the latest software and our people are training how best to use the system to meet our customers’ changing needs.”
The Osprey 10 Complete measures anisotropy, center haze, and all types of distortion, not just roller wave or edge kink. The Customer Care Agreement offers plans that provide software updates, remote technical support and training, and an annual site visit.
Since 1999, LiteSentry has been developing technologies to solve the difficult problems of inspection and measurement for glass fabricators. LiteSentry’s tools enable automated, accurate, 100% in-line inspection of flat glass and plastic sheets for manufacturers around the world in glass inspection, process control, and quality.
New dimensions and standards are built at the location in Waidhofen/Ybbs.
The Softsolution – LiteSentry team is currently building by far the largest LineScanner for a European customer.
With a remarkable length of 5100 mm, the horizontal scanner proves an unprecedented scale for the automated quality inspection of glass.
The Glassquality WebManagement Website does allow users to get a real-time view of their related LineScanners and Ospreys. The current status and production information will be visible on an hourly base.
We are proud to announce that we did add a new feature, which allows defining alarms/notifications now. If production quantity or quality exceeds limits, people will be notified immediately.
If you need any further information, please get in contact with our Sales team!
We are pleased to present our new website in a fresh and unique design. After weeks of technical-, content-, and especially visual revision, we present our new website: more informative, more modern, and of course with a joint appearance of LiteSentry and Softsolution.
Both LiteSentry and Softsolution stand for concentrated competence in matters of glass inspection, process control, and automatic glass quality assurance systems.
But the redesign of the website is only a milestone in the revision of our corporate design – we offer an all-around perfect service from both companies. LiteSentry – Softsolution enhances its ability to respond to customer needs with more localized resources, improve end users’ access to new technology, and accelerate new product development. Today, more than 3080 systems combined are in use worldwide.
On the news page, we will keep you up to date regularly. With the resource library, we offer customers exclusive digital access to user manuals, white papers, and much more.
We hope you enjoy discovering our new homepage! We are also personally available for a detailed consultation about our products and services.
To meet the high standards of customers and partners, PureGlass was looking for a reliable, state-of-the-art glass quality inspection system. The solution: LineScanner, Softsolution’s and LiteSentry’s all-in-one system that inspects glass lites with extreme precision for all quality and surface defects.
The vertical LineScanner with a height of 3,400 mm was installed in Dubai on a Forel insulating glass line directly behind the washing unit and inspects the lites for surface defects such as inclusions or scratches.
We would like to thank all our prospects, customers, partners, and employees very much for the successful glasstec – International Trade Fair show 2022.
This year was marked by the joint appearance of Softsolution and Litesentry, presenting both companies and products at one booth. Our products can cover the entire value stream for glass manufacturers and help our customers meet their quality control and inspection requirements. By showing the Osprey system, trade show visitors could get an insight into measuring all types of distortion, and anisotropy along with the Owl, which helps to reduce labor costs. The LineScanner inspects products with extreme precision for all defects in quality and dimension, taking human errors out of the inspection.
Jump into sec. 03:59 to listen to Gary Di Dio & Jakub Kowalczyk on USGNN:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxKvwrHuEPM
In addition to the usual interesting conversations, the main thing was to be able to enjoy the show’s flair with all participants without restriction.
Thanks for joining us – see you again in 2024.
Trulite’s New Berlin Wisconsin facility recently commissioned the latest anisotropy and distortion inspection technology for their new 112″ furnace – they installed a LiteSentry Osprey 9 Complete.
Lippert in Your Weekly Planner presented by US Glass! Lippert is a leading global manufacturer and supplier of engineered products and customized solutions in the RV, marine, automotive, commercial vehicle, and building products industries.
Committed to investing in superior workforce training, cutting-edge machinery, and world-class operational processes Lippert invested in the latest technology from LiteSentry, the Osprey 9 Complete, and Hawk 4.
“Every day, our talented teams work to optimize our products and continue to innovate and deliver award-winning, time-tested components.” states Kevin Slagle, Quality and Compliance Manager “Our partnership with LiteSentry with their cutting edge technology and world-class, US-based support allows our team to work smarter, not harder.”
With over 90 manufacturing and distribution facilities located throughout North America, Europe, Africa, and Asia, Lippert™ is a leading, global manufacturer and supplier of highly engineered products and customized solutions dedicated to shaping, growing, and bettering the RV, marine, automotive, commercial vehicle, and building products industries, and their adjacent markets.
The Story of LineScanner installation for visual defect detection at the Home Appliance Division at SCHOTT Flat Glass CR, in Valasske Mezirici, Czech Republic.
Markus Stefan, International Sales Manager at Softsolution talked to Stepan Chmelar, Quality Manager at SCHOTT Flat Glass CR about the beginning of their successful collaboration.
When exactly did the collaboration start and how did you assess the products?
The cooperation with SOFTSOLUTION started in 2018 with the installation of the CulletScanner as the main tool for the inspection of glass fragmentation grade at the end of tempering furnace at Home Appliance.
CulletScanner was the first device in Schott AG using Softsolution linear scanning technology. To evaluate its capability multiple tests have been carried out before its introduction. It should be mentioned here that CulletScanner is located in a harsh industrial environment in the vicinity of grinding and tempering line, mostly operated in 3 shift mode. Therefore its reliability has been tracked carefully for more than 1 year.
Why did you decide that you would implement more Softsolution products?
As CulletScanner fully confirmed its capability and operational reliability under conditions of the Schott Flat Glass production line, we have started a discussion about utilizing this technology also in the area of visual defect detection.
Due to dimensional restrictions in our line together with the fact, that we have realized the benefit of real scanning technology, camera systems were not taken into consideration. So there started the second round of cooperation with SOFTSOLUTION. It was really challenging to define all needed project inputs like the definition of defects, scanner sensitivity and technical solution of the installation followed, of course, by multiple testing on real Schott samples in Waidhofen.
What specific method of quality assurance does SCHOTT FLAT GLASS CR perform with the LineScanner?
We have finally decided to install the LineScanner in combination with an automatic buffer at our automatic grinding line producing mainly oven front door glasses for home appliances. The LineScanner system is designed to reveal glass material defects, grinding and drilling defects, and scratches of all kinds.
Which procedure do you follow with NOK (defective) lites?
LineScanner is currently working with an automatic buffer system from local company CBG Automation s.r.o. for more than 6 months and its benefits are obvious. The NOK evaluated parts from LineScanner are now automatically rejected from a subsequent production process and stored in the buffer standing next to the production line. The operator can check later by himself on the display the exact location and nature of the defect on each part. But it is not about sorting OK and NOK parts only. Now we also have a clear connection between particular defects and previous processes which may cause them. The LineScanner is a reliable and important data source for our continuous improvement.
Will there be any new exciting projects with further automation possibilities?
Looking to the future we see further potential for LineScanner in the area of Food Display products. Together with our new project „Food Island“ which consists of the installation of a new production line dedicated for Food Display products we are planning to launch a study on LineScanner utilization within this line.
SCHOTT Flat Glass CR
SCHOTT Flat Glass CR belongs to the Business Unit Flat Glass of SCHOTT AG which is a worldwide supplier of glass components for home appliance manufacturers and insulation door solutions for commercial cooling and refrigeration. SCHOTT Flat Glass CR consists of 2 divisions Home Appliance and Food Display.
SOFTSOLUTION warmly thanks Stephan Chmelar from SCHOTT Flat Glass CR for the interview and for the opportunity to publish this information. Markus Stefan is looking forward to further cooperation and new exciting projects.
Mr. Markus Stefan:
“We warmly thank Stephan Chmelar from SCHOTT Flat Glass CR for the interview and for the opportunity to publish this information. We are looking forward to further cooperation and new exciting projects.”
Tristar Glass, Inc. is a fully integrated architectural glass fabricator producing over 7 million square feet of commercial insulated glass products and 15.5 million square feet of tempered/heat-treated product on a yearly basis.
In 2009, Tristar Glass first invested in Litesentry’s real-time distortion inspection system as a means to gain an understanding of their tempered glass quality and to set themselves apart from the competition. Twelve years later, Tristar now has LiteSentry inspection systems on all 7 of their furnaces including 2 equipped with the Litesentry’s latest state-of-the-art Osprey 9 Complete Anisotropy + Distortion Inspection systems.
“At Tristar, we believe success starts by giving people the right tools to do the job correctly, and when it comes to monitoring and controlling furnace quality, the Osprey 9 Complete Anisotropy + Distortion Inspection system is as right as it gets.” Rob Carlson
Tristar is an early adopter of both measurements, investing in 2 new Osprey Complete Inspection systems since 2018.
Press Glass invests in a LiteSentry’s Osprey 9 Complete.
From the start Press Glass has been driven by a clear vision to building a modern, dynamic and globally active organization.
Press Glass commenced operations in 1991, with glass units manufactured on a single line in Poland. Fast forward to 2020 Press Glass’s production exceeds 93 million ft2 of glass units annually and works with hundreds of regular customers in the United States, Europe and around the world.
In order to guarantee the highest quality, Press Glass believes in constantly expanding and modernizing their machinery to gain and maintain their technological advantage. That is why it was no surprise that Press Glass chose to invest in a LiteSentry‘s Osprey® 9 Complete Anisotropy and Distortion inspection system for their brand new, state of the art facility in the Southeast United States.
Since no correlation can be drawn from anisotropy to predicting distortion measurements, or vice versa, both of these phenomena needed be measured. With real-time 100 percent inspection by the Osprey 9 Complete, problems are exposed immediately and can be addressed before production time is wasted, or worse, bad product is shipped. Nothing matches the confidence provided by the ability to retrieve quality measurements of every part manufactured.
The Osprey 9 Complete measures all types of iridescence, white haze, average residual stress, and all types distortion, not just roller wave or edge kink.
Since 1999, LiteSentry has been developing technologies to solve the hard problems of inspection and measurement for glass fabricators. The company tools provide automated, accurate, 100 percent on-line inspection of flat glass and plastic sheets for manufacturers around the world. At the heart of LiteSentry business is a passion for new technology that solves our customers’ most difficult challenges.
Virginia Glass Products/Virginia Mirror Company recently completed the installation of an Osprey 9 Distortion Inspection System.
“We always want the best coming out of our plant and we continue to invest in the best equipment and technology to make that happen,” says Rodney Keatts, vice president.
The tempered glass that comes from the 110,000-square-foot plant in Ridgeway, Va., is used for entrances, handrails, structural walls, partitions, office systems, shower enclosures and more.
“With our entrance into a state-of-the-art laminated operation, having the best tempered [glass] possible is extremely important in the quality efforts there,” adds Keatts. “For more than 64 years we have been a leader in this space, and investments like this just continue that effort.”
The patented Osprey 9 Distortion Inspection system by LiteSentry is designed and manufactured in the U.S. It measures all types of optical distortion including roller wave and edge kink.
Forserum Safety Glass AB continues striving towards even higher quality and efficiency in operations with the newly installed Osprey® System for Flatness, Distortion, and Anisotropy measurement. While Osprey is recognized as the industry standard for quality assurance for tempered products in North America and Central Europe, this is the very first Osprey System in Scandinavia. It measures online all sheets of tempered glass for flatness, all distortions, and anisotropy before the glass is delivered to the customer or further processed to laminated safety glass, fire glass, or insulation glass.
Juha Karisola met Lovisa Håkansson somewhen after the installation in Foreserum, Sweden. He asked a few questions and was pleased to receive absolutely positive feedback in the area of quality assurance at FSG.
How did you choose the online scanner for a tempering line?
FSG is producing laminated glass ourselves. When we are producing tempered or heat-strengthened laminated glass, we need to be sure about tempering quality. We found out that one scanner should be the best way to control the quality of each tempered glass. We were talking with companies, who know this equipment, and most of them recommend Osprey system from LiteSentry.
Osprey flatness, distortion, and anisotropy system were installed on your tempering line some months ago. How was the installation & training running?
The installation was going on very well, we felt safe with Matt from LiteSentry who was with us at FSG as an installer. He was professional, helpful, and explained in a good way how we could use the scanner.
What is your impression of the system now when it has been in use for a longer period?
Since the installation, we have learned how important it is to be alerted and how quickly the quality can change when we temper glass. Our scanner helps us to constantly detect quality deficiencies that we did not see with the human eyes before. Based on the facts, we know that we have become better after the installation of the scanner.
What do you think of the user interface and usability of the system?
It may feel like there are a lot of numbers and parameters to take into account at the beginning when you start using the scanner, but since there are clear images that provide information, this has not been a problem. All operators can tell what is right or wrong. User-friendly!
Ms. Lovisa Håkansson comments:
“We are very pleased with the service, we have been well taken care of from the first contact with LiteSentry and we absolutely think that the money is well invested.”
The original idea was to measure the flatness and based on that seek ways how to improve the quality and flatness of tempered glass and the yield of downstream processes, such as laminating and IG. How did this work out?
We have really noticed that our quality has improved with Osprey. We see that, especially on our laminating line, we now have much better glass quality and practically no rejections on laminating. We have managed to minimize glass with roller waves, edge lift, and other distortions. We have simply seen benefits in other processes where we use tempered glass.
What are/ have been major challenges in producing tempered glass?
Without the scanner, our biggest problem was that our tempered glass did not turn out well in the lamination line. When installing the scanner, our biggest challenge has been to start working more with the parameters of the oven, so we find the right quality.
Customers usually appreciate the fact that the production is inspected 100% and they can rely on the quality. Any feedback from your customers yet?
Our customers always have great demands on us regarding traceability and quality. Now that we have such good quality and do not need to rework glass, this means that we have higher delivery reliability for customers. This brings very satisfied customers and employees. We have very few external complaints regarding our tempering quality after installing the scanner.
Quality – Automation – Optimization! These requirements are the top priority at PRESS GLASS. In the first evaluation phase, together with the project manager Mr. Jakub Krakowski, those products of SOFTSOLUTION were specified, which will meet the high demands for quality assurance of PRESS GLASS.
VirtualDigitizing (linking), for example, is used for digital object capture of special shapes at various production sites. Templates and 2D objects are automatically and quickly converted into DXF files and forwarded to production.
The CulletScanner at PRESS GLASS (in Radomsko/Konobiska?) is used for automatic break pattern analysis of tempered glass. The evaluation according to EN12150 is a high priority for PRESS GLASS products. Included in that digital project file, there is a printable PDF certificate confirming the quality.
Several LineScanners in different heights and at various PRESS GLASS locations in Europe and the USA inspect single glasses for surface quality and logo position. The exact schedule from measurement, installation and training to the final acceptance was implemented by the support engineers of Softsolution on time and in a precise manner.
The Technology Development Manager @ PRESS GLASS, Mr. Jakub Krakowski, follows the production worldwide via the quality statistics of the LineScanner’s management console running on a tablet or smartphone. If all scanners in the company deliver perfect quality, he can work on his further developments with peace of mind. In case of challenges or irregularities, he is alerted and can take quick action.
Mr. Jakub Krakowski comments:
Surface quality scanners are becoming the standard in the production of insulating glass. The basic function of the scanner is to support the operator, where the intuitive software facilitates and improves the daily inspection of the glass. Appropriate software allows you to significantly improve production management and quality control, simultaneously on several lines. Such possibilities are offered by the management console offered by Softsolution.
After just a short learning period, PRESS GLASS ordered additional systems for quality assurance from Softsolution for 2022. A total of 11 LineScanners will be in use at various positions on the production lines at PRESS GLASS once the planned installations are completed.
PRESS GLASS
PRESS GLASS focuses on gaining and maintaining a technological advantage over its competitors. The globally active organization continues to upgrade the product quality by implementing innovative components, production processes, and service systems. The Polish-based company knows that being reliable is crucial, especially in terms of quality and promptness of deliveries.
At SOFTSOLUTION we are proud to have implemented the most diverse projects in the glass industry worldwide with such a well-known company as PRESS GLASS. Innovation and the consistent high-quality of our products drive actions on both sides – today, tomorrow, and in the future.
PRESS GLASS commenced operations in 1991, with glass units manufactured on a single line in Central Europe in Poland. Back then their core market was window frame manufacturers. Within the next ten years, they established their position as the leading Polish producer of insulating glass units. In 2001 PRESS GLASS embarked on sales to other countries and started to build additional plants in Poland. They also expanded their offer to new market segments.
Potential
PRESS GLASS has fourteen production plants located in Europe and in North America, with a total manufacturing area of 191.000 m2. They are located in Poland, Croatia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Their location, production capacity, certification, and product range make the company unique in terms of an effective response to the demands of addressable markets.
Each plant specializes in producing a different range of products and meeting different expectations, yet together they create an effective network of connections.
Press Glass plants are equipped with 44 IGU production lines, 23 tempering furnaces including two furnaces for the production of curved glass. They produce up to 30.000 m2 of IGU’s daily.
What do the SGG Polska plants in Sczercin, Jaroszowiec, Poznan and Lubartow have in common?
Each of these innovative SGG glass processing companies inspects the quality of the finished insulating glass elements using Softsolution’s LineScanner. Working reliably 24/7, the system documents quality to ensure that only the highest quality ISO units leave the company. Read here to find out how this is put into practice at SGG.With the Glass Thickness & Coating Sensor, the LineScanner is inspecting the entire insulating unit buildup including the individual lite thicknesses, the airspace, and which surfaces the coatings are located on. Strict quality criteria prevent any defective assembled units from leaving the facility. At the same time, the LineScanner stores the scan data such as sightline check results, muntin angularity, and other quality issues in a centralized data archive which can then be accessed in the future when analyzing customer complaints. While the production line is running, the system displays the defects on the ISO unit with pinpoint accuracy. Some defects aren’t always visible to the naked eye and locating such defects on a large lite of glass would be comparable to trying to locate a grain of rice on a soccer field. The LineScanner highlights these defects on the unit which prevents the bad glass from getting by while at the same time increasing the throughput by helping the operator perform his job quickly and reliably. Finding such defects earlier in the process prevents adding additional costs to an already defective unit. Reducing defective units leaving the facility, helps to cut back on transportation costs which is another way that the LineScanner also contributes to helping the climate by reducing transportation.
As Europe’s largest glass manufacturer, as well as a Top Employer Global 2021 award winner and a global leader in coated glass, Saint-Gobain Building Glass Polska offers its customers high-quality glass products and supports all parties involved in construction and renovation projects. Whether comfort, efficiency, or safety are required, Saint-Gobain Polska can meet its customers’ needs and focuses on four key factors: expertise, reliability, innovation, and passion. These are precisely the issues that have also been at the forefront of Softsolution for 20 years. The innovative hardware and software solutions of the LineScanner are used to provide stability, operational reliability, and performance to Softsolution customers around the world.
A warm welcome to our new partner Juha Karisola, who visited our production in Waidhofen/Ybbs for training sessions with Markus Stefan.
For 3 days there have been interesting presentations, many new insights, and impressive discussions. From now on Juha Karisola from Finland represents Softsolution and LiteSentry in the Northern European area. As an expert consultant, he offers LineScanner, CulletScanner, VirtualDigitizing, and Osprey products.
“Besides quality products and efficiency in operations, I believe that success in business can only be guaranteed by clear communication, mutual understanding, and a sense of responsibility,” says representative Juha Karisola.
Juha describes himself as a seasoned business professional with versatile experience in international B2B sales and business administration gained from small family businesses as well as publicly listed companies. Open-minded, creative with a lifelong learning attitude. His expertise comes from industry-leading companies supplying high-tech equipment and services for the architectural and automotive safety glass industry and materials handling. We value his hands-on experience in international B2B sales and marketing as well as business administration and are very much looking forward to future projects with our partner.
Şişecam Otomotiv A.S., is one of the leading flat glass manufacturers in Europe and measured by production capacity the fifth largest flat glass producer in the world. Numerous innovations originate from Şişecam, with which the company has left a lasting mark on the development of the flat glass industry in the long term.The company has relied on LineScanners from Softsolution for many years and has recently invested again in two horizontal LineScanners for the detection of specially applied defect markings. The two LineScanners are each 2900mm wide and were positioned after cutting to check unwashed slices for their defect marks. Currently, Şişecam operates in the flat glass sector with 10 production facilities in six countries, supplying the construction, furniture, energy and household appliance industries with an ever-expanding range of products.Softsolution is proud to supply Sisecam Otomotiv A.S. as a long-term customer with quality assurance systems for defect detection, says Area Sales Manager Jonas Pfannenstill.
SOFTSOLUTION GmbH and LiteSentry, LLC form a partnership
SOFTSOLUTION and LiteSentry are pleased to announce this new partnership to support both companies’ long-term growth and success.
As a result of this partnership, both LiteSentry and SOFTSOLUTION enhance their ability to respond to customer needs with more localized resources, improve end users’ access to the best available technology for their evolving glass production needs, accelerate new product development from the industry’s most innovative teams.
SOFTSOLUTION and LiteSentry will continue to operate in their current locations. The leadership team and organization, along with their commitment to innovation and customer support remain unchanged.
“We are excited to work alongside the LiteSentry team to position ourselves to find even more future-oriented, innovative solutions that inspire our customers and partners anew every day”, commented Thomas Schuller, Founder and Managing Director of SOFTSOLUTION.
Gary Di Dio, President of LiteSentry, added, This collaboration brings the leading inspection and process control solutions together to serve every aspect of the flat glass fabrication process. Customers can count on us as comprehensive partners to help them solve their toughest challenges and deliver the highest quality, most beautiful glass.
// About LiteSentryLiteSentry™
LLC designs and manufactures patented inspection technology for the glass, solar PV, and sheet plastic industries. LiteSentry has installed over 450 inspection systems measuring distortion, flatness, defects, blemishes, size, and geometry; and 1,000 measurement sensors to monitor thickness, coating, air gap, and other critical metrics at glass fabrication and sheet plastic extrusion plants worldwide. When quality is essential, LiteSentry systems are the solution.
// About Softsolution
Founded in 2000 by Peter Pfannenstill, Thomas Schuller and Hermann Sonnleitner, and based in Waidhofen/Ybbs in the Austrian state of Lower Austria, SOFTSOLUTION is a leading provider of automated inspection and process control systems to the flat glass fabrication market. SOFTSOLUTION GmbH is an Austrian-based manufacturer of highly professional glass quality assurance systems, and a software developer in the field of digitization with locations in Lower Austria, Waidhofen / Ybbs, and Chicago, Illinois. Since 2002, the company’s image analysis products, such as the LineScanner, CulletScanner, and VirtualDigitizing, have been used for all quality inspections of transparent flat glass products such as single sheets, insulating glass, automotive glass, processed glass, polycarbonate, or film.
AVANTI Windows & Doors as leading manufacturer and installation contractor of vinyl window and door systems throughout the South & Southwest, knew to reach out to SOFTSOLUTION when the time for quality inspection at their new Erdman IG line came up. AVANTI already uses a LineScanner on another one of their Erdman lines for patio doors.
The new, recently installed LineScanner provides Avanti with an automatic, reliable way of inspecting glass without the need of an operator. This is a first-of-its-kind line for Erdman that allows AVANTI to produce IG units using duraseal spacer at a high rate of speed. This new line can produce standard rectangular units as well as shapes. See Dustin Petty, President AVANTI Windows & Doors, together with Nathan Huffman, President of Softsoltuion NA in the picture above.
// About AVANTI
AVANTI produces and installs windows for single-family homebuilders, within the Phoenix, Prescott, Tucson, Las Vegas, Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin, San Antonio, Fresno, and Sacramento markets. AVANTI sets the standard for providing window products and installation services for the Big Builder customer. AVANTI is listed as Arizona’s 11th largest manufacturing employer in 2021, and 14th in 2020 by the Phoenix Business Journal. AVANTI ranked #212 in 2018 and #1092 in 2019 on the Inc. 5000 Fastest-Growing Private Companies in America. Window & Door Magazine awarded Avanti with the 2018 Dealer of the Year Award: Excellence in Installation.
In the search for a reliable, automatic way to improve quality control? We at SOFTSOLUTION offer quick solutions for integration in your production lines.
The LineScanner recently installed at the insulating glass factory, WAPRO, in Diedorf, Germany utilizes the latest in LineScanner technology. At the inspection station located after the washing machine, the SOFTSOLUTION LineScanner has inspected every single lite since the start-up.
As soon as the LineScanner detects any surface quality or coating defects, the signal lamp turns red and all defects are highlighted and displayed on the monitor indicating the exact positions of each defect. The LineScanner then stores all scan data in the connected archive database. Employees can quickly and easily access the archived data for statistical reports and much more. In addition, the data can be tied directly to production information to easily look up past results should any questions about the quality of a unit arise in the future.
WAPRO Gmbh & Co. KG is the leading flat glass processing company in central Germany who has been producing high quality, multifunctional glass since 1998. Since 2020, the 2nd generation has been running the business. The company, which belongs to the UNIGLAS Group, decided to continue the successful cooperation with SOFTSOLUTION.
// Statement from Mr. Martin Wagner – Production Manager at WAPRO GmbH & Co. KG
The installation and commissioning went smoothly. Mr. Markus Oberklammer was brilliant with his expertise, which he was able to pass on to our dedicated employees through his friendly manner. The LineScanner is primarily used to further improve quality and support our employees at Visio. After purchasing a new washing machine and Visio in 2020, the latest generation of LineScanner was on our bucket list.
After inspecting the scanner at GKT in Brakel, it quickly became clear to us that we wanted to use this tool. The quality of the scans and the handling were convincing right away, explained Martin Wagner. We are looking forward to working with the tool and thank the company Softsolution for the great product.
// How do we use Artificial Intelligence?
Here at SOFTSOLUTION, we continue to develop our high quality products. No matter if it’s a brand new system, a hardware upgrade or even the continued use of an existing LineScanner, our customers have the option of utilizing the latest software versions. With a valid service and support contract, our customers have access to software upgrades which allow them to benefit from these newly developed and innovative functions – such as the new defect categorization using artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms.
Innovative developers at SOFTSOLUTION trained the LineScanner software using an AI-based algorithm. The new AI algorithm greatly increases the accuracy of our defect categorization while also adding in new defect categories. The best thing about it: the more scans we collect every day, the more accurately the defects can be assigned to a category.
The operators on the production lines also react differently to each type of defect and therefore it is extremely important which category a defect is assigned. Why? >> Read more
The Polish company Q4GLASS, recently implemented a new LineScanner from SOFTSOLUTION to inspect Quality 4 GLASS in Koszalin near the Baltic Sea in the northernmost tip of Poland.
Installed on a Bystronic IG-Line, the LineScanner performs quality checks to achieve the highest surface quality possible while also verifying the thickness of the glass as well as the coating surface. The archive database provides 100% documentation for every lite scanned while also providing different statistical reports.
At Q4GLASS, a LineScanner with 2700mm is used for vertical single glass inspection on an insulating glass line. In addition to quality control the logo position is checked.
// Statement from R&D Director of Q4GLASS – Mr. Marek Skotnicki
Employees trust the scanner’s readings. They got used to its help and the support that the scanner gives. This is best evidenced by the matter of fact that they do not want to turn it off, even for a short time.Purchasing a SOFTSOLUTION Linescanner turned out to be a really good investment!
// Q4GLASS represents innovation and quality
Q4Glass is a young company that was established by experienced professionals in 2010. Working with glass is their passion and they have decided to take up another challenge – creation of a modern company providing glass products for the construction industry. Q4Glass – Quality for Glass delivers the highest quality glass, implements bold projects and searches for innovative solutions. The young company achieved numerous successes over the last years and has completed many complicated and impressive projects.
In 2011, the first machines were installed in a 7,000 m2 facility. During the next 6 years, Q4Glass expanded the manufacturing area by an additional 6,000 m2 with processing machines allowing them to produce glass units up to 7 x 3.21 m.
It’s an honour to receive this award two years in a row. With the help of our customers and partners, Softsolution will continue to provide the most innovative and reliable quality inspection systems to glass companies around the world, says Nate Hufmann quite proudly.
Without a digitizing solution, customer supplied templates can often be a difficult task, as the Swiss company FRANZ GYSI AG can confirm. This can easily be remedied by using digitizing software such as VirtualDigitizing by SOFTSOLUTION, which allows a quick digitizing of templates, patterns and 2D objects.
// Digitizing templates in practice at FRANZ GYSI AG
Since August, 2020, FRANZ GYSI AG has been using the VirtualDigitizing software directly on the cutting table. The family business located in Suhr AG, can look back on a long tradition of being a specialized trading, assembly and production company in the field of industrial fittings, seals and fluoroplastic parts.
Conclusion: In addition to cost and time savings, they can now document and use their residual materials much more efficiently.
// Statement from division manager for sealing technology – Mr. Reto Wermelinger
When cutting gaskets, the problem of recycling residual material arose again and again. In the case of complicated shapes, the zero point on the cutting table could only be determined with great effort and an optimal use of the material was difficult. This motivated us to look for a new solution and we found it with SOFTSOLUTION, says Mr. Reto Wermelinger.
Until now, the creation of templates using a digitizing table has been a time-consuming and cost-intensive process – involving many steps. With the VirtualDigitizing software, company employees generate tangentially smoothed DXF files in no time at all and residual material can be perfectly recorded and utilized on your cutting table. The easy handling of the software enables the company to quickly digitize the placed remnants with pinpoint accuracy by means of photo scan on the CNC table. Thus, even complicated shapes can be defined and optimally cut with just a few clicks.
The decisive advantage:
// Better utilization of residual materials
// Faster capture & documentation of the remnants / templates on the cutting table
// Simple contour recognition and detection of existing seals
From October 20 – 22, the international glass industry won’t be meeting in person in Düsseldorf as usual. Instead, the meeting will be virtual at Glasstec VIRTUAL – the events new digital networking platform. SOFTSOLUTION – GLASS IQ is one of 750 exhibitors and presents automated quality assurance systems for the glass industry. Learn more about our products LineScanner, CulletScanner and VirtualDigitizing in SOFTSOLUTION’s virtual exhibitor showroom.
Top-class presentations by renowned speakers in the conference area provide information on topics relating to glass production, processing and finishing as well as glass products and applications. Visitors can register here free of charge: Registration glasstec VIRTUAL 2020.
Using the glasstec VIRTUAL matchmaking tool, you can contact our sales team quickly and easily and arrange personal meetings via audio, chat or video call by appointment.
High-quality glazing requires high-quality systems for the quality control of glass.
Saint-Gobain Hasselt, formerly Boermans in Kuringen / Belgium, produces and sells double and triple glazed units for purposes such as soundproofing, safety, and solar control. In addition, Saint-Gobain Hasselt offers innovative glass solutions for all living and working environments where comfort and safety are of the utmost importance.
In order to meet these high quality demands, the company decided to use a LineScanner from SOFTSOLUTION. The vertical LineScanner (2500 mm) was installed on an insulating glass line, after the press, where it inspects the finished insulating glass units by SOFTSOLUTION technician, Samir Pasalic. The LineScanner checks not only for surface defects but it also verifies the coating of glass if it’s on the correct surface by using a glass thickness and coating sensor.
“In order to be able to guarantee a complete archiving of each scanned lite, the Saint-Gobain Group decided to use the LineScanner archiving system. The software provides the customer with a PDF report for each individual insulating glass unit, which can be used to quickly and easily evaluate quality statistics during production,” says Sales Manager Jonas Pfannenstill.
For over 20 years SOFTSOLUTION has been developing and manufacturing quality assurance systems for glass processors at its site in Waidhofen/Ybbs (A). Thanks to the latest developments, the LineScanner Management Console and artificial intelligence are now used to optimize processes.
NEW // LineScanner Management Console
The newly developed LineScanner Management Console provides processors with an online overview of the current status of all scanners in production and thus integrates the scanners into the extensive automation and workflow control. This software tool records the quality and quantity of produced and scanned slices per line and gives a quick overview of all scanners in operation.
The LineScanner Management Console provides the user with the most important data (status of the line, service requirements – also foresighted – as well as current production figures with corresponding quality results) in real time. A complete documentation of the glass quality is indispensable and, thanks to lot and Industry 4.0, will be even easier in the future.
Thus artificial intelligence prevents false quality rejects
Artificial intelligence is already finding practical application in many areas – including inspection systems from SOFTSOLUTION – and replaces traditional automated methods, which often suffer from a high rate of false rejects (= false quality rejects).
SOFTSOLUTION has understood this customer requirement and relies on the use of artificial intelligence to solve problems with false quality rejects with the help of algorithms. Existing standards regulate the tolerances, but practice shows a different picture. Today’s quality demands go far beyond that and every customer has individual requirements and tolerances. In practical use, this often leads to a high rate of false rejects – a false quality rejection by the plant. The scanner delivers results continuously – which defects were found on a glass, what kind of defect and is the defect acceptable or not for this customer.
An operator may have a different picture of an assessment. In this case SOFTSOLUTION now allows the operator to correct the LineScanner’s decision. Such changes by the operator are collected and used for continuous improvement. Thus, it can be said that the LineScanner increasingly learns from feedback and constantly adapts its evaluation behaviour.
With SOFTSOLUTION – always one step ahead!
Since 1974, the Turkish company Tamcam Oto Cam Sanayii A.S., with its headquarters in Istanbul, has specialized in the production of flat glass, safety glass, windscreens and toughened safety glass. Today 274 employees work for the renowned glass producer, checking anisotropy and edge stress with a horizontal LineScanner from SOFTSOLUTION.
Anisotropy appears in windows and glass facades when polarized light hits the glass during certain weather conditions. Modern tempering techniques make it possible to significantly increase the uniformity of the stresses within the glass which in turn reduces the appearance of anisotropy effects. The LineScanner on a LandGlass tempering furnace inspects each glass for isotropic, as well as anisotropic, areas of a tempered lite in a single scan process with minimal space requirements and measures different parameters such as:
- Light delay in nanometers per pixel over the entire lite
- Measuring range up to 465nm or optionally up to 900nm
For a professional and comprehensive definition of the quality, it is also important to measure the edge stress along all edges of a specific lite. By doing so, the LineScanner determines the edge stress levels and provides a precise result regarding the expected fragmentation pattern. This unique and telecentric approach, provided by the SOFTSOLUTION LineScanner, offers a solution that includes every combination of quality check within a single quality inspection system.
Every customer project is unique and this is how we see the cooperation with our customers who trust in automated quality assurance systems from SOFTSOLUTION. Today, more than 1,100 systems are in use worldwide – including the Arabic company Technical Glass & Aluminum Company in Dubai, which recently decided to use a LineScanner for surface inspection. In close cooperation with the Italian company Forel Spa, SOFTSOLUTION technician Samir Pasalic installed a vertical LineScanner (3300mm) on a Forel insulating glass line at Technical Glass & Aluminum Company in Dubai.
Since its foundation in 1989, the Arabic company Technical Glass & Aluminum Company has grown steadily and has achieved a dominant position in the Gulf Cooperation Council (G.C.C.) markets. Today, the company offers a complete and diversified range of products to even the most demanding customers and guarantees a solid reputation and high quality products.
In the future, the use of the LineScanner will enable the early detection and elimination of potential sources of error. The LineScanner checks single lites for surface defects after the washing machine to prevent defective single lites from being used to make an IG unit. This makes the inspection much more stable and reliable than manual inspection and thus saves time and costs in the production process.
In 1959 Richard Gethke founded the renowned flat glass and insulating glass company Gethke Glas Gronau GmbH & Co. KG. Under the product name SANCO®, Gethke supplies multifunctional insulating glass in first-class quality – including safety, thermal, solar control and sound insulation glass for every need. I
n order to always meet the highest quality demands of their customers, the company has relied on quality assurance systems from SOFTSOLUTION since 2011. Last year in April Gethke Glas Gronau GmbH & Co. KG invested in a second LineScanner, which was equipped with a slider function and 16bit technology (65.536 gray scales).
In the meantime, the third LineScanner has been successfully put into operation on their Bystronic insulating glass line. In addition to the data archive – scanned glass is stored and archived in a MySQL database – the 3rd LineScanner for Gethke Glas Gronau GmbH & Co. KG is further equipped with the Card-Login/Shift Manager System and the LineScanner Management Console.
SOFTSOLUTION’s newly developed Management Console offers the customer all status controls of all systems in use, provides extensive maintenance messages of the scanners and serves for 100% production control during operation. “Success unites – we are looking forward to a continued good partnership with Gethke Glas Gronau GmbH & Co. KG,” says International Sales Manager Markus Stefan.
GlassCon Global, North America’s Premier Technical Conference, brings together global innovations in glass technology to further the development of the glass and glazing industry. GlassCon Global VE is returning with an all-new, innovative, virtual experience and encourages industry collaboration and communication by providing a practical, educational forum where glass professionals can expand their knowledge in a continually-evolving technological environment.
Meet SOFTSOLUTION North America Inc. virtually and learn more about our automated quality assurance systems (LineScanner, CulletScanner, VirtualDigitizing). For more than 20 years we have been offering high-performance technologies that convince customers from a wide range of industries.
Join us in September 9 – 10 and visit our booth and sales team:
Wednesday, September 9:
1:00 PM – 5:00 PM Exhibit Halls open
Thursday, September 10:
9:00 – 10:00 AM Exhibit Halls open
1:00 – 5:00 PM Exhibit Halls open
Register for free by using our promo code 20EXH. We can’t wait to see you online.
Since its foundation in 2000, the company Trempver stands for quality and is known far beyond the borders of France. With 21 years of experience in the glass industry, Trempver has specialized in the production of tempered glass and special laminates and has a large product portfolio ranging from clear to lacquered glass, glass stairs to shower doors. The company has been a satisfied customer of SOFTSOLUTION since 2006 and has been using the digitizing solution VirtualDigitizing ever since.
With the purchase of a CulletScanner in cooperation with the company Lisec Austria GmbH, Trempver now has another SOFTSOLUTION system in use. The CulletScanner, which was recently installed together with Lisec Austria GmbH, ensures quality control of their glass according to the EN12150 standard. Thanks to the good and long-standing cooperation with Lisec Austria GmbH, Trempver has now decided on another quality assurance system from SOFTSOLUTION in order to be able to carry out automatic breakage pattern analyses of their glasses in the future so International Sales Manager Jonas Pfannenstill.
The CulletScanner with a maximum scanning speed of 20 meters per minute analyzes the fracture pattern of the entire lite and finds automatically those ranges, which contain most, smallest, largest and longest fragments. These positions are highlighted and evaluated again in detail. The associated software provides all common known standards in this area. In the future, the French glass manufacturer will be well equipped to check its high-grade lites for quality defects in the shortest possible time – precisely, in constant quality and traceable.
The spread of the novel Coronavirus is now having a full impact on the world and is increasingly changing everyday working life, bringing fears and worries, especially for entrepreneurs. The current developments are uniquely dynamic to all of us, both professionally and privately, on a large scale. We at SOFTSOLUTION know that we will master this challenge together with our customers and partners.
Our contribution: Best possible protection of our customers, partners and employees
In order to minimize the risk of infection, our team has been working since the beginning of the pandemic for the time being mostly in the home office, but fully networked and continues to work for you. Furthermore, we are doing our utmost to continue to meet our high standards as a reliable partner. Especially in these challenging times, we want to work even harder to be your guarantee for stability and reliability in the field of innovative glass quality assurance systems.
Availability, assistance & worldwide support
With full consideration of all precautionary and protective measures, our support team will continue to be at your disposal worldwide. In addition, our employees will accept orders and process orders in the usual professional and reliable manner. However, we ask for your understanding if planned installations cannot be implemented at present due to country-specific measures. Internally, we are using this challenging time for further developments in the hardware and software area. We are also happy to support you with individual payment plans if required.
Together with you, we will not only master this global crisis and the hard times, but also emerge from it stronger in the long term. We wish you all the best and stay healthy!
In cooperation with our British partner Promac we have realized another project abroad: “We are pleased that our long-time customer Starglaze from Great Britain has decided to use a LineScanner with latest scanning technology, explains Jonas Pfannenstill, Sales Manager at SOFTSOLUTION.
Starglaze was founded in 1974 and has been a family business for many years. Since its establishment, Starglaze has been manufacturing its own windows and doors and also offers a complete DIY store service for its customers throughout Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Newark and the surrounding area.
In order to meet the high standards of customers and partners, Starglaze was looking for a reliable, state-of-the-art glass quality inspection system. The solution: LineScanner, SOFTSOLUTION’s all-in-one system that inspects glass lites with extreme precision for all quality and surface defects.
The vertical LineScanner with a height of 2,000 mm was installed on a Forel insulating glass line directly behind the washing machine and inspects the glass for surface defects such as inclusions or scratches. The LineScanner prevents faulty lites from entering the press where they are assembled into the finished insulating glass unit. The coating sensor, on the other hand, measures the thickness of the glass and ensures that the individual lites with the coating enter the press on the correct lite.
Paragon Tempered Glass, LLC, is a specialty fabricator offering custom glass solutions to numerous markets from two U.S.-based facilities. Products include both flat and bent tempered glass, as well as insulated glass, to meet demanding expectations of strength, thermal and aesthetic quality. As an innovative glass manufacturer, they are known for solving quality problems and on-time performance for both small and customer-specific orders and large production quantities.
One more reason to rely on an automated quality assurance system and therefore the company has been relying on a horizontal LineScanner from SOFTSOLUTION since December 2019. The glasses are transported on a Benteler line through the washing machine and then checked by the LineScanner for dimension-, surface- and edge defects in order to meet the highest quality requirements on the market.
Fuyao Glass Industry Group Co., Ltd. briefly Fuyao Group was founded in 1987 in Fuzhou, China, and is now a multinational company specializing in the production of automotive safety glass and industrial engineering glass. With production facilities in 16 provinces and cities in China and countries such as the USA, Russia, Germany, Japan and South Korea, as well as numerous international R & D centers, Fuyao Group is one of the world’s largest automotive glass suppliers with more than 26,000 employees.
Their automotive products such as windscreens, side windows, sunroofs and rear windows find their approval among leading car manufacturers such as Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, Volkswagen and many more and are now being tested with a CulletScanner from SOFTSOLUTION.
The CulletScanner analyzes the fracture pattern of the entire glass lite and automatically finds those areas that contain the most, smallest, largest and longest fragments. These positions are highlighted and evaluated again in detail. The associated software provides all common known standards in this area. With a maximum scanning speed of 20 meters per minute, the Fuyao Group is well equipped to check its high-quality automotive lites for quality defects in the future. The evaluation of the details happen in the shortest time – precise, in constant quality and comprehensible.
WEHA-THERM – one of the largest glass refining companies and the specialist for insulating and single glass in Bavaria and Austria has been using SOFTSOLUTION technologies since 2012: Two LineScanners check the transparent flat glass products for all quality defects.
WEHA-THERM uses a LineScanner on a Lisec-KSR for glass quality testing, a second LineScanner on a Lisec insulating glass system for testing single glass. With the help of the LineScanner the complaint rate at WEHA-THERM could be reduced considerably.
“Our employees are also satisfied with the results, says Mr. Freund, Managing Director of WEHA-THERM, explaining why: In the past, almost no one wanted to take responsibility for the assembly of large window glasses because the risk of error was simply too high. Since the LineScanners have been in use at our company, the employees are clearly more comfortable on the lines – and even when assembling large glasses, the fear has disappeared.”
WEHA-THERM is also pleased with the simple handling of the LineScanners and the partnership with SOFTSOLUTION. “Thanks to the clear operation of the LineScanners and the intuitive sensitivity settings, such as the adjustment of error sizes- and contrasts using slide controls, the commissioning and training could be carried out very quickly,” says Freund.
“By using the scanners, potential error sources are detected early. The control is much more stable and reliable as opposed to manual checking. We help companies to deliver consistent glass quality to their customers and thus reduce the complaint rates. Both the hardware and the software are developed and manufactured 100 percent at our site in Waidhofen / Ybbs in Lower Austria,” says Markus Stefan, Sales Manager at SOFTSOLUTION.
The leading windscreen and car glass manufacturer Shatterprufe® from South Africa tests its automotive glass with an All-in-one LineScanner from SOFTSOLUTION. Today Shatterprufe® is the largest national supplier of replacement automotive glass and delivers more than 700 vehicle brand- and models.
Thanks to the All-in-One LineScanner, the South African company is able to test its glasses for dimensional, quality and surface defects with the utmost precision. The quality inspection of logos developed especially for the automotive industry is now standard and is also used by Shatterprufe®.
The data of the tested glass lites are stored in the LineScanner archive software and can be viewed continuously at any time by Shatterprufe®. In addition, the data archive can be used to evaluate various statistics (production statistics, target / actual statistics, errors per defect category, etc.) and thus provide the company with comprehensive information at the touch of a button.
VirtualDigitizing enables the rapid digitization of templates, patterns, and 2D objects. The software is successfully used in all industries – from glass, wood, leather, stone, and plastics to waterjet cutting. Until now, the creation of templates on the digitizing table was a time-consuming and cost-intensive process – associated with many work steps.
The simple handling, consistent quality, and immense time and cost savings have also convinced the company Ertl Glas AG from Lower Austria.
VirtualDigitizing has been successfully used for template digitization at Ertl Glas AG since May 2019. In the meantime, Mr. Peter Fleischanderl has digitized over 700 templates to the complete satisfaction of their customers. “We are impressed by the easy handling and the exact measuring accuracies of the software,” says Mr. Fleischanderl
Successful LineScanner installation at INTERPANE Glasgesellschaft mbH in Belgern. The 2700 mm vertical LineScanner is used to control the glass quality of individual glass lites on a Bystronic insulating glass plant. Founded in 1991, the entire spectrum of the Interpane product range is processed into insulating glass at the location in Belgern.
Thanks to state-of-the-art production technologies and decades of know-how, the company in Belgern has been a long-term partner of many window construction companies and façade builders and now owner of a quality assurance system from SOFTSOLUTION.
Mr. Tobias Nitschke and Managing Director Sebastian Schmidt are particularly impressed by the simple operation and handling of the LineScanner. “We look forward to a good and successful cooperation with SOFTSOLUTION,” says managing director Sebastian Schmidt.
Each customer project of SOFTSOLUTION is unique as well as the cooperation with our customers. Innovation and the consistent quality of our products drive our actions – today, tomorrow and in the future. We are proud to have implemented the most diverse projects with well-known companies in the glass industry worldwide.
Trust unites and this not only shows in dealing with our customers but also with our national and international partners who stand for our quality assurance systems.
We make quality visible for more than 15 years.
The VITRUM fair in Milan will once again open its doors this year. From October 1 – 4, the focus will be on machines, software and supplier products for glass processing, refinement and services relating to glass. SOFTSOLUTION will also be on site with an All-in-one LineScanner and CulletScanner in Hall 7P – booth no R20.
Under the motto: “Quality testing at the highest level”, SOFTSOLUTION presents current trends and developments in the field of glass quality testing and digitization. Whether dimension measurement, edge quality or surface inspection, the All-in-one LineScanner impresses glass manufacturers and refiners with its unique parallel-light technology. Visitors to the show can not only get an idea of the 16bit technology of the LineScanner, but also of the anisotropy and edge stress testing on the tempering furnace.
Manual counting of fragments in a glass lite is a thing of the past! Convince yourself of the innovative technology of the CulletScanner, which automatically evaluates the entire fracture pattern of a glass lite within seconds. Each scan is digitally stored with the highest precision and sharpness and a certificate print is generated.
Thanks to VirtualDigitizing, templates, patterns and 2D objects can be digitized quickly and easily. This results in a previously unprecedented ease of work and flexibility for many industries. Simple handling in the digitizing process enables highly precise object detection – see for yourself.
- Date: October 1 – 4
- Meet us: Hall 7P – booth no. R20
We look forward to meeting you.
Your SOFTSOLUTION Team
Meet the team. Nate Huffman and Peter Pfannenstill from SOFTSOLUTION North America Inc. are excited to welcome you to our booth 2719 at this years GlassBuild show in Atlanta. Convince yourself of the quality of the LineScanner and CulletScanner on site. Our team will be pleased to speak with you and discuss all of your quality needs personally.
GlassBuild America is the largest annual trade show and meeting place for the entire glass, window and door industry in North and South America. SOFTSOLUTION is represented locally with the subsidiary SOFTSOLUTION North America Inc. / booth no. 2719.
The centerpiece of the SOFTSOLUTION presentation at the trade fair is the All-in-one LineScanner, which combines several quality tests in a single control unit. The LineScanner is able to test tempered glass for anistropy and edge stress at the tempering furnace. This means that both glass manufacturers and glass fabricators can measure and document the distribution of tension throughout the entire glass. Additionally, the LineScanner can be equipped with further functionalities, such as the inspection of surface and edge defects, dimensions and logo quality.
Visitors for the CulletScanner are able to view an automatic fracture pattern analysis with optional polarization function. Our sales staff will be pleased to advise you and discuss any questions you and your company may have.
In summer 2019, three vertical SOFTSOLUTION / GLASS IQ LineScanners were installed at our American customer View Inc. in Mississippi.
With the help of the LineScanners, View Inc. is now able to inspect individual glass lites for surface defects and dimensional control before installation. Kevin Morgan from View Inc. was very pleased about the new scanners for their company.
SOFTSOLUTION / GLASS IQ successfully installed a horizontal LineScanner at SISECAM ROMANIA GLASSCORP SA. The company uses the surface quality control option in combination with the LineScanner archiving system.
The archiving software is a standalone application which stores every single scan, specific glass items can be searched and it provides a visual representation of them. Furthermore, the database can also be used to analyze a number of different statistics like production figures, target-actual statistics or errors per defect category.
SOFTSOLUTION / GLASS IQ is pleased to present its quality assurance systems at various tradeshows in the upcoming months. Glass manufacturers and glass fabricators thus have the opportunity to convince themselves of the quality of the LineScanner and CulletScanner on site.
The all-in-one LineScanner combines several quality tests into a single system. Visitors for the CulletScanner are able to view an automatic fracture analysis with optional polarization function.
This week, the sales team is represented at the Fall Conference in Toledo, Ohio. From September 17 -19, we will be exhibiting our scanners at GlassBuild in Atlanta, Georgia (Booth Nr. 2719), and from October 1 – 4 in Milan at the Vitrum (Hall 7P // Booth Nr. R20) tradeshow. Our sales team is pleased to speak to you personally about your quality requirements.
In April 2019, the company Gethke Glas Gronau from Germany purchased a second SOFTSOLUTION LineScanner – the first LineScanner was bought in 2011. The deciding factors for further investments were a great working relationship, the new 16bit technology (65,536 grayscale), the easy handling of the software and also the new detailed sensitivity tool that allows the user to filter defects via a slider bar function.
The two LineScanners are used for glass quality testing on two Bystronic insulating glass lines to inspect single lites after the washer. Lothar Schleiner, from the company Gethke Glas Gronau, is very satisfied as comprehensive evaluations and statistics are now carried out for both LineScanners. Everything is stored in a centralized LineScanner database archive and detailed customer certificates are created for each individual piece of glass.
We look forward to a successful cooperation!
The annual Glass Performance Days took place under the motto All eyes on smarter glass in Tampere, Finland. Besides the participation in interesting workshops and lectures, there was also the possibility to visit our colleagues Peter Pfannenstill and Nate Huffman at the SOFTSOLUTION / GLASS IQ exhibition stand.
In addition to the presentation of our products and the exchange with other visitors, we were also able to discover exciting information and news. We are looking forward to the next GPD.
Fotocredit: GPD2019/Opa Latvala
The Serbian company AMSS CENTAR ZA MOTORNA VOZILA, which focuses on traffic safety, has recently been equipped with a CulletScanner. With the SOFTSOLUTION / GLASS IQ scanner, inspections are carried out according to the international norm and the fragmentation test can be processed easily and quickly.
In addition, the CulletScanner is used for laboratory work in the automotive industry as well as for the exact evaluation of the glass fragments.
Together with our British partner Promac, another project abroad was realized. We are pleased that our longtime customer Starglaze from Great Britain has decided for a LineScanner of newest technology.The scanner from SOFTSOLUTION / GLASS IQ is placed on a Forel insulating glass line after the washing machine and thus checks the glass lites for surface defects such as inclusions, scratches and so on.
Since the beginning of March 2019, Saint Gobain Glassolutions Eckelt Glas GmbH uses a SOFTSOLUTION LineScanner for anisotropy and edge stress testing on a tempering furnace.The LineScanner performs an exact measurement of the anisotropies and edge stress, in nanometers and megapascals, of the heat-treated lite after a Glaston tempering furnace.Mr. Guillaume Kaminski – technical director and contact person in this project – placed special emphasis on measuring accuracy of the deceleration values and above all on repeatability with regard to position and rotation. Based on the telecentric structure of the LineScanner with precise polarization filters, the expectations could more than be met.We are very pleased that we have been able to gain another key player in the field of contract construction with Saint Gobain Glassolutions Eckelt Glas GmbH in Steyr. In the context of our cooperation, we will exchange know-how in order to improve the LineScanner in the future. says International Sales Manager Markus StefanSAINT-GOBAIN is the world’s leading glass manufacturing group and one of the 100 largest industrial companies in the world. Thanks to its strong international orientation, the group employs more than 180,000 people in 67 countries.
The Icelandic company Ispan has been specializing in the production of insulating glass for windows since 1969.The company’s goal from the first day was to produce high-quality insulating glass for the glass market. They remained true to this credo!Since 2019, Ispan uses a LineScanner from Glass IQ, which is responsible for the single lite inspection after the washing machine. So they can continue to produce high quality insulating glasses with flawless lites in the future.
The Latvian company UPB AS STIKLU CENTRS relies on our LineScanner for glass quality. After the press, the LineScanner from SOFTSOLUTION checks the insulating glass units for glass defects, the frame inset and the IG element structure. We were there to make sure that the LineScanner is working properly and the customer is satisfied.
RIOU Glass VIE is a leading player in the glazing products market based in France. From mirror manufacturing to very high-performance insulating glazing – RIOU Glass VIE manufactures high class glass products. That’s why they have a LineScanner for single pane inspection on an insulating glass line after the washing machine. We are very proud that we can contribute our part to the quality of the excellent products. says Sales Director Peter Pfannenstill
CulletScanner installation at WOON-TECH (MA)We are very proud to report the successful partnership between SOFTSOLUTION and WOON-TECH.Today, Woon-Tech, as part of the HMI Cardinal family, provides shower enclosures, commercial glazing systems, artisan glass and specialty glass products – www.woon-tech.com.Since November 2018, Woon-Tech is using a CulletScanner from SOFTSOLUTION to get the break pattern test to a professional level. Every tested lite will be automatically analyzed, checked against the requested norm, have a certificate printed and all details will be stored in a digital format for years.Chip Rogers states “This is another step for us to provide the safest and highest quality glass, proven by a fully automatic system, to our clients. It was the right decision to partner with SOFTSOLUTION.”
Recent trends for inline quality inspection and how this data can be used!At this year’s GPAD conference, SOFTSOLUTION will present the latest trends in quality control. The following topics are discussed in detail:1) Increasing the degree of automation in the glass industry and how can the SOFTSOLUTION LineScanner support this?2) Inline anisotropy and edge stress results for all types of glass. What should you do with the results? What further developments can be expected?3) Evaluation of quality data – what possibilities does this offer?Degree of automation:Like many other areas of the labor market, the glass industry is under tremendous pressure to attract skilled professionals. This circumstance coupled with rising price and efficiency pressure, requires a higher degree of automation. We will show what kind of support the SOFTSOLUTION products can provide.Inline anisotropy and KMS testing:SOFTSOLUTION is one of the companies, that already uses a large number of anisotropy scanners paired with edge stress for their customers. In which direction does SOFTSOLUTION develop its products based on the expected customer requirements and what conclusions can be drawn from the measured data?Evaluation of quality data:IoT is on everyone’s lips. Apart from this comprehensive, hard-to-reach buzzword, which specific evaluations / benefits can SOFTSOLUTION offer its customers?Don’t miss: * SOFTSOLUTION’s educational session // March 27, 2.30 – 3.00 pm* Networking with Peter Pfannenstill & Nate Huffman from SOFTSOLUTION* March 26 – 28, 2019 in San Antonio, Texas* Free registration – you are only responsible for your flights and hotelsMore about GPAD 2019
AGC-Interpane – one of the main players in international architectural glass business – has recently installed a LineScanner from SOFTSOLUTION at the production facility of Plattling. With the help of the LineScanner, heat treated glass is now continuously monitored for anisotropic effects and evaluated for edge stress. The good reputation of AGC-Interpane Plattling is well known world-wide in facade industry. With float glass plants and glass processing facilities at eleven locations in Germany, Austria and France, the Interpane Group has become an integral part of the window and facade industry.It’s a pleasure for us to have AGC-Interpane Plattling as an another key player in the field of contract construction. As part of our cooperation, there will be a lively exchange of know-how to assess differences in the glass. says Sales Director Peter Pfannenstill
New VirtualDigitizing Version 18.1 is now availableSince the glasstec 2018 the VirtualDigitizing version 18.1 is available and impresses with many improvements such as a new user interface.Additional benefits of the new version:* New graphical user interface* Adjustment of general settings* Improved spline optimization* New layer structure with 30 layers* Zoom window function for a detailed view* Automatic name suggestion* Save function for reference templates* Flexible car corner closing function* Automatic country language recognition* Positioning of text & notes>> Customers who have an existing support and update contract can now download the new VirtualDigitzing version 18.1 free of charge from the web portal. If you need support during the update, please contact our support team at [email protected] or +43 7442/539 88 220.
The french insulating glass manufacturer Lépée Vitrage SAS trusts in a LineScanner from SOFTSOLUTION. The LineScanner checks the surface quality of the insulating glass after the washing machine and serves as an automated quality assurance system for the company.During the inspection, the entire scanning process has been examined by the employees of the production line. Thanks to the new quality assurance system provided by company SOFTSOLUTION, production processes at Lépée Vitrage SAS will be even more efficient in the future.
Austria-based SOFTSOLUTION, creators of quality solutions for the glass fabrication industry, has announced plans for the January 1, 2019 opening of their first North American office to be located in Illinois.For the past ten years, SOFTSOLUTION has partnered with ERP software provider FeneTech to establish and service their customer base within North America. Due to the unprecedented success of the North American market—with hundreds of installations of the FeneVision LineScanner, CulletScanner, and VirtualDigitizing quality solutions — SOFTSOLUTION has opted to provide local support to their customers by creating a facility that will house a showroom, testing center, and inventory warehouse.FeneTech’s unparalleled commitment to customer support has been the key to its success, and SOFTSOLUTION North America plans to honor that commitment.“FeneTech has enjoyed a long and mutually beneficial partnership with SOFTSOLUTION here in North America,” affirms FeneTech President & CEO Ron Crowl. “We are looking to continue our excellent working relationship.” SOFTSOLUTION CEO Thomas Schuller echoes that sentiment. “I personally want to thank FeneTech for their extraordinary support. This has resulted in the combined success of both companies, and I’m happy that we will continue to work together.” Nate Huffman, currently serving as FeneTech’s business development liaison with the Austrian engineering firm will serve as SOFTSOLUTION North America president with support from SOFTSOLUTION International Sales Director Peter Pfannenstill. >> SOFTSOLUTION GmbH has been a leading provider of quality solutions for the glass industry since 2002. Lean more about SOFTSOLUTION at http://www.glass-iq.com.>> FeneTech, Inc. has been the leading ERP software provider for the fenestration industry since 1996. Learn more about FeneTech at http://fenetech.com.
LineScanner convinced the glass industry in DüsseldorfThe SOFTSOLUTION LineScanner is an all-in-one system. Besides surface defects, dimension and logo testing it now also checks glass for anisotropies while at the same time measuring the edge stress. Glass manufacturers and visitors to Düsseldorf’s glasstec trade fair used 3D glasses in order to inspect glass panels on the CulletScanner – and they were highly impressed!The glasstec trade fair in Düsseldorf is the world’s largest and most international trade fair for the glass industry and its suppliers. This year, the event took place from 23 to 26 October. Austria-based company SOFTSOLUTION was among the renowned exhibitors that had traveled to Düsseldorf, showcasing a true innovation at its booth: the all-in-one LineScanner, which combines several quality tests within one control unit. Thomas Schuller, CEO of SOFTSOLUTION, explained the system’s innovative functionality to customers, partners and interested companies from all over the world: “Up to now, the quality of thermally toughened glass can only be determined using destructive tests. With the help of our innovation, the quality of tempered glass and heat strengthened glass can be assessed non-destructively, and stress interferences, i.e. anisotropies, can be identified. In addition, the scan also measures the edge stress.”Innovation becomes visible – with 3D glasses and light tableAt the booth, glass manufacturers and refiners came together to witness for themselves the products of SOFTSOLUTION – with special attention given to the stress conditions and interferences within the glass, known as anisotropies. At the same time, it was explained how edge stress measurement based on isochromatic lines takes place. Visitors to the CulletScanner were able to view the results live by means of 3D glasses. Glass professionals from all over the world were convinced.Schuller: “Our goal was not just to talk about how the pretensioning test works. We wanted everyone to see the benefits of this measuring method!” Once again, the many technical discussions and industry-specific exchange of information revealed: SOFTSOLUTION is one of the most innovative companies in the glass industry.
SGT Oelsnitz – a leading producer of safety glass in Europe – has recently opted for seven LineScanners from SOFTSOLUTION.The LineScanners are used to test for and evaluate anisotropies and edge stresses. See more about this in the video!Video of SGT Oelsnitz
SOFTSOLUTION expands its company building with a new showroom. The room-in-room concept enables a year-round product show where customers can experience the benefits of SOFTSOLUTION’s quality assurance systems.Various LineScanners – horizontally and vertically – are available for information events, tests and presentations to our customers, prospects and partners, and this professional environment also helps us train future operators and our own employees, says Peter Pfannenstill.We look forward to your visit in the new showroom or during the glasstec!
In cooperation with Forel, the customer Glassolutions La Veneciana Madrid received a vertical line scanner, which was installed after the washing maschine on a Forel insulating glass line. With the help of the LineScanner, all quality and dimensional defects will be tested and glass for surface defects inspected. The employees of the Spanish company are visibly pleased with the technical growth on their line.
The SOFTSOLUTION LineScanner tests for anisotropies while measuring the edge stress. Convince yourself of the results at the glasstec trade fair from 23rd to 26th October in Düsseldorf. The LineScanner developed by the Austrian company SOFTSOLUTION combines several quality tests in a single control unit. Glass manufacturers and glass refiners can now measure and document the homogeneity of the tension distribution across the entire glass surface. With the scan, the edge stress is also measured.“Up to now, it has only been possible to determine the product quality of thermally pretensioned glass using destructive testing methods. In this process, a homogeneous distribution of the tension across the glass surface is of vital importance for the fracture pattern to be achieved and the flawless visual quality. This test is now possible without a destructive fracture – we are looking forward to presenting our LineScanner in Düsseldorf. This innovation enables not only the mechanical quality of single-pane safety glass and annealed glass to be tested in a non-destructive way, but also the optical quality (areas of tension – i.e. anisotropies) to be evaluated. We have a genuine innovation up our sleeve,” according to Thomas Schuller, Managing Director of SOFTSOLUTION.With the SOFTSOLUTION LineScanner, it is now possible to test the quality of glass products – precisely, flexibly and non-destructively:Testing the pretensioning quality Anisotropy Edge stress Glass fragmentation analysis Temperature patternFinal dimensions control station Guaranteed tolerance Overall dimension Drill hole test Sectional controlTesting the optical quality Surface defects (scratches, coating errors, etc.) Inclusions Edge defectsSpecial tests Logo control DMC code Frame Overall bending Glass thickness and coated side“With our LineScanner, it is now a simple matter to produce quality”, states Schuller, adding: “Convince yourself of the results and visit us at glasstec in Düsseldorf!”The LineScanner from SOFTSOLUTION – live at glasstec in Düsseldorf:Date: 23rd to 26th October 2018Location: Hall 14 / E38
AGNORA describes their success with the FeneVision LineScanner powered by Softsolution. AGNORA’s Richard Wilson refers his company’s relationship with FeneTech.“As a leading fabricator of oversized architectural glass, our customers depend on us for extraordinary service that delivers on quality. By investing in the FeneVision LineScanner, powered by Softsolution, we will now be able to control:>> ANISOTROPY for single components, finished laminates, and even complete IGU assemblies>> EDGE STRESS measurement on all perimeters>> QUALITY AND DIMENSION checks against customer drawingsWe have owned a Fenevision LineScanner for over 4 years and it has allowed us to fully service our most discerning customers by detecting and sizing scratches and blemishes. For the last two years, AGNORA has been studying other optical effects in our glass, and we have wanted to quantify them in an effort to improve our fabrication methods.We believe that anisotropy quantification will have the same-or even more-influence on visual quality and transparency than the current, small punctual defects detection. The development and addition of anisotropy measurement and edge stress to FeneVision’s LineScanner has given us an ‘All-In-One solution that enhances our existing quality control processes.After working with Fenetech for a few years, we know that they can provide us with the flexibility we need to control varying aspects of quality. Fenetech’s unparalleled support and trouble-free installation has made it an easy decision for us to move forward with the Fenevision LineScanner powered by Softsolution.
Cupertino, CA: Louis Moreau, Head of Technology & Innovation at AGNORA, along with Rick Wright, Director of Technical Services at Oldcastle BuildingEnvelope, has assembled an international group of stakeholders to develop a new ASTM standard test method for anisotropy measurement on glass. The initial kick-off meeting took place at Apple’s former headquarters, One Infinity Loop.Also Hermann Sonnleiter and Peter Pfannenstill from Softsolution were part of the meeting, who were able to present current glass quality testing- and measuring methods to the entire expert committee. “Many thanks to Rick and all others that made this kick off meeting so perfect and interesting to all of us!” Hermann Sonnleitner (Head of R&D), SoftsolutionThe ASTM kick-off meeting included worldwide, industry experts such as: Apple, AGNORA, Oldcastle BuildingEnvelope, Skanska UK, HCU Hamburg, Munich University of Applied Sciences, Saint-Gobain Glass, Softsolution, Viprotron, LiteSentry, Arcon Flachglas-Veredlung GmbH, Friedmann & Kirchner, McMaster University, Glasstech, Glaston America, Sedak, Permasteelisa, Standard Bent Glass, Eckersley O’Callaghan, Corning, NSG, Kuraray, LBNL, Trulite, and Eastman Chemical.
In cooperation with the company Forel, a vertical line scanner was installed at the Kosovar company M-Technologie after the washing machine on a Forel insulating glass line. The LineScanner scans glass panes for surface defects (scratches, inclusions, coating defects, …) and ensures high-quality inspection results in accordance with ISO standards.
The TU Darmstadt is one of the leading technical universities in Germany and known worldwide for its pioneering and research achievements. In doing so, the university concentrates on technology-related issues, tests new paths and opens up new opportunities.Dipl. – Ing. Navid Pourmoghaddam – scientific assistant in the field of civil engineering and environmental engineering – decided at the end of 2017 to use a Glass IQ CulletScanner to check the fragment analysis and anisotropies in glass.
We proudly announce, that company „Zanatta Vetro Spa”, located in Montebelluna-Italy has decided to work with a Softsolution LineScanner. This October the installation was finished and fully accepted. The LineScanner with a height of 3200mm does check single glasses according quality, glass thickness and side of coating. Every scan will be stored within a database for further analyzation and statistic based decisions and improvements. Zanatta Vetro are convinced and impressed by the enormous benefits of the Softsolution LineScanner based on its telocentric setup, which is unique within that industry!
At this year’s Flachglas meets Bierglas event from Softsolution GmbH, numerous customers & partners followed the invitation to get a glimpse behind the scenes. Our guests enjoyed an unique party atmosphere with the typical Stein on elevated seats with the best view to the stage.
We look back at the successful Vitrum trade fair from 3. – 6. October 2017. In the course of this exhibition, we were pleased to have sold a LineScanner to our customer Mr. Gazza from Vitrage Cote d´Azur. Vitrage Cote d´Azur now relies on the entire Glass IQ product range including the products LineScanner, VirtualDigitizing and CulletScanner. „We are proud to have a long-term partnership with Vitrage Cote d´Azur and are pleased that all of our products are used in this company“, says Sales Director Peter Pfannenstill.
A further milestone has been achieved. We are proud to present the first LineScanner for the evaluation of anisotropies and edge stress in the glass on the market.
One of the largest window manufacturers in Poland, the company M & S – now relies on a LineScanner from Softsolution / Glass IQ. The Polish manufacturer offers all possible window solutions that are now available worldwide. With the LineScanner, the company tests ready-made insulating glass units for window production according to glass quality and dimensional standards of international guidelines.
The anticipation is rising! With the new film project Glass IQ – Hidden Champions there will be an image film of a special kind. From the concept to the finished film, under the direction of Jakob Kasser (Kopfkino), insights into the production, company culture and much more will be displayed.
A further milestone was achieved by the Glass IQ division of Softsolution. The first CulletScanner was installed on the Japanese market at the customer Sanshiba. Mr. Kurihara and the employees of Sanshiba are looking forward to another product from the company Softsolution and the enormous relief of the automatic fracture analysis.
We are looking back on a very successful year 2016. Right at the beginning of the new year, we look forward having a brilliant start into the new financial year 2017. The Glass IQ team has already successfully distributed 12 scanners – and counting. Additional, new markets will be opened up and further international business relationships will be created.
Softsolution – Glass IQ is pleased to announce the successful CulletScanner installation at the Maroccan glass manufacturer Tolba Verre. http://www.tolbaverre.ma
GLASS NATTER Regensburg – Successful LineScanner installation including the option to check the overall bending of glass. At the end of may, "Isolar glass Ostbayern" activated the 1st LineScanner from Softsolution in their company. The LineScanner has the task to check the quality of single glasses on Lisec’s fully automatic insulating glass line. Together with Ms. Natter (CEO) and Mr. Köhl (Operating Manager) a pilot project was initiated to test the overall bending of glass. Softsolution succeeded to introduce the world's first installation of the new option on the market. Furthermore the LineScanner is equipped with the latest software version, which allows to adjust the sensitivity of the LineScanner. By using a slider and a preview window, artifacts can be exactly defined and displayed as mistakes. Thus, the simplest operation of a complex test system is guaranteed. „We are very satisfied with the LineScanner from Softsolution, which exceeds all our expectations. Within our company, we attach great importance to the quality of our products. Therefore, we have also decided to use the additional option to check the overall bending of glass. A great success – and I am pleased with the results and the cooperation with Softsolution. The company is always keen to deliver quality products which are easy to install, easy to use and easy to maintain. For us, it is of fundamental importance that new operators can work with the LineScanner as soon as possible. You realize immediately, that the LineScanner from Softsolution best possible targets here in this simplicity“, says Mr. Köhl.
Now in its 14th year, GlassBuild America is the gathering place for the entire glass, window and door industries in North America. In the past three years there has been an average of 423 exhibiting companies at GlassBuild America. Numerous well-known companies and manufacturers have been in Las Vegas from 19th – 21st October 2016, to inform themselves about the topic quality inspection and surveying. Thomas Schuller and Peter Pfannenstill presented a vertical line scanner at the partner booth of FeneTech.
Glasstec 2016 has again provided impressive proof of its standing as the leading global trade fair for the glass sector this year. 1,235 exhibitors from 52 countries were able to welcome more than 40,200 trade visitors from over 100 countries over the four days of the trade fair.Softsolution Glass IQ enjoyed numerous high-profile visitors, who have been highly interested in quality assurance systems from Softsolution. "We look back on an extremely successful show, where almost first business transactions were made. Softsolution will be part of the upcoming glasstec in 2018, where once again highlights will be presented", so Peter Pfannenstill. Check out our video https://vimeo.com/186400456Save the date: glasstec 2018 from 23rd to 26th October 2016
Under the slogan "Discover the world of glass" the world's leading fair for the glass industry, the glasstec, will take place in Düsseldorf from 20th to 23rd of September. Softsolution Glass IQ presents brand new innovations at the glasstec – hall 14 / stand F46. Even bigger, even more innovative – convince yourself!Softsolution Glass IQ sets new stadards: sustainably and with foresight around the world.We are looking forward to your visit!
Softsolution Glass IQ will present brand new innovations at the glasstec 2016. The highlights at the glasstec 2016: highly accurate dimensional control of glass check of overall bending automotive glass – quality control including screen print and logos new product design and new user interface LineScanner sensitivity – "as easy to use as a smartphone" Convince yourself of our quality assurance systems – hall 14 / stand F46Softsolution Glass IQ sets new standards: sustainably and with foresight around the world.We make quality visible!
Also this year, Peter Pfannenstill was at the prestigious GPAD Days of FeneTech in San Diego, to present the latest features of the LineScanner.Included in the package, the newest feature from Softsolution: "With our "sensitivity control" we succeeded another milestone. The quality settings for customers can be individually stored and used as new quality standards. With our revolutionary advancements our LineScanner can be easily used as a smartphone!", so Peter Pfannenstill.
The company Softsolution – Glass IQ was placed at the booth of CMS for the first time from 6th to 9th october 2015 and presented in cooperation with them a vertical LineScanner. The aim was to automatically handle the machining process. Using the LineScanner geometry – information such as size, thickness, coating, rotation and mirroring of the glass – was sent to the processing plant of CMS.
The Vitrum held in Italy is one of the most important fairs with 500 exhibitors and more than 19.000 visitors. The company Softsolution – Glass IQ was placed at the booth of INTERMAC for the first time from 6th to 9th october 2015 and presented in cooperation with them a vertical LineScanner. The aim was to automatically handle the machining process. Using the LineScanner geometry – information such as size, thickness, coating, rotation and mirroring of the glass – was sent to the processing plant of INTERMAC.
The Glass Build America exhibition in Atlanta is rightly considered as the most successful exhibition since starting in the USA in 2006. Numerous well-known companies and manufacturers were there, to inform themselves about the topic quality inspection and surveying.Peter Pfannenstill, International Sales Director of Solution-Glass IQ, presented at the partner stand of FeneTech a vertical line scanner in the period from 16th – 18th September 2015.
For the first time Softsolution – Glass IQ visited the international Gulf Glass exhibition from 14th to 16th September 2015 in Dubai.Our sales manager Markus Stefan presented in cooperation with our new partner Mr. Ahmad Amouri from the company TEC PRO GROUP DMCC a vertical line scanner.
Time is a valuable commodity. Especially in everyday work it is therefore even more important to use this time wisely. For this reason, we at Softsolution – Glass IQ have developed a universal digitization solution for companies in order to digitize custom templates from different areas of the company in highest precision. All you need is a digital camera, a reference dimension and the Virtual Digitizing software. Within a short time (<5min) templates including reference size can be defined and transferred to a DXF contour.Particularities: Easy and fast digitization of objects, templates and contours Seamless documentation and IT-supported storage of templates Creation of a high-precision DXF contours Automatic contour smoothing maskMeanwhile, VirtualDigitizing is worldwide in more than 480 companies in use. The icelandic glass producer Samverk relies on a digitization solution made by Softsolution – Glass IQ. In order to handle all templating efforts easily and accurately, two cameras including the VirtualDigitzing software have been brought into use at the distribution center in Reykjavik as well as at the production site in Hella. “Within a short time, we were able to photograph objects and templates directly at the customer site and digitized them afterwards” so Managing Director Ragnar Pálsson.
Our LineScanner is able to check the angularity of “Georgian bars” even without a transfer file information. In this case, it cannot be checked, if all the necessary grids are in place in reference to the original order, but they can be proven, if all of them are within tolerance according the angularity to the outlines of the glass.The verification of detected grids works in that way, that the LineScanner checks if every single grid is at least parallel or right-angled to one of the outlines of the glass. The nearest outline counts. Every grid will be separated into its parts; means, that e.g. the top horizontal grid will be separated into 3 parts (1, 2 and 3). Each individual part will be checked if it is parallel or right-angled. Therefore, 2 tolerances are available, degrees or mm. The measurement is based on the distance at the beginning of the grid and the end of the grid in reference to the outline of the glass or the frame (adjustable). The picture below shows, how the results of the grid check will be displayed to the operator. In this example, the bottom left part of the vertical grid is out of tolerance.
Like last year, the division Glass IQ from Softsolution was represented by the Federation Flat Glass in Braunschweig from 22nd to 24th April 2015. During the networking conversations, Glass IQ served all participants with a fresh draft beer of the world’s fastest dispenser – the Beerjet.
Softsolution was a gold sponsor at the GPAD Days in San Antonio from 18th – 20th March 2015. Recent developments on the subject line scanner, visual digitizing, cullet scanner and much more were presented.
Like last year, Softsolution was present at the Glass Expo in Istanbul from 11 th to 14 th March 2015. We displayed a horizontal LineScanner at the stand of ourpartner Ferer.
In March 2015 Swiat Szkla – a Polish Glass Magazine – introduced products of Softsolution to the market. Our partner in this areas – Mr. Leszek Michalak – will answer all requests of clients and is on your demand. For presentations in Poland please get in contact with Mr. Leszek.
With all it´s employees and worldwide partners, SOFTSOLUTION would like to say thank you to all the customers and interested parties for their visit on Glasstec 2014.We look back on a very interesting show, focusing on two central issues:1. Quality inspection of whole insolating glass elements2. Measuring of glass in any form, for dimensional checkFor both issues, SOFTSOLUTION is optimally geared. With our still worldwide unique scan-tecnology, on inspection of all areas of the glass, with a constant angle of 90° is possible. There won´t be any „blind areas“ and dimensional checks on precision of a tenth are achievable.