Arc France overcomes glass cleaning challenges

• Improved productivity
• Improved health and safety
• Full compliance

Challenge

Founded in 1825, the Cristallerie d’Arques glassworks pioneered many innovations in glassmaking, including the decorative machines that led to its first brand, Luminarc, in 1948. Today, the Arc Group operates in France, the United States, China and the United Arab Emirates, employing 7,500 people worldwide, including 4,400 in France, and producing up to 4.1 million items a day.

The group is headquartered in its historic home of Arques in northern France and is a global leader in tableware and a major glassware manufacturer. Its Arques site is one of France’s largest industrial sites and the world’s largest glass production site.

1st cleaning process

In the mould workshop at the Arques site, teams clean sections of roughing moulds made from steel and cast iron. These components need to be cleaned and restored as part of routine maintenance to support consistent glass production.

During production, the parts become covered with oil and grease. Operators previously cleaned them manually using a bucket, brush and industrial degreaser.

After cleaning, the moulds undergo mass finishing, a mechanised surface-treatment process that uses ceramic abrasive media to polish the parts and help prevent glass from adhering to the mould walls.

2nd cleaning process

The finishing moulds used to create relief in the glass also require cleaning. They can become heavily contaminated with carbon deposits in finishing holes as small as 0.3 mm in diameter, which are used to blow glass away from the funnel.

Operators previously used a high-speed drill to remove the deposits, then checked each hole with piano wire and a magnifying glass. The process could take 15 minutes to one hour per mould, across 30 moulds for each machine programme, around five times a month. It was time-consuming and presented safety risks, with previous incidents reported.

During a visit, Safetykleen’s expert reviewed the site’s cleaning processes to identify solutions that would better meet Arc’s requirements:

Faster and more effective cleaning to improve productivity and quality;

• A more practical and ergonomic process to make cleaning easier;
• A safer and healthier working environment, supporting the goal of zero accidents;
• A reduced environmental impact to support more sustainable production.
• As a major industrial group, Arc places occupational health and safety and sustainable development at the heart of its priorities. Its Research and Development department also focuses on innovative and environmentally responsible solutions.

Safetykleen’s automatic solutions have saved us a lot of time because cleaning takes place while we can focus on other work. We simply load the parts into the machines and they come out clean. The solutions meet our specifications and Arc’s requirements, while also reducing labour costs by allowing our team to focus on other tasks.

Didier Guillemant, Moulding Manager, Arc France

The Safetykleen solution

To address the cleaning challenges identified by Arc’s teams, Safetykleen carried out a detailed assessment of the site’s processes and quality requirements. Tests were then completed on site and at Safetykleen’s Lille agency to identify the most suitable equipment and cleaning chemistry.

Two solutions were selected: an automated spray-cleaning machine and an ultrasonic cleaner, supported by service intervals tailored to Arc’s requirements.

1st cleaning process

Aquakleen Automatic was selected to clean moulds covered with oil and grease.

The machine uses a motorised basket and simultaneous spray cleaning to deliver consistent cleaning and remove oil and grease residues.

A choice of VOC-free cleaning solutions allows the chemistry to be tailored to the application while maintaining cleaning performance.

The automated digital control panel makes it easy to programme cycle duration and temperature according to the level of contamination.

The machine’s insulation helps reduce energy consumption.

An integrated drying option removes moisture at the end of the cycle, allowing the parts to move quickly to the next stage.

With Safetykleen service visits every two weeks, the Arc teams can rely on a cleaning bath that remains effective.

2nd cleaning process

The Sonickleen ultrasonic machine was selected to remove deposits from the finishing moulds.

Ultrasonic technology provides precise, effective cleaning, removing deposits from moulds and difficult-to-reach finishing holes.

Automatic cycles reduce manual handling, while the user-friendly interface makes it easy to programme time and temperature.

A tailored VOC-free, water-based solution provides effective cleaning and is suitable for ultrasonic use.

An automated wave helps keep the cleaning bath clean, supporting consistent results.

For this process, the service interval is four weeks to maintain cleaning quality.