Tempering
Tempered Glass Order Tracking: From Size to Furnace, from Furnace to Shipping
Tempered glass is the least forgiving product in glass processing: once it leaves the furnace it cannot be cut, drilled or edged. A small mistake in size or processing means the pane goes in the bin and the order is late. In this article we explain how to set up tempered glass order tracking from order to furnace and from furnace to shipping.
Why are mistakes in tempered glass so costly?
A wrongly cut piece of float glass can often be saved by cutting it again. With tempered glass, a mistake noticed after tempering cannot be undone:
- A wrong size or a forgotten hole means the pane is produced again from scratch,
- The new pane goes back into the cutting, edging and tempering queue; the order can be days late,
- If a tempered pane for an insulated unit is late, assembly and shipping wait too.
So the real work with tempered glass is catching mistakes before the furnace.
Sizes and processing must be final before tempering
For tempered glass the information has to be right the moment the order is entered. In OGTOGLASS order entry, area, weight and amount are calculated as you type width × height × quantity; the manufacturing size can be defined separately with an overall or edge-by-edge (detailed) plus / minus allowance. Extra operations such as drilling and sandblasting are added to the order line; their quantities are calculated from the glass and updated if the size changes.
The order form, manufacturing form and glass label are printed from this information. The cutter reads the size from the manufacturing form instead of checking it by phone.
The route of tempered glass
The stations each product passes through are defined once. A typical route for a single tempered pane:
- Cutting
- Edging
- Tempering
For panes that need drilling or sandblasting, the relevant station is added in between; for tempered insulated glass the route continues with assembly. When the order is saved, the panes drop onto the first station of their route; no separate work order is written. For more on routes, see our glass production tracking article.
Feeding the tempering station in the right order
The worst case for the furnace operator is seeing a pane on the list whose edging is not finished. With the "Only items whose previous step is finished" option on the station screen, the tempering station shows only panes whose edging (and drilling, if any) is complete. The operator picks the pane going into the furnace and, when done, marks it "done" with one key or enters only the finished quantity.
Seeing the work in front of the furnace in m²
Tempering furnace capacity is thought of in m². The OGTOGLASS home screen shows the work waiting at each station in m², so you see at a glance in the morning how much glass has piled up in front of tempering. The production report gives pieces and m² by station and day: "how many m² left tempering last week?" is answered with data rather than guesswork, and reports can be exported to Excel.
Orders that leave tempering in parts
The panes of a large order do not all leave in the same furnace cycle. Because partial quantities are entered at the station, the order's production status tab shows separately how many panes are waiting at which station and how many are done. Panes that have left tempering are listed as "partly ready" for shipping; if agreed with the customer, the ready panes are sent and the rest follow from the same order. See our glass shipping tracking article for details.
Try the OGTOGLASS glass software
Let us define your tempered glass route and try the station screen with your own orders.
6 tips for tempered glass orders
- Finalise sizes when taking the order. There is no fixing after tempering; confirm the customer's sizes on the order.
- Standardise manufacturing allowances. Make overall or edge-by-edge plus / minus allowances a rule per product and customer.
- Put processing on the order. Drilling, sandblasting and similar operations must be on the order line to reach the manufacturing form and the route.
- Turn on "Only items whose previous step is finished". Let the furnace operator see only panes ready for the furnace.
- Read the work in front of the furnace every morning. The m² piled up at tempering sets the day's plan.
- Record partial output. When finished quantities are entered, shipping and customer information are always right.
Frequently asked questions
How are tempered glass orders tracked?
The tempered glass product is defined with a production route such as cutting → edging → (drilling / processing) → tempering. When the order is entered, the panes drop onto the stations along this route; each station marks the panes it completes and the office can see which panes of the order are waiting at tempering.
Can tempered glass be cut after tempering?
No. Tempered glass cannot be cut, drilled or edged after tempering; all sizes and processing must be final beforehand. That is why entering the manufacturing size and extra operations correctly on the order matters so much.
How can I see the work waiting at the tempering furnace?
The OGTOGLASS home screen shows the work waiting at each station in m², and the production report shows how many pieces and m² left the tempering station each day.
Try the OGTOGLASS glass software
We will give you a short demo using your own orders.
