ARE ELECTRIC FOREHEARTHS BETTER?

Electric forehearths with immersed electrodes for container production have been in use in the glass industry for several years and the reports of energy saving, control, simpler operation and all the other advantages are well known. Nevertheless, out of a world total of approximately 4,500 container forehearths, at a conservative estimate, only about 4. 3% are electrically-heated. Therefore, the much-heralded swing to electric forehearth heating is taking place only relatively slowly. In an effort to provide an answer to the question of whether electric forehearths are better, the author considers the various factors which together determine whether or not a forehearth is operating successfully.