MSME-Technology Development Centre (formerly-CIGI), Firozabad (U.P.)

1. INTRODUCTION: Center for the Development of Glass Industry(CDGI) has been set up at Firozabad in India in collaboration with UNDP/UNIDO and Government of UP. CDGI aims to assist the glass industry for improving its overall performance particularly in the areas of technology upgradation, energy conservation, introduction of value added glass articles and skill development.
   
   CDGI project has various modules of activities viz. chemical and physical testing of raw materials and finished products, measurement and control of pollution. Pilot plant consultancy services and training The pilot plant comprises of gas fired modern furnaces and is also equipped with latest moulding and shaping machines including cutting and decoration of glass articles which is used for providing common facility services and also for transfer of technology to the glass industry.
   
   Firozabad falls under Taj Trapezium Zone and as per the direction of Supreme Court all the coal based furnaces are required to be replaced by gas based furnaces. This would in turn necessitate higher investment as also the need for improving quality of the product so that the higher investment could be justified. Besides, there is need to improve skills both in the hot forming glass as also in the cold forming of glass products. CDGI is working as a demonstration project on various facets of these technological aspects and its endeavour is to provide total package of technological back up services. Since the pilot plant of the unit which is core unit of the project has been installed and made operational, the Center is capable of providing services in the field of glass melting and development and its standardization.



2. The project has been set up during the year 1992. The immediate objectives of the project are as under :
   
   
   1. Creation of new job opportunities and improvement of skills and working conditions for workers/artisans engaged in the small scale glass industry
   2. Efficient utilization of energy and mineral resources for glass industry
   3. Development and adoption of new technologies and products
   4. Protection of environment
   
   Keeping with its objectives, the Center is now well equipped to provide technological support services through its well equipped sections and divisions manned with highly skilled and motivated work force.
   
   The Center is equipped with following sections and divisions :
   
   CHEMICAL LABORATORY: Chemical Laboratory is fully equipped to carry out qualitative as well as quantitative analysis of raw materials, finished glass refractory materials etc. It is equipped with sophisticated equipment such as spectrophotometer, Flame Photometer and Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. The Laboratory has been performing about 350 testings of raw material and finished glass products every year.
   
   PHYSICAL LABORATORY : Physical Laboratory is equipped with Softening point, Annealing point, Strain point, Liquidus temperature, Coefficient of thermal expansion measuring equipment. Besides, it has the facilities for Petrographic Analysis to identify the defects in the Glass. The Polaroscope and Density comparator are available for Strain measurement and determination of specific gravity of Glass. The Physical laboratory is also equipped with a Flue Gas Analyzer and Radiation Pyrometers for analyzing the Flue Gases and to measure temperature in the furnaces.
   
   PILOT PLANT : The Pilot Plant of the Center is capable of melting Glass in quantities ranging from 2 kg. to 1000 kg. It has also experimental furnaces, one Studio Pot Furnace and one Single Pot Furnace and a Day Tank Furnace. It is also equipped with one annealing lehr, two Annealing kilns and one pot arch.
   
   The Batch house has the facilities not only for weighing and mixing of the raw materials but also for their processing such as Grading, Iron removal, Crushing etc. The Forming section includes one Spinning Machine, one Injection Moulding Machine and one Schiller Machine (Bottle making machine), Press machine, Press and Blow machine, Suction & Blow machine capable of handling small scale production. The finishing section is equipped with Crack off machine, Grinding machine, Polishing machine and Diamond saw. The Pilot Plant also has facilities for Glass cutting, Glass engraving, Glass painting, Sand blasting and Acid polishing of Glassware.
   
   FURNACE DESIGN: The Center has been designing and constructing various types of furnaces for application in the small scale glass units. A Day Tank Furnace was designed and constructed in the centre. The advantage of a Day Tank is that it functions like a Pot Furnace yet free from the menace of Pot failures. The other furnaces designed by the Center include Small Tank furnace, Pot furnace of various capacities, Muffle Furnaces for Bangle industries and Annealing kiln for high thickness articles.
   
   POT DEVELOPMENT : Another important area in which Center has contributed significantly is the development of Glass melting pots. The average life of the Pot witnessed by the Firozabad glass industries averaged 15 to 20 days only. By systematic investigations and adopting scientific practices, the Center has developed Pots with an average life of 60 days or more. The work is in progress to establish a pot life of more than 100 days. The Pot making division is equipped with Jaw Crusher, Disintegrator, Edge Runner, Ball Mill, Vibrating Screen and De-airing Pug Mill, which enable the processing of 50 Tons of Pot Mix per month.
   
   MOULD DEVELOPMENT : The Center has a well equipped workshop with Lathe machine, Milling machine, Shaper, Cutter, Drilling machine, Grinder etc. to be able to prepare high quality moulds for the Glass industry.
   
   ENERGY CONSERVATION : Realizing the importance of Energy Conservation in Glass industry, the Center has taken initiative to launch programmes that lead to conservation of energy. It is providing temperature measurement and Flue Gas monitoring services to industries, as well as improving upon insulation and waste heat recovery. It is also working in close cooperation with the Energy Management Center to install Electronic Process Control Devices in furnaces to improve their energy efficiency.
   
   CONSULTANCY & TROUBLE SHOOTING SERVICES : The Center has been offering Consultancy services to industry on regular basis in various areas such as Plant lay out, Furnace design, Equipment selection, Product development, Batch formulation, Energy conservation etc. Trouble Shooting services are available in the areas of Glass defect identification & Combustion control.


3. Services Provided By The Center To The Glass Industry
   
   The Center for the Development of Glass Industry provides host of services in the field of glass manufacture to the glass industry through its well equipped laboratory, batch house, pilot plant and decoration unit etc.
   
   Major services are enumerated below:
   
   
   1. Chemical testing of glass forming raw materials and finished products with latest equipment like AAS, Flame photometer, Spectro Photometer, Bomb Calorimeter etc.
   2. Physical testing of glass like Density, Annealing, Softening Point, Co-efficient of Thermal Expansion, Detection of Stress and Strain in glass etc.
   3. Pollution control viz. Stack monitoring, Ambient air quality, suspended particulate matter, Sulphur dioxide and Oxides of Nitrogen and flue gas analysis.
   4. Development of different type and colours of glasses and their standardization
   5. Demonstration of glass melting and shaping by newer processes like spin moulding, injection moulding and pressing.
   6. Energy Conservation and management in glass industry.
   7. Development of glass melting pots and its body. Techniques of pot Arching.
   8. Design and development of day tank furnaces
   9. Consultancy and troubleshooting services
   10. Development of human resource in the following discipline
       
       
       • Chemical Laboratory Practices
       • Physical Laboratory Practices
       • Glass Production
       • Glass Forming
       • Furnace Operations & Combustion Control
       • Glass Cutting and Engraving
       • Glass Painting
       • Sand Blasting and Acid Polishing


4. For availing the above services and further details, please contact at the following address
   
   Shri Arvind Kumar
   (Principal Director I/c)
   MSME-Technology Development Centre
   (Center for the Development of Glass Industry)
   A-1/1, Industrial Area,
   Jalesar Road, P.O.Muddinpur
   Firozabad - 283 203 (U.P.)
   Phone No.: 05612 232293,232447
   Fax No.: 05612 - 232326
   Email Id: cdgifzbd@sancharnet.in , contact@cdgiindia.com
   Website : www.cdgiindia.org