Furnace refractory maintenance provider Fosbel is to enhance its audit and inspection services to include SmartMelter radar technology.

Fosbel will be the first company to join the SmartMelter Certified Partner programme.

“I am very grateful for the speedy adoption of SmartMelter radar technology in the glass industry as the new standard for monitoring the health of glass furnaces,” said Yakup Bayram, PaneraTech CEO.

He added: “As the demand grows, our partnership with Fosbel enables us to reach even more customers with some of the best technical talent in the world.

“Fosbel has been a maintenance and audit firm for several decades. Adding them to our certified partner list is a testament to our commitment to deliver not only the best technology to our customers, but also an integrated inspection solution from a respected partner. We are calling this exciting new service SmartAudit.”

The Certified Partner Program allows furnace audit and repair providers to incorporate SmartMelter radar technology into their audit, inspection and maintenance programmes, combining visual, thermal, endoscopy and radar scans in a SmartAudit.

This improves visibility of furnace health, as SmartMelter has been proven to detect vulnerabilities one to three years before visual and thermal indications. The programme enhances risk management by providing deterministic data for furnace maintenance decisions.

Bob Chambers, Fosbel Managing Director, Americas, said: “This partnership allows glass manufacturers to obtain full furnace diagnosis through non-destructive technologies measuring glass containment refractories. This technology, added to our service portfolio, facilitates risk management and actionable maintenance activities.

"We are very excited to partner with PaneraTech on this programme as SmartMelter radar technology has proven to be the new industry standard in inspection of glass tanks.”

Fosbel will begin offering SmartAudit services from January 2020.