Hegla Provides Clear Cut Results for Village Glass

The installation of a Hegla cutting solution at leading glass manufacturers, Village Glass will have a major impact on the architectural market that will set a new benchmark for the industry. As part of the Village Glass £1.3 million expansion programme the Hegla equipment will help to further raise production standards thanks to efficiency, cost savings and product turnaround.

As one of the most well known and respected manufacturers in the UK it was imperative to the senior management team, that only the highest standards of technology would be considered for installation at Essex based, Village Glass. With Hegla being recognised for providing excellence and quality on a proven range of products, initial discussions took place in respect of the glass cutting equipment as part of a large expansion programme.

Investment in automation as well as human resources has always been a key element to Managing Director Neil Jesse, along with the Village board of directors. Having provided products for prestigious contacts nationally, as well as projects in and around London, including Regent Street, the Olympic Village and numerous London Hotels, the company has been at the forefront of the industry placing quality and service as paramount for many years.

This unique Hegla installation will assist in the redevelopment of production methods using the company's latest equipment including state-of-the-art combination float laminated cutting technology which offers unrivalled manufacturing features that will greatly improve on site efficiency. As with all Hegla projects, the machine was specifically designed to suit the individual customer's requirements with this installation designated for a specific area at Village Glass where space was limited and standard cutting equipment simply would not fit. This was a major consideration for Village Glass when developing the partnership with Hegla.

The machine has a comprehensive range of special Hegla options, Twin Soft Coat Edge Deletion, Twin Float Cutting Heads, X and Y Axis Overlap PVB Trimming, Guardian High Selective Grinding and Laser Marking glass identification for toughening applications.

The laser marking capabilities place Village Glass in a powerful position from a production point of view, as this enables faster, more reliable glass recognition and broadens the scope for future marking requirements should legislative changes prove to become more complicated. Customer queries can also be resolved far more quickly and effectively with this unique feature.

Having one of the most modern glass processing sites in the country producing over 12,000 units per week to both the residential and commercial sectors, Village Glass continues to see steady and substantial growth during one of the toughest economic climates.

The expansion programme had been carefully evaluated for some time with the management team considering technical investment at the company of vital importance to further improve standards.

Neil Jesse has helped to establish strong foundations at Village Glass supporting the local community and believes strong working relationships are fundamental to the company's success. He considers the relationship with Hegla a partnership that will continue to grow, based on common ethics of providing the highest quality as standard, which has helped to further solidify business relations.

Subsequently, since the initial cutting table project there have been further installations of a Twin Jumbo Concertina Racking System for the glass storage area as well as several cranes for toughened glass and sealed unit handling. Consequently this underlines the Village Glass commitment to ensure that business growth is complemented with only the best production solutions, which guarantee that quality remains commensurate through the company's expansion and development.

With consumer awareness developing at a rapid pace and installers required to provide more in respect of high performance glasses, Village Glass has taken a progressive approach to install equipment that will meet future market demands and assist the company to maintain its leading market position.

Neil Jesse comments, “We approached Hegla because of the formidable reputation the company has in the market, knowing we could achieve excellent results. The fully automatic Hegla system will help to improve production quality, volume and service levels for customers. This installation provides major advantages and reliability which are qualities that are always associated with the Hegla brand".

As more regulations are introduced for manufacturers Village Glass felt this development programme was essential in order to maintain the reliable standards for which the company is recognised.

Steve Goble, Managing Director Hegla UK comments, 'Hegla provides customers with efficient tailor-made solutions that will achieve optimum results. We look forward io continuing our working relationship with Village Glass at an exciting time in their corporate development programme."