Architectural Glass

Silica, otherwise known as industrial sand, provides the most important ingredient for glass production. Silica sand provides the essential Silicon Dioxide (SiO2) required for glass formulation, which makes silica the primary component in all types of standard and specialty glass.

If you have ever used an hourglass, you know dry sand will flow like water. Add moisture to sand, like moist beach sand, put it in a pail, turn it over and the sand takes the form of the pail. The sand compresses and adheres to itself becoming non-free flowing. The same thing happens on a larger scale where wet sand is stored in large silos for glass making. Not only does the silo need to hold the sand but the sand needs to flow out of the silo in a controlled rate to match the glass production rate.

To overcome the non-free flowing nature of wet sand Vibra Screw has been providing Bin Activators for over 60 years to some of the largest glass producers in the world. Bin Activator using controlled vibration assures continuous uninterrupted flow of material. The attached photo is a 10 ft Bin Activator getting ready to be shipped to an architectural glass plant.