Spang Power Electronics is a manufacturer of custom power equipment installed throughout the Fiberglass Industry (both wool fiber for insulation and composite fiber for reinforcements). Spang’s expertise in power control and conversion has helped us become a global leader for the following applications.
Electric Melt Furnace
In modern fiberglass manufacturing the batch is melted either by gas or oil or by electricity. Both fossil fuel fired and electrically fired furnaces are commonly applied. When electric, the current is injected into the top or sides of the furnace by electrodes. The molten fiberglass itself acts as the heating element conducting electricity between the inserted electrodes (known as Joule heating).
Spang Power Electronics provides SCR Controllers, Transformers, and Power Systems to provide highly accurate controlled power to the electrodes of the melt furnace.
Melt Furnace Boosting
In modern fiberglass manufacturing when the batch is melted into molten fiberglass by gas or oil as the primary heat source in the melting furnace, electric boosting is often applied. Electric heat is injected by electrodes into the furnace from the bottom or sides. The molten fiberglass itself acts as the heating element conducting electricity between the inserted electrodes (known as Joule heating).
Spang Power Electronics provides SCR Controllers, Transformers, and Power Systems to provide highly accurate controlled power to the electrodes of the melt furnace. The electric heat is added to improve the quality of the glass exiting the furnace and in many cases increase the flow capacity.
Forehearth
After the fiberglass is melted in the furnace it is further conditioned and transferred to the forming section by a forehearth. A forehearth is a refractory tank whose function is to receive glass from the furnace, reduce its temperature to the desired level, and discharge it to the forming section at a uniform temperature. An electric forehearth may consist of roof mounted resistive heaters, immersed electrodes in the side, or electrodes immersed in the furnace bottom, or a combination of roof heaters and submerged electrodes. The molten glass itself acts as the heating element conducting electricity between the inserted electrodes (known as Joule heating). Gas fired forehearths are used in place of electric balanced against energy costs, environmental constraints, and process requirements. Here the gas burners are located above the molten glass providing heat from above.
Spang Power Electronics provides SCR Controllers, Transformers, and Power Systems to provide highly accurate controlled power to both roof top electric heaters and electrodes that extend into the forehearth.
Bushing
The bushing section transitions molten fiberglass into either insulation or composite strands. In the manufacture of both types of fiberglass a platinum bushing or block is heated and precisely temperature controlled. With insulation, the bushing typically has a single hole or orifice for the fiberglass to flow through. Once through the orifice, the molten fiberglass is dropped into a “fiberizer” which, acting like a cotton candy machine, sprays the molten fiberglass and creates wool fibers as the fine strands cool.
In composite fiberglass the platinum bushing includes several holes (several thousand in some applications). Like insulation, the molten fiberglass flows through the many bushing orifices. Instead of being dropped into a “fiberizer” the individual strands are cooled and solidified below the bushing creating the composite strands.
Spang Power Electronics provides SCR Controllers, Transformers, and Power Systems to provide highly accurate controlled power to the bushings of both wool and composite fiber manufacturing.