Rethinking control in a changing industry
The glass industry is at a turning point. As the shift from fossil fuels to electrification accelerates, control systems must evolve just as rapidly. Software-defined automation, and more specifically the concept of universal automation, introduces a way forward: not by layering on more complexity, but by enabling smarter, more adaptable control. With universal automation technology, we gain a platform where hardware and software are no longer welded together, giving us the freedom to choose the right devices and orchestrate them more intelligently across the entire process chain. This isn’t about chasing buzzwords. It’s about addressing what glass manufacturing genuinely needs: reliability, flexibility, and a system that can keep up with increasing electrical complexity, process electrification, and data-driven decision-making.
Let’s talk reality: What’s actually holding us back
In traditional glass manufacturing, especially around the melting and annealing phases, we’ve built process control systems around fixed infrastructure—gas skids, mechanical interlocks, and monolithic PLCs. That worked, but the shift to electric heating introduces a new landscape. Power outages, for example, now carry greater risk than ever, especially in float glass annealing lehrs. A short interruption can render entire production lines unusable, with financial consequences spiraling into hundreds of thousands of euros per day, and we don’t even talk about the furnace; a brief one-minute power failure can lead to catastrophic outcomes, including up to six months of unplanned downtime, resulting in financial losses that could reach $200,000 per day according to industry analyses.
But the problem isn’t just power loss—it’s rigidity. The tightly coupled nature of many existing systems means that adapting to change (whether electrical integration, predictive maintenance, or remote support) often involves large-scale retrofits or painful workarounds.
We don’t need more alarms. We need a control architecture that’s built for change.
Moving forward with software-defined, object-oriented control
This is where software-defined automation and distributed intelligence come into play: we can now move from traditional “hardware-first” thinking to flexible, object-oriented engineering. Control logic becomes portable, devices become swappable, and updates no longer require tearing out systems.
This isn’t theory. It’s already in use.
A large international glass producer recently overhauled their control approach in a brownfield annealing line, implementing Schneider EcoStruxure Automation Expert to increase modularity, shorten downtime, and allow for predictive maintenance. By decoupling their controls from hardware, they now maintain consistent product quality while enabling future expansion, with no vendor lock-in.
Modular thinking, global deployment
Glass manufacturing companies with global footprints often struggle to scale innovations across multiple plants. Each site has different PLC vendors, IO configurations, and patchwork upgrades over the decades. Software-defined glass production automation enables modular deployment, standardizes logic, reduces engineering hours, and cuts commissioning time by up to 50%. With this approach, what works in Brazil can work in Poland or India, without reinventing the wheel each time. This is about building systems for the long haul. Systems that can be copied, modified, and extended. Systems that grow with us, instead of locking us down.
Preparing for the future without losing the plot
Glass plants don’t run in labs. They run in the real world—with aging infrastructure, budget constraints, and teams stretched thin. Most upcoming projects will be brownfield, not greenfield. We won’t get the luxury of starting from scratch.
That’s why any control strategy worth its salt must deal with hybrid environments: a mix of electrical and fossil-based systems, legacy IO, emerging power controllers, water-cooled electrodes, and a growing set of VSDs and SCRs feeding back data. It’s messy. But it’s also manageable—with the right architecture.
The beauty of distributed, software-defined control is that we can build incrementally. We can add intelligence where it makes sense, manage complexity step by step, and maintain operational continuity even while modernizing the system underneath.
Closing thoughts: Practical innovation
We’re not looking for silver bullets. We’re looking for systems that work. That can be explained. That doesn’t crumble when something unexpected happens.
Universal automation and software-defined control offer that path, but we must communicate clearly. Not everyone in our customer base is ready for the abstraction of object-based engineering or distributed control fabrics. If it takes us time to understand it ourselves, we should assume it takes even longer for the market to follow.
So, let’s stay practical. Let’s demonstrate results, not just principles. And let’s build control systems that help the glass industry do what it does best—just smarter, cleaner, and more resilient than before.
Rene Meuleman is a seasoned expert in industrial automation and glass manufacturing, with over four decades of experience spanning process control, power electronics, and energy efficiency. Having worked with leading companies such as N.V. Vereenigde Glasfabrieken, O-I, Eurotherm by Schneider Electric, and CelSian, he is a strong advocate for electrification, modular control systems, and sustainable innovation in the glass industry. Rene currently supports Schneider Electric and Watlow, driving the integration of EcoStruxure Automation Expert (EAE), energy management solutions, and advanced power control technologies across global glass operations.
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