The future of intelligent glass processing solution Experts in premium Small IGU Production

MAC-YUGONG Helps Build Guiyao Glass: A Model Smart Factory for the Architectural Glass Industry

MAC has successfully built a new smart factory, GUIYAO GLASS, located in Guiyang City, Guizhou Province. As the largest glass processor in the region, Guiyao had long sought to transform its traditional operations into a smart manufacturing facility. Ultimately, MAC-YUGONG delivered a customized smart factory solution that precisely met the company’s goals.

Mission Objectives: Average glass size: 0.7 m² with more than 100 processing orders per day

As the first and largest smart glass factory in the region, GUIYAO features a double chamber tempering furnace with a daily output of up to 4,000 sqm, handling an average glass area of 0.7 sqm, and produces approximately 2,000 sqm of insulating glass (IG) units each day. The production line processes over 100 orders daily for insulating glass units (IGUs) with varying specifications and quantities, marking a significant milestone in the development of MAC-YUGONG intelligent solutions for architectural glass.

The factory configures thin glass and thick glass processing in separate automation lines—a concept that differs from traditional glass processing plants. In conventional factories, a single production line often mixes products of different specifications. However, to achieve truly efficient production, it is essential to separate lines based on glass thickness, size, and processing flow.

Guiyao strictly follows this principle in its automation layout:

Line 1: Designed for thin glass (4 mm, 5 mm, 6 mm)

Line 2: Designed for thick glass (8 mm, 10 mm, 12 mm)

The automation system at Guiyao includes:

Two sets of cutting and marking machines

Two high speed double-edger lines

A vertical sorting system between the double edger and the tempering furnace

A double-chamber tempering furnace

A vertical sorting system between the furnace and the IG line

Three IG lines

All equipment is fully integrated with MAC’s ERP and MES software, ensuring seamless data flow and intelligent production management.

High-Efficiency Cutting and Laser Marking Machine

In the cutting process, MAC's ERP system performs optimization based on an advanced algorithm to ensure maximum utilization of raw glass sheets. It is important to note that thin and thick glass are processed on separate cutting lines.

Once the ERP system sends the final optimization package to the cutting line, it not only assigns tasks to the cutting line but also determines the batch composition for the tempering furnace. Every piece of glass is processed strictly according to the production plan.

Each glass piece is assigned a unique identity using a Data Matrix (DM) code with a minimum size of 4×4 mm. The system is capable of printing 3C markings, DM codes, logos, and other information at any required position on the glass, based on order specifications.

After cutting, a CCD vision system records detailed information about each glass sheet and feeds the data back to the ERP system. This enables real-time production monitoring and quality control throughout the process.

High-Speed Double Edger

All processing information is shared from the MAC MES to the double edger, enabling the machine to automatically adjust parameters based on different glass sizes, thicknesses, and processing requirements—such as polishing, rough grinding, or Low-E edge deletion.

For example, if rough grinding is required, the grinding wheel automatically adjusts accordingly. This means that machine operation no longer relies on manual labor, but is instead fully driven by system instructions based on production orders.

In the case of Guiyao, the double edger achieves an impressive processing speed of 4 pieces per minute (for 1×1 m glass).

High capacity and efficient Vertical sorting system (Between Double Edger and Tempering Furnace)

MAC-YUGONG’s high efficiency vertical sorting system between double edger and tempering furnace. Together with the superior logic algorithm MACsoft, it enables large-scale production of individual orders, maximizes temporary storage capacity, centralizes sorting, and ensures a continuous production supply optimized for the efficiency of dual-chamber tempering furnaces.

Besides, this system’s shuttle car is equipped with dynamic sorting function, ensure continuous adjustment of the layout of glass in the slots. This achieves an average storage rate of over 70% for individual orders and matches the optimal heating speed of the tempering furnace for glass of different thicknesses and types. Even during the lunch time this shuttle car will help you manage the glass efficiency.

Most important this integrated vertical sorting system is the best solution if you just make the connection between double edger and tempering furnace without IG line connection, this system can help you to manage different order after tempering furnace.

How to feed double chamber furnace faster?

Customer Testimonial: Achieving Unmatched Productivity with MAC-YUGONG

The factory is committed to pursuing higher quality and greater efficiency, which is why they adopted a double-chamber tempering furnace.

Mr. Liu, the owner, shared his experience:

"We had been searching for the best automation solution provider to feed our double-chamber furnace. We noticed that very few automation systems can efficiently supply a double-chamber furnace—especially when processing small and thin glass like ours (4–6 mm with an average size of 0.7 m²). In most cases, the furnace ends up waiting for glass.

MAC-YUGONG provided us with the most suitable solution. Now, we are able to produce 2,500 to 3,000 m² per day for 4/5/6 mm glass with an average size of 0.7 m². I can confidently say that we are achieving the highest productivity in our industry, which gives our company a strong competitive edge in the market.

Since successfully implementing this automation, our delivery coverage has expanded to 500 km for residential glass and 1,000 km for project glass, meanwhile delivery time also reduced a lot ."

MAC-YUGONG high efficiency 3D batching table ensure this high efficiency performance. The glass is quickly and accurately positioned and batched according to MES, ensure a high loading batching performance. MES system will precisely design the batching result according to the factors you design, such as maximum tempering loading rate, optimal tempering quality, or order priority. This solution achieves a maximum loading rate of up to 80%, representing a significant improvement over traditional manual furnace scheduling methods, while substantially increasing overall production efficiency.

Seamless Integration: From Tempering Furnace to IG Lines

At Guiyao Glass, there is no longer any distance between the tempering furnace and the insulating glass (IG) lines.

MAC-YUGONG has integrated a vertical sorting system that connects the tempering furnace directly to three IG lines. Powered by MACsoft, this intelligent system supports multi-line parallel operation—stably and efficiently—enabling optimized glass pairing, high-efficiency production, and finished product sorting.

The IG line operator at Guiyao, shared his experience:

"In our old factory, we always struggled with IGU pairing and assigning different orders to different lines, especially with multiple IG lines in the same workshop. Now, on our MES interface, we can easily see each IG line's pending list. If IG Line #1 encounters an issue, we can seamlessly switch orders to Line #2 or Line #3. The system also takes into account each line's specifications—such as maximum processing size, functions, and maximum thickness—so we can allocate orders intelligently."

The shuttle car, equipped with dynamic sorting function and a speed of up to 300-360 m/min, continuously adjusts the layout of glass within the cage to achieve maximum glass loading rates and enable dynamic, flexible order processing. Based on the order delivery time and optimized production algorithms, the glass is loaded and stored along the optimal route to enter different sorting slots.

Small Design, Big Impact

Between the IG lines and the vertical sorting system, MAC-YUGONG has implemented a double-layer vertical sorting conveyor. This innovative design efficiently connects with shuttle cars and seamlessly integrates with multiple IG lines. Optimized to handle complex IG units—such as Low-E glass and laminated glass IG—the conveyor significantly enhances the intelligent factory's production efficiency and processing capacity for multi-type orders.

At the final stage, based on the order production schedule, the MES system automatically generates racking instructions and labels for each piece of glass, enabling precise unloading and efficient rack management.

GUIYAO GLASS represents a new chapter in the evolution of smart factories for diversified glass processing. MAC-YUGONG is proud to have played a key role in this historic moment, serving as a trusted and capable partner on Guiyao's path toward intelligent manufacturing.

Looking ahead, Guiyao is already planning automation upgrades for the remaining sections of its workshop. We are confident that this marks the beginning of another successful journey together.