Glass Manufacturing & Coating

Blymyer Engineers, Inc. was responsible for engineering and construction management of the first sputter glass manufacturing facility for Vacuum Coating Technologies, Inc. (formerly Airco Solar Products) in Carleton , Michigan in 1977. Since that time, Blymyer Engineers, Inc. has been involved in over 100 projects in the glass industry. We have worked with all of the major equipment manufactures, most of the flat glass manufactures, and have provided our services in ten countries on three continents. Our projects have ranged from designing the addition of handling equipment to turn-key new manufacturing plants.

We partnered in a design-build-operate plant for GL Coatings (now AFG Coatings). In that capacity, we were responsible for negotiating contracts, assisting with hiring of all plant personnel, plant and process design, construction management, and operations oversight.

  • Feasibility studies
  • Location studies – site selection
  • Optimization studies
  • Utility studies and negotiations
  • Negotiate with state and local incentives programs
  • Vendor liaison and procurement
  • Construction management
  • Start-up, testing, and commissioning
  • New coating plants
  • IGU lines
  • Cutting lines
  • Tempering lines
  • Coater expansions
  • Office expansions

New Coating Plant

  • Claremore, Oklahoma
Blymyer Engineers, Inc. designed and managed the construction of a 140,000-square-foot plant that coats, tempers, and assembles glass panels typically seen on high-rise buildings. Specific key design aspects included six overhead crane systems, plant air systems, floating floor slabs, cooling water systems, interior loading dock, a 3,000,000-gallon fire water storage and delivery system, and an on-site storm water containment system. Throughout the project, Blymyer Engineers, Inc. participated in land acquisition, long-range planning, process installation, and process start-up.
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Process System Design and Construction Management

  • United States, Canada, Mexico, and Europe
Blymyer Engineers, Inc. has participated in over 50 projects in the glass coating industry. The scope of these projects ranged from coating equipment detailed design to full plant design and construction management. Our work has included: 40 glass coating plants around the world, coating plants for super-pure coatings used in the electronics industry, and work with coating operations involving coating various metals onto flexible substrates and film. Blymyer Engineers, Inc. has designed support equipment used in vacuum operations and has specified and coordinated the procurement of numerous support systems.
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New Glass Coating Facility

  • Hampton, Iowa
Blymyer Engineers, Inc. was a partner in this Build-Own-Operate-Transfer team and was primarily responsible for the design/build construction with a fast-track construction schedule to design and build a new 70,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Iowa. The project, including the installation and startup of all new equipment, was completed on time and under budget. The total project cost was $24 million dollars. Our scope of work included: project financing, land lease negotiation, construction and equipment lease negotiation, conceptual design, site selection, plant and equipment layout, process piping and control system design, equipment purchase and installation, construction management, start-up and testing, electrical power and distribution system design, and project management. Blymyer Engineers, Inc. was also on the interview team for all key personnel hired to manage the facility.
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Coater Relocation and Plant Upgrade

  • San Diego, California and Ghaziabad, India
Blymyer Engineers, Inc. was retained to relocate a vacuum glass coating machine, purchased from Viratec Thin Films by Samtel of India, to its new home in India. Our scope of work included identifying and documenting power and electrical control systems for the glass coating process line prior to disassembly in its San Diego location. We oversaw the disassembly phase, shipping phase, and reassembly phase in India. Blymyer Engineers, Inc. was responsible for design of the India plant process layout in addition to the design of the cable tray system, equipment rooms, power supply system, and power distribution system, as well as engineering the changes mandated by India’s power standards. This included installing a 1MW UPS. At the new plant, we coordinated the construction activities using our supervisors and local contractors to reassemble the equipment and control systems, including installing new and existing power and control systems. Finally, our responsibilities were concluded with the testing, trouble-shooting and resolution, and verifying that the new process line functioned at optimal efficiency.
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New Glass Coating Facility

  • Victorville, California
Blymyer Engineers, Inc. was responsible for the design and construction of a new 100,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Victorville, California. The project, including the installation and startup of all new equipment, was completed on time and under budget. The total project cost was $27 million dollars. Our scope of work included: construction estimate of the project, conceptual design, specification and purchase of 20,000 square foot new building addition and structural design of the foundation, plant and equipment layout, process piping and control system design, equipment purchase and installation, construction management, start-up and testing, electrical power and distribution system design, and project management.
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