Furnace inspections unaffected by travel bans
According to PaneraTech CEO Yakup Bayram (pictured with Fred Aker, Vice President of Sales and Marketing), self-service SmartMelter inspections will be available to new customers for initial inspections effective immediately. This service, previously extended only to repeat customers, will help glass manufacturers ensure safe and reliable furnace operations as they are forced to adjust maintenance and repair schedules.
Repeat customers on a furnace previously inspected have had the option of conducting self-service inspections since the technology was released in 2017. Over 50% of SmartMelter inspections to date have been self-service inspections, performed by the glass manufacturers themselves. Because the equipment is intuitive, a short training session equips plant staff to perform all measurements.
However, initial inspections have always required an on-site member of the SmartMelter team to perform the staff training and to label the furnace. In response to recent Covid-19 restrictions, PaneraTech has developed a virtual training programme, so that new customers can still perform inspections with the help of a dedicated engineer in a convenient time zone.
Manufacturers who are performing their first SmartMelter inspection will be shipped the equipment with a longer lease period to utilise it. An engineer is assigned to their project for virtual training and daily support to guide them through the inspection process.
The SmartMelter team will provide daily reports to the company on the progress of the inspection. Once all data is collected, a report will be generated and reviewed on a call with the customer within two weeks, depending on urgency. To further advance this programme, training videos are being developed that the customer can review while performing the inspection.