Is your tempering furnace exit becoming a graveyard for scratched glass? In the high-stakes world of glass fabrication, moving "lights" from the CNC cutter to the washer—and then to the IGU line—is where 80% of handling damage occurs. Stop relying on static A-frames for dynamic workflows. Our Production Line Glass Trolley (Harp Rack) is engineered to streamline sorting, protect soft-coat Low-E surfaces, and accelerate your "lite matching" process without the breakage.
For any Insulated Glass Unit (IGU) manufacturer, the "matching" phase—pairing Lite A (e.g., 6mm Clear) with Lite B (e.g., Low-E coated)—is a critical choke point. If you are using traditional A-frame carts or L-bucks for this, you are wasting floor space and risking operator injury.
The core problem with A-frames in a production line is the "shuffle." To get to the third sheet of glass, the operator has to move the first two. This constant handling increases the risk of edge chipping and surface scratches.
Figure 1: High-contrast numbered slots allow for instant visual matching of glass pairs.
Our Glass Harp Rack solves this with a slotted, sequential design. With up to 100 numbered slots, your CNC operator can load cut glass in the exact order it is needed for the sealing robot. When the rack arrives at the assembly station, there is no searching, no shuffling, and no "digging" for the matching lite. It is a First-In-First-Out (FIFO) buffer station on wheels.
In modern architectural glass fabrication, you aren't just cutting clear float glass anymore. You are handling high-performance, double-silver, or triple-silver Low-E coatings. These "soft coats" are notoriously sensitive. Contact with a standard painted metal rack or a dirty rubber strip can compromise the coating, leading to visible defects after the unit is sealed.
Figure 2: PVC-coated steel rods ensure zero metal-to-glass contact, preserving coating integrity.
The "Harp" design utilizes vertical steel rods encased in heavy-duty PVC sleeves. This ensures that the face of the glass never touches another surface. The glass is supported only by its bottom edge and guided by the PVC rods. This separation is non-negotiable for maintaining the quality of coated glass during the turbulent journey from the tempering furnace to the IGU line.
A fully loaded Production Line Glass Trolley can weigh over 2,000 lbs (approx. 900 kg). While high-quality polyurethane casters make moving this load easy, the real danger arises when the rack is stationary at a workstation. If a rack shifts while an operator is loading a heavy 12mm sheet, the momentum can cause catastrophic tipping or crushing injuries.
Figure 3: The foot-actuated lifting mechanism anchors the rack securely during loading.
Unlike standard carts that rely on caster brakes (which can wear out or slip on smooth factory floors), our Harp Racks feature a dedicated Foot-Actuated Lifting Mechanism. By engaging the pedal, the entire rack is lifted slightly off its wheels and onto a solid rubber-footed base. This transforms the mobile trolley into a static, immovable station, ensuring 100% stability during the loading and unloading of heavy glass sheets.
One of the biggest hidden costs in purchasing glass racks is shipping. Traditional fully welded racks are essentially shipping "air"—they take up massive volume in a container but have very little weight density. This drives your landed cost per unit through the roof.
Figure 4: Bolt-together assembly allows for flat-pack shipping, maximizing container density.
Our Production Line Glass Trolley features a smart "Knock-Down" (KD) bolted assembly. We ship the base, uprights, and harp grids as flat components. This allows us to fit 3-4 times as many units in a standard shipping container compared to pre-welded alternatives. Your team can easily assemble them on-site using standard tools, ensuring you pay for product quality, not empty space.
Q1: Can this harp rack handle "shorts" (short height glass) without them falling through?
A: Yes. Unlike some racks that use widely spaced rollers, our Production Line Glass Trolley can be configured with a full-length slotted base (High-Density Polyethylene or Steel with rubber liners). This ensures that even short glass pieces, often used for transoms or small windows, are fully supported along the bottom edge.
Q2: What is the maximum glass thickness for the standard slots?
A: Standard spacing is designed to comfortably fit Insulated Glass Units or thick laminated glass up to 1 inch (25mm). However, for CNC offloading of single sheets (e.g., 6mm or 10mm), we offer "High-Density" models with tighter slot spacing to maximize capacity per rack.
Q3: Will the PVC sleeves melt if I load glass directly from the tempering furnace?
A: The glass must be cooled before loading. While the PVC is durable, it is not designed for glass straight out of the quench (which can exceed 200°C). We recommend this rack for the "Unload" station after the cooling zone, or for transport between the furnace and the lamination/IG line.
Q4: How does this rack improve efficiency at the IGU sealing robot?
A: It eliminates sorting time. The CNC operator loads the rack in the exact sequence required by the IGU schedule. When the rack arrives at the sealing line, the operator simply pulls the next sheet without checking labels or moving other glass, reducing cycle time by up to 30%.
Q5: Can we replace the nylon rollers if they wear out over time?
A: Absolutely. The base assembly is designed for maintenance. The nylon rollers are mounted on accessible axles, allowing your maintenance team to swap out individual rollers or entire strips without scrapping the rack frame.
