Greetings!

I have good news today for SmartMelter® customers: you are already meeting the newest standards outlined by FM Global, the largest insurer, in its data sheet 7-26, an industry standard for loss prevention guidelines in the glass industry.

My team was happy to learn that FM Global has recognized radar-based assessment of refractory condition in its latest update to its minimum guidelines in Section 2.5.13:

“At a minimum, include the following maintenance, operating, and remaining life assessment activities in the program… (D) Consider employing emerging technologies to help assess refractory health. Radar based technologies have been employed successfully for several years to monitor for thinning and/or glass penetration.”

The guidelines also recommend that glass manufacturers “modify refractory support (steel) during the following rebuild to allow for a complete examination of furnace refractory.”

In order to help you with this step, we are working together with furnace design and maintenance companies to help the industry make the furnace designs and maintenance SmartMelter® compatible.

You can read more about this important update here, and you can download the data sheet 7-26 here.

For more guidance on how to implement these standards, you can contact Fred Aker at fred.aker@paneratech.com.

Best Regards,

Yakup Bayram