Cold repair is the single largest recurring cost in float glass manufacturing. Done well it renews the line; done badly it costs a second shutdown.
Sequence before scope
The most common failure is deciding what to do before deciding in what order. Almost every unplanned extension traces back to a refractory interaction that should have been mapped in the planning meeting.
Refractory reality
Not all refractory is equal, and the cheapest option is rarely the one that keeps a line running at rate afterwards. Specify for campaign life, not for first start-up.
The tin bath
Described by one plant manager as the most expensive fifteen metres in the building, and they are right. Plan it as its own project with its own team.
After the restart
The first week decides whether the shutdown was worthwhile. Have a defined acceptance regime for the ramp, agreed before you start, not invented while you are in it.
