Multi-kiln multi-channel crossed and interconnected glass substrate production system and method

Abstract

The invention provides a multi-kiln multi-channel crossed and interconnected glass substrate production system and method.The system comprises kiln modules, a valve array system, channel modules and a central control module, the kiln modules are interconnected and intercommunicated with the channel modules through the valve array system, and the kiln modules, the valve array system and the channel modules are all connected with the central control module; the kiln module at least comprises two kilns, and the channel module at least comprises two channel forming structures. Through a net-shaped interconnection framework and a switchable connection technology, independent management of the service life of equipment, flexible switching of material parties and dynamic allocation of productivity are realized.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The application belongs to the technical field of glass substrate manufacturing, and particularly relates to a multi-furnace multi-channel cross-connection glass substrate production system and method. BACKGROUND

[0002] As the core raw material of electronic products such as display panels and touch screens, the efficiency and flexibility of the production system of the glass substrate directly affect the cost and market response speed of the terminal product. Traditional glass substrate production mainly relies on the fixed connection mode of the furnace and the forming channel. For example, in the overflow downdraw method, a single furnace corresponds to a single channel for glass liquid forming. This mode became the mainstream choice in the early stage of the large-scale development of flat panel display industry due to the high process stability requirement and long equipment debugging period. At present, major global glass substrate manufacturers (such as Corning and Asahi) still widely use such fixed connection architecture, but its application scenarios are facing the dual challenges of market demand diversification and production efficiency improvement. Especially in the production of high-generation line (G8 and above) glass substrates, the investment scale of equipment is large, and the running period is long, and the limitations of the traditional mode are increasingly prominent.

[0003] There are three core problems in the traditional fixed connection mode: first, the equipment utilization rate is unbalanced. The "one-to-one" binding of the furnace and the channel leads to direct production stop caused by single point failure (such as furnace refractory material erosion or channel cooling system failure), while other equipment may still be in a usable state, resulting in resource waste. Second, the production flexibility is insufficient. Different material sides (glass liquid formula) require independent production lines to support, for example, the production of low-alkali glass and high-aluminum glass cannot share the same furnace, leading to a lag in the response to the market demand for new display materials. Third, the production capacity redundancy is missing. When the production capacity of a channel decreases due to equipment aging or process fluctuations, the system lacks a dynamic adjustment mechanism to transfer the surplus production capacity to other channels, which easily causes order delivery delay. In addition, the sealing problem of high-temperature glass liquid (usually at 1200-1600℃) in pipeline transportation has existed for a long time, and traditional metal sealing elements are prone to leakage due to the mismatch of the thermal expansion coefficient, and the intelligent level of the furnace control system is low, relying on manual experience to adjust parameters, making it difficult to realize multi-device collaborative optimization.

[0004] To solve the above problems, the prior art proposes a multi-line body assembly design scheme, the core idea of which is to realize the glass liquid supply of a single kiln to multiple channels through a liquid distribution device. For example, a certain enterprise develops a flow distribution valve system that can distribute glass liquid to 3-5 channels at the outlet of the kiln, forming a "one-to-many" architecture. This design improves the equipment utilization to some extent - when a certain channel is under maintenance, the other channels can still continue production. At the same time, some enterprises try to shorten the downtime during material changeover by designing modular kilns. In terms of sealing technology, ceramic composite materials are used to replace traditional metal seals to improve leakage problems by taking advantage of their low thermal conductivity and high corrosion resistance. In terms of intelligent control, DCS (Distributed Control System) is introduced to realize centralized monitoring of kiln temperature, pressure and other parameters, but it has not yet formed a cross-kiln and cross-channel collaborative decision-making capability.

[0005] Although the existing improvement scheme alleviates some problems, there are still fundamental defects: first, the "one-to-many" mode does not break through the one-way supply restriction between devices, when the kiln itself needs to be maintained, all associated channels will still be shut down, and the equipment utilization improvement space is limited. Second, the material changeover of the multi-line system still needs to stop and clean the pipeline, which cannot realize dynamic adjustment, and the market response speed has not been significantly improved. Third, although the existing sealing technology reduces leakage, the creep problem of ceramic composite materials under long-term high temperature may still cause sealing failure. Most importantly, the existing technology does not realize "many-to-many" network interconnection, i.e. dynamic matching between multiple kilns and multiple channels, resulting in that the production capacity redundancy allocation still relies on manual intervention and cannot respond to sudden failures or order fluctuations. In addition, the DCS system has a prominent data island phenomenon, each device parameter is monitored independently, and there is a lack of global optimization algorithm based on production targets, which restricts the overall performance of the system. SUMMARY

[0006] In order to solve the problems existing in the prior art, the present application provides a multi-kiln and multi-channel cross-interconnected glass substrate production system and method, which realizes independent management of device life, flexible switching of material and dynamic allocation of production capacity through a network interconnection architecture and switchable connection technology.

[0007] To achieve the above purpose, the present application provides the following technical scheme: a multi-kiln and multi-channel cross-interconnected glass substrate production system, comprising a kiln module, a valve array system, a channel module and a central control module, the kiln module is interconnected and communicated with the channel module through the valve array system, the kiln module, the valve array system and the channel module are connected with the central control module, the kiln module comprises at least two kilns, and the channel module comprises at least two channel forming structures.

[0008] Further, each kiln in the kiln module is equipped with an independent melting unit, and each kiln is provided with a temperature sensor, a pressure transmitter and a liquid level meter, which are connected with the central control module.

[0009] Further, each channel forming structure in the channel module is equipped with an independent clarification and homogenization unit, an overflow down-draw forming device and a traction roller system, wherein a traction roller rotation speed sensor in the traction roller system is connected with the central control module.

[0010] Further, the valve array system comprises a plurality of switchable connecting pipelines and a plurality of electromagnetic valve groups, the plurality of kilns and the plurality of channel forming structures are connected through the switchable connecting pipelines, each switchable connecting pipeline is provided with an electromagnetic valve group, and the plurality of electromagnetic valve groups are connected with the central control module.

[0011] Further, the switchable connecting pipeline comprises a sealing brick assembly arranged in a sealing ring layer, and the sealing brick assembly comprises, from inside to outside, a high-temperature-resistant metal layer, a filling sealing reinforcing layer, a dense zirconia brick layer and an external heat preservation layer.

[0012] Further, the electromagnetic valve group adopts a three-way electromagnetic valve group, and each three-way electromagnetic valve group comprises an inlet valve, an outlet valve and a bypass valve.

[0013] Further, the central control module comprises a multi-sensor data fusion module and a valve array path planning module, the multi-sensor data fusion module transmits fused real-time running data of the kiln module and the channel module to the valve array path planning module, the valve array path planning module compares the fused data with historical running data in a device health state database, and outputs an optimal valve array path.

[0014] Further, the valve array path planning module establishes an association between the historical running data in the device health state database and the optimal valve array path thereof through a multi-objective optimization algorithm, and selects an optimal valve array path corresponding to historical running data similar to the real-time running data as a final optimal valve array path.

[0015] The application also provides a running method of a multi-kiln and multi-channel cross-interconnected glass substrate production system, and the specific steps are as follows: The central control module acquires historical running data of the kiln module and the channel module to establish a device health state database, and acquires an optimal valve array path of the valve array system corresponding to the device health state database. Real-time running data of the kiln module and the channel module are input into the central control module, and an optimal valve array path is output according to order requirements. The real-time running data are compared with preset values, if the result is normal, the production is continued, if the result is abnormal, the central control module queries the device health state database to confirm the equipment fault condition, performs early warning, and updates the optimal valve array path. The central control module sends an electrical signal of the optimal valve array path to control the switching of the valve array system.

[0016] Further, when a certain furnace or channel forming structure needs to be repaired, the central control module controls the opening and closing of the valve array system to switch the glass liquid to other available paths; the central control module controls the opening and closing of the valve array system to guide the specific material to the target channel; when it is detected that part of the equipment is overloaded, the central control module controls the opening and closing of the valve array system to start the standby furnace.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the present application has at least the following beneficial effects: The present application provides a multi-furnace and multi-channel cross-connected glass substrate production system, which breaks through the limitations of the traditional "one-to-one" fixed production mode, builds a network interconnection architecture of coordinated furnace module, valve array system, channel module and central control module, and has high flexibility and reliability. The furnace module includes at least two independent furnaces, which can melt different formula glass liquids respectively, laying the foundation for multi-variety production; the channel module is correspondingly provided with at least two channel forming structures, and the valve array system is used as the core connection hub to realize the bidirectional connection of any furnace and channel, avoiding glass liquid pollution and ensuring accurate flow control. The central control module integrates multi-sensor data fusion and transfer learning algorithm, and forms a closed-loop control system by real-time linkage with other modules.

[0018] Further, through the network interconnection architecture, when a single device fails, the valve array system can quickly switch the connection path to avoid overall production interruption, and the comprehensive utilization rate of the device is improved by more than 30%; the flexible matching of multiple furnaces and multiple channels supports multi-variety mixed flow production, reduces line change downtime and energy loss, reduces equipment redundancy investment, and significantly reduces production cost; the central control module accurately regulates the temperature and flow of the glass liquid, combined with the sealing technology of the valve array system, effectively avoids impurity pollution and parameter fluctuation, helps to improve the product yield by more than 15%, and meets the high-quality production demand of high-end display glass substrates.

[0019] Further, the central control module can establish a device health status database based on historical operation data, realize independent management of device life, early warning of potential faults, and extension of device service period; for different order demands, the optimal valve array path can be quickly calculated and output, the production capacity can be dynamically adjusted, the production response time can be shortened, and the enterprise's ability to quickly adapt to market demand can be enhanced, providing a new solution for large-scale, high-quality and flexible production of glass substrates.

[0020] When the multi-furnace, multi-channel, cross-interconnected glass substrate production system of the present invention is running, it achieves efficient management and control of the entire production cycle through a closed-loop process of data modeling, real-time control, anomaly response, and precise execution: In the early stage, a health status database of equipment is established based on historical data to provide data support for subsequent path planning and fault diagnosis, avoiding blind decision-making; in the real-time operation stage, the central control module synchronously collects data from the kiln, channel, and valve array system, and quickly calculates the optimal valve array path in combination with order requirements to ensure maximum resource matching efficiency and reduce capacity waste.

[0021] Furthermore, the anomaly handling mechanism further ensures production continuity. When real-time data deviates from preset values, the system can quickly query the health database to confirm the fault. Through a dual action of early warning and path update, coupled with the rapid switching of the valve array system, it avoids the significant losses caused by downtime due to faults in traditional production, while reducing manual intervention costs and response time. The overall operation method not only realizes the intelligence and automation of the production process, but also, through dynamic allocation and precise control, puts the advantages of improved equipment utilization, yield rate, and cost reduction into practice, ensuring the long-term stable operation of the system and creating higher economic benefits and market competitiveness for enterprises. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a glass substrate production system architecture with multiple kilns and multiple interconnected channels according to the present invention, showing the kilns (Y1-Y2). n ), channel (C1-C) m The mesh connection relationship between the valve array system (V) and the valve array system (V).

[0023] Figure 2 The flowchart of the logic control of the valve array system (V) illustrates the path selection algorithm and fault isolation strategy.

[0024] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of the sealing brick assembly.

[0025] In the attached diagram: 1. High-temperature resistant metal layer; 2. Filling and sealing reinforcement layer; 3. Dense zircon brick layer; 4. External insulation layer. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0027] like Figure 1 As shown, the present invention provides a glass substrate production system with multiple kilns and multiple interconnected channels, including a kiln module, a valve array system, a channel module, and a central control module. The kiln module is interconnected with the channel module through the valve array system. The kiln module, valve array system, and channel module are all connected to the central control module. Specifically: The kiln module includes kilns Y1, Y2...Yn n≥2; Each kiln is equipped with an independent melting unit, temperature sensor, pressure transmitter and level gauge, and the temperature sensor, pressure transmitter and level gauge are connected to the central control module. The channel module includes channel forming structures C1, C2...C m m≥2, m≥n; Each channel forming structure is equipped with an independent clarifying and homogenizing unit, as well as an overflow pull-down forming device and a traction roller system. The traction roller speed sensor in the traction roller system is connected to the central control module, which can provide real-time feedback on the glass belt running status.

[0028] The valve array system V includes multiple switchable connection pipelines and multiple solenoid valve groups. Multiple kilns and multiple channel forming structures are connected through the switchable connection pipelines. The bidirectional connection between any kiln and the channel forming structure is realized by the combination switch of the solenoid valve groups set on the switchable connection pipelines. All the solenoid valve groups are connected to the central control module. Among them, such as Figure 3 As shown, the switchable connection pipeline uses a sealing brick assembly and a sealing ring layer made of refractory material to ensure the sealing and stability of the high-temperature glass melt during the switching process. Preferably, the sealing brick assembly adopts a sealing ring layer layout, with different functional layers distributed sequentially from the inside out: The innermost layer is a high-temperature resistant metal layer 1, which directly contacts the high-temperature environment. Due to its high-temperature resistance, it provides basic high-temperature support and protection for the entire assembly, resisting the erosion of the internal structure by high temperatures. Adjacent to the high-temperature resistant metal layer is a filling and sealing reinforcement layer 2, which fills gaps and enhances sealing performance, further preventing leakage of high-temperature media or gases and improving the reliability of the seal. Further out is a dense zircon brick layer 3. Dense zircon bricks have excellent high-temperature resistance and corrosion resistance, not only withstanding high-temperature environments but also providing more effective protection for the internal structure, while helping to maintain the structural stability of the assembly. The outermost external insulation layer 4 primarily functions to reduce heat loss, maintain the internal temperature environment of the assembly, improve energy utilization efficiency, and also provides a certain degree of insulation and protection for the internal structural layers.

[0029] Preferably, the solenoid valve assembly is a three-way solenoid valve assembly, each of which includes an inlet valve, an outlet valve, and a bypass valve to achieve bidirectional flow control.

[0030] The central control module includes a multi-sensor data fusion module, which monitors the furnace temperature, pressure, glass melt flow rate and channel status in real time. Combined with the valve array path planning module, it obtains the optimal valve array path. The central control module sends an electrical signal of the optimal valve array path to control the opening and closing of the solenoid valve group to switch the connecting pipeline and realize adaptive collaborative control.

[0031] Preferably, when a certain furnace or channel needs to be repaired, the central control module switches the glass liquid to other available paths by controlling the opening and closing of the electromagnetic valve group, and the remaining equipment continues to operate, realizing the automatic isolation of the faulty equipment.

[0032] Preferably, different furnaces can produce different glass liquid, and the central control module can guide the specific material to the target channel by controlling the opening and closing of the electromagnetic valve group, supporting the mixed flow production of multiple varieties of glass substrates.

[0033] Preferably, the central control module can dynamically allocate the discharge amount of each furnace according to the order demand, and when it is detected that part of the equipment is overloaded, the central control module can start the standby furnace to supplement the capacity by controlling the electromagnetic valve group.

[0034] Preferably, the valve array path planning module uses a multi-objective optimization algorithm to establish the correlation between temperature, pressure, glass liquid and channel state parameters and the optimal valve array path under normal production conditions. In real-time monitoring, the sensor collects the current temperature, pressure, glass liquid flow and channel state data, which are standardized and input into the valve array path planning module. In the valve array path planning module, the real-time monitoring data and the historical data are compared and analyzed to determine which historical working condition is most similar to the current working condition. Then, according to the optimal valve array path under the historical working condition, combined with the current actual situation, the current optimal valve array path is obtained.

[0035] The glass substrate production system of the present application adopts a network interconnection architecture, and the failure of a single device will not affect the overall production, and the comprehensive utilization rate of the device can be improved by more than 30%; The energy loss caused by shutdown for repair is reduced, and the changeover cost is effectively reduced through multi-variety mixed flow production; The central control module can ensure the stability of the glass liquid temperature and flow, and combined with the sealing technology, the pollution problem can be avoided, and the product yield is improved by more than 15%.

[0036] Example 1 The present embodiment provides a glass substrate production system with multiple furnaces and multiple channels, which comprises a furnace module, a valve array system and a channel module, and the hardware deployment is as follows: Furnace module: including three furnaces, each furnace is equipped with temperature sensor, pressure transmitter and liquid level meter, the temperature sensor, pressure transmitter and liquid level meter are connected with the central control module PLC through industrial Ethernet.

[0037] Valve array system: the valve array system connects the furnace module and the channel forming structure through switchable connecting pipeline, adopts three-way electromagnetic valve group, each valve group contains inlet valve, outlet valve and bypass valve, realizes bidirectional flow control.

[0038] Channel module: including three channel forming structures, each channel forming structure is equipped with an independent clarification, homogenization unit and an overflow down-draw forming device and a traction roller system, wherein the traction roller rotation speed sensor in the traction roller system is connected with the central control module, and the running state of the glass ribbon can be fed back in real time.

[0039] As shown in Figure 2 , the specific steps of the multi-kiln multi-channel cross-interconnected glass substrate production system of the embodiment when running are as follows: Step one, after the system is powered on, the central control module PLC reads the initial parameters of each kiln and channel, establishes a device health state database, and the health state database is used to store the historical running data of each kiln, channel forming structure and other related devices, including temperature, pressure, glass liquid flow, equipment running time, etc.

[0040] Step two, according to the order demand, the genetic algorithm in the valve array path planning module is called to generate the optimal valve array path, to ensure that the material is matched and the capacity is balanced.

[0041] Step three, real-time monitoring of sensor data fusion and state feedback, after the multi-sensor data is standardized, it is input into the lightweight inference model, to predict the equipment failure risk and adjust the path in advance: If the monitoring result is normal, continuous production is carried out, and the process is ended.

[0042] If the monitoring result is abnormal, including temperature abnormality, excessive pressure fluctuation, etc., the control system first queries the device health state database to confirm the equipment failure condition, then issues an instruction to close the electromagnetic valve group in the valve array system corresponding to the fault equipment, isolates the fault equipment, starts the standby path, and then according to the current state of each kiln and channel and the demand of the glass liquid, uses the genetic algorithm to re-plan the flow path of the glass liquid, opens the corresponding valve, switches the glass liquid to other available paths, makes the remaining equipment continue to run, restores the capacity balance, continues the production, and the process is ended.

[0043] When a kiln temperature anomaly is detected, the system automatically closes the corresponding valve group, activates the standby kiln and reallocates the flow.

Claims

1. A glass substrate production system with multiple kilns and multiple interconnected channels, characterized in that, It includes a kiln module, a valve array system, a channel module, and a central control module. The kiln module is interconnected with the channel module through the valve array system. The kiln module, valve array system, and channel module are all connected to the central control module. The kiln module includes at least two kilns, and the channel module includes at least two channel forming structures.

2. The glass substrate production system with multiple kilns and multi-channel cross-interconnection as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Each kiln in the kiln module is equipped with an independent melting unit. Each kiln is equipped with a temperature sensor, a pressure transmitter, and a level gauge, which are connected to the central control module.

3. The glass substrate production system with multiple kilns and multi-channel cross-interconnection according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each channel forming structure in the channel module is equipped with an independent clarification and homogenization unit, as well as an overflow pull-down forming device and a traction roller system. The traction roller speed sensor in the traction roller system is connected to the central control module.

4. The glass substrate production system with multiple kilns and multiple interconnected channels according to claim 1, characterized in that, The valve array system includes multiple switchable connection pipelines and multiple solenoid valve groups. Multiple kilns and multiple channel forming structures are connected through the switchable connection pipelines. Each switchable connection pipeline is equipped with a solenoid valve group, and multiple solenoid valve groups are connected to the central control module.

5. A glass substrate production system with multiple kilns and multi-channel cross-interconnection as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The switchable connection pipeline includes a sealing brick assembly with a sealing ring layer layout. The sealing brick assembly includes, from the inside out, a high-temperature resistant metal layer (1), a filling sealing reinforcement layer (2), a dense zircon brick layer (3), and an external insulation layer (4).

6. A glass substrate production system with multiple kilns and multi-channel cross-interconnection according to claim 5, characterized in that, The solenoid valve assembly adopts a three-way solenoid valve assembly, and each three-way solenoid valve assembly includes an inlet valve, an outlet valve, and a bypass valve.

7. The glass substrate production system with multiple kilns and multi-channel cross-interconnection according to claim 1, characterized in that, The central control module includes a multi-sensor data fusion module and a valve array path planning module. The multi-sensor data fusion module merges the real-time operating data of the input kiln module and channel module and transmits it to the valve array path planning module. The valve array path planning module compares the fused data with the historical operating data in the equipment health status database and outputs the optimal valve array path.

8. A glass substrate production system with multiple kilns and multiple interconnected channels according to claim 7, characterized in that, The valve array path planning module establishes the correlation between historical operating data in the equipment health status database and its optimal valve array path through a multi-objective optimization algorithm, and selects the optimal valve array path corresponding to historical operating data similar to real-time operating data as the final optimal valve array path.

9. A method for operating a glass substrate production system with multiple kilns and multi-channel cross-interconnection as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The specific steps are as follows: The central control module acquires historical operating data from the kiln module and the channel module to establish an equipment health status database, and obtains the optimal valve array path of the valve array system corresponding to the equipment health status database. The real-time operating data of the kiln module and the channel module are input into the central control module, and the optimal valve array path is output according to the order requirements. Compare real-time operating data with preset values; if the result is normal, continue production. If the result is abnormal, the central control module queries the equipment health status database to confirm the equipment failure, issues an early warning, and updates the optimal valve array path. The central control module sends an electrical signal to the optimal valve array path to control the switching of the valve array system.

10. The method for operating a glass substrate production system with multiple kilns and multi-channel cross-interconnection according to claim 9, characterized in that, When a furnace or channel forming structure needs maintenance, the central control module controls the opening and closing of the valve array system to switch the molten glass to other available paths; the central control module controls the opening and closing of the valve array system to guide specific material to the target channel; when an overload is detected in some equipment, the central control module controls the opening and closing of the valve array system to start the backup furnace.

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