Tin Side Detector Lamp for Float Glass - TS1300

Tin Side Detector Lamp

During the production of float glass, one side of the molten glass comes into contact with a bath of molten tin. Traces of tin or tin oxide metal are deposited on the surface of glass as it is removed from the molten tin bath. This surface of the glass is identified as the "TIN SIDE" surface of the glass. The opposite side of the glass is denoted as the "AIR SIDE".

The presence of the tin is invisible to the human eye. Glass processors find it beneficial to know which surface of the glass is the tin side surface, since the tin side of the glass results in a smoother surface (among other reasons).

The Tin Side Detector is very helpful in identifying the tin side. The TS1300 lamp causes the tin to fluorescence at a frequency that is visible to the human eye. When the TS1300 lamp is placed on the tin side surface, the tin will fluorescence and produce a milky white image that is visible to the human eye. If you place the lamp on the non-tin side of the glass, the lack of tin results in no fluorescence and therefore only the duller image of the lamp is seen.