Bovone Glass Silvering Lines

Bovone Glass Silvering Lines are fully automated and highly configurable production systems for transforming prepared glass sheets into finished mirrors.

Bovone has been developing equipment for mirror production since 1954, beginning with the automation of the galvanic copper-plating process used to protect the silver layer. Today, Bovone silvering lines combine more than 70 years of specialist experience with modular design, advanced process control and reliable continuous operation.

Each line is designed around the customer’s required glass dimensions, production capacity, chemical process, coating specification, level of automation and available factory space.

The complete process can incorporate glass loading, surface preparation, chemical sensitisation, silver application, copper protection or passivation, drying, protective paint coating, intermediate curing, final curing, cooling, cleaning and automatic offloading.

Glass sheets enter the line and pass through a controlled preparation process. Initial washing removes surface contamination before a dedicated degreasing section uses cup brushes and a cerium oxide solution to remove oxidation and remaining dirt from the surface that will be silvered.

A second washing stage then removes any remaining cerium before the glass reaches the chemical application area.

The chemical section is configured according to the selected mirror-production process and chemical supplier. The prepared glass surface is sensitised before a silver-based solution is applied evenly across the panel. Depending on the selected process, a copper-based protective layer or passivating treatment is then applied, followed by controlled rinsing.

Reaction areas are enclosed and equipped with air extraction to support process control and safe management of the chemical application stages.

After silvering, the glass enters the drying and pre-painting section. The surfaces are dried and the panel is heated to support adhesion between the metallic coating and the protective paint layers applied during the following stages.

The first curtain coater deposits an even layer of protective paint over the metallic film. The panel then passes through an intermediate oven incorporating solvent flash-off, controlled heating and air cooling before the second protective coating is applied.

A second curtain coater applies an additional layer of paint over the first, strengthening the protective backing and supporting the long-term durability of the finished mirror.

The final oven completes the flash-off, drying and curing of the protective paint. Heating can be provided using independently selected infrared lamps or gas-panel technology, depending on the final line design and process requirements.

The coated mirror then passes through a controlled cooling section. Forced-air fans and water-spray systems reduce the glass temperature before the final cleaning and unloading stages.

The final section removes any unwanted traces of silver from the underside of the panel using an acid-cleaning process. The glass is then washed, dried and automatically transferred from the production line as a completed mirror.

Bovone silvering lines can process glass up to 6000 × 3200 mm while maintaining consistent quality across the complete panel. They are suitable for high-volume production and demanding three-shift manufacturing environments where reliability and continuous output are essential.

The modular design allows the line to be configured around different chemical processes, production capacities and mirror types. Individual sections can also be integrated or expanded as production requirements develop.

Bovone assembles and tests each complete line at its production facility in Ovada, Italy. The system is then disassembled for transport and reassembled and commissioned at the customer’s site by specialist technicians.

The lines are suitable for manufacturing conventional flat mirrors, furniture mirrors, architectural mirror products and specialist parabolic mirrors used in concentrated solar-power applications.

Stone & Glass Group supplies Bovone glass silvering lines throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland and the Benelux, supported by project consultation, layout design, installation, commissioning, operator training, spare parts, servicing and comprehensive after-sales support.