FLABEG, global leader in high-tech glass and mirror applications opened its new plant yesterday. The new 209.00sq.ft plant located in the Clinton Commerce Park near Pittsburgh International Airport will makes parabolic mirrors that are used to harness the sun’s energy to generate electricity at large-scale solar power plants. The company is on its way to make solar mirrors available by early next year. The facility is designed in a manner that it will produce 120 parabolic mirrors per hour and 600,000 units yearly.
Production process:
The parabolic mirrors produced by Flabeg’s facility go through a lot of process before the can be brought into use. The production process starts with grounding of glass edges with diamond cutters, after which the glass is heated in the oven to 1,075 degrees, so that it can be curved slightly to get the desired parabolic shape. Then it is coated with a super-thin layer of reflective silver, topped with a copper protective layer. The three layers of coating are used to protect the reflective surface from weathering. Every new mirror is polished and decked with ceramic plates that hold them to a framework. The highly automated facility has special robots to move 70-pound pieces of glass through the production process.
Energy generation:
The company is anticipating the $30 million plant to reach full production in 2011 and expecting sales of between $120 million and $140 million. The parabolic mirrors will be targeting solar array parks in the sunny Southwest or in countries that get more sunshine. For producing electricity, the parabolic mirrors are installed in an array, they concentrate and reflect solar rays onto tubes filled with a fluid that is heated and in turn drives turbines connected to a generator. Electricity produced will be fed into the nation’s power grid.
Via: TribLive