A Half-Century of Innovation Transforming the Global Glass Industry

The global glass industry—worth well over $120 billion annually—spans flat glass, container glass, and speciality products. Over the last 50 years, the sector has seen sweeping change:

• 1970s: The rise of float glass across Europe, North America, and Japan dramatically improved surface quality, reduced cost, and enabled larger sheet sizes—laying the foundation for modern architectural glass.
• 1980s–1990s: Performance leapt again with coated and insulated glass. Low-emissivity (low-E) coatings helped curb solar heat gain while maintaining transparency, powering the growth of energy-efficient buildings.
• 2000s–today: Automation, robotics, and digital controls revolutionised production. Computer-controlled furnaces, real-time quality monitoring, and automated cutting systems lifted output, consistency, and yield while reducing waste.

Amid this progress, environmental performance remains front and centre—from lower-emission melting to smarter energy management across the plant. Yet one essential “material” still escapes attention far too often: air.

Losing Energy to Invisible Compressed Air Leaks

Compressed air actuates valves, drives pneumatic conveyors, powers tools, and purges moulds across forming lines, IS machines, coating stations, and packaging cells. It’s also one of the most expensive utilities in a glass plant—and leaks are the stealth tax.

Even small openings silently bleed energy, lower line pressure, and risk quality deviations. Consider this rule-of-thumb example:

A 3 mm leak at 6 bar running 8,000 hours per year can cost ≈ €2,800 in wasted energy—per leak.

It’s ironic: an industry that has made strides in conserving energy still burns fuel to compress air that subsequently leaks to atmosphere. The real challenge isn’t fixing leaks; it’s finding them fast in large, noisy, complex facilities—safely and without downtime.

Detect, Quantify, and Prioritise Leaks Instantly with Acoustic Imaging Technology

Flir is a global leader in the design and manufacture of portable thermal and acoustic imaging cameras. The handheld, lightweight Si2-LD acoustic camera makes leak detection simple:

• Ultra-sensitive microphones “see” sound and overlay an acoustic intensity map on the visual image to pinpoint leaks—even small, hard-to-reach ones.
• Work from a safe distance with no need to shut down equipment or enter hazardous zones.
• 2–130 kHz bandwidth provides precise detection in noisy industrial environments typical of hot end and cold end operations.
• Two powerful LED work lights aid component identification in dimly lit areas, keeping surveys quick and accurate.
• Built-in estimation supports leak sizing and cost impact to prioritise the highest-value repairs first.

Compressed air isn’t the only pressurised medium the Si2-LD can detect. With integrated software, engineers can identify and quantify leaks of oxygen, nitrogen, ammonia, and other gases commonly used across glass production and utilities. Beyond energy cost, these gases may pose safety risks if allowed to accumulate—raising the likelihood of fire hazards or toxic conditions.

See Flir acoustic imaging in action

Ready to cut waste and improve safety across your plant?

 Book a demo today