20 February 2020

Brombal IGU Scanner

Brombal IGU Scanner: quality control of insulating glass units becomes even more precise thanks to the synergy between man and technology. This is the principle behind Brombal’s choice: since late 2019, this historic manufacturer of luxury doors and windows has integrated a IGU Scanner into its production line.

Before the system was introduced, the entire inspection process relied on the trained eye of a technician. Today, that evaluation is supported and enhanced by the scanner: after being washed and dried, insulating glass units are scanned by a system of high-resolution cameras capable of detecting even the smallest defect. The technician can then review the results directly on a screen, where precise mapping highlights every anomaly in different colours (for example, green for within policy, red for outside policy) based on the severity and size of the defect.

This doesn’t replace human judgment, it speeds it up and makes it more reliable: the quality control manager still personally evaluates, based on experience, whether a detected defect falls within sales policy or not. As Andrea Cairati, purchasing manager at Brombal, explained, one of the system’s key features is “the recording of all data related to insulating glass unit control”: by scanning the barcode before inspection, all information is automatically stored in the software, within the order file.

The system also checks the position of the muntin bar on the glass, ensuring correspondence with the frame for a flawless aesthetic result, and can automatically inspect both double- and triple-chamber glass units up to 5 metres wide, 3 metres high, and 85 mm thick. For Brombal, this investment meant both a better working experience and greater efficiency, ensuring the high standards required for its luxury doors and windows.

The Brombal IGU Scanner installation remains a strong example of how automated inspection and human expertise can work together to raise quality standards in glass manufacturing.

Watch the original case study from Brombal: