This paper describes a comparison of control system design to Philips glass furnace. The first stage considers the application of system identification techniques to obtain models using experimental data. Several models were identified, wherein the one picked up for control design has the largest level of fitness. In the second stage a set of improved control methods are implemented to design controllers based on non-adaptive (including LQR, LQGR, H 2 , H oo ) and adaptive (including MRAC, L1) methods. Simulation studies were performed and evaluated.