With the commissioning of the N3 plant in the Nigel plant in Gauteng, South Africa, Ardagh Glass Packaging-Africa now operates three SORG furnaces. There is no better testimony of the SORG Group’s technology, capability and competence.
Erected as a “Brownfield Project” in a new building in just 12 months, this regenerative end port furnace has a melting area of 150 square metres and will primarily produce green and flint container glass.
Nikolaus SORG engineered the whole installation, with designs for the refractory, furnace steel and platforms. The scope of supply ranged from combustion air and the waste gas system to gas and diesel emergency heating. Boosting systems (melting, barrier and throat boosters), tank and throat cooling, SCADA WinCC control system, glass conditioning and machine cooling were also delivered. This was rounded off by the working end and 4 type 340S+® forehearths, each with superstructures, gas heating and cooling systems.
The batch charging is carried out by two EME CPO 650D® machines. EME connected the new furnace to the existing batch house via a redundant batch transport system. This involved additional cullet storage, conveyor systems and the weighing system for feeding EP dust to the batch. All work, including modernising the control system, avoided any disruption to the batch plant.
Steel and refractory construction was carried out by SKS, who also supplied the entire steel quantity of 400 tonnes. SKS received support in safety management, construction site equipment and personnel from its long-standing partner Refraline. The order was successfully completed by the heating up and fill-on with glass, including hot insulation.
The SORG Group would like to thank Ardagh Glass Packaging South Africa for the order to supply this third melting furnace and for the trust placed in the Group.