A glass furnace rebuild does not have to replace every supporting system. Selected steelwork, batch-handling equipment and auxiliary systems may remain while other parts are modified around the new furnace design.

The important distinction is between reusing equipment and leaving it unchanged. For each system, agree whether it will be retained, modified or replaced, then define the work at its connections to the rebuilt furnace.

Define What “Reuse” Includes

Retaining a batch system can still involve changes to the furnace-front bin and its conveying route. Keeping an auxiliary system may require new piping. A control cabinet may remain but need expansion.

A reuse note should therefore identify the retained equipment, the work still required and who completes it. “Existing equipment” alone is not a sufficiently clear description of the project scope.

Review Steelwork and Forehearths Separately

Assess supporting beams, furnace steelwork and operating platforms as separate items. Keeping part of the supporting structure does not mean that the steelwork around the redesigned furnace can remain unchanged. Ask the designer to confirm the extent of reuse and any required alterations.

Apply the same approach to forehearths. Refractory work, steel shells, supports and heating controls are distinct scope items. Confirm their individual treatment rather than marking the whole forehearth as “reused.”

Match Controls and Utilities to the Revised Equipment

When burners or electric boosting are added, review the existing control cabinet alongside the new equipment. Include cabinet modifications, field wiring and equipment connections, rather than treating the controls as a separate, unchanged package.

Cooling-water monitoring also needs a defined scope. Identify the equipment to be connected, the measurements required and how the signals reach the furnace control system. Review utility requirements against the revised design before accepting a blanket commitment to reuse existing supplies.

Put Installation Responsibilities in Writing

“Utilities supplied by the buyer” should be accompanied by agreed connection points. Confirm where oxygen, natural gas, water, compressed air and electrical supplies reach the installation, and who handles the remaining piping and wiring.

Separate design, material supply, site installation and furnace heat-up responsibilities. Providing a drawing is not the same as supplying or installing the equipment shown on it. Our furnace supplier checklist offers related questions on supply scope and commissioning support.

Agree on Handover Before Construction

Identify the drawings, wiring diagrams, operating instructions and training materials required at handover. For modified equipment, request documentation that reflects the agreed rebuild scope rather than relying solely on the original records.

Distinguish equipment inspection before shipment from acceptance after commissioning. Agree on the requirements for each stage and who will confirm that they have been met.

The aim is not to retain as much old equipment as possible. It is to establish a coordinated scope in which every retained, modified and new system has a defined role.

Planning an oxy-fuel glass furnace rebuild? Share your existing layout, proposed changes and planned shutdown with Sundiatec to discuss a project-specific scope and implementation plan.