Stop the "Missing Lite" Chaos at Your IGU Line.
In a high-volume glass fabrication plant, the bottleneck isn't usually the cutting table or the tempering furnace—it's the sorting logic in between. If your operators are wasting minutes hunting for the matching lite for an Insulated Glass Unit, or if you are scrapping high-value Low-E glass due to scratches caused by leaning stacks, your workflow is bleeding profit. The Glass Sorting Rack (Harp Rack) is not just storage; it is the precision logic your production line is missing.
Every glass fabricator knows the sound of a "clack" followed by silence—the sound of glass chipping against glass. In traditional A-frame or L-buck storage, sheets are often stacked against each other. To get to the third sheet, you must move the first two. This double-handling is the primary cause of:
The Harp Rack system eliminates this entirely. By utilizing a "file folder" concept for glass, every single lite—whether it's a 6mm clear float or a complex laminated panel—sits in its own isolated slot.
PVC-coated dividers isolate each glass sheet, protecting sensitive Low-E coatings.
The most critical application of our Glass Harp Rack is in the sorting and pairing area before the IGU assembly line. When glass comes off the CNC cutting table or out of the washer, it needs to be sequenced perfectly.
Our racks feature numbered slots (typically 40 to 100 slots depending on the model). This allows your production manager to assign specific slots to specific Order IDs. For example, Slot 1 holds the inner lite, and Slot 2 holds the outer lite. When the rack rolls up to the spacer application station, the operator doesn't need to think or search—they simply pull from the sequence.
Numbered base strips allow for error-free sequencing of inner and outer lites.
Not all glass is a standard 48" square. Custom fabricators often deal with long, narrow transoms or heavy architectural panels. Standard roller racks often fail here—if the glass is too short, it falls between the rollers; if it's too tall and narrow, it becomes unstable.
Our solution involves Full Base Harp Racks or high-density roller assemblies. We use high-grade nylon rollers or grooved HDPE bases that provide continuous support along the bottom edge. This ensures that even awkward "shapes" stay upright and secure during transfer from the seaming machine to the tempering furnace.
Moving 2,000 lbs of vertical glass across a factory floor requires absolute stability. A sliding glass sheet is a massive safety hazard. Our Glass Sorting Rack systems are equipped with a specialized Foot-Actuated Lifting Mechanism.
Unlike simple wheel brakes that can slip on polished concrete floors covered in glass dust, our lifting mechanism physically raises the glass slightly or engages a friction lock against the base, ensuring the sheets cannot "walk" or slide out during transit. This is essential when moving WIP materials over expansion joints or uneven flooring.
The foot-actuated mechanism locks the glass in place, preventing movement during factory transit.
We don't build generic racks; we build specs based on the realities of glass fabrication. From the Q235A Carbon Steel frame to the specific shore hardness of the PVC coating, every detail is engineered to handle the weight and fragility of glass.
| Feature | Specification | Fabricator Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Grid Material | Steel Rod with PVC Casing (3-5mm thickness) | Prevents metal-to-glass contact; zero scratches on soft coats. |
| Base System | High-Density Nylon Rollers or Grooved HDPE | Low friction loading; eliminates bottom-edge chips. |
| Load Capacity | Up to 4,000 lbs (Dynamic Load) | Handles heavy laminated or multi-layer fire-rated glass. |
| Mobility | Heavy-Duty Polyurethane Casters (2 Swivel/Brake, 2 Fixed) | Smooth rolling over glass dust and debris; precise steering. |
| Assembly | Knock-Down (Bolt-Together) Design | Reduces shipping volume by 70%; easy parts replacement. |
Our knock-down design allows for cost-effective shipping and easy on-site assembly.
1. Can these racks handle hot glass directly from the tempering furnace?
While the steel frame is heat resistant, the PVC coatings on the rods and the nylon rollers have temperature limits (usually around 80°C - 100°C). For glass fresh out of the quench (still hot), we recommend waiting for the cool-down phase or requesting our high-temp specialty contact materials.
2. How do you prevent thin glass (3mm-4mm) from rattling and breaking?
This is a common issue with generic racks. For thin glass, we manufacture Glass Harp Racks with tighter slot spacing (e.g., 10mm or 1/2 inch spacing) and full-length grooved base channels instead of rollers. This supports the glass along its entire length, preventing bowing and vibration breaks.
3. We produce heavy laminated glass. Will the dividers bend?
No. Our dividers are not hollow tubes; they are solid steel rods or heavy-gauge tubes reinforced specifically for the lateral load of leaning glass. We calculate the vector forces based on the maximum weight of your thickest laminated sheets (e.g., 10mm+10mm) to ensure structural rigidity.
4. Can the number of slots be customized for our batch sizes?
Absolutely. Standard models often come with 40, 60, or 80 slots. However, for specialized IGU lines or small custom orders, we can fabricate racks with 100+ slots or wider slots to accommodate double-glazed units that are already sealed.
5. Is the rack shipped fully assembled?
To save you significant freight costs, our racks utilize a smart Knock-Down design. They are packed flat-packed in crates. Assembly is straightforward, requiring only standard wrenches to bolt the uprights and base together, as shown in our technical diagrams.
