Investing in the Future: How Automation is Improving Fiberglass Production and Safety in Trnava

At Johns Manville Engineered Products, we know that staying ahead means constantly improving how we work. Our latest step forward? Automating the winding room at our Trnava, Slovakia plant. This upgrade enhances efficiency, safety, and production capacity, ensuring that we continue to meet our customers’ demand for high-quality reinforcement fiberglass. 

As a domestic supplier, we’re committed to delivering cutting-edge chopped strands, single-end rovings, and multi-end rovings. With our V5 glass furnace rebuilt in 2023, we saw the perfect opportunity to modernize the winding room allowing for a more streamlined operation. 

How Fiberglass Production Works 

To understand the impact of this automation, it helps to know how reinforcement fiberglass is made. The process starts in our furnace, where batch materials are melted at very high temperatures. Once the molten glass reaches the right velocity, it is pulled through a bushing, forming filaments that are rapidly cooled and coated with a sizing. From there, these glass fibers are gathered and wound into cakes on our winding machines. These cakes must then be transported, which is where the automation comes into play. 

Smart Automation, Better Workflow 

With our new monorail system, moving fiberglass cakes is now faster, safer, and more efficient. Instead of workers manually lifting and transferring them, a robot now takes the finished cakes from the winder and places them on a rack. Once the rack is full, the monorail picks it up and swaps in an empty one - keeping everything flowing smoothly. 

"The automation project in Trnava is an important milestone for us," says Jan-Roel van der Sluis, Director Operations and Lead Managing Director Europe. "Not only does it improve efficiency and reliabtiliy, but it also directly enhances the working conditions for our employees. This is a great example of how investing in smart technology benefits both our customers and our local workforce." 

A Safer Work Environment 

Safety has always been a top priority to us, and this upgrade has had a significant impact for our team. The automated system eliminates heavy lifting, reducing strain on workers. The project has also improved air quality, lighting, and workspace layout, creating a cleaner and more comfortable environment. 

"This project wasn’t only about automation. We took the opportunity to enhance every aspect of the winding room," explains Andrej Kalinay, EU Fiber Technology Manager. "It’s rewarding to see how these changes have positively affected the day-to-day experience of our employees." 

What This Means for Our Customers 

This latest investment helps us deliver even greater value and flexibility to our customers, enhancing product options, improving reliability, and supporting evolving needs.  With the upgrade, we can: 

• Produce larger fiberglass cakes to meet customer demand. Previously, the weight of bigger cakes made manual handling impossible. Now, with automation in place, we can offer larger formats, providing greater flexibility for different applications. 
• Ensure a more reliable and consistent production flow. The automated system reduces dependency on manual handling, minimizing disruptions and making our supply chain even more stable and predictable for customers. 
• Further maintain consistently high product quality with improved process control and precision handling. 
• Strengthen our position as a trusted domestic supplier by investing directly into our Trnava site and reinforce our long-term commitment to local production. This ensures a steady and responsive supply of reinforcement fiberglass. 

Looking Ahead 

We’re now in the final phase of fine-tuning the system, and we’re excited about what’s next. By continuing to invest in automation and efficiency, we’re ensuring that our customers stay ahead of the curve - with better products, better service, and better supply chain reliability. At Johns Manville Trnava, this is just one of many steps we’re taking to build the future of reinforcement fiberglass and we’re glad to have you on this journey with us.