Introduction to Automotive Laminated Glass

With the widespread application of laminated glass in automotive manufacturing (such as windshields)  fields, the demand for its recycling has become increasingly prominent.The recycling solution for automotive laminated glass is conducive to the efficient separation of glass and PVB film and resource recovery.

Laminated glass delamination is the separation of the layers of a laminated glass unit, specifically the glass panes and the interlayer (usually PVB). This typically occurs at the edges or around fixings, reducing or eliminating the adhesive bond. Most laminated glass PVB delamination issues are caused by water immersion, so it’s essential to consider a water drainage solution. If water collects inside the channel, it can seep into the interlayer and the glass panes, causing them to separate over time.

Automotive Laminated Glass Recycling Equipment and Parameters

Roller Press : As the core pretreatment equipment, it is equipped with a 4 KW motor and a JZQ250 gear reducer, with a size of 2300×1100×1500 mm and a maximum feeding size of 1300 mm. Its core function is to crush glass through roller extrusion and allow water to better penetrate the PVB film with the help of a water pipe, laying the foundation for subsequent laminated glass delamination.	Laminated Glass Separator : It undertakes the core separation task, driven by a 7.5 KW main motor (with frequency conversion control), equipped with two sets of SC50×300 cylinders and a 1.5 KW fan. The mesh size is 14 mm, and the internal lining board is a chromium carbide wear-resistant plate. It separates glass fragments from the PVB film through physical action, realizing the thorough separation of the two and completing PVB laminated glass delamination.
Conveyor : It connects the pretreatment and separation links, driven by a 1.5 KW cycloidal reducer (with a speed ratio of 1:17). The main frame is a steel plate bending part, which can stably transport the pretreated laminated glass to the Laminated Glass Separator. It can carry 4-5 pieces of glass at a time, improving the feeding efficiency.	Control Cabinet: As the control center of the whole set of equipment, it integrates the operation instructions of each device and cooperates with a wireless remote controller to realize operations such as opening and closing the door of the separator, ensuring the automatic connection of the process.

Recycling Process of Automotive Laminated Glass

Due to its structural characteristics, automotive windshields need to undergo pretreatment to soften the PVB film. The specific process is as follows:

1.Pretreatment Crushing and Water Spraying: A water pipe is installed in the middle of the rollers of the Roller Press. Workers place the automotive windshield on the feeding platform and push it between the rollers to crush the glass through extrusion; at the same time, water is sprayed to penetrate into the PVB film, enhancing the effect of subsequent laminated glass delamination.

2.Water Absorption and Softening: The crushed laminated glass is stacked neatly, covered with a rain cloth to keep it moist, and placed for 2-3 days until the PVB film turns milky white (indicating that water has fully penetrated).

3.Conveying and Separation: Workers place the softened laminated glass on the Conveyor (4-5 pieces at a time), which conveys it to the Laminated Glass Separator; when the equipment runs until there is no sound of glass collision and friction, the bin door is opened for discharging through a wireless remote controller (it is necessary to stay away from the discharge port to prevent danger).

4.PVB Film Treatment: The separated PVB film is packed by cutting ribbons and laying plastic films to complete the recycling.