The German Machinery and Plant Manufacturers’ Association (VDMA) has highlighted some of the manufacturing innovations that will be on show at this year’s glasstec, Dusseldorf.

These include a cutting head developed specially for thin glass with constant and consistent pressure on the glass; a driverless transport system; a space-saving system for treating process water; and a machine for the simple and fast transportation and installation of glass panes.

Ralf Ackermann, Sales Director at Bohle AG, says “We’ve been a manufacturing company for nearly 95 years now.

“Although we’ve also developed a comprehensive retail range, we are continuing to develop and manufacture everything ourselves – right where we are, here in Germany.”

The company is a world leader in glass processing tools, but has also attained a remarkable position in machinery and equipment for the trade sector and increasingly also for the glass industry.

At glasstec, Bohle AG will present its latest products and services in Hall 9, on about 1,000 square metres.

This includes the Sedimentor 1.0, a system for the treatment of process water.

It has a throughput of about 150 litres per minute, a load capacity of 1,000 litres and a cleaning capacity of up to 3.5 kilograms per hour.

As well as the Sedimentor 1.0, Bohle AG is also showcasing its Liftmaster B1 for the extremely easy manual transportation and installation of glass units with diagonals up to 3.5 metres and weights of 180 kilograms.

The Liftmaster is 1.2 metres long and, when its axes are retracted, only 80 centimetres wide, so that it will fit through almost any door.

Glass equipment manufacturer Grenzebach will also showcase its innovations at glasstec, in Hall 15.

They include, in particular, a brand-new cutting head that has been specially developed for thin glass.

What is so innovative about this machine is that its pressure on the glass is kept continually and consistently at a set value, thanks to a resistive wire strain attached to the cutting head.

Werner Rührer, Sales Manager for Float Glass, points out that the data provided by the wire strain ensures constant cutting pressure even for corrugated glass.

The benefits, he says, are obvious: as the machine works at a consistent pressure, it produces “far fewer rejects” compared with conventional methods.

Another highlight presented by Grenzebach at the trade fair is a driverless transport system (pictured).

Grenzebach has developed a system for taking racks automatically to the distribution stations.

Depending on the requirements, each vehicle is designed differently and therefore operates “with contour navigation”, says Roland Jenning, head of Research & Development.