Glass International April 2021

GLASS PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY

ABSOLUT COMPANY PROFILE

HYDROGEN INTERVIEW

INSPECTION

A GLOBAL REVIEW OF GLASSMAKING

• Furnaces

• Conditioning

• Turn-key plants

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2 Editor’s Comment + International news

10 Company profile: Absolut Company

Bold targets secure bottle with 50% recycled glass content

15 Profile: Woman in glass

A female career in the glass industry

20 Hydrogen in glassmaking: CelSian Consortium plots industrial stage

23 Glass Futures

Planning a production and research facility

27 Company profile: Stealth Case Glass powers wireless technology

30 Comment: acquisitions

The changing face of glass business

32 Research: Bormioli Pharma

Opening of new research centre

34 Inspection: AGR

Pharma demand sparks quality management

39 Inspection: Marposs

Supporting anti-Covid vials

41 Environment: Zuccato

ORC technology is an ideal waste heat recovery solution

44 Swabbing: Flokontrol

Swabbing robot with automatic tool change

46 Picture spread: SGD Pharma

Celebrating Sucy-en-Brie furnace ignition

48

Decoration: Heraeus

Infrared heating system at Brewdog

51 Mould: Hexagon

Halving cycle times in mould machining

54 Event preview: Furnace Solutions

Furnace Solutions 2021 online

59 Event preview: Digital Forum

Latest solutions in glass

64

Filling: Heraeus

Automated infrared system at Mackays

65 Event preview:

Hydrogen in glassmaking

A two-day digital conference

66 History Ultraviolet transmission

FRONT COVER IMAGE: www.hornglass.com

Be first with the news! For breaking, up to date news VISIT: www.glass-international.com for daily news updates.

What is the furnace fuel of the future?

Over the past three years the glass industry has made rapid progress in its endeavours to switch to more environmentally friendly fuels.

Subjects which were only rarely spoken about have become hot topics and now feature prominently in any discussion about the glass manufacturing process.

One such topic is the use of hydrogen to help fire glass manufacturing furnaces.

In theory it looks a suitable alternative to traditional methods. One glassmaker, Steklarna Hrastnik, installed technology on its newly ignited G furnace which allows it to convert to hydrogen technology in future.

But questions remain about hydrogen’s long term suitability and its use on a mass scale, particularly when other heavy industries may demand to use it as well.

As a result several consortiums are investigating its potential use. One of those, and the largest, is interviewed within this issue about its results so far and future plans.

Steering committee member Oscar Verheijen reports that pilot tests have so far been encouraging and it already plans to progress to industrial scale testing in 2023.

Alongside the recent news of the successful Glass Futures biofuels trial in partnership with Encirc, and the already established practice of electric-powered glassmaking the sector is in a healthy place ahead of future environmental legislation which comes into place in 2030.

Heineken to trial low carbon bottles with Glass Futures

Heineken is working in partnership with Glass Futures and container glass manufacturer Encirc to produce glass bottles using up to 100% recycled glass and low carbon biofuel, replacing high carbon natural gas.

The trial, which is in its early stages, will see 1.4 million bottles of Heineken produced

with the intent of hitting supermarket shelves in the UK with this glass in early 2021.

If successful, the trial could set the path for a reduction in the use of carbon in glass manufacturing.

The concept is currently being tested in the UK in a joint project with Encirc, utilising Glass Futures’ technology

funded by the UK Government’s Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

Made from waste organic materials, biofuels are a renewable and more sustainable fuel source than those traditionally used, and can reduce the production carbon footprint of each bottle by up to 90%.

O-I in $75 million Zipaquirá, Colombia glass

O-I will invest approximately $75 million in an expansion at its Zipaquirá, Colombia facility.

The investment will include the addition of a fourth furnace at the site.

The Zipaquirá facility will be one of O-I’s largest facilities and the most cost-effective in

expansion

its network.

Upon completion by the end of 2022, the project is expected to add nearly 2% of capacity to the company’s Americas segment and produce about 500 million bottles annually.

Andres Lopez, O-I CEO, said strong market growth and af-

finity for glass was fueling demand for glass packaging in the Andean market.

He aid: “Working with our customers, we aim to enable profitable growth in attractive markets such as this new furnace at Zipaquirá and last year’s expansion at Gironcourt, France.

AGI glaspac appoints Horn Glass for 154t/day furnace

Recresco starts Ellesmere investment

UK glass recycling company Recresco is undertaking a number of changes at the Ellesmere Port site it purchased in a multi-millionpound deal last year.

The company, headquartered in Nottingham and operates a second site in Cwmbran, Wales, has started improvements and facility upgrades. A 1100m2 covered structure has been constructed on the site to accommodate increasing material storage demands.

Indian container glass manufacturer AGI glaspac, has appointed Horn Glass Industries, Germany to build a new furnace at its Bhongir plant in Telangana.

The technology will cost INR 55 crores. It is a part of the recent investment raised by AGI glaspac from its parent company HSIL Limited, amounting to INR 220 crores.

The facility will comprise end-fired furnaces with six forehearths for production. With the set up of this new furnace. It means the Bhongir plant will be able to produce 154 tonnes of premium flint and other different colours.

The speciality glass produced will cater to industries such as carbonated water, sparkling wine, pharmaceu-

SGD Pharma for sale?

French pharmaceutical glass manufacturer SGD Pharma could be up for sale for more than €1 billion.

A Reuters news report states the glass manufacturer’s owner, China Jianyin Investment (JIC), has asked Bank of America to look for a potential buy-

er of the business, which has core earnings of about €100 million and could be valued at 10-12 times that.

An SGD Pharma spokesman said: “As of today, we are not aware of any decision taken by our actual shareholder China Jianyin Investment Co (JIC) or

NSG Pilkington begins

ticals, including vials and in cosmetics, such as beauty products, perfumery, nail polish and others.

Horn’s scope of supply includes the planning of the refractory, the combustion equipment, measuring and control, boosting, a new HVR 400 batch charger for the furnace, distributor, and forehearth.

The company has seen a surge in tonnage going through the site which is thought to be as a result of increased kerbside recycling from homes under lockdown.

Piramal Glass success

A Credit Suisse report has named container glass manufacturer Piramal Glass as one of 100 unicorn startups from India.

The research report reveals that the nation has 100 unicorn companies with a combined market capitalisation of $240 billion.

A unicorn company, or unicorn start up, is a private company with a valuation over $1 billion. As of March 2021, there were more than 600 unicorns around the world.

eventual wishes to sell.

“It is quite common for a shareholder to regularly consider strategic options for his investments.

“We remain fully engaged to produce the highest quality pharmaceutical packaging for our customers.”

Laurinburg, USA furnace rebuild

NSG Pilkington has begun rebuilding one of its furnaces at its float glass plant in Laurinburg, North Carolina.

The project started on 10th March 2021 and is expected

to be completed in late June 2021.

“The investment is part of our ongoing commitment to our customers and the Laurinburg community,” said Chris

Miller, Manufacturing Operations Director.

The Laurinburg plant manufactures float glass for the commercial architectural and export markets.

Furnace Solutions 2021 to take place online

Furnace Solutions conference organiser the Society of Glass Technology (SGT) will host this year’s event online.

The two day programme will include six speakers who will discuss the latest trends and topics about furnaces in glass manufacturing.

The SGT said the conference would take place on the afternoons of June 9th and 10th starting at 13.30pm.

SGT President Stuart Hakes said: “We have chosen this timing so that we have the opportunity to link-in easily with our European contingent, as well as hopefully attract interest from the Indian subcontinent and early risers in the USA.”

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FEVE’s F4F Project elected for Stage 2 of EU funding

The Furnace for the Future (F4F) has been selected out of 311 projects to progress to the second phase of the EU Innovation Fund, one of the world’s largest funding programmes for the demonstration of low-carbon technologies.

The F4F project is a breakthrough technology,

which will enable the industry to switch to renewable electricity and cut CO2 emissions by up to 60% in the furnace (50% for the whole factory).

Michel Giannuzzi , FEVE President, said: “We’re honoured to be among the 70 projects considered by the European Commission as

AGI Group announces European expansion

Japanese glass processing equipment manufacturer AGI Group has announced an expansion of its AGI Glassplant brand in Europe.

The AGI Group currently operates seven glassware manufacturing and ser-

vicing companies in Japan and, over the past decade, has built on more than 70 years of expertise and experience in the field through a series of acquisitions in Europe and the USA.

Yasuyuki Ikeda, CEO of AGI Group, said: “We see

strategic to a climate-neutral Circular Economy.

“The Furnace for the Future represents a key step towards a sustainable future for glass packaging. With this project we will address the priorities of our customers and strengthen our relationship with them.”

strong potential for our glass technologies in the EMEA region and, as we see increased adoption of our products and solutions, we want to reaffirm our commitment to this important market by strengthening our presence.”

British Glass hosts first UK Recycling Summit

British Glass has held its first UK Glass Recycling Summit with attendance from right across the glass supply chain.

The event saw the UK glass packaging industry launch its commitment to achieving a 90% collected

for recycling rate by 2030.

The summit saw attendees agreeing to collaborate with British Glass on their journey to achieving a 90% glass collected for recycling target by 2030.

Dave Dalton, CEO, British Glass said: “We hope

to build on the discussions from today by starting the right conversations and formulate a plan of action for the next 12 months. So, when we gather in a year’s time, we can demonstrate and celebrate achievements towards our goal.”

Pilkington develops bird protection coating

Pilkington UK has developed AviSafe - a glass with a coating designed to help prevent birds from colliding with the windows and facades of buildings.

Most birds collide with glass when they confuse what’s visible in its reflection for the real thing, such as trees or an open sky.

Pilkington AviSafe features a UV enhanced pattern that’s more visible to birds than it is to humans, which helps to prevent these collisions and ensures maximum transparency, while maintaining the aesthetical appeal of glass in architecture.

SGD Pharma offers Type I moulded glass vials

Pharmaceutical glass manufacturer SGD Pharma, has become the first company to offer Type I moulded glass vials.

SGD Pharma has organised its Type I moulded glass offer into three tailored value propositions – AXess, AXecure and AXpert.

Schott reaches Covid vaccine milestone

Pharmaceutical glass manufacturer Schott has delivered enough of its glass vials to provide more than one billion doses of Covid-19 vaccines.

The company says it remains well on track to deliver vials for more than two billion vaccine doses throughout 2021.

The vials were delivered to projects around the world, with a focus on the US, Europe, and China. Approximately 90% of approved vaccines rely on Schott vials.

“The reaction of the pharmaceutical community to Covid-19 is a testament to the power of scientific progress,” said Dr. Frank Heinricht, CEO of Schott.

“In just under a year, all previous records for vaccine development have been shattered by not just one, but several research groups.”

Top 10 stories in the news

Our most popular news over the past month, as determined by our website traffic. All full stories can be found on our website.

� 1. O-I $75 million Zipaquira expansion

� 2. Stoelzle acquires Anchor Hocking site

� 3. Verallia invests into Jacutinga, Brazil site

� 4. Hydrogen in Glass Manufacturing conference in June

� 5. India’s Sunrise Glass installs furnace

� 6. Verallia starts Villa Pom, Italy furnace

� 7. Steklarna Hrastnik inaugurates furnace

� 8. Heineken trials low carbon bottles

� 9. Solvay to exit glass business?

� 10. Verescence acquires South Korea’s Pacific Glass

For the latest Industry News scan the QR CODE using your iOS or Android device

AGC Europe develops anti-Covid glass coating

AGC Glass Europe has produced a coating for glass to help protect against Covid-19 contamination.

Respiratory droplets and aerosols contaminated with SARS-CoV-2 viral particles represent a risk of indirect transmission of Covid-19.

Infectious droplets on sur-

faces see their viral infectiousness decreasing with time, depending on the type of material and temperature.

A study published in the Coatings Journal with support from AGC was done on different materials ranging from metallic materials to float glass, acrylic glass and coated

Vidrala awarded for UK investment effort

Container glass manufacturer Vidrala has been awarded in the category ‘Growth in the UK’ at the Trade and Investment Awards, organised by the British Embassy’s Department of International Trade in Spain.

The award recognised Vidrala’s investment efforts in the

UK since the acquisition of Encirc in 2015.

Since then, the company has provided over £150 million worth of investment for projects in the UK.

Carlos Delclaux, President of Vidrala said: “I’m thrilled to receive this award and would like to give special thanks to

glass (Planibel Easy) rench. The result showed the time taken for the number of infectious viral particles to decrease, and demonstrates that SARS-CoV-2 viral particles stay active for a shorter time on Planibel Easy coated glass previously exposed to daylight (photocatalytic effect).

the great work carried out by Encirc in the UK, which really adds value to Vidrala.

“Due to its great potential, the UK is one our most relevant markets.

“Even during the tough times of Brexit and COVID-19, it has shown great strength and growth potential.”

Encirc appointment

Encirc, part of the Vidrala Group, has appointed Paul Williams as its new 360 Development Director, with Mark Holmes taking over Paul’s previous role as Beverages General Manager.

The pair will work together to bolster the company’s filling and supply chain offering following a period of growth and investment.

Gerresheimer sets sustainability targets

Ambitious targets will direct Gerresheimer’s sustainability strategy in the coming years.

Among other things, the company wants to cut its CO2 emissions by half by 2030.

The number of occupational accidents is to be significantly reduced by 2028. By 2023, ecodesign criteria are to become a fixed component of product development at Gerresheimer.

Covid hits Vetropack 2020 finances

Swiss container glass manufacturer Vetropack Group has released its financial figures for 2020, where its earnings margin of 11.5% was slightly down from 2019 in part due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Consolidated net sales stood at CHF 662.6 million ($714 million), compared to 2019 net sales which were CHF 714.9 million ($770 million).

At the end of the year, the group acquired a S.A. glassworks in Moldova, in a takeover which was financed by the Group’s own funds, costing CHF 42.8 million ($46 million).

With this acquisition, the Group is growing in a region where it has been successfully manufacturing and selling glass packaging for almost three decades.

The Moldovan subsidiary was fully consolidated for the first time as of 30 November 2020. A new glassworks planned by Vetropack in Boffalora sopra Ticino, Italy, remains the group’s central strategic project in 2021.

Horn Glass Industries acquires JSJ Jodeit

Horn Glass Industries has acquired the Melting Technology Division of JSJ Jodeit with effect from April 1, 2021.

JSJ Jodeit has been a supplier of technology and equipment for the production of speciality glasses since its foundation in 1991.

Horn said that with the

know-how gained, it is expanding its competences in the field of electrically heated and gas-oxygen heated melting plants for technical and speciality glasses.

Sales will be handled jointly by Horn while production of components will take place in Plößberg, Germany. The busi-

ness units of JSJ Jodeit that were not sold, such as special and small melting units, melting technology services, heat treatment plants, glass tube production lines as well as plants for the chemical strengthening of glass, will continue to be managed by Dr Harald Jodeit.

RHI Magnesita to invest €23 million in its Urmitz, Germany plant

Refractory products and solutions provider RHI Magnesita is to invest €23 million over the next two years in the digitalisation and modernisation of its Urmitz, Germany plant.

This investment, the company’s largest in Germany,

will be used to expand and upgrade the traditional plant as a hub for non-basic refractory products in the steel, glass, cement, lime, energy and chemical industries.

The modernisation will increase the plant’s production

volume while boosting energy efficiency by ten percent.

In addition, investments made in its recycling methods will allow RHI Magnesita to increase the share of secondary raw materials.

Piramal Glass successfully uses blockchain technology

Piramal Glass has successfully kicked off its first cross-border trade digitisation programme using blockchain.

The Indian container glass manufacturer is prioritising the technology in 2021 as a means of unlocking hid-

den margins and efficiency through digital automation.

The team partnered with the enterprise blockchain platform, #dltledgers, a fintech operating out of Singapore and India.

The Piramal Glass project

will now progress into its next phase. The objective will be to streamline supply chain processes throughout the company’s global manufacturing operations and to build out the company’s private, digital network of suppliers and buyers.

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Bold target sees Absolut develop bottle with 50% recycled content

In February 2021, the Absolut Company announced that it had reached the target of using 50% recycled material in its clear glass vodka bottle in collaboration with manufacturer Ardagh Group, four years ahead of schedule.

But the company isn’t stopping there and through its ambitious internal goals, it aims to have a carbon neutral product by 2030 at the latest.

Tina Robertsson, who heads up the Sustainability Performance team at the Absolut Company, based in Åhus, Sweden said the company decided to increase its recycled content in 2016 by 10% from 36%. The goal was to increase by 1% at a time.

When the 40% target was reached in 2019, she said the whole company was ‘really proud’ and to commemorate this milestone, created the ‘Absolut Comeback’ bottle, a bottle using actual pieces of

broken, recycled glass which was also designed to look like it was made of recycled material.

Absolut hoped that this bottle’s design would enhance the image of using recycled glass in the bottle and was a collaboration between design agency Drama Queen Communications, Absolut bottle manufacturer Ardagh and Absolut.

But Absolut did not stop at 40% and when Pernod Ricard, which owns the Absolut brand, set its target of 50% to 2025 for its coloured and clear glass, Mrs Robertsson said Absolut took this on as its own goal as well.

Absolut did feel it would be a tough goal to reach as it may reduce the clarity of glass. But after its teams got together and realised there was no reduction in clarity and quality, the company became more ambitious.

The Absolut Company has created its glass vodka bottle using 50% recycled material four years ahead of its schedule. George Lewis spoke to Tina Robertsson* about how it was achieved and hear more about the company’s other sustainability goals.

� Tina Robertsson is the head of the sustainable performance team and has been at Absolut since 2004.

�The Absolut ‘Comeback’ bottle was manufactured to look like it was made from pieces of broken, recycled glass, reflecting the recycled glass that goes into every bottle.

Sweden is known to be one of, if not the best in the world at collecting and recycling glass which results in high quality recycled glass that lets Absolut continue to recycle above 50%.

Mrs Robertsson said: “We were quite surprised it was so easy (to reach 50%). We have already taken the decision to increase by 3%.” This campaign to reach 53% will start sometime in spring of 2021.

“We’ve decided, what’s the worst that can happen? We will continue for as long as we can. We know there will be a limit at some point, we’re just not sure where that is yet.”

“To achieve what we want to achieve, to reduce climate impact overall, we must collaborate with suppliers, manufacturers, societies/associations, everything, it is crucial,” she added.

It is not only in the manufacturing process that Absolut are looking to improve on. It also wants to have a target of having a climate neutral distillery without offsetting by 2025, using other solutions rather than using the liquified petroleum gas (LPG) it currently uses.

Mrs Robertsson said that once this has been offset, alongside production there are three other topics Absolut wishes to improve on – wheat cultivation, packaging and distribution, which will all be worked on in parallel.

“We want to have zero output and we think it can happen. We are going to have a climate neutral product by 2030”, she stated.

Absolut has been looking at making its distillery more sustainable since back in 2004 when it first installed energy efficient equipment. Throughout the following years it has been able to do things like recompress the steam generated for reuse, meaning energy use is minimised.

Mrs Robertsson said that for every 1kwh of new energy applied, the equivalent of 5kwh of steam is generated, meaning it is extremely efficient.

Since 2013, it has bought renewable electricity for the distillery and has been near to being climate neutral since then, with only a small amount of fossil fuel offset, something it wishes to eradicate completely by 2025.

Absolut has a longstanding relationship with the Ardagh Group, which has manufactured its glass bottles in one place since 1979 in Limmared, Sweden. The bottles that are created are then distributed to 120 markets around the world.

Mrs Robertsson explained: “We work very closely with our supplier in Limmared within the Ardagh Group. It’s a really great collaboration which we’ve had since day one.”

Due to this relationship that has lasted over 40 years, the two companies are able to ‘challenge’ each other in order to collaborate on other sustainability goals.

Mrs Robertsson said: “If they are going to provide us with good quality (glass bottles), then we must design the bottles in a way that is possible

to be recycled well (using Sweden’s high quality recycling scheme). It’s so important to have the close connection and possibility to change things.”

Absolut has had recycled materials in its production since the Swedish recycling scheme started in 1984 which has been increasing year-onyear.

Absolut uses a third of all the country’s clear recycled glass and all of this cullet is reused in Ardagh’s Limmared glass plant.

Within this relationship, Absolut and Limmared have made a climate roadmap which includes a cold furnace rebuild in either 2025 or 2026.

Ardagh has the ambition to use the Best Available Technology (BAT) when making the cold repair in Limmared in 2025/26.

This furnace repair will coincide with the European Container Glass Federation (FEVE’s) ‘Furnace for the Future’ (F4F) project, which is hoped will cut direct furnace CO2 emissions, and replace a major part of the natural gas with renewable electricity.

The potential CO2 reduction of this innovation is potentially even higher if it can be subsequently combined with other sources of energy such as hydrogen or biogas.

Ardagh Group has volunteered to lead a coalition of 19 independent companies representing over 90% of the total glass container production in Europe (more than 80 billion containers yearly). Ardagh Group will build the F4F furnace and run it in Obernkirchen, Lower Saxony, Germany.

Glass packaging stands for around a third of Absolut’s footprint and it hopes that cutting CO2 emissions from the furnace will be a big step forward in its roadmap to reach zero impact.

Mrs Robertsson also believes that using BAT in the renovation of the furnace, and using renewable fuels, along with increasing the proportion of recycled glass and other measures will be an important part of its roadmap.

She explained that Pernod Ricard has included in its commitments to 2030 that it ‘will be part of schemes to increase recycling rates in our 10 largest markets’.

She said that Pernod Ricard are pushing for change just like Absolut and is constantly look at ways to make changes such as using less raw materials and more cullet.

But along with Pernod Ricard aiming for a more sustainable future, these goals also come from the Ardagh Group, with it very much a prominent part

of the F4F project.

Why glass?

When asked why Absolut is always in glass, Mrs Robertsson explained that because glass is inert, it doesn’t affect the vodka and its taste. She said that ‘glass is an excellent material – but you need to recycle it’ and understands the need to work on its carbon footprint and energy efficiency within its manufacturing.

The future

Mrs Robertsson said the company is well aware of the environmental aspects of its bottle and believes that ‘if you don’t work with sustainability as a topic of great importance you may not survive, you need to be on top of it’.

“We believe that to enjoy things is also good to be sustainable as well”, she added.

Pernod Ricard hopes to have piloted five new circular ways of distributing its wine & spirits by 2030 and wants to help increase recycling rates in the top 10 largest markets with low recycling levels.

It has set up or joined various programmes worldwide to improve recycling or reuse packaging, including in Europe where it has contributed approximately €8 million to national schemes designed to improve the collection and recycling of domestic packaging, including glass.

Both Absolut and Pernod Ricard have also joined the US’s Glass Recycling Coalition to ‘foster efficient and economically viable recycling channels by involving all players in the chain’, including glass manufacturers, bottlers, recycling service providers, and in Brazil, Pernod Ricard has joined the “Glass is Good” project, whose purpose is to increase the glass recycling rate by involving all sectorial players.

“The important message is - recycle! And that everyone understands recycling, including glass manufacturers, politicians, people, everyone”, Mrs Robertsson explained.

She believes that some customers don’t have a full understanding of the need to be more sustainable yet but thinks through Absolut, Pernod Ricard and the Ardagh Group it can positively affect them and hopes external campaigns and providing ambitious goals can really make a difference. �

*Director

The

of Sustainable Performance

Absolut Company, Åhus, Sweden

https://www.theabsolutcompany.com/

“The important message isrecycle!”

HORN® RAPID ADJUST BRACKET H-RAB

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Dr. Diane Nicklas worked in the glass industry for 20 years as a global commercial leader. She is one of the few women on the front line of the industry. Diane describes her view on the necessity to revamp the image of the glass industry as an employer and attract and retain the next generation of young leaders.

A female career in the global glass industry

How long have you worked in the glass industry? What was your first job and subsequent roles since then?

I discovered the Glass Industry in 2001 by joining Saint-Gobain Sekurit, an automotive glass producer. And in the six years that followed I headed the global team of Saint-Gobain Solar Glass and engaged into an exciting journey of this booming market. Those were breathtaking years when I did spend probably more nights in planes and airports than in my own bed.

Eight years ago, I took over the responsibility as the global commercial Director for SEFPRO, a wellknown refractory producer, based in Avignon, south of France. On top of my experience in flat glass production, this job allowed me to deeply experience and understand the needs and challenges of each individual customer of the entire glass Industry, from container-, flat and fiberglass to those industries focusing on special glasses such as pharmaceutical or display glasses.

What was your major achievement in your last job?

It was the successful transition from an ‘old-style’ product-focused commercial approach into a completely revamped, dynamic and customer centred style, and all the inclusions that it takes.

In short words, how did you do this transition?

When joining, I quickly identified the indispensable need of changing and transferring SEFPRO into a much more customer focused

business. I guided my global team to new paths of customer relations and we have put the customer into the centre of our activity, starting by listening and understanding their needs.

And thanks to our new commercial approach we could install trustful and long-term oriented collaborations with our clients. And of course, this has been also very beneficial for the results.

Also, I had the autonomy to deploy long term commercial strategies and one of them was to accompany our customers in times when the entire glass industry undergoes enormous changes. This strategic part of my job has formed the commercial foundation for the company’s future. And of course, all of this is only possible with a great team.

Whom you seem to be quite proud of!

Definitely! I enjoyed immensely to shape and to lead a large global and diverse team. They all have great personalities and were always passionate to walk the extra-mile for their clients, what is essential if you want to provide an outstanding customer experience.

What is it about the glass industry that you enjoy?

Beside the fascinating and evolving technology, it is about the people.

In this rather small cosmos of glass producers of any type of glass and their related suppliers I discovered a tight network of people with an outstanding level of expertise and passion for their

� Phoenix award 2019.

industry. Representing my company, I experienced at a global level stimulating discussions on eyelevel with my business partners, all following the strong mission to add value and move things dynamically forward.

In other words, to me it is the combination of ‘technology’ and ‘people’ which makes this industry special.

You’re also a member of the Phoenix Committeewhat benefits has this brought by being a member?

The networking! In the Phoenix Committee I humbly enjoy being part of a community of suppliers for the glass industry that all share common values and passions: being excellent in products and services, committed that the best is not enough and that people make a real difference to the business. And the informal communication as well as the solidarity in this community is priceless to me.

I participated in three ceremonies, the award to

Mr. Surasak Decharin, to Mr. Oliver Wiegand and to Professor Alicia Durán. Each award recipient is an impressive personality, from whom we all can learn from.

You’re one of the relatively few women in industry. Why do you think there are fewer women than men in the industry?

Well, you definitely are right by saying there are ‘relatively few’ women. Indeed, our industry clearly lacks of gender diversity. During my university time we were only a handful of female students and consequently today in my generation you do not find many women in leadership functions. What concerns me is that even nowadays you don’t find many women in junior positions either, which means that the problem of diversity will continue to exist.

So, what can be done to encourage more women to join the industry?

Encouraging young women won’t be enough, I fear. In front of us we do have the challenge to attract an entire new generation. At first glance, nowadays no heavy industry is really appealing to the young generation. We are neither exciting, nor techy, nor cool in their eyes.

I observe and hear what they care for: environment, sustainability, networking & culture, innovation, digitalisation, high-end technology, and working for purpose-oriented organisations.

And aren’t those notions the very same important challenges, if not opportunities, that the entire glass industry faces for the upcoming decades? Hence, I believe we can be an attractive industry to the young generation, men and also women, provided we address some of those topics in a determined and consequent way.

� Glasstec 2018.

� With colleagues in the plant 2020

�With Sefpro Asia commercial team

Do you have concrete ideas?

It all starts with a ‘good and meaningful purpose’!

In SEFPRO I hired and onboarded several young talents, out of which more than 50% were female, and they all had one thing in common: they needed a vision, a mission, you might want to call it a ‘good purpose’ to embrace, to identify with, and to engage for.

So, I shaped my company’s image or profile to the outside, allowing to become a relevant, authentic and responsible employer, and consequently attract new talent and skills. This effort paid out; the junior talents are today valuable pillars of the team.

Could you share with us your experience of shaping a company’s profile?

Working on your future profile and purpose is a challenge for industrial companies. It took me some years to profoundly change the appearance and attractiveness of my past company on the market. There is an initial work to be done that starts with a definition of a ‘vision’. Then the defined intents need to be translated into real actions. And finally, you must communicate your actual progress and achievements, allowing you to position your company – if not the glass industry as a whole – in a more attractive way.

I am convinced that our industry has so many good elements to highlight. I think about the sustainability of container glasses, the growing role of the pharmaceutical glass products, the infrastructural projects that need fiber glasses, antibacterial display glasses and so many more. Are we really communicating enough the many benefits that glass contributes to society? The upcoming Year of Glass 2022 is in my eyes a great moment to do so.

And, once the young people are in the glass industry, how can they be encouraged to stay and develop their careers?

Trusting them and providing them with a career path. This upcoming generation of young managers is eager to act and get empowered. Furthermore, they need to understand what the company can offer them in terms of personal development, which is important to retain them.

Giving them autonomy to explore their individual way and accompany them with trustful support from senior management is my leadership

style. I believe that this is easier in smaller or midsize companies, where an entrepreneurial talent is earlier identified and higher valued.

Do you think women can bring different skills to the sector? How do these skills benefit the industry?

It is all about the right mix. Of course, women bring in a very natural way other skills than those you would find in a team composed exclusively of men. Like it would be once you bring men into a team that is composed only out of women. Diversity has proven to be an essential key success factor for teams and companies. I see further benefits for our glass industry if an additional dimension of diversity would be included, namely the ‘cultural diversity’.

This is even more important if the glass company serves customers at an international, if not global level. My experience has shown me that both, gender and cultural diversity, can and will help any company going through a transition, if not a transformational phase.

How and where do you see yourself in the coming years in our industry?

Well, I’ve been active in the glass industry now for 20 years and almost half of this time as a global refractory supplier for the glass industry. I believe that I deeply understand what moves the different glass markets and their suppliers. Then I experienced how to successfully shape the profile of a company in a transition period, how to take true leadership and responsibility for a global team, and how to identify and develop young talents. I am a deeply passionate commercial leader that has experienced and knows how to gain market share by growing revenues profitably and sustainably, and how to create long term relations with customers. With all those assets I would like to continue working for the glass industry. In this sense, I am excited to further explore upcoming opportunities, which the glass industry certainly has, considering the current dynamic market environment.

And should the reader be interested to contact you, how can they do so?

For any existing or new business partner and colleague, I remain reachable via: dr.d.nicklas@ gmail.com �

“In front of us we do have the challenge to attract an entire new generation. At first glance, nowadays no heavy industry is really appealing to the young generation. We are neither exciting, nor techy, nor cool in their eyes.

To ensure your data does not get lost in translation, our technologies speak the same language.

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Hydrogen consortium plots industrial stage

Aproject to investigate the use of hydrogen in the glass manufacturing process has made progress this year and aims to apply for industrial scale funding.

The consortium, headed by Dutch energy group DNV and which includes a number of glass manufacturers and technology suppliers, has continued its pilot phase and even increased its number of participants.

Oscar Verheijen, Project Manager from CelSian and a member of the consortium’s Steering Committee, said there were now 34 members of the hydrogen group, with the majority from the glass industry but other members from other sectors such as steel.

“It is an interesting consortium made up of companies from different

geographies as well as diverse industries, such as steel and energy.”

The aim of the pilot phase has been to test the performance of different airand oxy-fuel burner types combusting mixtures of CH4 and H¬2, and consider the implications of switching to hydrogen by for example determining the changes in the radiative heat transfer and NOx emission. It is hoped to develop a burner type that will allow the gradual transition from natural gas to hydrogen.

He added: “The results so far have been encouraging. At this stage we’re still gathering more knowledge, developing NOx mitigating strategies, testing the burners and control systems which is ongoing. At the same time we have had more participants join, despite the fact we have already been running for a year.

A consortium which was formed last year to investigate the potential of hydrogen in the glass manufacturing process has continued to make progress despite the challenges of the pandemic. Greg Morris spoke to steering committee member

Oscar Verheijen about its aims.

We are very pleased with the increased engagement from the glass industry.”

Some of CelSian’s work within the project includes working with laser sensor to monitor the convection process, look at how the flame shape is developing and the combustion process. A simulation is then carried out to quantify and describe the heat transfer, which might be critical for any future furnace and process design based on hydrogen.

While the pandemic did halt some of the operational parts of the project, such as ensuring everything ran at a scheduled time, the technical and management side continued unabated.

The pilot phase of the project is due to come to an end on 2022 but there are already plans to extend it to an industrial phase. This will depend on receiving

appropriate economic support from the funding authorities.

Mr Verheijen hopes that the project will eventually be able to demonstrate there are no technical hurdles to implement hydrogen combustion in the glass industry. This could either be the use of 100% hydrogen or the use of blends such as natural gas.

Mr Verheijen said: “If you can use blends and can easily control the combustion process based on the mixture and do not see impact on glass quality then it opens the way for the introduction of hydrogen combustion, whether it is full scale, or 50% or 30%.”

Mr Verheijen is hopeful that some glass manufacturers would consider introducing hydrogen on a small scale in order to reduce their CO2 emissions rather than waiting for a full furnace rebuild, which could be several years for some glass producers.

“They do not have to wait until the moment they do a rebuild before completely switching over to hydrogen, and that creates a flexibility for the availability of hydrogen. Although we have to acknowledge there will be local challenges based on the necessary infrastructure of hydrogen.”

Members

The number of participant companies within the consortium has increased to 34 in the past year, and approximately 40% of participants are from the glass sector.

These include container manufacturers O-I, Ardagh Glass, Bormioli Rocco, and Verallia, flat glass makers AGC, Cardinal, Saint-Gobain and Vitro Architectural Glass, specialist glass manufacturers Corning, Schott, and Nippon Electric Glass, fiber glass producer Owens Corning, pharmaceutical manufacturer SGD Pharma, tableware specialist Arc International, as well as furnace supplier Tecoglass and technology supplier Stara Glass.

Mr Verheijen said: “A lot of companies see they will have to do something in

the future and use this project to get knowledge and to define their roadmap. It’s difficult to define whether it will be electric firing or a hydrogen hybrid, it is about collecting know how at this stage.”

He added: “One of the biggest challenges is always to find a good consortium of companies who work well together. We do have a good group and it has snowballed. Other companies look towards it and say they should be part of that otherwise they might miss some information. So the size of the group automatically increases.”

The subject of sustainability and of the environment has become a hot topic within the glass industry in recent years. Mr Verheijen has been impressed by how rapidly manufacturers have investigated new technologies that could reduce glass production emissions.

The GlassTrend organisation, of which Mr Verheijen is chairman, has seen increased interest in the subject in recent meetings, not just from European and Asian companies but from North America as well.

“The US re-signing up to the Paris climate agreement will further support the development of sustainable technologies from which hydrogen might be a solution for the future. Therefore, USbased companies are keen to participate in this project.

“They are aware of investing in glass resources and even looking at carbon capture followed by storage and/or utilisation, which I would not have expected to have happened two years ago. So there is more traction in the market on this topic.”

A unique aspect about the project is that a specific facility has been constructed at DNV’s site near Groningen, The Netherlands where the testing has taken place. DNV has a strong background in the development and testing of combustion technologies within their R&D facilities. The facility includes a furnace with a water cooled bottom, which extracts heat from the furnace.

The consortium aims to deliver the proposal for the next phase of the project next year with the intention to start work on the second phase in early 2023.

For this follow-up phase it is envisioned to include batch melting in the pilot facility to assess also the impact of H2rich combustion on glass quality. �

CelSian, Eindhoven, The Netherlands www.celsian.nl

� Oscar Verheijen.

The three different companies forming the SORG Group combine to offer a unique, all-in-one solution for glass manufacturers. Our market-leading melting and conditioning technologies range from the supply and storage of raw materials through to conditioned glass and cullet return systems.

THE POWER OF THREE3

Planning a glass production facility, for the unimaginable

Detailed planning for the Glass Futures research and development (R&D) and training facility is underway, with input from a variety of professionals from various glass manufacturing sectors. Peter Firth* discusses the challenges of designing a facility that is both a research project and a glass melting facility.

OOnly a year ago, a Pilot Plant with the sole purpose of being a ‘playground’ for glass industry development work may have seemed unimaginable. Now that concept has come to reality in the form of the Glass Futures’ Global Centre of Excellence in St Helens, UK. Furthermore, this is a project jointly supported by UK national and local governments, for the benefit of the international glass industry.

Maybe even the concept of Glass Futures (GF) as a not-for-profit research and technology organisation seems unimaginable to some people. The clue is in the name of the company of course, ‘Glass Futures’. This is a company dedicated to securing the future of all types of glass products. Fundamentally, that is GF’s raison d’être. As such, it exists to serve the glass industry as a partner in addressing all the challenges and opportunities it faces.

In doing so, it aims to bring the various sectors of the glass industry together on common ground. That is as well as also

supporting company-specific initiatives, all the while creating a pre-competitive collaborative environment.

If you then think about bringing such an R&D Glass Plant into reality, it won’t get any easier to imagine either. I am presently working on this as a Production Consultant, together with a large team of other global glass specialists. The other experts on GF’s Pilot Plant team consists of a mixture of GF employees and memberorganisation employees. Currently, the technical design group memberorganisations include O-I, Vidrala, Encirc, Guardian Glass, NSG Group and Siemens.

As a facility design group, we have to constantly remind ourselves to ‘take our production hat off’. By doing so, we can think more about the R&D and testing needs of the industry, rather than focusing on the glass production itself.

This means we need to plan on potentially rejecting a lot of production and internally recycling it. This is diametrically opposed to what most of us on the team are ‘programmed’ for, which

is to achieve highly-efficient, high-quality glass production. In fact, at the very heart of the funding agreement as an R&D facility, is that the plant cannot produce any scale of commercial products. ‘Taking our product hat off’ is therefore a change in mindset that we have had to go through, carefully cultivating it together as team.

Having said all that, it is still necessary to end up with a Glass Plant that looks, feels and acts like a production facility, not just a series of fragmented glass testing facilities. This is what will make Glass Futures different to other glass testing facilities currently available to the industry. This is not to say that GF is looking to replace those services, but rather augment and compliment them, in fact welcoming them as potential partners with GF too.

Detailed planning for this facility is now well under way. However, this does not mean it cannot still be altered in

response to the input and comments from the wider industry. Such input is now being welcomed in a series of Open Design Sessions held by regular webinars and open to all.

On a recent such webinar, I presented the current thinking behind the proposal for the production line(s), from the working-end to the packer. That thinking behind each of the three production areas of the hot end, the lehr, and the cold end was presented. Questions were invited in order to take on board any comments from those attending the webinar and some great challenges were raised, which allows us to develop our thinking even further.

Please look out for the webinars on Glass Futures’ social media channels and join future events to give us your input. This is your chance to help shape the development of this revolutionary new R&D Glass Plant.

In the area of the hot end, I discussed how we are planning to feed a single I.S. Machine for hollow-ware container production. The current layout drawings I presented showed the largest envisaged production equipment so that we can easily accommodate future plant development. In addition to the one forehearth feeding the I.S. Machine, there is proposed to be a second forehearth. This will have an outlet that can be used for drawing off a ribbon of flat glass.

The proposed extent of flat glass production equipment at the end of this second forehearth is currently quite vague and needs further consideration. However, as far as flat glass compositional development needs go, any testing in changes to glass compositions can be tested from samples of hollow glass taken at the I.S. Machine. This second forehearth will also enable good glassflow to be maintained through the furnace throat, specifically for when glass flow may need to be stopped or restricted at the I.S. Machine.

On both of these forehearths, there is intended to be a colourant section with a traditional frit introduction mechanism, followed by at least three rows of stirrers. The specification of this feature is still under consideration. However, in addition to introducing new colours, there will be the opportunity to make late-stage compositional changes to the glass and therefore support a further basis of experimentation.

There is a third forehearth and forming machine that have been considered, but

this is just for future planning purposes. This is mostly for shopfloor design loadings calculations. Any future forming machine in that location may well not be another I.S. Machine, but, in any case, it would be lighter than the large forming machine shown on the layout drawing.

The single I.S. Machine currently proposed is a 10-Section bed with 6 installed sections. This will allow for development sections at either side of the operational 6 sections. Forming sections of different widths to the standard 21” section could be tested, with good access space being maintained for any such live development work or testing.

A further consideration for the I.S. Machine that has been built into the overall plant specification is the glass metal line height. This has been designed to be six metres to provide plenty of space between the shears and the gob distributor. There will therefore be ample space to facilitate future gob monitoring and control equipment, not always available in traditional glass plants.

Another area of deliberate space creation is on the machine conveyor extension. This will allow for easier access to possible future glass hot-end coatings development work, or hot end inspection development. In itself, the longer machine conveyor will present its own challenge because of the relatively low production tonnage combined with the length of the conveyor.

This naturally leads us to considering the specification for the lehr. The glass entering the lehr is likely to have cooled down much more than in a normal production situation with a more appropriately sized conveyor extension. As a result, it will need more heating in the first zone or two than would normally be required. This will be necessary to get the glass back up to the annealing temperature, before starting the slow cooling phase of annealing.

The challenge regarding the available space for the lehr was also raised during the presentation. The point I made was that a compromise on lehr width might be necessary to allow for the additional heating zone(s). This may mean longer lehr times for the product than would otherwise be more ideal in a production context. But this is a current area of focus and there might be other more satisfactory solutions available.

Attention then came on to the area of cold end inspection. The current layout proposal has two inspection legs.

However, the output of the I.S. Machine will only need one inspection leg. Nevertheless, as a development facility, a second inspection leg is being proposed to be installed. Removable conveyor sections will allow for production to be recirculated at the cold end for inspection testing.

In fact, the inner inspection loop can be operating on recirculation mode, while the outer leg takes production to the packaging machine. It could also be configured so there are two inspection loops in recirculation mode and both with different products. This can be used to test either individual items of inspection equipment, or entire inspection legs.

The linking of the cold end data back to the hot end is of course also another area of focus. The involvement of Seimens as a key partner in the project will be a significant part of this, as well as for data management for the whole plant. In addition, there will be ample laboratory space available for off-line testing of glass production. This information will of course also be included in the ‘big data’ set being generated for the production and testing work being carried out.

On a wider point about the plant in general, a previous webinar had already covered the batch plant and furnace proposals. These proposals are focused on testing composition changes, validating the modelling of the melting process, refractory testing, furnace design and alternative fuels development for net-zero carbon production for the future.

If you feel the St Helens R&D plant project may be of interest to your company, please make contact and we will be happy to discuss this with you. There are many levels at which you can get involved, we can discuss what would be right for you. Or if you simply have any general points or suggestions to make, we would welcome your input. �

*Peter Firth, Private Consultant (Glass Container Production), Working with Glass Futures Ltd on the GFL St Helens Project

Contact: Via LinkedIn Profile (search ‘Peter J Firth’) or email peterjfirth@gmail.com

Glass Futures, https://www.glass-futures.org/

To find out more please contact Alanna Halsall, Media and Communications: alanna.halsall@glass-futures.org

Glass powers wireless technology

Stealth Case won the Innovation of the Year category at the recent British Glass Focus awards. Mika Partanen*

describes the award-winning technology, which is installed in glass and improves indoor wireless connectivity.

Congratulations on your innovation of the year award at the recent British Glass Focus awards.

1 Can you tell us more about the device?

Thanks! Our new generation glass antenna dramatically improves indoor wireless connectivity – in other words, it enables faster download and upload speeds and better call quality for the people inside buildings. It can be added to window glass at fabrication stage and does not require power, maintenance or special installation to function. Importantly, it is virtually undetectable to human eye and does not compromise window’s thermal performance.

2 What gave you the idea for this technological innovation?

A few years ago, our founder & CTO Juha moved to a newly completed apartment building in Tampere, Finland only to realise he could barely get a connection on his mobile phone. He realised this was caused by the attenuation of the building materials. Building on his experience in antenna design, Juha came to view windows as a natural

entry place for mobile signals (along with light) into buildings. In hindsight, we think he was right!

3 Where does it work? What type of location is it more suited for?

Our glass antenna works by reversing the attenuation of building materials – window glass in this instance. It brings the mobile network signal strength you would find outside the building, into the building. That means the antenna works wherever there is mobile coverage outdoors. It benefits especially low-E windows since they tend to attenuate wireless signals heavily. As for building types, especially the ones with concrete, brick, stone or metal exteriors stand to benefit from windows with glass antennas.

4 How does it work (specifically in glass)?

Our technology uses a laser to print a twodimensional pattern on window glass at the fabrication stage. The laser removes extremely thin traces of the metal coating on the glass to create a

� In a residential setting, one antenna window per room is typically recommended to achieve the best results.

� Mika Partanen, LeadStealthCase International Business Development.

passive antenna pattern in the desired area (e.g., close to the window edge; there is no need to cover a substantial area). Using beam forming technology commonly found in radars, this antenna pattern then “grabs” the signals arriving from the serving base station(s) outside and spreads them indoors through the window.

5 Do you have to work with glass manufacturers to incorporate the technology into a glazing?

Yes we do – our expertise lies in antenna design, signal strength modelling and measurement. We partner with glass fabricators and work closely with them to incorporate our technology into their products. In the Finnish market, Pihla whose Antenna Glass window incorporates our technology, has been an important strategic partner for us. It is worth noting that we optimise our antennas by partner and product line, to maximise the benefits and ensure good fit with the production line setup.

6 Can you tell us about the testing process? How did you test it and what were the results like?

We carry out both field trials and extensive lab testing in a controlled environment. We always start the testing procedure in our anechoic chamber (in lab conditions) where we can measure passive frequency responses of the windows under test, as well as to investigate the angular dependency of different designs at each frequency. Our field tests, on the other hand, aim to provide “real-life” results; a typical test would be a “beforeafter” setup inside a building where we replace a traditional window sash with a glass antenna sash, or alternatively suppress the operation of an already installed glass antenna sash with a microwave absorbing panel to block the signal. We then measure the indoor signal strength with a portable spectrum analyser to observe the improvement. To make the test as realistic as possible, we also use mobile phones to track the changes in the signal strength.

Across our field tests we have typically observed signal strength improvements ranging from nearly 10 decibels to as high as over 20 decibels in very

optimal conditions. For reference, a 10-decibel improvement means ten-fold increase in the signal strength and 20 decibels a hundred-fold increase. This can make quite a difference e.g., for 5G network download speeds!

7 What has feedback from potential customers been like so far?

Based on the positive anecdotal customer feedback and the steadily increasing sales figures, we view the market reception as very positive! An exciting trend we have noticed recently is that construction companies (the largest customers) are starting to consider the glass antenna as a standard (rather than exception) feature for the windows they install on buildings. Since we aim for mass adoption, this is an encouraging development.

8 Do you have any background in glass before you launched this innovation? If so what? If not, what gave you the inspiration to work with glass?

Our background was outside the glass industry, mainly in antenna design. The inspiration to work with glass came from the simple realisation that windows represent a natural entry point for wireless signals, along with natural light. We also discovered that adding our antennas to a window could be done as part of the fabrication process without disrupting the production line. This further reinforced our belief that window glass is great application area for our technology.

9 Does the technology work with all wireless providers or is it more suited to specific providers?

Our technology works across the different operators since their mobile networks operate in the frequency band that our antennas are designed for. It is also worth mentioning that although we often discuss 5G in our test examples (it is the future, after all), our antennas benefit also the older mobile communication generations and types (3G and 4G) as well as first responder networks. �

*Business Development, North America, Stealth Case, Finland http://www.stealthcase.fi

� The glass antenna reverses the window’s signal attenuation, enabling faster data speeds and better call quality indoors.

Tiama Xlab – the revolutionary 3D sampling solution

Turn virtual reality into reality with the new Tiama Xlab.

This highly flexible laboratory module can be installed at the hot end, the cold end or in the laboratory. It loads the container automatically and makes a 3D scan, generating an image composed of millions of facets.

The 3D image can be rotated and “dissected” on all sides. Virtual volume, capacity, and vacuity can be measured as well as glass distribution fully mapped. You can also analyse engraving, embossing and much more. Practically all container types and shapes can be inspected and it’s non-destructive because the image (and not the container itself) is “cut” virtually.

For an online presentation of the Tiama Xlab please contact us at marketing@tiama.com.

Data – the deciding factor

Don’t just look at it, look into it.

The changing face of glass makers

David Harbcraner discusses what impact the recent wave of investments in the glass manufacturing industry will have.

Recently there have been a number of successful transactions which have seen container glass plants around the world changing hands. In itself, this should be regarded as positive. There are investors with money who see the glass industry as an attractive investment. Of course, for every buyer there is a seller. These sellers see it as time to cash out and exit from the industry.

Overall, are these new investors a positive and healthy wave for the industry? Investors will be looking to grow investments and maximise their returns. This could mean that there will be a flood of capex spent creating a step change in technology and productivity which are positive forces that could drive the industry forward. On the other hand, the step in investment could simply be filling in the hole created by years of under investment by the previous owners. This is also a positive force. We all hope that the new owners don’t simply squeeze all juice out of their newly acquired assets, leaving them in a perilous state after a couple of years. Time will tell if these transactions create a step change or result in an short term exploitation and digging a hole of under investment.

The new owners of these recent transactions have different profiles, with a range of differing approaches. They include private equity, glassmakers, diversified packaging companies, fillers and entrepreneurs each with

differing time horizons and investment approaches. Which type of investor is best for the industry in the long term?

The big money from Private Equity

Private equity firm, Blackstone, was successful in acquiring Piramal Glass recently for a reported $1bn. Serious money by any measure.

Private equity firms are normally in it primarily for the money. They will push like crazy to extract the maximum and increase the valuation, so that they can exit and count their profits after a few years. Their time horizons are normally five to seven years, which is relatively short, when compared with the glass industry, where time horizons are measured in multiple furnace campaigns of 12 to 15 years.

PE firms’ conventional approach often involves ruthless reductions in expenditure and cost control, minimising capex, sweating the assets and leveraging the balance sheet to the max. Some may conclude this being detrimental in the long term.

On the other hand, PE companies have a large war chest of money. They could bet that a significant investment in technology will dramatically increase capability, capacity and efficiency. This drives extraordinary value creation for them on their exit. No doubt a positive for the industry.

Upstream investment and divestiture by brand owners

AB InBev has been actively investing and divesting in the glass business. It is the largest brewer, and arguably the biggest buyer of glass in the world. Last year it invested into Nampak Glass now Isanti Glass, with promises of continued investment and expansions which certainly sounds positive.

Contrasting this in February, it announced the sale of the Longhorn glass plant in the USA to Ardagh. One can debate the real reasons that drove these upstream investments and divestitures and their timing. However, one thing is clear, making and selling beer is usually more profitable than selling glass.

The buyer, Ardagh, is the second largest glass maker in the world and announced last year a four-year capital investment programme of $1.8bn, of which 15% was earmarked for its glass business.

With positive speak of large investments in capex, a takeover of a glass plant by Ardagh sounds like a long term positive. For the Longhorn plant, do the new owners bring increased investment in technology compared with the previous owners?

Regional consolidation

There have been many examples where smaller local glass manufacturers have benefited by being incorporated into larger glass makers. Potentially this

unlocks synergies and opportunities for expansion and economies of scale and skills, which is again a positive.

Good examples of these include Vetropack’s acquisitions in Moldova, BA taking over Yioula; Altair acquiring Frigo Dubai; Consol buying Glass Force and Central Glass, O-I acquiring Vical and Vitro, Ardagh buying Anchor, Vidrala securing Encirc, to name a few.

New entrants

O-I sold its Australian and New Zealand operations in 2020. This is part of a strategic and tactical divestiture programme aligned with its ‘Portfolio Optimisation’ strategy. These transactions

have generated some much needed cash which has helped OI get its debt burden under control – a positive for O-I.

The new owners in Australia, Visy, a diversified packaging company, with ambitions to enter a new packaging substrate, have legacy of investing in technology and a long term view – in all, it appears very positive for the industry.

Entrepreneurs see value in glass

A number of entrepreneurs are investing lots of money into new glass plantsArglass in the US, Embalvidro in Angola and Glass Pack in Lebanon. New entrants see the opportunity and use technology

to get ahead of the market – a positive wave for the industry.

Investors will come and go

There is no shortage of investors seeking their fortunes in what many consider a mature industry.

An industry renowned for is long term cycle’s, relatively predictable custom, and strong cash generation. This is very positive for the industry.

History will reveal which approach and which of new owners are best for the industry. Which owners will provide the step-up in technology and capability and which ones will simply exploit and dig holes of under investment? �

Bormioli Pharma opens new glass research centre

Italian pharmaceutical glass packaging supplier Bormioli Pharma has opened a new research centre at the National Research Council’s HQ in Parma, Italy.

Bormioli Pharma serves the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical market with complete solutions, including glass and plastic bottles, plastic and aluminium containers and accessories.

It has a global presence in over 100 countries, with more than 1,300 employees and nine plants in Europe, specialised in the production of glass and plastic packaging.

Each year, the company produces more than seven billion items, and in 2019 it reported annual sales of approximately €250 million.

With the health emergency due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent search for a vaccine further highlighting the importance of glass containers in the drug supply chain, both from the point

of view of performance and compatibility with new formulations.

As a result, Bormioli Pharma has opened a new glass research centre at the headquarters of the Institute of Materials for Electronics and Magnetism (IMEM) - National Research Council (CNR) in Parma, Italy, which serves as a reference point for national and international research in materials science.

In the new laboratories, Bormioli Pharma will conduct sophisticated analyses on the chemico-physical characteristics of its glass bottles and will promote research programs to identify alternative formulations and special surface treatments.

“With this project, we aim to create a centre of excellence for innovation in glass containers for drugs with high

therapeutic value”, said Andrea Lodetti, CEO of Bormioli Pharma.

“We will thus be able to reverse the paradigm in which the packaging supplier intervenes only at the end of the development process of new formulations, providing our contribution from the earliest stages of clinical trials”.

In the coming months, Bormioli Pharma and CNR will also fund a PhD grant for the development of a new generation of glass bottles, capable of offering chemical neutrality, shock absorption and assembly line flow characteristics superior to any packaging solution on the market today. �

https://www.bormiolipharma.com/en/

� Bormioli Pharma has opened a new glass research centre at the headquarters of the National Research Council (CNR) to look at innovations in glass containers within the drug supply chain.

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Increased pharma demand sparks need for quality management

Over the last few years, in many markets, manufacturers have found that highly skilled labour is becoming scarce, and the remaining pool of available workers willing to work in the heavy manufacturing segment continues to decrease. Many glass manufacturers are challenged to find and retain qualified employees. This is particularly true for positions that are labour intensive and repetitive yet critical, such as those associated with the measurement and testing for quality control and process management purposes. Today, workforce issues are further complicated by Covid-19. Limited worker availability and social distancing requirements have created major challenges in the laboratory environment, where space is often limited.

One of the ways of addressing the workforce challenges is to invest in automation within the plant. By doing so, it allows a company to focus on the work and productivity of their high-level employees and apply automation to the more labour-intensive tasks. One such application is routine bottle sampling.

The Agr DSG400-P Dimensional Sampling Gauge is designed to assist producers of pharmaceutical and small container ware by helping to overcome workforce challenges while meeting the rigid quality standards imposed by the pharmaceutical industry.

This product is specially configured for the unique handling and measurement requirements of small format ware such as pharmaceutical vials, cosmetic containers and related products. It provides accurate, repeatable and comprehensive measurement of critical dimensions, with a special focus on measurements of ware as small as 38mm in height and

diameters under 70mm. The DSG400-P specifically addresses the high precision measurement needs of manufacturers of this type of ware, including attributes specific to very small finishes and ID/ bore that ensure proper fit of stoppers and closures while providing hands-free operation on a 24/7 basis.

Consistent with Agr’s Dimensional Sampling Gauge (DSG) design philosophy, this system utilises a modular approach that includes robotic sample handling and independent measurement stations for weight, body/finish dimensioning, ID/bore and Pushup. The system can also be configured for thickness measurement incorporating Agr’s Thickness 360 thickness measurement system. In operation, bottles are fed to

the system through an infeed conveyor, are transported by the robot and placed in the applicable testing station. Using the pipeline approach, the DSG can measure multiple samples concurrently in the various stations, maximising throughput.

The finish and body dimensional measurement station is the central function of the DSG400-P and offers unlimited measurement capabilities. The DSG400-P incorporates multiple, high-resolution, telecentric cameras to perform measurements over the entire container body and finish. Bottles are placed in the finish and body station by the robot then positioned in front of the cameras by a high precision table with 360° rotational capabilities. A complete circumferential scan is performed on each

The current demand for pharmaceutical ware – brought on by Covid-19 - is higher than it has ever been in history. To meet these current supply demands, while complying with the rigid quality standards of pharmaceutical producers and vaccine suppliers, can be quite daunting, reports David Dineff*.

� Agr’s DSG400-P automated, hands-free testing station performs a number of critical dimensional measurements in a single operation. When interfaced with a sampling line, it can operate autonomously providing continuous measurement data on a 24/7 basis.

bottle, providing a comprehensive image for measurement processing, making it possible to process simple as well as complex measurements at multiple locations to a high degree of accuracy and repeatability. All measurements are completed within 30 seconds regardless of the number and complexity of measurements specified for the job.

The DSG400-P features a special small-bore gauging system specifically designed to measure bores as small as 11mm. Functions can be programmed for multiple level measurements or a continuous scan to a depth of 40mm. A graphical representation of the finish profile is provided for quick evaluation and visualisation. Push-up measurement is also performed in this station. For weight measurement, a high-precision scale is incorporated to capture weights on individual containers.

The DSG400-P is part of the latest version of Agr’s DSG product line. The DSG400-P incorporates all of the new features that were introduced with the DSG400 series, including an advanced no-job change function that makes it possible to accept bottles of different sizes and shapes from multiple lines without the need for an operator to adjust handling components or change parts. Enhanced tooling and software are included to facilitate positive bottle placement and increases the measurable thickness range for pharmaceutical and small format bottles.

As an option, the DSG400-P can be fitted with Agr’s Thickness 360 measurement gauge. This high-precision device, accurate to + 0.02mm, utilises the visual

scan data gathered by the DSG400-P imaging system to position the thickness sensor for optimal measurement. With this approach, the bottle orientation and shape are fully understood, making it possible to achieve optimal accuracy, even on curves, corners and difficult-tomeasure regions.

positioning for optimal measurement.

Optimised handling, leading edge servo controllers and a quad-core central computer running an embedded operating system communicating with USB 3 camera interface increase overall processing speed and vision frame rates, making it possible to capture more images in less time.

The DSG’s already high precision is further improved in the series 400 with new camera technology that sports a 2x increase in pixel density and enhanced telecentric lighting for improved edge shadow for the highest dimensional precision and repeatability.

The user interface on the DSG400-P incorporates touch screen technology for ease of operation. Measurement information is displayed on a highresolution, colour monitor in a number of formats that enable an operator to monitor critical areas of a container and quickly assess testing in progress. Typical bottle measurement routines are preprogrammed and customised tests can be easily created, providing great versatility in job creation and setup. Industry 4.0 standard communication protocols have also been incorporated into the DSG400 to improve communications and support Industry 4.0 objectives. These include CSV added outputs, XML and TCP/IP connectivity as well as XML tags on all data points. The addition of this capability expands the DSG400’s ability to talk to other devices, support remote computer job change (commands and uploads) and interface with factory robotic handling systems without operator intervention.

Measuring on the plant floor

Fast Throughput, High Precision, Communication

In this time of high demand for pharmaceutical containers, measurement throughput is of high concern. This system can measure up to 100 containers per hour. This is all performed handsfree via a robotic handling system that precisely moves containers through each station, providing smooth bottle transition, automatic centering and

The DSG400-P can be used as a standalone measurement station for automated laboratory applications in the laboratory, or along the production line. However the real benefit of the system can be realised by incorporating measurement operations directly into the production line. The Agr DSG400-P can be directly linked to the cold-end production line through single or multiple sampling line configurations. When configured to a sampling line, measurements can be performed completely hands-free on a continuous basis throughout the production run. With a sampling line feeding the DSG400-P, critical measurement data is available on a regular

� Data from each station is correlated by the system to the mould number and available in a consolidated report via the user interface.

� The DSG400-P features a special small-bore gauging system specifically designed to measure bores as small as 11mm.

Society of Glass Technology

Join the worldwide network of interests centred on making glass great

The Society of Glass Technology exists to serve people who are interested in the production, properties or uses of glasses, whether from a commercial, aesthetic, academic or technical viewpoint. It is a non-profit making organisation serving a worldwide membership publishing jour nals and text books, organising meetings and conferences on glass related topics.

You can now join the SGT by going to www.sgt.org and selecting your jour nal choice and appropriate package. You will also be able to see the comprehensive history and activities of the society

and timely basis. This eliminates delays typically associated with manual collection, transport and measuring of bottles.

Utility

Agr’s DSG systems provide the majority of the measurements that are typically performed in the laboratory. These measurements are performed in one single, hands free operation with very high accuracy and repeatability. According to a major user of the system, the DSG makes it possible for them to compare the ideal versus. reality. With its measurement capability, they can determine how far they are from the design and what the process is looking like to provide guidance regarding what they may need to change.

According to the same source, the DSG is also extremely valuable when they are implementing a new bottle. Sampling and measuring are very important to understand how the bottle is looking on its first run. Using this data from the DSG, process adjustments can be made quickly. Since the cycle time on the DSG is very short and values are very accurate, their qualification process is fast and immediate action is possible.

Family of Measurement Products

Agr International has a long history of providing high-precision dimensional gauging and measurement systems to the glass container industry. Agr’s Dimensional Sampling Gauge and OmniLab products are designed for operation at-the-line or nearthe-line for hands-free automated sampling and measurement of containers. These systems are relied upon by a number of bottle manufacturers around the world.

Agr offers a complete line of products for the measurement and testing of glass containers. Agr products are designed to assist container producers, converters and fillers stay competitive, while meeting the increased quality demands of today’s changing world. �

* Director of Marketing, AGR International, Butler, PA USA www.agrintl.com

� The DSG400-P is specially configured for the handling and measurement requirements of small format ware such as pharmaceutical vials, cosmetic containers and related products.

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Marposs supports the quality of anti-COVID-19 vaccine vials

Eleonora Bordini* describes how Marposs inspection equipment can help pharmaceutical glass manufacturers in their drive to produce vials for the Covid-19 vaccine.

The OVID-19 pandemic dramatically changed our lives in the last year. The way to go back to a normal life passes through the so called ‘herd immunity’. Herd immunity is achieved when a sufficient percentage, about 70%, of the entire worldwide population has become immune to the virus through infection or vaccination.

The majority of anti-COVID-19 vaccines needs two doses so, something like 11 billion doses of vaccine are necessary to defeat the virus. It’s very likely that other booster doses will be required, in the near future, to guarantee the immunity also to the variants of the virus. All these vaccine doses have to be packaged in glass vials.

Last year drug makers warned of possible limited supplies of vials to bottle future anti-COVID-19 vaccines.

Manufacturers of primary glass packaging for the pharmaceutical industry took immediate actions to increase their production capacity and support their customers in this feat.

Glass vials for parenteral medication, either tubular or moulded vials, are made of Type 1 borosilicate glass. This material is chemically inert, highly resistant to enzymes and is suitable to withstand temperature variations, that is be heated for sterilization and frozen for conservation and storage.

Glass vials, as well pharmaceutical glass packaging in general, is 100% checked with in-line inspection machines, to detect cosmetic issues and reject defective containers.

To get information necessary to monitor the production process, with the purpose to optimise it, production batches needs to be periodically accurately controlled, especially for dimensional characteristics, in the quality control laboratory.

Required controls include:

� External dimensions on body and finish

� Inside mouth diameter and profile

� Wall thickness

These sample based controls, in most of the cases, are still carried out with manual gauges: go-no go, micrometers, profile projectors, etc…

External dimensions are checked with go-no go. Inside diameter ad profile with profile projectors. Wall thickness by means of a micrometer, after cutting the container. It goes without saying that this working method has a lot of drawbacks.

All these gauging instruments (go-no go, profile projectors, micrometers) do not provide any quantitative information on the controlled characteristic. No data collection is possible and, therefore, identification of production trends or deviations is very difficult to achieve.

They are not accurate and results depend on the operator’s skill. They require a lot of manpower, at least three operators per shift. This is not economically convenient.

Marposs, a specialist in precision equipment for measurement and quality control in production environment for different industrial sectors and with more

than 20-years experience in the glass industry, can support pharmaceutical glass containers manufactures in making a technological leap in the way of performing quality control.

Marposs can supply solutions with different level of automation, to match the need of any customer.

The solution with the highest level of automation and the widest number of available controls is VisiQuick, a fully automatic flexible machine, with automatic handling. It allows to measure, without any operator intervention, and without any job change, a wide range of containers irrespective of their dimensions, shape and colour.

VisiQuick can measure:

� external dimensions (height, verticality, mouth parallelism, diameters, finish parameters) with optical technology (cameras)

� weight

� push-up

� mouth inside diameter and profile, with Marposs proprietary contact technology

� wall thickness with chromatic confocal technology

� labelling area profile (sinks and bulges), with a Marposs patented optical technology.

VisiQuick can be supplied with all the above mentioned measuring stations or only with one or some of them. Containers are feeded to VisiQuick by means on one or more conveyors. Multi-conveyor solution is very convenient and efficient, because it allows to measure different batches of containers without operator’s supervision.

VisiQuick can be also fed with samples diverted directly from the production line.

An alternative solution to VisiQuick is VisiQuick-mini a semiautomatic flexible system, with manual container loading/ unloading. It can measure:

� all external dimensions (height, verticality, mouth parallelism, diameters, finish parameters) with optical technology (cameras)

Both VisiQuick and VisiQuick-mini are suitable to measure pharmaceutical as well as perfumery or food and beverage containers.

For small containers measurement, like pharmaceutical ones, a specific version of VisiQuick-mini is available also integrating, in addition to external dimensions measurement:

� inside diameter ad profile

� wall thickness

With a single system, glass containers manufacturers can perform accurately and automatically, all the controls that currently requires at least three people. With the additional advantage to collect data and detect in real time any production problem. Both VisiQuick and VisiQuick-mini are compatible with the most popular MES in the Industry.

In addition to these products Marposs can support customers with trainings, maintenance programmes and an unrivaled after sales service.

Marposs is present in 34 countries with its own sales and service organisation. �

*International Industry Manager - Glass Packaging, Marposs, Bologna, Italy

https://www.marposs.com/eng/application/pharma-and-food -industry-bottles-and-glass-containers

* latest swabbing-robot installed in July 2017 in Germany

Why ORC technology is an ideal waste heat recovery solution

Alessandro Zuccato* explains why ORC technology is an efficient and sustainable investment for a glass factory.

Glass factories are increasingly moving towards a sustainable corporate vision aimed at reducing their environmental impact. ORC technology meets this need by recovering the thermal power available in the waste gas at the furnace’s outlet and adding value to it by producing electricity. This technology allows to cover a part or all the electricity self-consumption of the factory with consequent economic savings on energy consumption, which can be reinvested in the company’s core business.

Working principle

The Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) has characteristics that make it ideal for heat recovery and the exploitation of lowtemperature heat sources in general. Its working principle is simple, but it is better explained through a schematic (Fig.1).

A heat source (1) generates heat, which is conveyed through a vector fluid circulating into a closed loop to one or more primary heat exchangers, usually a preheater and an evaporator (2), where said heat is transferred from the vector fluid to the working fluid. The working fluid - a low-boiling, biodegradable, non toxic liquid when at room temperatureboils in the evaporator at a temperature far lower than that of water, becoming a high-pressure dry gas which spins through its expansion the impeller of a specifically designed and sized turbine (3). The highspeed rotation (12.000÷18.000 rpm) of the turbine shaft spins the rotor of a generator which is directly connected to it, thus producing electric power (4) which, after being synchronised in frequency, phase and voltage by a power converter, may be injected into the national power grid or self-consumed, according to local needs and policies. Downstream the turbine, the working fluid - still in gas phase - is conveyed to another heat exchanger,

called condenser (5), where it is cooled, releasing its excess heat and condensing back into a liquid which is collected in a condensation tank, ready to be sent back to the primary heat exchanger by a recirculation pump, thus closing the loop. Excess heat released in the condenser is a low-temperature thermal energy source itself, which may be used for other purposes such as preheating or drying of biomass fuel (thus increasing its heating value), building heating, sanitary hot water production and so on. In case that is not possible, residual heat may be dissipated by using an external cooling system (6) such as an evaporative cooling tower or a dry cooler.

Glassworking applications

In hollow glass (bottles, drinking glasses, jars) manufacture it is possible to intervene in different steps of the manufacturing process: by recovering heat from flue gases upstream of the bag filter, with the bonus of cooling and stabilising filtering temperature; by recovering heat downstream of the electrostatic filter, where it is possible to perform a highly efficient heat recover from clean, relatively high-temperature fumes.

In flat glass (e.g. window pane) manufacture, it is possible instead to recover heat from the clean airflows coming from thermal stabilisation processes.

Technological and operational advantages

� Zero Emissions. ORC systems are impeccably eco-friendly. The entire process has zero emissions in the atmosphere, it uses an HFC working fluid and a thermal transfer fluid both completely “ozone-friendly”, non-toxic, fully eco-compatible. In particular, Zuccato Energia uses plain tape water for thermal energy transfer instead of environmentally - dangerous diathermal oil.

� Less maintenance and zero supervision. The low operational pressures of ORC technology give great operational safety. Full-scale automatisation removes the need to employ specialised personnel for operation and an integrated remotecontrol system grants the client full remote monitoring and management capabilities.

Heat source (1)

Good source (6)

Evaporator (2)

Turbine (3)

Condensor (5)

(4) Alternator Regenerator

Water Water Organic fluid Pump

� Fig.1 ORC technology

� Long duration (up to 20 years and over). ORC system has different elements that allow a long duration as the completely dry working fluid, CNC machined steel body with aluminium alloy impeller and use of ceramic bearings.

� Custom designed components. Implementation of singlestage turbines specifically designed in-house for each ORC model and custom-designed power converters (inverters) for each model guarantees maximum efficiency in energy conversion (up to 90%); extensive use of ceramic bearings grants a longer service life and maximum reliability; the direct coupling of the generator to the turbine shaft eliminates the need for a gearbox and eliminates the inherent efficiency losses.

Case study

One of the projects being completed is at Borgonovo glassworks, Italy. The factory, which covers 52,000m2, produces about 45,000 tonnes of glass per year using two modern melting furnaces.

The recovery is carried out employing a heat exchanger which intercepts the fumes from the furnaces and uses them to heat some water, the vector fluid necessary for the operation of the ORC system. The fumes are cooled from a temperature of about 450 ° C up to 200 ° C while on the secondary side of the heat exchanger, pressurised water circulates at 10 bar at 140 ° C, which thanks to the heat of the fumes is heated up to 160 ° C. The system realised involves the operation of a ORC module that produces up to 200 kW of electricity. The plant is also characterised by an adiabatic cooler for the dissipation of the low-temperature heat generated by the ORC system during the production of electricity. (Fig. 2)

Conclusion

Environmental sustainability is the watchword of the company vision and energy consumption is the key element in assessing the environmental impact of an energy-intensive sector.

Glass factories are also moving more and more towards these values. Waste heat recovery through ORC technology becomes the means to achieve this goal: recovering heat at medium and low temperatures indeed, it allows to reduce the environmental impact of industrial processes and at the same time to reduce their economic impact allowing them to exploit their own waste and to convert them into electricity, with high flexibility and minimal maintenance requirements. �

*CEO of Zuccato Energia, Verona, Italy https://zuccatoenergia.it/en/

� Fig.2 Zuccato Energia ORC System in Area Test.

* latest swabbing-robot installed in July 2017 in Germany

Swabbing robot 4.0 with automatic tool change

With swabbing robots on the way to becoming standard in all container glass plants, H. Safa Aksoy* presents his vision for the smart glass factory.

Located on the way from Istanbul to the Greek border, Flokontrol has large global brand owners and glass manufacturers amongst its customers.

The solution portfolio ranges from automatic guided vehicles to handling and palletising robots, vision systems and automatic swabbing robots. As for the swabbing robots, more than 100 systems will be installed by the end of this year.

Multi-tool technology

The swabbing robot is able to carry different tools, from servo-brush to spraying unit, from temperature sensors to handling grippers.

The big difference to other suppliers is that the robot changes its tool fully automatically.

Berzah Ünal, Head of R&D is proud of this fully automatic solution. He said: “We receive a very positive customer feedback, as the robot becomes more and more flexible.

“We can cover all kinds of swabbing procedures, from mould to neck ring and soon as well on the blow-side of the machine.

“Of course, the blank side is key in the forming process, but we are sure that there is as well room for improvement on the blow-side.

“Also important on the road to a smart plant is the temperature measuring of gob and mould. Our multi-tool technology provides the right answer for this closedloop approach.”

Brushing and spraying tool are possible

“After many discussions with customers

in recent years, we have come to the conclusion to offer both, a brush and spray version”, said Mr. Aksoy.

“We have customer who can reach a productivity improvement by 2 percentage points. It makes no difference, which tool us used.”, he added.

Flokontrol believes the brush tool is superior from a cost point of view. At first glance the brush solution sounds banal, but there is a big difference between the hand-operated brush and the robotoperated brush.

Flokontrol has coupled the brush to a servo motor. This motor turns the brush at high speed, before leaving the container with the lubricant. This procedure guarantees a constant amount of lubricant to be applied to the moulds or neck rings.

In addition, the brush enables a cleaning effect on the mould, which the spray solution cannot provide.

Nevertheless, spraying nozzles are of

course an interesting solution for many customers. As a reason for that, Flokontrol has decided to offer both solutions. The on-the-fly mould swabbing is standard for both solutions. On-the-fly neck ring swabbing is under development, soon to be released, same as a solution for swabbing the deflectors.

High-end components

All automation solutions from Flokontrol are based on high-end components.

The robot was created in Japan, named Fanuc. Operator safety if of major importance to Flokontrol, where the latest 3D laser scanner from the German company Sick is used.

“So far, all customers place repeated orders,” said Mr Aksoy. “Despite the highquality components, the price of our solution us very attractive”.

� Brush or Spray Option with fully automatic tool change

Important to know, the control system comprise and anti-collision check logic, to prevent the tool from being touched by the invert.

Agile and flexible engineering

Flokontrol is flexible concerning the installation. Overhead assembly is possible, same as bottom assembly. In case of an overhead assembly, the robot comes with a separate rail so that the overhead control panel of the IS machine remains

untouched.

As a result, a stop of the IS machine during the mechanical installation is not necessary. The start-up can normally be realised within less than 10 days. An onsite engineering analysis is part of the complete solution package.

Pricing and spare part supply

Spare part supply is extremely easy, as the parts are in the standard portfolio of large international suppliers, so all parts can be

Air Products is blazing a new trail for oxy-fuel burner technology . . .

purchased from local distributors. The whole package comes for an attractive price, easing the Capex budget of the plant, and the operation of the robot is easy and straightforward to learn. An article database is standard, same as start-of the connectivity. In case of questions, Flokontrol can check the status by the standard remote maintenance & assistance module. �

*Sales Director Flokontrol, Karamehmet Mah, Turkey http://www.flokontrol.com/en-US

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• Enhanced productivity

• Optional remote performance monitoring feature

This burner is the latest innovation in the long line of industry-leading Cleanfire® burners for the glass industry. To learn more or to schedule a demonstration in our state-of-the-art lab, call 800-654-4567 (code 10867) or visit airproducts.com/HRx

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� Brush with servo cleaning effect

SGD Pharma ignites Sucy-en-Brie furnace

French pharmaceutical glass manufacturer SGD Pharma has completed major works to reconstruct and modernise Furnace N°2 and its production lines at its Sucy-en-Brie plant.

The strategic development project for the plant began in December 2020, with a €25 million investment – the company’s second largest since the construction of the Saint-Quentin-Lamotte (SQLM) plant in 2016 – allowing it to cement its position in pharmaceutical moulded glass packaging.

The Sucy Pharma 2025 project includes the complete rebuild and upgrade of furnace 2, the modification of the building itself, full revamping of the ISO 8 clean rooms, next generation IS machines, and the installation of the most advanced technologies available for automatic inspection.

New live monitoring systems, better thermal insulation and increased electric boosting will reduce CO2 emissions by 10%.

The re-design of catwalks and public areas will improve safety and the working environment in the plant.

The organisation said the investment will allow the 100-year-old plant to unveil its potential: to become a reference site for Type II / III and to meet its ambitious operations performance goals.

The group plans to rebuild its Furnace 3 at the site in 2023.

SGD Pharma COO, Christophe Muguet, said: "On Monday, March 22nd at our Sucy-en-Brie plant, we were celebrating the completion of our latest renovations with the lighting of our newly reconstructed furnace.

"This milestone in the pioneering Sucy Pharma 2025 project helps cement our position as a leader in pharmaceutical glass packaging."

Gregory Decoster, Sucy-en-Brie Plant Director, said: "We are all very proud of this achievement – renovating a century-old factory takes great skill and care, and we are fortunate to have a dedicated workforce with great expertise in the pharma glass industry.

"In parallel with Sucy’s industrial transformation, we are also developing our behavior and capabilities through leadership programmes, teamwork, talent development and cultural growth."

Infra-Red heating system ensures labels stick on beer bottles

Heraeus Nobelight has developed an infrared heating system to reduce bottle labels from being removed due to condensation.

An infra-red heating system from Heraeus Noblelight is ensuring there is no condensation on bottles after they are moved from an outside storage area to a warmer inside labelling and filling line at BrewDog’s Ellon, Scotland brewery .

As a result, labels remain securely stuck on bottles and the filling line can be operated at optimum speed.

BrewDog was founded by two young craft ale enthusiasts, James Watt and Martin Dickie, in Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire, in 2007 and in only its second year became Scotland’s largest independent brewery.

In 2009, they launched Equity for Punks, a crowd-funding scheme to help support their expansion plans and in 2012 they moved to the brewery in Ellon.

Today, it has brewing facilities in the US and Germany and operates more than 100 bars worldwide, offering in excess of 100 beers.

The Ellon brewery is still its flagship installation and here it produces keg, canned and bottled beers.

However, the company had experienced problems with label adhesion to bottles and these were further highlighted when it installed a second bottling line at Ellon.

Essentially, the problems were caused by condensation on cold bottles as they were labelled in the warmer atmosphere inside the brewery.

Various methods were tried to solve the problem including the extensive use of hot air blowers and an air knife. Unfortunately these achieved only limited success and it proved necessary to reduce the speed of the bottling line to achieve the required label adhesion.

BrewDog had previously investigated the use of infra-red to prevent condensation on an earlier line and it decided to ask Heraeus Noblelight to carry out further tests on the latest line. These proved so successful that a 90kW carbon medium wave system was retrofitted to the line, before the labelling section.

This consists of two 45kW modules, which are PID controlled. The temperature on the bottle surfaces is monitored and the IR power is then automatically regulated

at between 50-70% of the installed load to maintain a pre-set temperature.

The infra-red system has now solved the label adhesion problem.

Alain Atmouni, Production Projects Manager at the Ellon site, said: “Apart from solving our labelling problem, the new system now allows us run the bottling line at optimum speed.”

Heraeus, with its headquarters in Hanau, Germany specialises in the production and application of energy sources covering the electro-magnetic spectrum from ultraviolet to infra-red.

It has more than 40 years’ experience in infra-red technology and offers the expertise, products and systems to provide efficient and effective solutions to drying, heating and curing problems throughout industry. �

Heraeus, Hanau, Germany

https://www.heraeus.com/en/group/ home/home.html

https://www.brewdog.com/uk/

� The image shown using Britvic bottles is a representative of a similar system to that used at Brewdog.

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More than 100 years of tradition and more than 60 years of experience in Glass Industry, always in continuous research in new technologies and innovations to improve your production performances. The enthusiasm makes us truly unique because it is a passion that never fails.

BDF Industries has everything you need to “dress” your Glass Plant: from Furnaces to Forehearths, from IS Machines to Variable Equipment, from Automation to Controls, to Energy management and recovery.

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Halving cycle times in glass bottle mould machining

Hexagon explains how a glass bottle mould manufacturer saved time and costs with structured light scanning and CAD CAM machining software.

Opening its doors in 1993, this family-run shop provides muchneeded glass bottle machining and repair services for glass manufacturers. Looking to reduce production cycle times and costs, Omega Enterprises turned to Hexagon 3D scanning technology and CAD CAM software to innovate machining processes.

Often featuring complex artistic designs, glass bottle repair and rebuild is an intricate process. Omega Enterprises has been a stalwart of the Indiana glass industry for almost three decades, developing a specialism in this demanding high-demand application.

Given this complexity, glass manufacturers can encounter a number of common challenges that cause inefficiencies. For Omega Enterprises, tracing parts manually on an older milling machine was a significant bottleneck.

“We were constantly faced with altering moulds and blanks with multiple compound angles that would require blend,” said James Jarrett, President of Omega Enterprises.

“If the customer had an issue, they would modify the equipment by hand at their factory and the only way we would be able to reproduce a copy was by doing the same thing, by hand. This drove the cost up greatly. That’s when we decided to investigate a solution that could innovate our process.”

Speed and precision: the art of 3D scanning

First, Omega Enterprises updated its CAD CAM software. A user of Edgecam for a number of years, the team updated to the latest version and found a number of advancements and new features.

The next step was to find the right 3D scanning solution that could capture

parts quickly and accurately, enabling operators to start machining sooner.

After exploring a number of options, Omega Enterprises opted for Hexagon’s PrimeScan structured light scanner.

“We really like the PrimeScan because it proved to offer the highest-quality scan results for our needs,” said Mr Jarrett.

“Also, it is compact enough to take it directly to the machine on the shop floor

this process flow, the PrimeScan captures a mould or blank, generates the 3D digital replica, and imports the high-quality STL file into Edgecam.

This enables Omega to create G-code directly from the STL, allowing hybrid machining and saving time by not having to convert the STL into a model or other format.

For Omega Enterprises, PrimeScan and Edgecam have proven a perfect combination for tackling their complex parts.

“The heart of our business is being able to generate machine paths,” explained Mr Jarrett.

“If we can’t generate good machine paths, we can’t make parts. Many of the parts we work with are highly artistic, with no real means for someone to draw it out and get it right, never mind doing so in a timely fashion. Now we can take any highly detailed part, have it scanned, brought into Edgecam, then put it right on the mill or lathe.”

Mr Jarrett says that the team has reduced cycle times by up to 50 percent in some cases.

“Take a basket weave part, for example. It took 40 hours to duplicate the part in our previous process. Now we are able to do all that and cut parts within half that time. There’s no way we could have done that without PrimeScan and Edgecam.”

or off-site if required. The scanner opened a big door for us because it has allowed us to be more competitive.”

The integration of the PrimeScan and Edgecam has simplified and accelerated Omega’s processes, all without the need for high-level reverse engineering. For

The Omega Enterprises team was able to start implementing these improvements quickly thanks to the adaptability of the structured light scanner and Hexagon’s service and support. “Having the Hexagon application engineer on-site for the twoday scanner training was outstanding,” says Mr Jarrett.

We print your world

Uniting inks and substrates to create a uniqueness, which is incomparable.

Koenig & Bauer Kammann GmbH

Weidehorst 80 32584 Löhne

kammann.de

“Not only did my team learn a lot from the training, but the trainer tailored the course to our particular application needs by using parts taken directly off our manufacturing floor!”

Ultimately, as Mr Jarrett notes, PrimeScan and Edgecam have helped

transform Omega Enterprises’ competitiveness.

“The high quality of the scan data provides crisp edges and great definition of any art style found on the mould. With the 3D scanner we can duplicate these highly detailed works without hesitation.

It really has added a side to our business that we would not be able to do without it.” �

Hexagon Manufacturing Inteligence, Novi, USA

https://www.hexagonmi.com/en-GB

A. The Hexagon scanner

B. Omega Shop and Parts

C. Omega Shop and Parts

D. Edgecam image

E. Hexagon Scan data images

Furnace Solutions 2021 to be held online

The Society of Glass Technology (SGT) have decided that in view of the indeterminate situation concerning the COVID pandemic that we cannot be sure of being able to successfully run the Furnace Solutions & Training Day in its usual format. In order to satisfy interest

in these conferences we have taken the decision to run them on Zoom webinars. We will hold Furnace Solutions on the afternoons of June 9th and 10th, starting at 13.00 BST. We have chosen this timing so that we have the opportunity to linkin easily with our European contingent,

Wednesday 9th June 2021. Start time @ 1300pm (BST)

as well as hopefully attract interest from the Indian sub-continent and early risers in the USA. We have an exciting set of speakers

The programme is as follows:

1.00pm. Industry 4.0 – Reliable Manufacturing. Presented by Fred Aker, Sales Director of PaneraTech.

1.30pm. Zippe Control Systems – Presented by Volker Maier, Head of Sales for Zippe.

2.00pm. The Application of Advanced Sensors in the Glass Industry - Presented by Rene Meuleman of Celsian.

Thursday 10th June 2021. Start time @ 1300pm (BST)

1.00pm. A Different Approach to Furnace Audits – The speaker is Hans Mahrenholtz of Glass Service, Czechia.

1.30pm. Alternative Low-Carbon Fuel Technologies for Glass Manufacture. The speaker is Aston Fuller who is the General Manager of Glass Futures.

2.00pm. Lining Condition Diagnostics in Real Time –The speaker is Steven Reumschuessel who is the Technical Director of Saveway.

The annual Furnace Solutions conference and Training Day will be held online this year due to the pandemic. It will contain its usual high standard of presenters and knowledge about the use of furnaces in glass manufacturing, writes Stuart Hakes*.

ON DAY ONE the presentation by Fred Aker will introduce a new furnace health platform which captures audit data from multiple sources and monitors ongoing risks. It will look at digitisation, automation and artificial intelligence which are becoming the driving forces behind Industry 4.0. The primary objective of this industrial trend is to make the manufacturing process as efficient as possible with little interference from human beings. Along with efficiency, what is also important is the reliability of the process so as to avoid unscheduled production disruptions. Therefore, it is equally as important to monitor, digitally capture, quantify and track the risk and reliability of the assets that are run in the glass production process. In the glass manufacturing process the reliability of the furnace has the greatest impact on reliable manufacturing. This is simply due to the fact that a furnace failure may result in weeks/months of production disruption while all of the other assets in the process only take hours/days to recover. Because of the inherent impact of the furnaces on the reliability of production, glass manufacturers tend to overestimate the risk of furnace failure and rebuild earlier than necessary. Because the industry has relied on thermal and visual audits, which are very speculative in assessing the furnace health, the quality of the furnace risk assessment is further degraded. Panera

DAY TWO brings some very new and exciting developments for the industry.

First up we have a presentation from Hans Mahrenholtz of Glass Service, Czechia of a very new approach to furnace audits. This is a well proven system that has reaped enormous benefits to those that have used the system.

Next, we have Aston Fuller the General Manager of Glass Futures who will present a comprehensive update on the Glass Futures project and give information on the low carbon trials that have taken place recently and are planned during this year. This is an important chance to see the future of the glass industry. It should be remembered that this is an international programme but centred in the UK.

We think this Furnace Solutions is probably our most exciting and innovative with the use of Zoom web based will an opportunity for far more

Tech recently developed and released a radar based smart melter sensor solution that sees potential glass leaks 1-3 years in advance when compared to thermal and visual inspections.

The presentation will describe a furnace health management platform that digitally integrates multiple sensory and audits inputs such as a smart melter refractory thickness data, endoscopy, thermal and visual inspections as well as maintenance records and discuss ways to monitor and quantify the risk and reliability of the entire furnace.

The second presentation on Day One will be by Rene Meuleman, now with Celsian, will discuss the impact of the availability of new advanced sensors, in addition to thermocouples, in industrial glass melting furnaces is a prerequisite for further automation in the glass manufacturing industry. These advanced sensors should provide real time, quantitative information about the raw material and cullet input, quality of the glass melt, the position and thickness of the batch and foam layers, the key parameters of the combustion process, the energy flows in the furnace and the status/integrity of the furnace lining (refractories and insulation). In this manuscript a survey will be given of available measuring techniques, like inline chemical analysis of raw materials, redox sensors of the glass melt, laser sensors for combustion gases and batch

Rounding up the day there is what appears to be an alternative technology to one of the first day’s presentations. This is a presentation by Steven Reumschuessel of Saveway on the real time monitoring of refractory lining status in glass melt tanks. It is often the case that in times of slow business and vague forecasts it is important to know what happens inside your production equipment. The potential for improvements by creating, analysing and utilising data can be a lot bigger than expected. Extending the lifetime of refractory linings in one of the means to improve the productivity of melting equipment. This requires the continuous monitoring of the lining material during operation and an in-

people in the industry to keep in touch with new technologies.

Please visit the SGT website for details as to how to register.

monitoring cameras. Next, the needs for the development of new, reliable sensors will be discussed.

The Zippe presentation by Volker Maier will discuss the different types of building and devices used to store and feed different raw materials and cullet. Nowadays this equipment and material transport is controlled automatically. The presentation focuses on these control systems and covers the following: an overview of the different kinds of weighing systems and process control systems. Here system redundancy and safe network structures as well as remote service are of ever-increasing importance. Mobile apps are used around such a control system. Production data is stored and displayed in different charts, dashboards and reports help you to improve the productivity of your plant. You can display the important data on a computer screen or a mobile device. By means of customised apps you can navigate to the different data that you are interested in very easily. The information can be located locally or Cloud based. You can then access this from anywhere or just compare the performance of each plant.

Control systems are constantly changing and new technologies are being introduced into the future plant automation and IT structures are increasingly growing together.

depth analysis of the data. Hardware/ software sensors, installation are all incorporated in one measuring device with servicing provided can help ensure a safe operation at all times, giving boost to your bottom line. Saveway has invented a portfolio of systems which enable real time lining measurement in harsh environments such as glass tanks or furnaces. The company has been in business for almost 30 years and has over 1,00 such systems currently in operations worldwide. The presentation will take the opportunity to inform you about the technology and the advantages it brings by talking through some of the existing applications and sharing experiences.

*President, Society of Glass Technology, Chapeltown, Sheffield, UK www.sgt.org

Digital Forum will discuss latest ideas in glassmaking

Glass International’s first Digital Forum is an opportunity to bring the global glass manufacturing industry together in one virtual room. Delegates can hear insights from technology professionals as well as catch up with old friends during the two day event on April 27 and 28. Here we preview the presentations during the event.

DAY 1: TUESDAY 27 APRIL (ALL TIMES BST)

10.30 RUEDIGER NEBEL, SALES MANAGER, SORG: 3D Laser Scanning

- A Modern Tool for the Measurement of Facilities in the Glass Industry

The demand for ever larger glass melting plants and the reuse of existing structures and infrastructures make the handling of so-called Brown Field projects increasingly complex. The integration of new stages, entrances, plant components, etc. into the existing systems requires a higher degree of coordination and communication effort with the client and the technical departments than was necessary just a few years ago. This makes a detailed visualization of the existing plant complex crucial. With its big range vision, reliability and high accuracy, 3D laser scanning is a more than reasonable alternative to the classical inventory and documentation, which has already proven itself in many industrial sectors – not least in the glass industry.

10.50 ELEONORA BORDINI GLASS CONTAINERS & CAR LIGHTINGS - International Industry Manager, Marposs

Benefits of automation and digitalization in glass packaging quality control

Dimensional control of glass containers on sample basis is still carried out, by many manufacturers, with go-no-go or manual gauges. This approach is expensive in terms of manpower required and, most importantly, does not allow to collect data.

Real time data collection and analysis is crucial to timely detect process deviations and trends and to improve quality and efficiency of the manufacturing process. Automation and digitalization are the challenges that glass containers manufacturers will have to face necessarily, in the near future, to remain competitive.

11:10 (PRE RECORDED WEBINAR) ÖZLEM VERGON CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER, SISECAM Group Future Trends of Glassmaking

Trends are created by various drivers; like changing generations, technology and increased climate awareness or unexpected drivers like Covid-19. Trends affect our industries, the way we live and we do business. Every business put efforts to response with new technologies, products and services. Following trends means managing the uncertainties and risks, seizing the opportunities and overcoming challenges. Glass remains present in all areas of life by being solution to new trends, needs and challenges.

11.55: SYLVAIN LEROY, FOUNDER, JoonX

Artificial intelligence is already making furnaces more energy efficient through analysis of your data. Artificial intelligence is already making furnaces more energy efficient through analysis of your data.

As the Fourth Industrial Revolution gains momentum, the glass sector is taking advantage of modern technologies. This presentation focuses on one of the most promising use cases: the energy savings of regenerative furnaces. First, we will describe the methodology for implementing an effective data collection strategy inside the plant. Second, by using a successful case study from a leading glassmaker, we will present the different steps required to maximize energy efficiency, from data analysis to optimisation of combustion parameters. Finally, we will show that the ROI of such projects is very high, making them safe short-term investments offering large scale financial savings.

14:00: HANS MEHL GENERAL MANAGER, MGFS How to correctly foresee Preventive maintenance of furnaces during times of COVID-19

During these difficult times of the COVID pandemic, preventive maintenance of furnaces has become more important every day. We will be talking about the difficulties of getting materials for furnace repairs in time, contracting specialists on time, getting work permits, preparing safe surroundings for the work and the change of mentality in foreseeing and preparing preventive maintenance. Times have changed and will never be the same again. So has changed furnace maintenance philosophy and timing.

14:20 SCOTT DEFIFE, PRESIDENT. Glass Packaging Institute U.S. Roadmap to Achieving 50% Glass Recycling & Recovery Rate

The Glass Packaging Institute (GPI) and its member companies spent much of 2020 reviewing recycling frameworks around the U.S., in an effort to identify different options, avenues and legislative paths to increase the amount, and quality, of recycled glass, suitable for re-melt into new containers. Last year, GPI’s Board of Trustees directed the association to work towards a 50% recycled glass content goal.

This effort resulted in a “Roadmap”, focusing our association on three key areas of work over the next decade to achieve this goal:

1. Collection and cleaner recyclable material streams

2. Additional access to processing access and increased capacity

3. Systematic changes through public-private partnerships to improve recycling efforts

DAY 2: WEDNESDAY 28 APRIL 2021

10:30: MARCO VERI, CEO, SOCABELEC, Evolution of the Socabelec swabbing-robots and successful South Korean start up of two robots.

10:50: RENÉ MEULEMAN DIRECTOR BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, CELSIAN CO 2 reduction toolbox

This presentation demonstrates to glass manufacturers a comprehensive toolbox to understand opportunities for CO2 reduction. It starts with understanding energy usage in the melting tank as most energy is consumed by melting the glass. As a second step a benchmark of your furnace against industry standards or internally provides good insights. The data analytics of your furnace’ performance provides a strong platform to make ROI calculations for model based predictive process control, advanced sensoring and other means to continuously measure, and improve the energy performance of your furnace. Reducing CO2 together, better for you and the world!

14:40:

ZUCCONI COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR, FALORNI TECH: The Sustainability of your Furnace

11:10: JENS LANGER, CHIEF COMMERCIAL OFFICER, HEYE INTERNATIONAL Smart PLant, Shape the Future

11:30: MIKAEL LE GUERN, GLOBAL GLASS BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER, EUROTHERM Decarbonisation through Electrification and Digitalisation of Glass Furnaces

15:00: JOSÉ LUIS VÉLEZ ESCALANTE MANAGING DIRECTOR, INTERGLASS

After one year in the pandemic, new operating conditions for the glass industry in Latam Analysis of the status quo of the glass industry in Latin America one year after the start of the pandemic, what effects and changes this event has brought, as well as new technologies to face the operating conditions inherent to a post-pandemic reality that represents an adaptation challenge for the entire sector.

11:50: RYOHEI ITO MANAGER, SALES DIVISION FOR GLASS INDUSTRY, AGC

Ceramics Cutting edge refractory solutions of glass furnace for next generation

AGC Ceramics provides the wide range of refractories and services, aiming to provide the reliable solutions for customers and the cutting edge applications of next generation.

Reliable solutions for customers

+ The unique technology of nondestructive inner structure inspection + New low exudation fused cast refractory for superstructure

Cutting edge applications for next generation

+ For electrical melting furnace: ZBX9540 and Dense Zircon

+ On-line pre-shipment inspection service

+ Furnace security consultant service

ANDREA

12:10 FUTURE OF FURNACES (PRE-RECORDED WEBINAR) STUART HAKES, CEO, FIC UK LIMITED

SHINJI YAMAMURA, GENERAL MANAGER, ENGINEERING CENTER, AGC CERAMICS CO., LTD

XUQING XIE, MANAGER, ENGINEERING CENTER, AGC CERAMICS CO.,LTD

DR JORG LEICHER, TEAM LEADER, GAS- UND WÄRME-INSTITUT ESSEN

14:45: ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN GLASSMAKING (PRE RECORDED WEBINAR) THOMAS BREITFELDER, TECHNICAL DIRECTOR, SORG

MENNO VERBEEK, SALES DIRECTOR, VPINSTRUMENTS

14:00: GLASS FUTURES PRESENTATION ROB

Glass experts

Furnace support Process optimization Training and R&D

Celsian’s aim is to minimize the cost of making glass for end users and the environment. We have an agile team of glass experts using proven methods like furnace modelling, laboratory measurements and practical furnace health checks to optimize glass melting processes. We also train operators and glass technologists through our standard course, dedicated programs and various e-learning modules. We strive to be the best partner for optimization of glass production worldwide.

www.celsian.nl

NEIL BUTLER, ASIA PACIFIC SALES MANAGER, FIVES STEIN LIMITED

IRESON

Automated infrared heating system installed at MacKays

An automated infra-red heating system from Heraeus Noblelight on a new filling line at MacKays is helping the Arbroath, Scotland company to ensure the quality of its glass jars of jams and marmalades over a long shelflife.

The new line has been purpose-built to meet the increased demand for the company’s range of preserves in smaller jars for hotels and restaurants.

MacKays was founded in 1938 by the MacKay Brothers. Today it is owned by the Grant family.

Its range of over 25 jams, marmalades, curds and chutneys is available in 80 countries and its marmalades are still made in the traditional way, in copper pans, using whole oranges from Seville, Spain.

After it is cooked, the hot jam at around 80 degrees C is poured into jars on a filling

line and the lids are applied. However, there is a possibility that there may be spores in the air space between the surface of the jam and the bottom of the lid and these spores could eventually lead to mould forming on the jam.

To kill any spores, the filled jars are inverted so that the heat of the jam destroys any spores.

In the new line, which handles smaller jars of 42g and 28g, the jars themselves are heated before filling to ensure that too much heat is not conducted through the glass to prevent the killing action of the jam.

To carry out the jar heating, Heraeus designed and supplied a 63kW carbon medium wave infra-red system within a floor-standing oven built around the line conveyor.

The system is split into three 21kW zones, arranged above and around the jars

to ensure maximum heating efficiency. The emitter modules are hinged to allow easy access for any maintenance.

An optical pyrometer measures the temperature of the jars as they leave the oven and the data is sent to a thyristor controller so that the emitters can be automatically regulated to maintain the set temperature.

In the event of a line stoppage, the fast response emitters are rapidly switched down to a stand-by level and the system also features an emitter failure/breakdown system to shut down the line.

“We are very pleased with the new jarheating system, which has proved easy to operate and maintain,” stated MacKay’s production manager, Stuart McLean. �

https://www.heraeus.com/en/group/ home/home.html

http://www.mackays.com/

Hereaus Noblelight has developed a system for fruit preserve maker Mackays that can improve the shelf-life of its products.

� The automated infra-red heating system will help ensure the quality of Mackay’s products remains high and with a better shelf-life.

Hydrogen in glassmaking conference

The speaker programme for a conference focused on Hydrogen in Glassmaking is now complete.

� Steklarna Hrastnik's newly ignited G Furnace has technology to allow it to convert to hydrogen technology in the future.

The two-day digital conference will investigate the potential use of hydrogen in the glass manufacturing process and include speakers from a variety of sectors.

These include glass manufacturers, the energy industry, glass customers, the hydrogen sector and technical suppliers.

IT TAKES PLACE ON TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY JUNE 15 AND 16.

The 16 speakers are Heineken, Slovenian glass manufacturer Steklarna Hrastnik, Shell, Hydrogen Europe, Stara Glass and the LIFE Sugar project, Air Liquide, GWI-Essen, Nippon Gases, FIC UK, Linde, Glass Service (Czech Republic), the DNV hydrogen consortium, GlassTrend, Sorg and the VERCANE consortium.

REGISTRATION TO OPEN SOON WITH MORE DETAILS TO FOLLOW.

STAND: N1 - 105

WALTEC Maschinen GmbH

Kronacher Str. 2a

96352 Wilhelmsthal - Steinberg Germany

Tel +49 9260 9901-0 info@waltec.de www.waltec.de

STAND: N1 - 361

Nikolaus Sorg GmbH & Co. KG

Stoltestrasse 23, 97816 Lohr am Main Germany www.sorg.de

F.I.C. (UK) Limited

STAND: N1 - 595

Long Rock Industrial Estate

Penzance, Cornwall, TR20 8HX, UK Tel: +44 (0) 1736 366962 general@fic-uk.com www.fic-uk.com

STAND: N1 - 744

CHINA GLASS PROFILES

Prof. John Parker Ultraviolet transmission

In the last issue of this journal I wrote on the infrared transparency of glasses.

Writing about the other extreme of the range our eyes see was a natural next step.

The prefix ‘ultra’ means beyond – so today I will deal with the part of the electromagnetic spectrum at shorter wavelengths beyond blue, indigo and violet. Its frequency range is higher than for infrared and its individual light quanta carry a much greater punch, able to break bonds and even create structural defects.

Often UV is subdivided by wavelength into AVA (400-315nm), UVB (280-315nm) and UVC (240-280nm); each has different consequences for vitamin D generation, bone production, skin ageing, burning and tanning.

Ferric iron (Fe3+) absorbs blue light weakly but has a more pronounced peak at 380nm which can be used to estimate ferric ion concentration.

Other absorption bands at shorter wavelengths mean commercial glasses are opaque below 350nm and sunburn is unlikely ‘under glass’.

Does this matter? Well yes. Photolithography, so important for creating complex circuitry in transistors, has a resolution limited by diffraction to half the wavelength, which must therefore be short.

Astronomers are interested in the ultraviolet light emission from stars.

The Soyuz space station has a pure silica window, free of iron and other UV absorbing impurities to extend transmission to 180nm.

Our first English astronaut, Helen Sharman, often spoke of the risk it posed of sunburn even though the views were incredible.

Different applications require different transparency, for example: modern fluorescent ‘black’ lighting uses UVA for that perfect holiday tan. Arc welding and germicidal lamps use UVC; the latter are being sold to disinfect rooms and stop the spread of COVID.

While silica has an excellent UV transmission, phosphate glasses are potentially better, more easily made and have been extensively studied.

What matters is eliminating nonbridging oxygens and using a network forming ion with a higher charge (P5+ rather than Si4+).

Of course, there are situations when any UV is undesirable. An important example is for food containers. For example, short wavelength light can breakdown certain complex sulphur containing molecules found in beer and create organic species called mercaptans.

These are related chemically to hydrogen sulphide, well known from ‘stink bombs’ and the Kipp’s apparatus in school chemistry labs some decades ago. The latter created it on tap for analytical chemistry but were prone to schoolboy pranks, particularly a tap left open deliberately over lunch, creating a lab which could not be safely occupied.

Mercaptans though can be much more distasteful than hydrogen sulphide and even trace contamination levels can destroy the flavour of a product. This is particularly important for bottled beer, which is likely to suffer exposure to bright sunlight for example on a picnic.

The best way to avoid this at least in sunnier climes than the UK is only to bottle beer in a UV absorbing glass. The most cost-effective solution is an amber glass where the Fe3+-S2- chromophore in the glass blocks any UV transmission.

Of course, eye protection is another reason to avoid UV light. William Crookes, an early vice-president of the Society of Glass Technology, spent much of his later life optimising glass compositions to protect the eye from damaging radiation while discouraging the iris from opening wide and exposing more of the retina.

UV protection of valuable historical artefacts is another area where glass composition is important.

Adding components to the glass such as

titania or ceria in small quantities shifts the UV absorption towards the visible, although too much runs the risk of discolouring the glass yellow/brown.

The glass itself must be highly transparent to visible light and require antireflection coatings to avoid unwanted reflections. These must be a quarter of a wavelength thick (0.1 microns) with a low refractive index.

Of course, glass itself can be changed by ultraviolet. One example is an effect called solarisation. This is often seen in older windows where iron discoloration had been ‘bleached’ using manganese –glassmaker’s soap.

The redox reaction underpinning ‘bleaching’ can be reversed by ultraviolet photons in sunlight which have sufficient energy to cause electron transfer from Mn2+ back to an Fe3+ creating Mn3+ and a purple ‘discoloration’. Similarly Ag+ can be changed to Ag0 but that is a story for another time.

Intense UV radiation can even break bonds in the glass and create structural defects that changes density and refractive index. This has proved particularly valuable to the optical fibre community who create diffraction gratings along short lengths of telecommunication optical fibres by combining two high intensity UV light beams.

By choosing an appropriate periodic length for this grating a device can be created that will prevent passage of light of a certain wavelength (half the periodicity wavelength), causing it instead to be reflected.

Such a device can unscramble multiplexed communications signals at different wavelengths by reflecting one and transmitting the rest, so we can fit even more Zoom meetings into the day!

*Curator of the Turner Museum of Glass, The University of Sheffield, UK www.turnermuseum.group.shef.ac.uk j.m.parker@sheffield.ac.uk.

Prof John Parker discuss ultraviolet light and manufactured glasses.

27-28 April 2021

The Glass Digital Forum, taking place on 27–28 April, is a brand-new virtual event which will bring key stakeholders from the industry together to discuss the latest technologies and changes that have occurred in the sector over the past 12 months.

Alongside the conference an informal networking area will allow delegates to meet up, chat and reacquaint themselves with each other with the latest ideas and opportunities in the glass industry.

Speakers include:

Event Sponsors:

Commercial Director, Falorni Tech Escalante Managing Director, Interglass

Stuart Hakes, CEO, FIC UK Limited

Sylvain Leroy, Founder, JoonX President, Glass Packaging Institute (GPI)

Özlem Vergon, Chief Strategy O cer, Şişecam Group

COMBUSTION SYSTEMS/BURNERS