Manufacture of laminated windows

Citation

Hollingum, J. (2001), "Manufacture of laminated windows", Industrial Robot, Vol. 28 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/ir.2001.04928bad.013

Manufacture of laminated windows

Manufacture of laminated windows

Keywords: Robots, Laminates, Manufacturing

Applicant; Pilkington plc (GB)Patent number: EP0499371Publication date: 19 August 1992Title: Manufacture of laminated windows

The invention describes a method of producing a laminated window including the step of incorporating an oversize interlayer of a plastics material between two adjacent transparent plies so that the interlayer of plastics material extends beyond the edges of the adjacent plies and removing the excess of such plastics material extending beyond the adjacent plies characterised by removing the excess by abrasion. The invention also provides an apparatus for removing excess plastics interlayer material from the peripheral edge of a laminated window comprising an abrading tool for the plastics material and a robot programmed to move the abrading tool and window relative to each other whereby the abrading tool engages the excess interlayer material around the peripheral edge of the window. It has now been found, surprisingly, that a process of abrasion satisfactorily removes surplus interlayer material from a laminated window during its manufacture, while avoiding or at least alleviating the disadvantages of earlier methods. A method of producing a laminated window according to the present invention includes the step of incorporating an oversize interlayer of plastics material between two adjacent transparent plies so that the interlayer of plastics material extends beyond the edges of the adjacent plies and removing the excess of such plastics material extending beyond the adjacent plies characterised by removing the excess by abrasion. The abrasion is conveniently carried out using an abrading tool which is moved along the peripheral edge of the window. The abrading tool may be moved by a robot to remove excess plastics material from around the periphery of the window. Preferably, at least one selected corner of the window the abrading tool is traversed along one edge of the window and past the said corner so as to be out of contact with the window and then the abrading tool is positioned so as to be aligned with the adjacent edge to be traversed. The abrasion may be performed by means of an abrasive belt of the abrading tool. More preferably the abrasive belt bears against the peripheral edge of the window under an applied load so as to cause deflection of the belt in the said region.