The design of glove boxes for lamp manufacture requires an intimate understanding of the lamp manufacturing equipment as the machinery is prone to being in need of attention either through routine maintenance, failure or process material problems. Additionally, the lamp making process often uses substances classified as potentially toxic, which require special consideration in the treatment of glove box environmental gas, disposal of redundant material and debris, and personal protection.

Personal protection in these applications dictates the approach to designing a glove box system and human access for production process manipulation and maintenance requirements are often at odds with each other. Merging the requirements often means employing dual levels of access control, which increases the potential for equipment failure.

Equipment failure is not only a production nuisance, it is a maintenance nightmare where toxic materials are used, requiring human effort in procedures and preparation far in excess of that needed to correct the equipment failure. Failed equipment also requires a paper trail of procedures and special attention to disposal, which often costs more than the replacement parts. Reliability must therefore come high on the agenda after personal protection.

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