Edwards Engineering has announced the successful completion of a £4.5 million project with Superglass Insulation Ltd to install a new furnace building at the Stirling based site, doubling its annual production capacity of glass wool.
The 18-month project, called New Horizon, saw Perth-based Edwards Engineering, a multi-disciplinary engineering firm, take on the challenge of installing the new 187-tonne furnace over the top of an existing building whilst it is still in use.
Designed by Architects Space and Engineered by CRA Consulting Engineers, the upper part of the furnace was modelled and detailed using Edwards Engineering’s state-of-the-art 3D modelling system. Edwards also manufactured and installed a large 4m wide bridge-type walkway, high capacity wedge shaped batch silos, insulated ducting and numerous access stairs and platforms.
Sandy Kirk, Managing Director, Edwards Engineering, said: “This was one of the bigger projects of this kind we have worked on and was challenging both from an engineering and programming perspective. For example, the cladding used was 175mm thick, rated for two hour fire protection and had to be installed using specialist machinery and cranes that meant additional plant and resources were required to maintain the very tight programme.”
“As we have our own drawing office and extensive fabrication facilities we were able to manufacture the elements required at our Perth base and we also acted as the design drawing office for Superglass, providing timely solutions to any issues discovered during the modelling and detailing phase of the work.”
Mark Atherton, Chief Production Officer, Superglass, said: “The completion of this project will take Superglass beyond environmental compliance, while allowing the plant to double its output within two years.”
“It’s been a significant project and is one of the largest of its kind for Scottish Engineering with the total project value exceeding £37 million. The building is large and imposing from inside and it has required substantial planning to allow production to continue during works. We had worked with Edwards Engineering previously, so we knew their engineering expertise and we are thrilled for the project to be completed on time and within budget.”
Glass wool insulation produced by Superglass is made from up to 84% recycled glass products from post-consumer waste, which would otherwise be diverted to landfill. Research has shown that over its lifetime, a typical glass wool product saves over 300 times the energy used in its manufacture and transport.
