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Glass Making Plant Uses UPS System To Ensure Continuous Operation

Anchor Hocking Industrial Glass Company's Phoenix Glass Plant, located in Monaca, Pennsylvania, recently upgraded the process control systems used in its glassmaking operations. As part of this upgrade, the plant installed an industrial grade uninterruptible power supply (UPS) system to provide emergency power for controlling critical processes, including batching and maintaining consistent, high temperature firing for the plants melting furnace.

While the current facility is only 13 years old, employing over 500 people, Phoenix has been in the glassmaking industry for over 100 years. The plant manufactures a wide range of commercial and industrial glass products.

The new control system is an Allen- Bradley PLC 5 using Control View software. This system controls the melter, forehearth and glass forming machine operation.

The PLC controls burners which keep the melting tank heated. The system must keep the glass at a constant temperature between 2650 degrees F and 2775 degrees F to keep the molten glass from solidifying. The system also controls the temperature of glass prior to the forming process.

Over the years, the Phoenix Plant has experienced various electric power problems including line noise and electrical storms. It also suffered from power brownouts and blackouts that occurred in the area.

To solve these power problems, Anchor Hocking installed a 20kVA UPS system manufactured by AMETEK Solidstate Controls. Use of the UPS system allows operators time to either ride through short outages without losing power, or offers the ability to pre- pare for longer outages. The UPS and its batteries deliver 15 minutes of back-up power which is enough time to make the necessary adjustments. Besides furnishing a continuous source of electric power, the UPS system also provides a clean, conditioned source, free of transients that can cause poor performance or damage to sensitive equipment in the PLC.

The UPS system used in this application is an industrial grade unit, specially designed for harsh, hot environments such as those found in glassmaking operations. The majority of UPS systems on the market are designed for the clean, controlled environments of computer rooms and are usually not suitable for industrial surroundings. The UPS system employs ferroresonant technology that uses passive electronic and magnetic components in its design. This type of unit is better suited to industrial environments thanUPS systems using more complicated power devices with complex feedback circuits which must be protected from harsh environments.