In a busy glazing shop, the bottleneck isn't usually the CNC cutting table—it's the chaotic staging area between cutting and tempering. Stop leaning high-value, soft-coat Low-E glass against static wall bucks where scratches happen. Our Glazing Shop Rack (Harp Rack) creates an organized, mobile buffer zone that eliminates glass-to-glass contact and streamlines IGU pairing.
For custom glass fabricators and architectural glazing manufacturers, the most critical moment for a lite of glass is not when it's being cut, but when it is sitting idle. Traditional A-frames and L-bucks force operators to stack glass sheets against one another. Even with interleaving powder or cork pads, the risk of surface damage to sensitive coatings (like double silver Low-E) is high. Furthermore, retrieving a specific piece for an expedited order often means moving five other heavy sheets first—a recipe for edge shelling and operator injury.
The Glazing Shop Rack fundamentally changes this workflow by isolating every single unit.
High-tension steel wires inside PVC tubes ensure zero glass-to-metal contact.
The core technology here is the "Harp" style divider system. Unlike slots that rely on friction, our rack uses steel wires encased in heavy-duty PVC tubing. This design provides the rigidity needed to keep heavy laminated sheets or thick float glass vertical, while the PVC exterior acts as a cushion. This is non-negotiable for shops handling soft-coat glass where even a microscopic hairline scratch results in a rejected unit at the quality control station after the tempering furnace.
One of the biggest headaches in Insulated Glass Unit (IGU) manufacturing is "pairing"—matching the inner and outer lites before they enter the washer and assembly line. If your CNC table cuts optimized patterns (batch processing) rather than sequential pairs, you end up with a logistical nightmare trying to find "Lite B" to match "Lite A."
Numbered slots (1-40) enable rapid random-access sorting for IGU production.
Our Glazing Shop Rack features a high-density base with numbered slots (typically 40 to 60 slots depending on glass thickness). This allows the breakout team to place glass into specific, numbered locations corresponding to the production schedule. The assembly line operators can then retrieve exactly the piece they need, when they need it, without shuffling glass. This "Random Access" capability significantly reduces cycle times.
Moving 3,000 lbs of vertical glass across a factory floor with uneven concrete or debris is dangerous. Standard casters can vibrate, causing glass to "walk" or chatter, leading to bottom-edge chips. To mitigate this, our racks are engineered with a specialized floor lock system.
The Foot-Actuated Lifting Mechanism is a game-changer for shop safety. When the rack is at the station (being loaded or unloaded), the operator engages the foot pedal. This action physically lifts the rack off its wheels and sets it onto stable steel pads. This prevents the rack from rolling away during loading and provides a rigid base that absorbs vibration, ensuring the glass remains static and secure.
Many shop managers hesitate to order specialized racking because of the freight cost—shipping fully welded steel racks is essentially shipping "air." We solved this with a fully bolted, modular design.
The rack ships "Knock-Down" (KD) in a flat-pack format. The Q235A carbon steel base, uprights, and divider assemblies are bolted together on-site using standard tools. This allows us to fit multiple units into a compact shipping crate, drastically reducing freight costs per unit without sacrificing the structural integrity found in welded racks.
1. Can this rack handle heavy laminated glass or just standard float glass?
The rack is built with Q235A Carbon Steel and is rated for heavy-duty industrial use. It handles standard float glass, tempered glass, and heavy laminated glass sheets efficiently. The weight capacity is typically around 3,300 lbs (1500 kg), making it suitable for thick architectural stacks.
2. Will the dividers scratch the glass during loading?
No. The dividers are steel rods sleeved in a thick, industrial-grade PVC casing. This provides a non-marring, soft-touch surface that protects the glass face. The bottom runs on nylon rollers or high-density polyethylene (HDPE) strips, protecting the bottom edge from shelling.
3. What is the maximum glass size for this Glazing Shop Rack?
Standard models accommodate glass up to 84 inches (approx. 2130mm) in height. However, because the design is open-ended on the top and sides, it can accommodate over-sized sheets, provided they are balanced correctly and within the weight limit. Custom sizes are available for Jumbo processing lines.
4. How does this rack help with IGU production?
It is essential for the "sorting" phase. By assigning numbered slots to specific glass units, you can easily pair Lite A (e.g., Low-E) with Lite B (e.g., Clear) from different cutting batches. This eliminates the need to dig through a stack of glass to find the matching piece for the sealing robot.
5. Are the wheels suitable for rough shop floors?
Yes. We use heavy-duty Polyurethane or Nylon casters designed for industrial environments. They are resistant to glass chips and metal shavings often found on fabrication floors. The standard configuration includes two swivel casters with brakes and two rigid casters for optimal maneuverability.
