Cleartherm urges IGU manufacturers to embrace automation

Leading Leicester-based IGU manufacturer Cleartherm Glass Sealed Units Ltd is calling on others in the industry to embrace automation – or risk falling behind. With more than 37 years in business, Cleartherm has seen first-hand how the power of automation has boosted capacity, improved consistency and driven long-term growth.

Cleartherm has significantly expanded production in recent years thanks to the decision to automate its insulated glass unit manufacturing process using Super Spacer® from Edgetech, and it’s a move that has been made possible through its long-standing partnership with the Quanex company.

“We’ve worked with Edgetech for approaching 25 years now and they bring both a truly great product and a wealth of automation expertise as a partner,” says David Laing, Managing Director of Cleartherm.

“And automation has been the real game-changer. It has allowed us to produce a consistent high standard, every day, every shift. We used to produce 300–400 units a week manually. Today, we’re consistently hitting over 4,000 units per week, all in a standard 8.5-hour shift, and we are always able to pick up the phone and speak to Edgetech’s technical team if we need to.”

With labour challenges continuing to affect the manufacturing sector, automation also offers a more sustainable way forward.

“It’s difficult to find consistent, skilled labour today,” David continues. “Automation eases that pressure. You still need a team that understands how to work with the technology, and once you’ve got that in place, it makes growth far more achievable. You have to be prepared to adapt and work with automation, as opposed to counter it and say it’s not going to work for us.”

Gareth Laing, Clearthem’s Sales Director, agrees: “If I were talking to any IGU manufacturer not using automation, I’d say: automate, automate, automate!

“Without automation and making that investment I don’t think we’d be where we are today as it offers you so much more capacity against manual production and I think most IGU manufacturers that are in the same position as us would echo that.”

Tony Palmer, Head of Sales at Edgetech, said: “Cleartherm has always been at the forefront of embracing new technology and they are a great example of what can be achieved when you combine forward-thinking leadership with reliable automation and proven spacer technology. We’re proud to be part of their journey and to support more manufacturers making the same transition.”

Cleartherm’s message is clear: automation isn’t just an option, it’s the future and a necessity for growth, efficiency, and long-term success in the IGU sector.