Raw Material Filling and Transport Automation in the Glass Industry

In the glass industry, raw material filling and transport automation boosts production efficiency while minimizing error rates. This article walks through a fully automated filling‑transport line implemented in a glass manufacturing plant.

Raw Material Filling Process in a Glass Production Line

At the start of the line, the raw glass mix (silica, soda, limestone, etc.) is stored in silos. Based on order volume, the SCADA system sets the required batch size, which is measured precisely by a dosage control unit. High‑precision vibro‑load sensors and capacitive level gauges keep the tolerance within ±0.2%.

The filling operation is performed by an automated raw‑material filling robot equipped with dual‑axis linear actuators. The robot transfers the material from the silo to the conveyor belt following a pre‑programmed speed profile, eliminating manual handling and reducing fill time by 45%.

Transport and Storage Automation

After filling, the material moves through vacuum‑sealed transport pipes to the melting furnace. The pipes are monitored by a PLC‑based control that continuously reads temperature and pressure sensors; any anomaly triggers an automatic alarm and isolates the fault.

Post‑melting glass granules are handed over to an automatic palletizing system. Using vision‑guided robots, the system inspects granule quality, separates defective pieces, and neatly places approved granules on storage racks. RFID‑tagged pallets enable real‑time inventory tracking.

Advantages of Botex System Solution

In this automation project, Botex System’s modular control platform played a pivotal role. It allowed all equipment to be managed from a single HMI, cutting operator training time by 30%. Additionally, data acquisition and analytics modules reduced energy consumption by 12%.