Glass International September 2020 by Quartz Business Media

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September 2020—Vol.43 No.8

The future of batch plant technology – since 1920.

CONSOL GLASS INTERVIEW GUARDIAN GLASS FURNACE LAUNCH O-I GIRONCOURT INVESTMENT I N T E R N A T I O N A L

H IS FOR

A GLOBAL REVIEW OF GLASSMAKING

Glass International September 2020

HYBRID

SORG has always been thinking ahead and investing in cleaner technologies to tackle climate change. Having patented the world’s first hybrid furnace, our CLEAN Melter® can now provide a more sustainable solution for larger furnace operations. The unavoidable challenge for the global glass industry is to find more renewable energy sources, otherwise its future will be short lived. With the Paris Agreement asking for a 40% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030 and net zero by 2050, large tonnage producers are facing a huge step change, as emission trading and increasingly strict limits on air pollutants force them to change their furnace technology.

The regenerative firing principle that has been used for more than 150 years now, will soon be gone. At SORG, we share our customers’ goals and by developing this all-new hybrid melting concept, we can safeguard the long-term future of glass together, as well as attract major brands seeking to benefit from carbon neutral energy.

ADVANTAGES share on melting energy • Electric as high as possible – up to 80% in regards of • Flexibility pull variations in regards of raw • Flexibility materials and raw material changes (no glass quality instabilities) of oxidizing and • Melting reduced glasses share on melting • Fossil energy without restriction in the application of CO2 - neutral combustibles (hydrogen) in the mix of different • Flexibility heating sources (fossil/electric)

Discover the power of change at sustainablemelting.sorg.de

Introducing CLEAN Melter® The world’s first hybrid glass furnace.

GI Cover september gatefold.indd 1

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WWW.GLASS-INTERNATIONAL.COM

September 2020—Vol.43 No.8

The future of batch plant technology – since 1920.

CONSOL GLASS INTERVIEW GUARDIAN GLASS FURNACE LAUNCH O-I GIRONCOURT INVESTMENT I N T E R N A T I O N A L

H IS FOR

A GLOBAL REVIEW OF GLASSMAKING

Glass International September 2020

HYBRID

Discover the power of change at sustainablemelting.sorg.de

Introducing CLEAN Melter® The world’s first hybrid glass furnace.

GI Cover september gatefold.indd 1

21/09/2020 06:07:35

We print your world

# StayReal OPEN HOUSE WEEKS 05.10. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 06.11.2020 Finally we are allowed to meet each other live again. We are looking forward to your visit at our in-house exhibition.

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# StayReal OPEN HOUSE WEEKS 05.10. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 06.11.2020 Finally we are allowed to meet each other live again. We are looking forward to your visit at our in-house exhibition.

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Contents

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Editor’s Comment + International news

Co any rofile Consol lass Consol Glass aims to bounce back

Assistant Editor: George Lewis Tel: +44 (0)1737 855154 Email: georgelewis@quartzltd.com

Environment: Wiegand-Glas The Eco2Bottle

Recycling: Recresco Sleepwalking into a deeper crisis?

Co any rofile ardian lass Guardian Glass ignites Polish furnace

Sustainability: LIFE Sugar project Stara Glass: A sustainable future

nergy e ficiency Cro ley Car on How O-I reduced its energy use

nergy e ficiency C lass A waste heat recovery solution

Automation: Siemens/Heinz-Glas A uniform process control system

Industry 4.0: Heye International The glass plant of the future

Automation: Paneratech Refractory 4.0

Process control: Bucher Emhart Glass Speaking the same language

Furnace ignition: O-I Gironcourt O-I launches third furnace

Annealing: Antonini Understanding the annealing process

Annealing: Henry F. Teichmann Optimising the annealing process

Refractories: Sefpro Type 8 cruciforms lower CO2 emissions

Refractories: Parkinson-Spencer New refractory materials from PSR

Handling:Technocat Technology for vacuum systems

Inspection: Applied Vision Don’t touch that glass!

Application: Nuclear waste Glass is key for nuclear waste

Multifunctional glass: VDMA Function through technology

Raw materials: IHS

Event preview: Glass Problems Virtual conference 2020

Automation: Cortex The next step in hot end automation

History International Year of Glass

Designer: Annie Baker Sales Director: Ken Clark Tel: +44 (0)1737 855117 Email: kenclark@quartzltd.com Sales Executive: Manuel Martin Quereda Tel: +44 (0)1737 855023 Email: manuelm@quartzltd.com

September 2020 Vol.43 No 8

Managing Director Tony Crinion tonycrinion@quartzltd.com Chie

xec ti e O ficer: Steve Diprose

Chairman: Paul Michael

Subscriptions: Elizabeth Barford Tel: +44 (0)1737 855028 Fax: +44 (0)1737 855034 Email: subscriptions@quartzltd.com Published by Quartz Business Media Ltd, Quartz House, 20 Clarendon Road, Redhill, Surrey RH1 1QX, UK. Tel: +44 (0)1737 855000. Fax: +44 (0)1737 855034. Email: glass@quartzltd.com Website: www.glass-international.com

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Member of British Glass Manufacturers’ Confederation

China National Association for Glass Industry

United National Council of the glass industry (Steklosouz) Glass International annual subscription rates including Glass International Directory: For one year: UK £185, all other countries £255. For two years: UK £335, all other countries £460. Airmail prices on request. Single copies £50.

Printed in UK by: Pensord, Tram Road, Pontlanfraith, Blackwood, Gwent NP12 2YA, UK. Glass International Directory 2020 edition: UK £206, all other countries £217. Printed in UK by: Marstan Press Ltd, Kent DA7 4BJ Glass International (ISSN 0143-7838) (USPS No: 020-753) is published 10 times per year by Quartz Business Media Ltd, and distributed in the US by DSW, 75 Aberdeen Road, Emigsville, PA 17318-0437. Periodicals postage paid at Emigsville, PA. POSTMASTER: send address changes to Glass International c/o PO Box 437, Emigsville, PA 17318-0437.

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Demand slumps-but cause for optimism

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Editor: Greg Morris Tel: +44 (0)1737 855132 Email: gregmorris@quartzltd.com

1 Glass International September 2020

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International News

GREG MORRIS, EDITOR

WWW.GLASS-INTERNATIONAL.COM

September 2020—Vol.43 No.8

The future of batch plant technology – since 1920.

CONSOL GLASS INTERVIEW GUARDIAN GLASS FURNACE LAUNCH O-I GIRONCOURT INVESTMENT I N T E R N A T I O N A L

H IS FOR

A GLOBAL REVIEW OF GLASSMAKING

e first ith the ne s

Glass International September 2020

HYBRID

VISIT: SORG has always been thinking ahead and investing in cleaner technologies to tackle climate change. Having patented the world’s first hybrid furnace, our CLEAN Melter® can now provide a more sustainable solution for larger furnace operations. The unavoidable challenge for the global glass industry is to find more renewable energy sources, otherwise its future will be short lived. With the Paris Agreement asking for a 40% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030 and net zero by 2050, large tonnage producers are facing a huge step change, as emission trading and increasingly strict limits on air pollutants force them to change their furnace technology.

www.glass-international.com

Winter is coming

To paraphrase Game of Thrones, Winter is Coming! While the northern hemisphere is generally anxious about the onset of winter and the impact coronavirus will have, the glass industry has provided moments of cheer in recent months. Regular readers of our online output would have seen a number of investments in glass manufacturing plants, particularly in the container sector which, thanks to the production of food jars and drinks bottles, was deemed an essential business during lockdown. The news pages in this issue mention investments at Australia’s Orora, Steklarna Hrastnik and Wiegand-Glas, while inside we highlight the ignition of a third furnace at O-I’s Gironcourt, France, facility after a €60 million investment by the company. It is well known the flat sector was hammered during the crisis because consumers stopped buying cars and construction work was halted. But even so, thanks to expanding business in Eastern Europe, Guardian Glass and Saint-Gobain have completed investments in their Polish plants in recent weeks. There was also a glimmer of good news from the automotive sector with Fuyao’s plan to invest in its Moraine facility, USA. But we are not out of the woods yet. The dual threat of the pandemic and the global economic downturn remains. It may be a long winter ahead but here’s hoping the glass sector provides more cheer.

www.glass-international.com

ADVANTAGES Electric share on melting energy • as high as possible – up to 80% in regards of • Flexibility pull variations in regards of raw • Flexibility materials and raw material changes (no glass quality instabilities) of oxidizing and • Melting reduced glasses

for daily news updates

share on melting • Fossil energy without restriction in the application of CO2 - neutral combustibles (hydrogen) in the mix of different • Flexibility heating sources (fossil/electric)

Discover the power of change at sustainablemelting.sorg.de

Introducing CLEAN Melter® The world’s first hybrid glass furnace.

GI Cover september gatefold.indd 1

FRONT COVER IMAGE: www.sorg.de

16/09/2020 14:36:53

GOrora completes Gawler furnace rebuild

Australian glass packaging company Orora has completed a successful furnace rebuild – despite the challenges of the Covid pandemic. The container glass manufacturer completed the G2 rebuild at its Gawler, South Australia site, earlier this year, just as the pandemic began to

impact. Due to changes in working conditions and lockdown, key vendors and commissioning engineers were unable to visit the site. Despite this, the rebuild was only delayed by two weeks and the furnace was successfully commissioned in spring this year.

A second, $10 million forming line was also upgraded, which will add 10 million bottles to its annual capacity. Orora’s glass division manufactures bottles for all beverage types from beer, wine, cider and alcoholic ready-todrink styles to carbonated soft drinks and juices.

Saint-Gobain Glass in €30 million Polish coater investment More than €30 million has been invested by Saint-Gobain Glass in a new magnetron (coater) to manufacture coated glass in Dabrowa Górnicza, Poland. The coater manufactures

coated glass for high-performance and high-added-value solutions for the residential and non-residential construction industry. ith t o floats, a coater, a mirror line, a laminated glass

line and three cutting lines, the Dabrowa Górnicza plant is one of the largest glassmaking complexes in Poland, with an annual flat glass production capacity of 27.4 million m2.

2 Glass International September 2020

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International News

NEWS IN BRIEF

Forglass revolutionises furnace design

Omco will acquire the glass moulding business from Ross International at the end of the month Omco, a manufacturer of glass moulds, said it would acquire the business and its

production plants in Hungary and South Africa. The acquisition of the production plants in Hungary and South Africa will enhance OMCO’s leadership position in the production of moulds f

in the glass container market. The acquisition demonstrates its strategy of developing manufacturing capacity to serve the market needs geographically with technology and experienced people.

Minister for Industry visits two French glassmaking plants The French Minister for Industry was welcomed to two glassmaking plants in Northern France as part of the country’s recovery following the Covid-19 pandemic. Verescence’s Mers-les-Bains site was visited by Mrs. Ag-

nès Pannier-Runacher, as part of the ‘France Relance’ plan, while Pochet du Courval’s factory in nearby Guimerville was also visited. During the visit to Pochet du Courval, its teams were able to showcase their exper-

tise and exchange on ongoing projects related to Industry 4.0 and decarbonisation. The Minister also discussed with employees the support of talents through the training courses set up within Verescence.

Six new apprentices for Horn Horn Glass Industries has welcomed six new apprentices to the company based in Plössberg, Germany. The future specialists were warmly welcomed on the first or ing day of their ne

stage of life by the CEO & MD of Horn Glass Industries, Stephan Meindl, alongside members of different departments throughout the company. The six trainees includ-

ed two metalworkers, one draughtsman and three electronic technicians started and began work on 1st September 2020. Horn now has a total of 33 apprentices at the company.

Glass Packaging Institute (GPI) new members

US container glass manufacturer Arglass Yamamura and recycler Ripple Glass have joined The Glass Packaging Institute (GPI) as members. Both companies are exceptionally important to the glass recycling and manufacturing industries across the Southeast and Midwest. Arglass Yamamura is headquartered in Valdosta, Georgia while Ripple Glass is based in Kansas City, Missouri.

Heinz-Glas owner hands CEO role to daughter

Carletta Heinz has been appointed the new CEO of Heinz-Glas, replacing her father and continuing the family business into its 13th generation. Carl-August Heinz managed the group for 43 years and will continue as a consultant. Ms Heinz said: “I am proud to be able to follow such footsteps and will do my best to fill them and continue on our path!

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OMCO set to acquire Ross International’s moulds group

Four virtual production lines with the revolutionary furnace designed by Forglass have been working non-stop for a year now, using mathematical modelling software from CelSian Glass & Solar to test Forglass’ concepts, developed over the years. Elements of the design are also being evaluated in a physical test furnace and Forglass has begun conversations with potential investors. The second, perhaps even more important part of the Forglass revolution is that the company aims to change the industry’s business rules: rather than fighting with other furnace suppliers over market share, Forglass intends to support them with this new technology, especially outside of Europe.

3 Glass International September 2020

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International News

Cleanfire® ThruPorte™ Burner A prescription for aging regenerators Undergoing regenerator repairs or having difficulty maintaining full production in an aging furnace? Turn to Air Products’ Cleanfire

Steklarna Hrastnik invests in oxygen-based furnace Steklarna Hrastnik has began its investment in anoxygen furnace for the production of glass packaging. The investment is of importance for the long-term existence of the glassworks, and for its competitiveness

in the global market. The €18.5 million ($21.9 million) investment will include the investment in the G furnace, purchase of new IS machines, and the optimisation of parallel production processes.

Work is planned to be completed in November this year. Peter Cas, General Manager said: “This investment is of key importance for the existence of Steklarna Hrastnik.”

ThruPorte oxy-fuel burner for a quick, costeffective heating solution to avoid downtime or extend your furnace life. This patented and commercially-proven technology, installed from the underside of your port, allows you to add heat where and when it’s needed. Key features: • Tandem water-cooled oxy-fuel burner and oxygen staging lance assembly • Proven durable design; easily installed in an existing port while furnace is running • Adjustable flame length and angle for optimal heat distribution and surface coverage

EME remotely commissions Cristalchile batch plant EME engineers have successfully remotely commissioned a batch plant for customer Cristalchile in Chile, South America. EME worked out a concept to commission the plant via remote control from Germany without the

presence of EME specialists on site. For this purpose, Cristalchile provided several resources in the field of mechanics and control technology. This team was supported with the necessary pro-

cess descriptions, manuals, checklists and additional training by EME specialists via video conferencing. The remote commissioning of the batch plant was divided into two stages, the cold start-up and the hot commissioning.

• Remote, wireless and continuous online monitoring of burner performance • Available for rapid deployment To make glass better, put Air Products in the mix.

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Piramal Glass put up for sale at $800 million Indian container and pharmaceutical glassmaker Piramal Glass is for sale. The company has appointed Bank of America and xis apital to find a buyer and has already approached several multi-national glass manufacturers for their interest in an $800 million deal.

Organisations approached include German container and pharmaceutical manufacturer Gerresheimer and French groups Saverglass and Verescence. Piramal Glass operates four manufacturing plants: two in India, and one each in Sri Lanka and the USA. According to its website it

makes 1475 tonnes of glass a day with 12 furnaces and 65 production lines. It recently completed the first stage of its digital transformation in its plants and worked with companies including Microsoft to implement the new technology.

Glass International September 2020

22/09/2020 09:01:14

To make glass better, put us in the mix. Improving combustion can enable you to increase glass production, reduce fuel consumption, enhance glass quality, and reduce emissions, such as NOx, SOx, CO₂, and

particulates. Let Air Products’ in-house modeling and melting experts help you get there. For more than 70 years, we’ve delivered safe oxygen solutions, from our very first oxygen enrichment applications to our continuously evolving portfolio of low-emissions Cleanfire® oxy-fuel burners. You can count on Air Products for reliable gas supply and to help optimize your production—just like we have done for hundreds of furnaces all over the world. Contact us to put the skills and experience of our global team to work for you. Optimal melting takes one key ingredient: Us.

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U.S. +1 800 654 4567 (code 9111) Europe +44 (0) 800 389 0202 Asia 400 888 7662 +1 610 706 4730 (code 9111) +44 (0) 1270 612708 +86 21 3896 2000

International News

Top 10 stories in the news

NEWS IN BRIEF

Pilkington Automotive Finland to lay off 117

Automotive glass manufacturer Pilkington Automotive Finland will lay off 117 employees from its Laitila and Tampere units due to Covid-19. Having started a six-week negotiation period in July, the decision was made due to Covid-19 affecting order backlog, competitiveness and personnel of the company. Efforts are being made to adjust production capacity to demand. In Laitila, almost 50 employees are to be laid off, and a total of 67 employees will be laid off in the Tampere unit. A total of about 550 people were involved in the negotiations.

Arc to hire 149 before end of the year

Despite Covid-19 affecting all parts of the glass industry Arc are looking to hire 149 apprentices, work-study and professional contracts who will join the company before the end of the year. About 70% of the jobs offered are in production, including industrial equipment operators, machining technicians and smoke masons. To apply, the candidate can respond to a job offer on the company’s website or send an application by email to recruitment@arc-intl.com. In both cases, they must attach a CV and a cover letter.

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Horn Glass opens Brazilian subsidiary

Horn Glass Industries is expanding its local availability in South America with a new subsidiary in São Paulo, Brazil. The new subsidiary Horn Glass Brazil means the German glass plant manufacturer will have office in São Paulo, and is now the contact for the glass industry throughout South America. The new company will be managed by an experienced specialist in the glass industry, Mr. Thiago Metti.

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

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Piramal Glass for sale at $800 million O-I Glass reports improving business trends Orora successfully completes furnace rebuild O-I launches third Gironcourt furnace in €60 million investment Steklarna Hrastnik begins investment in new oxygen-based furnace Wiegand-Glas collaborates on climate-neutral light-glass wine bottle, EcoBottle Heinz-Glas owner hands CEO role over to daughter British Glass launches campaign to get consumers buying British Pilkington Automotive Finland to lay off 117 employees Pilkington launches online ‘glass-opedia’

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Sisecam reports net sales of US $1.17 billion H1 2020 Sisecam Group has reported consolidated net sales of TRY 8.8 billion (approx. US $1.17 billion) in the six-month period ending 30th June, 2020. International sales accounted for 60% of Sisecam Group’s total sales during the period while it recorded total investments of TRY 625 million (US 6 million in the first half of

the year. During the first half of the year, the group produced 2.3 million tonnes of glass, 1.1 million tonnes of soda and 2 million tonnes of industrial raw material. Professor Ahmet Kirman, Vice Chairman and CEO of Sisecam Group, said: “Our sales, after contracting global-

ly in April due to the impact of the pandemic, started to rise in May thanks to our rapid decision-making and effective managerial actions. “Since June especially, our sales performance has demonstrated a strong comeback with the easing of quarantine measures and steps taken towards normalisation.”

British Glass launches campaign to get consumers buying British A campaign has been launched by British Glass and Friends of Glass to encourage consumers to buy their favourite products in glass bottles and jars. The campaign helps consumers to locate the punt marks identifying British and Irish glass manufacturers on the bottom of their glass bottles and jars to celebrate local

manufacturing. A graphic detailing the punt mark of each of the major glass manufacturers that have a factory in the UK, including Allied Glass, Ardagh, Beatson Clark, Encirc, O-I and Stoelzle, has been created to educate consumers on where to look for the marks. British Glass’ Communica-

tions Manager Victoria Adams said: “Over the last few months, we’ve noticed a lot more people wanting to support their local businesses and buy British products so we wanted to show consumers that this can be extended to buying their favourite products in glass.”

6 Glass International September 2020

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sees what others can’t.

Neutron® identifies thin and thick areas by mapping glass distribution inside your entire container– no matter the shape – with no contact at full production speed.

AppliedGlass.com

International News

NEWS IN BRIEF

Verallia appoints Director of Operations

French container glass manufacturer Verallia has appointed Romain Barral as its Director of Operations. Mr Barral will oversee Verallia’s Technical, R&D, Environment, Health and Safety (EHS), Quality, Industrial Excellence, Supply Chain and Purchasing Departments. He is a member of the group’s Executive Management Committee.

Ardagh sees Q2 2020 revenues drop by 5%

Ardagh Group has seen revenue for the second quarter of 2020 at $1,606 million, 5% lower than the prior year. Despite growth in other areas, the group saw a 7% reduction in glass packaging for the quarter that ended 30th June, 2020. The performance of Ardagh’s glass packaging was stable throughout the second quarter, with strength in food end markets mitigating the impact of on-premise closures. Investment projects continued to progress during the period, to support growth in demand for sustainable packaging.

www.glass-international.com

Fuyao Glass America in $45 million expansion

Fuyao Glass America will hire 350 new employees due to a $45 million plant expansion. The expansion is due to take place at the company’s West Stroop Road plant in Moraine, Ohio, USA. It includes investment for research and development, plus purchasing equipment to help produce more aftermarket automotive glass for companies. The company also will acquire an additional 161,000ft2 at the Moraine facility. At full capacity, the company will have 2,300 employees at the Montgomery County plant, according to Fuyao Glass America President and CEO Jeff Liu.

Building through a global crisis safely with Sorg The Sorg Group was given the responsibility of planning, delivering, constructing and commissioning the first glass melting system of the Wiegand-Glas plant in Schleusingen, Germany. However, this major project had to be carried out and completed in the middle of the

global Covid-19 pandemic. t re uired a flexible approach by Sorg that gave considered the health and safety of many different companies working within the bustling construction site. regenerative -flame tub for white glass, featuring a working end and forehearths

was specially optimised for the needs of Wiegand-Glas. Two completely sealed dog houses were also built utilising EME-NEND technology. The complete system represents an industry milestone, with excellent levels of energy consumption, glass quality, emissions and maintenance.

Electroglass appoints agent for Russia and CIS countries Electroglass has appointed Orientis Technology, based in Sosnovy Bor, Leningrad Oblast, Russia, as its agent for Russia and the CIS countries. “With its established position and reputation as suppliers to the region’s glass in-

dustry, we are certain Orientis Technology will bring a valuable extra level of local support to our existing and new customers in the region.” Electroglass are UK based specialists in the development, design and manufac-

ture of electric glass melting systems and equipment. Orientis Technology joins the expanding network providing service to Electroglass clients in regions from the Americas in the west to Asia and the Far East.

Saint-Gobain plans Spanish furnace closure Staff at Saint-Gobain’s L’Arboc site in Spain have protested about a proposed furnace closure. It states the furnace has reached the end of its life and is closing.

The furnace supplies the Sekurit division and the decision will mean the loss of 122 jobs. The company argues that there is instability and a drop in orders in the automotive sector.

But the workers say the furnace still has another 18 months of life and if repaired it would allow the factory to maintain production for another two decades.

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T I N B AT H EXCELLENCE MADE IN G E R M A N Y. JOHANNES ERTL (HEAD OF TIN BATH DEPARTMENT)

Over the last seven years HORN Glass Industries has planned and built seven Tin Baths with capacities from 250 tpd up to 1000 tpd. Our expertise gained from decades of experience in the glass melting business, helps us to find the perfect Tin Bath solution for every project. All key components are produced in our own manufacturing department in Plößberg/Germany.

WWW.HORNGL ASS.COM

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Consol Glass aims to bounce back An alcohol ban as a result of Covid-19 in South Africa meant Consol Glass was just four weeks from catastrophe earlier this year. Now, with the ban lifted, it has started heating a new furnace at Clayville and returning to what it does best – manufacturing container glass bottles. George Lewis spoke to Dale Carolin*.

n 28th March, to combat the Covid-19 crisis, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa decided to place the country into a Level 5 lockdown, which amongst other rules, meant a complete ban on the sale of alcohol and cigarettes in the country. This ban was lifted in August but has impacted many companies, including the South African container glass industry’s largest manufacturer, Consol Glass, which believes the company could have been just ‘four weeks from catastrophe’ had the ban continued. With production able to restart and sales of alcohol once again allowed, Consol was glad to see customers re-opening. Its Furnace#1 at its Clayville site north of Johannesburg had been idled since a rebuild in March and April. But earlier this month the oven was ignited and is gradually heating up, ready for full production at the end of September. Dale Carolin, Marketing and Commercial Senior Executive at Consol Glass (pictured left) said: “As the restrictions on both ‘on’ and ‘off premise’ alcohol sales were lifted, we expect to see an uptake in demand and sales that will provide some relief to our current financial position The rebuilt furnace is expected to increase production at Consol by 12%. The commissioning will include a new first for frica - an Emhart 16-section tandem machine.

Glass demand efore the first ban

was instigated, 55% of glass demand was for on premises trade, in places such as restaurants, bars and nightclubs. The other 45% is determined as off premises trade, such as sold in supermarkets for home use. Consol Glass has four plants in South Africa, with a total production capacity of 850,000 tonnes per year. Its expansion plans at its Nigel facility in Gauteng, south-east of Johannesburg, have been shelved, something Mr Carolin said ‘is now not due for review for at least the next two to three years’. It had broken ground on the R1.5 billion ($85.3 million) glass manufacturing plant, which was due to be completed in April 2021. It would have added 130,000 tonnes per year to Consol Glass’ production and created around 120 new jobs. But post-Covid, Consol expect industry to decline 15%, so shelved the plan. The cancellation of the Nigel project came on the back of the recent announcement by Heineken that it has cancelled the construction of a R6 billion ($367.1 million) brewery near Dube Trade Port in KwaZulu-Natal, and by South African Breweries, which has cancelled R2.5 billion ($159.9 million) in investments for 2020 and are reviewing another R2.5 billion for 2021. Mr Carolin said: “At the moment, there are no real big projects on the horizon, we are just

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Consol Glass has ignited a new furnace after a tough few months as a result of the alcohol ban in South Africa.

focusing on the recovery of the business and getting people back to work. “The aim is to go ‘back to basics’ for the next 12 to 18 months. “We’ve probably seen a 10 to 15% negative impact on the demand for glass. If we can get back that demand within 12-18 months we will be in a reasonable place. “But it may take two to three years to get back to pre- ovid production numbers

Alcohol ban The South African President cited the reason for the ban was to take pressure off the country’s healthcare system by decreasing hospital admissions due to alcohol-related incidents, a problem that the country has seen for many years. The original ban was temporarily lifted in midMay when the level 5 lockdown was dropped to level 4, before being reimposed on 12th July after a surge in hospital admissions. The ban was lifted again on 18th August to the delight of Consol Glass, which could restart all furnaces and production lines having only been able to use one production line per furnace for non-essential products. r arolin said t s difficult to argue against the ban, but it’s slightly misconstrued that only alcohol-related incidents were causing those admissions to hospital

“At the moment, there are no real big projects on the horizon, we are just focusing on the recovery of the business and getting people back to work.

”

Dale Carolin

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He suggested that if the government had decided to just implement a curfew and still allowed alcohol consumption, it would have been enough to reduce hospital admissions to keep beds free for Covid-19 patients. The lifting of the ban also meant some of the 26,000 in the South African glass industry who were directly and indirectly affected by the alcohol ban can slowly return to their jobs, most on a rotational basis due to health and safety guidelines. Those 26,000 people in the South African glass industry is enough to support more than 50,000 livelihoods. r arolin explained that the first ban resulted in losses to South African glass manufacturers during April and May of R1.5 billion (US $86.2 million) and could have at least doubled if the second ban continued. Consol Glass also believe that the complete closure of the glass industry and failure of suppliers in the value chain could deindustrialise the South African economy by around R20 billion (US $1.18 billion). Glass manufacturing is said to contribute more than R11.8 billion (US $677 million) to South Africa’s GDP every year. The knock-on effect of the ban has also affected its cullet suppliers. Consol spends R500m (US $30m) on waste glass (cullet) that supports 7,000 livelihoods, which was closed when the ban was instigated. Consol also maintains its own sand mines, which also had to be closed as so little production was taking place. Those sand mines supply municipal filtration sand to part of the country, which meant the shutdown of sand mining could have had a detrimental effect on water supply in certain regions of the country. Consol buys its energy from national provider Eksom, which is owned by the government. With glass furnaces having to be kept constantly hot, it meant Consol’s energy expenditure remained the same, without the ability to offset the cost with virtually no sales taking place. During the first, six- ee loc do n, hich started on 28th March, Consol successfully lobbied the government to be able to run one production line. Mr Carolin said that production in April and May fell by 75%. From May/June production was still down by 50% as some exporting was then allowed. But just as Consol was starting to get back on track, with lockdown rules further relaxed to off trade/premise sales only in mid-June 2020, the ban was reimopsed, which meant production in June was down by 25%. It is said that up to 85% of the South African glass industry’s sales are alcohol-related, meaning the Continued>>

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production of glass bottles for alcoholic beverages are a huge part of Consol Glass’ business. Prior to the alcohol ban, the alcohol industry was actively collaborating with the government to look at the social impact alcohol has. They agreed to work more closely together to tackle the social issues around alcohol and alcohol abuse. Mr Carolin hopes a positive relationship can help reduce the threat of possible legislation which would threaten the business even further, with talk of more a prohibitive legislation on alcohol or changing the legal selling age both possibilities. Consol has recently written to government asking that should any legislation be considered, it allows the glass manufacturing industry a reasonable opportunity to make representations prior to making any such decision. Consol and fellow South African glassmaker Isanti Glass are said to be committed to investing in domestic glass production with several large projects planned, which is expected to total more than R1 billion (US $61 million). They plan to soon start ordering equipment and materials for several large capital projects that are required in order to maintain pre-lockdown levels of glass producing capacity, including a number of furnace rebuilds. Consol said that without these projects and accompanying expenditure, a material portion of the country’s glass production capacity would be lost.

How Covid-19 is affecting Consol’s other businesses

tonnes per year from its one furnace and two production lines. Juniper opened for supply in September 2019 and had seen domestic glass demand increase. But because of market shutdown of alcohol sales during lockdown, production was idled, with workers just keeping the furnace hot. Juniper restarted one production line in August and began to export a small amount of glass to neighbouring Kenya. Consol’s Kenyan glass business has recently seen glass demand slip as a result of a recent lockdown. Cases are only now beginning to rise and lockdown regulations have been recently put in force where on premise alcohol sales and social gathering has been instituted. The plant has one furnace and two production lines, producing 35,000 tonnes per year. Consol also owns Glassforce in Nigeria, which produces approximately 40,000 tonnes per year from its one furnace and two production lines. The company operated one production line during the crisis due to the market shutdown of alcohol sales during lockdown. �

Consol had to also look after its other assets across Africa, which make up about 10% of its portfolio. Consol is the majority owner of Juniper Glass in Ethiopia, which produces between 50,000-60,000

*Marketing and Commercial Senior Executive Consol Glass, Johannesburg, South Africa www.consol.co.za

Top: Consol Glass’ Clayville site.

12 Glass International September 2020

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Unless it solves a problem automatically, isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t data just data? Our technologies speak the same language.

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The new sustainable hybrid from SORG. Our new hybrid furnace is the cleaner, greener way to melt glass. With up to 80% electric share, the CLEAN Melter ÂŽ emits significantly less CO2 than conventional fossil-fuelled furnaces, offering greater flexibility and huge cost savings for larger tonnages. Supported by a full 20-year guarantee, it is the most sustainable technology available today. Discover the power of change at sustainablemelting.sorg.de

Environment

Eco2Bottle: A climate-neutral light-glass wine bottle

urprisingly, although glass is 100% recyclable, the production of a glass bottle creates CO2-emissions. To tackle the issue head-on, Florenz Wiegand, son of one of the Managing Directors of Wiegand-Glas and graduate of the Hochschule Geisenheim University, initiated a collaboration between an academic group of undergraduate students majoring in Internationale Weinwirtschaft (International Wine Business) with Wiegand-Glas experts. The goal of the group was clear, yet challenging – create an economically viable and environmentally friendly CO2 free packaging made from recyclable glass. The successful development of this sustainable glass packaging led to the idea of bringing the material onto the market. The result is the new Eco2Bottle, the orld s first climate-neutral ine bottle made of guaranteed 93% recycled glass. The Eco2Bottle is a weight-reduced 0.75 litre Bordeaux shaped wine bottle weighing 390 grams, making it almost 20% lighter than comparable wine bottles in the Wiegand-Glas portfolio. This lighter bottle allows for more efficient use of ra and recycled materials, as well as a reduction in transportation costs for the suppliers and consumers - all while maintaining a climate-neutral product. The Eco2Bottle not only protects

the environment, it preserves the quality of the wine contained within. “It is a widespread misconception that bottle weight is an indication of wine quality. After all, it is irrelevant to the wine how much the bottle weighs. But the environment does care”, says Nikolaus Wiegand, Managing Director of Wiegand-Glas. To further reduce CO2-emissions, the Eco2Bottle is produced exclusively with climate-neutral electricity from 100% hydropower (VERBUND) and from guaranteed 93% recycled glass. According to the German Glass

Industry Association (Bundesverband Glasindustrie e.V.), the average proportion of recycled glass in glass container production in Germany is around 60% This means that compared to the national average the Eco2Bottle saves 11% more energy and 13% of CO2emissions through the higher use of recycled glass. Wiegand-Glas compensates for unavoidable emissions, such as those resulting from the burning of natural gas during the production process, by investing in a carbon offset project. In cooperation with ClimatePartner, Wiegand-Glas supports the tree planting initiative ume pflan en in Deutschland”. Thus, the CO2-emissions resulting from the entire production process of the wine bottle are completely compensated. or the first time in the history of the glass-packaging industry, WiegandGlas has leveraged all the tools currently available to reduce CO2-emissions in one product. The ‘greener wine bottle’ is the starting signal for the promising Eco2Bottle concept. “The Eco2Bottle closes the circle of a more sustainable wine economy. Our goal is to serve other beverage and food products with this unique concept. We want to address consumers, sensitise them to the advantages of this idea and convince them”, says Nikolaus Wiegand.�

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German container glass manufacturer Wiegand-Glas, has been working diligently to reduce its carbon emissions for many years. It has collaborated on the production of the EcoBottle, a climate-neutral wine bottle made of guaranteed 93% recycled glass.

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Recycling

Sleepwalking into a deeper crisis? Tim Gent* describes how as a result of the Covid pandemic we are producing more waste than ever before, which could have catastrophic consequences in the long term.

www.glass-international.com

efore we knew about Covid-19, the climate crisis was headline news, raising public awareness of the need to take responsibility for our actions or risk irreversible damage to our environment. t first the pandemic and associated lockdowns prompted many positive environmental outcomes that we hoped ould benefit our planet in the long term As strict lockdowns were imposed, the world experienced the sharpest drop in carbon output since records began, with analysis of Chinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s emissions over a four week period showing a 25% reduction. But these changes are temporary and as lockdowns ease and life returns to some normality, we must make positive choices to counteract the ongoing damage to our planet. For now, controlling the spread of the virus must of course take priority but we must also consider the consequences of increased waste which could be catastrophic in the long term. The use of hygiene products, PPE and single use plastics has increased dramatically and businesses and individuals are producing more waste than ever before. In April Defra confirmed that due to the ongoing pandemic, it would delay the ban on plastic straws, stirrers and cotton buds until October 2020.[1] Delays such as this have caused great concern among conservationists who warn that the pandemic could spark a surge in ocean pollution. In February of this year, conservation group OceansAsia

posted a photo of multiple surgical masks discovered on Hong Kong beaches during a year-long research project into marine debris and micro-plastics.[2] With those masks now mandatory in most countries across the globe the situation is going to get worse quickly. But there is action we can take. We can make changes to drive positive environmental outcomes and offset some of the damage. We must not let our handling of the pandemic blind our judgement and inadvertently sleepwalk into a deeper crisis. The packaging we choose and how we dispose of it has a direct impact on our environment and climate. We must all take responsibility for our safety and our planet, ma ing a firm commitment to more sustainable packaging, effective waste management and recycling, keeping as much waste as possible out of landfill The 0 7 ac lo report hich as commissioned to assess the flo of packaging and recycling in the UK, is under review for 2020 acknowledging the considerable impact of Covid-19 on the packaging supply chain. The report will set revised business recycling targets for 2021 and 2022 and look at the long-term consequences of the current crisis on the packaging recovery note (PRN) system. It is imperative that better decisions are made around sustainable packaging and glass offers a hygienic, premium option which lends itself perfectly to the circular economy.

Glass is recycled in a closed loop system, creating no additional waste and can be recycled infinitely ith no loss of quality. It is 100% recyclable and requires less energy to recycle than to manufacture from raw materials, resulting in a 20% reduction in related air pollution and 50% in related water pollution[3]. Earlier this year FEAD, the European federation representing private waste management companies, called for EU investment in waste recycling and treatment capacity as part of its post-coronavirus green recovery plan. UK business leaders have also called for the UK Government to ensure the climate agenda features in any post pandemic strategy. The year 2020 has been dominated by Covd-19 and the devastating effects it is having on a global scale. The safe management of the pandemic is clearly a priority for global leaders but we must not forget that climate change remains the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s greatest challenge and poses a much greater threat to us all in the long term. As the world enters its new normal, measures to offset catastrophic environmental damage and encourage a circular economy must play a pivotal role in recovery strategies. ďż˝

*This is an updated version of an article that appeared in the Glass International website on June 22. *Director at Recresco, www.recresco.com

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Guardian Glass ignites Polish furnace

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he ignition of a second furnace at Guardian Glassâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Czestochowa plant, Poland, will enable the flat glass manufacturer to expand into the Eastern Europe region. The 1000 tonnes/day furnace will increase the site capacity to 1825 tonnes/day of glass, and will mean that the facility has trebled its capacity in two years. The heating of the oven has gradually been ramped up to its operating temperature of 00 degrees elsius, and culminated in a ribbon cutting ceremony earlir this month uus oe houdt, uardian lass xecutive ice President, said the group had seen the potential of Eastern Europe for several years. e see a gro ing mar et in astern urope, he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We see the window industry is concentrated there and we feel very good about our position in the mar et e have a clear vie on ho the mar et ill

develop ith long term gro th in astern urope and as a result we want to be part of that growth and continue supporting our customers gro th there The investment as the largest uardian has ever invested in a greenfield site and included a ne coater and cold end e uipment ccording to the company the coater uses advanced technology to turn standard glass into high performance float glass t coats the glass ith a thin layer of metal particles hich reflects any infra red light and ensures heat doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t enter a building. It will enable the plant to expand production of lo - emissivity lo - solar control glass products for residential uardian lima uard and commercial uardian un uard applications roprietary sputtering components allo the coater to be instantly s itched from one product

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meet tight standards lso included in the investment as a ,000 m2 expansion of its arehouse uardian implemented safety protocols to separate people from machines as much as possible n addition, a ne shipping office as installed and includes rest and sanitary facilities for the truck drivers, including toilets and shower rooms nvestment in the plant as approved in 2018 and construction began shortly afterwards. hile the corona pandemic halted operations for a short while because contractors were unable to visit the site, it did not prevent construction work being completed this summer As well as hiring an additional 90 staff the company specifically installed new technology related to glass cleaning and washing, along ith environmentally friendly vacuum pumps obotics and automated glass handling reduce opportunities for human error in the process. The group also installed nvironmental ontrol ystems to meet its permitting re uirements and to comply ith corporate ob ectives to be good neighbours. The Czestochowa facility supplies a bulk of its products to an approximately 00- 00 m radius,

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our customers are very creative and innovate very quickly. They are often smaller than we are and we have to adapt quickly to their ever changing needs, which in my opinion is a real challenge but also a lot of fun.

â&#x20AC;?

type to another ithout needing do ntime to change target materials This response ill allo uardian to serve customers more efficiently and flexibly The coater is a high volume, high throughput machine to serve the regional coated glass mar et ccording to the group, it features the latest in automated inspection, fitted ith three different types of inspection systems ach of the three is capable of detecting its o n parameters to

Above: Guus Boekhoudt

ith customers in ermany, Ukraine as well as Poland.

ech

epublic,

Pandemic The flat glass sector as among those hardest hit by the impact of the virus as consumers curtailed their spending on cars and construction. But business has revived and is up to about 85% overall to pre Covid levels, with variations depending on the geographical region. or example, the ussian business as running at 100% pre Covid levels, Asia at 90% of pre Covid demand, iddle ast and frica at , ndia - still in recovery mode - at 70 , and urope, bet een 0-

Continued>>

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Asked why Russia was already back to pre Covid levels, r oe houdt pointed out that uardian has a good business in Russia and has invested in long term solid customer relationships there e are seeing that the customers e support are gaining mar et position in ussia That s an important component e believe that the ussian mar et itself is not gro ing but e are extending our mar et position s ith most businesses, uardian had to adapt its business during the crisis r oe houdt said it as an intense situation and the company had to act rapidly adapt to the new conditions. “The good news about such a large global footprint such as this crisis is that you can learn. We learnt very quickly and we applied a lot of this learning across the business. “When in a crisis like this the beauty about it is there is no debate about hat is most important, it is about the health and safety of employees, to ma e sure e stay close to our customers and to have a strong focus on cash flo ou do that through very good communication and team or thin e became even more agile in this period and e ant to ma e sure e eep some of that going for ard n order to be more agile, the company empo ered its teams The group had a clear and consistent vision and ould meet multiple times during the day to drive the message “If every decision needs to go to the top and then do n, it s impossible and on t or t ta es too much time, so empo er your team t stayed close to its customers and tried to help them as much as possible in various ays, such as holding inventory for them and if a customer had payment issues it ould or through it ith them “We saw different behaviour but overall everybody was understanding of the situation and in certain cases it helped us get closer to our customers

Luxembourg t the same time of the investment in estocho a the company as also idling one of t o furnaces in its uxembourg sites The decision to cool the furnace at its Dudelange facility was purely because

Guardian Glass Europe, Bertrange, Luxembourg www.guardianglass.com

of overcapacity of commodity glass products in estern urope, said r oe houdt oth furnaces ere at the end of their lifetime and e already had issues ith demand before ovid That accelerated ith ovid so e made the decision to cool one of the furnaces. The decision as nothing to do ith moving production from estern to eastern urope because basic float glass products can only be economically transported up to 00 m around tha float glass plant The decision as based on mar et fundamentals The Dudelange site will not be closed, with a lamination line being ept open r oe houdt has or ed for the company for six years and as promoted to his current role in uly e oversees the company s operations in urope, sia, ndia, iddle ast and frica, is responsible for 6 float glass plants, nearly 6000 employees, and more than billion in annual turnover. is plans hile in the role are to first of all ma e sure the organisation and staff gets through the pandemic safely urope remains an important part of uardian and the glass mar et, ith most new innovations happening in the region. “We have a very good base in Europe with Russia. “We want to leverage the capability we have in this region to get the same capability and aspirations to grow our business in the other regions. The mar et ill continue to gro The fundamentals are very positive ith energy regulations and the EU green initiative and the fact that people ant more glass inside houses o long term, the demand trend is positive “We will be a part of this glass business long term for our customers e ant to create long term long standing relationships ith customers that add value is passion as a manager is people li e to or with people and to be in a business that is growing and winning. To do that we need to be focused on customer needs ur customers are very creative and innovate very uic ly They are often smaller than e are and we have to adapt quickly to their ever changing needs, hich in my opinion is a real challenge but also a lot of fun �

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www.zippe.de

Thank you to all our customers, staff and suppliers for the loyalty and the trust that you have placed in us. It has been a privilege to serve the glass industry for the last 100 years and we will continue offering future-driven, people-oriented and customer-centric products and services true to our promise:

The future of batch plant technology â&#x20AC;&#x201C; today.

Sustainability: LIFE Sugar project

Seeking a sustainable future

www.glass-international.com

Ernesto Cattaneo

Stara Glass has secured European LIFE funding for a project aimed at energy saving, CO2 containment and the sustainability of glass production: the LIFE SUGAR project.Stara Glass’s Ernesto Cattaneo* discusses the details.

CAN YOU TELL READERS MORE ABOUT THE LIFE SUGAR PROJECT? Stara Glass has been focusing for more than 70 years on present and future to implement sustainable solutions, together with high performance. In fact, the idea comes from our innovation department. i e most melting furnace design companies, we have been struggling for years to find a viable ay to bring bac inside the glass melting process the residual waste gas thermal power that is not possible to use to preheat combustion air. We experimented cullet and glass mix pre-heating, and also natural gas preheating but, for many reasons, neither one was completely satisfactory. Then, recently, the growing global attention to Greenhouse Gas (GHG) containment and the common goal of a having a climate-neutral industry before 2050 pushed us and many other companies to evaluate the usage of hydrogen as a fuel, and we realised that the particular heat recovery architecture of our Centauro system (https://www.staraglass.it/ innovative-products/centauro/) allowed us to use the residual waste gas energy to turn methane into hydrogen with a steam reforming reaction, and we did not want to miss the opportunity of doing something this interesting for the glass production sustainability. Therefore, in 2016 we started with a lo T pro ect, financed by the iguria region, and we became ready to develop a wider project. Stara Glass is the project leader and, since e are ay more s illed

in glass furnace design than hydrogen production, we teamed up with four different partners: � JM - Johnson Matthey is a global science and chemicals company, and a leader in sustainable technologies including catalysts and processes for steam reforming. � KT - Kinetics Technology is a leading international technology licensor and contractor ith a significant trac record in steam reforming � The University of Genova is a reference research centre for modelling and testing glass production industrial solutions � SSV - Stazione Sperimentale del Vetro is an internationally renowned research centre and analysis laboratory specialised in glass science and technology, with a strong experience in the fields of emissions measurements and mitigation, energy efficiency, furnace technology and refractory materials characterisations. The final goal is to launch to the mar et what we call a ‘total recovery furnace’, that is supposed to decrease the energy consumption (and NOx production as well) of regenerative furnaces in a emission significant ay and, ith it, 2 and glass production cost. The main difference between us and many other companies that are testing the usage of hydrogen as a fuel for glass production, is that we don’t just use it, we produce it as well.

Continued>>

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Sustainability: LIFE Sugar project

WHY DID STARA GLASS DECIDE TO PARTICIPATE? tara lass is firmly committed in increasing the sustainability of glass production, and the innovation department is inevitably at the forefront of this policy. The SUGAR project is ambitious and extremely time and investment consuming, so we decided to try and use LIFE funding. We obtained an important financing at the first attempt urthermore, the interest of the European Union in our project is a business card hich every industrial field al ays appreciates WHAT BENEFITS WILL THIS PROJECT BRING TO STARA GLASS AND TO THE WIDER GLASS MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY AS A WHOLE? tara lass aims at improving its position on the mar et by consolidating its name on the forefront of glass production innovation, therefore we constantly struggle to develop technologies that improve the sustainability of glass production. The Centauro technology and the outcomes of the last LIFE Prime Glass project (www.primeglass.it) taught us that the glass industry has increased its demand for green technologies. Personally, I don’t only strive for the competitiveness of my company, I also do all I can to leave a livable world to my children. CAN YOU DESCRIBE WHAT YOU HOPE TO ACHIEVE ENVIRONMENTALLY FROM THIS PROJECT? e aim at a significant reduction of gas consumption, and therewith CO2 emission, for the glass manufacturing industry. And, since the technology is being developed on our Centauro system, e already no it ill include an effective system for NOx abatement.

SUPPLY CHAIN CONFIDENCE

5 LOCATIONS ACCROSS UK AND IRELAND • Soda Ash • Sodium Sulphate • • Feldspars • Chrome • Barium Sulphate • Sodium Nitrate

SPECIALISTS IN THE GLASS INDUSTRY

HAS STARA GLASS WORKED ON SIMILAR EU PROJECTS SUCH AS THIS BEFORE? WAS IT SUCCESSFUL? Yes and yes. Stara Glass, in the last 15 years has participated to and, most of the times, led uropean and domestic financed innovation projects and their outcomes improved our position on the mar et In particular, the LIFE Prime Glass allowed us to develop two important solutions for NOx primary containment, the Strategic Waste Gas Recirculation (SWGR https://www.staraglass.it/ innovative-products s gr and the igh fficiency ir taging (HEAS https://www.staraglass.it/innovative-products/heas/) whose important commercial success responds to the direction of sustainability that the European Union is steering every industrial sector towards. �

*Sugar Project Manager and Head of Innovation Projects, Stara Glass, Genoa, Italy www.staraglass.com

www.glass-international.com

WHAT IS THE SCHEDULE OF THE PROJECT? The project started on June 1st 2020 and it is scheduled to end on November 30th 2023. The project includes the installation of a prototype on an operating furnace and, therefore, we are scouting an industrial user. We have already obtained three letters of interest from important global glass producers, we mainly need to find a furnace hose rebuilding time and factory layout matches our project requirements. If any glass producer is reading and interested, my e-mail address is ernesto.cattaneo@ hydragroup.it.

+44 (0)20 8940 6691

sales@newport-industries.com

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How an O-I plant reduced its energy consumption Glass Bottles Production.

Excess gas in the furnace, electricity on the cooling fans, and inadequate control in the glassmaking process could be costing glassmakers money. Crowley Carbonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Clarity software helped an O-I plant in Italy reduce these energy losses by 15% while providing 100% real-time visibility of the savings opportunities.

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urnaces are the biggest energy consumer in glass manufacturing plants and are critical to the glass container making process. n this case, the furnaces ere cross fired with independent port air control and operating in a certain way because â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;they have always done it this wayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; which was a conservative and inefficient approach Without the correct data and analysis, the operators were not in a position to look for anomalies or opportunities for performance improvements. Air-fuel ratios need to be optimised to have oxygen as low as possible, with a small amount of carbon monoxide present to define the exact combustion conditions, while also meeting emission requirements of the site operating permit. Glass furnaces have various temperature targets that the operator needs to keep under control. These furnaces had manual top temperature control which can lead to inefficiencies urthermore, air flo and gas flo control via dampers is inefficient when it comes to combustion fans and

exhaust fans.

Solution Crowley Carbon installed its energy management system and analytical software Clarity on the Scada systems on the furnaces. This gave the operators the ability to see critical process variables and monitor them in real-time with historical trends to help analysis. The key process variables for the furnaces included: urrent as lo elter fficiency ullet urnace oost lectrical oost Top Temperature ottom Temperature urnace ressure xhaust xhaust O2 With this information it enabled airfuel ratio to be adjusted port by port to achieve oxygen levels in the range of 1.0% to 2.5% and carbon monoxide levels belo 00 ppm eing able to trac this over time has enabled operational issues due to production changes such as lean combustion operation or emissions spikes to be highlighted. Automated alerts were created to notify operators

and production supervisors to these conditions, which may only occur for a small amount of time but are not reflected on daily average reports, but contribute to overall efficiency The furnace top temperature is critical and with a robust control loop system has the quickest response time for any fluctuations in the operation hile also keeping the melt temperature stable. Savings were achieved through this control loop by optimising the furnace efficiency by not over or under shooting the target temperatures while maintaining high glass quality by keeping the glass melt temperature stable at the throat feeding the refinery Together with work on the furnace combustion work was also carried out on the fans used for cooling. With VSDs already installed on the fans a number of gradual adjustments over time were made as follows: Continued>>

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� lux line cooling - using the Ds the flux line cooling fan speeds ere decreased to increase the cooling air flo to achieve an agreed safe temperature at the flux line refractory, in the range 00ºC º C. With the reduced fan speed the to electrical consumption dropped. � Throat cooling - similarly using the VSDs the throat cooling fan speeds were decreased to increase the cooling air flo to achieve an agreed safe temperature at the throat refractory, in the range 300ºC to 325ºC. Again this reduction in fan speed delivered electrical energy savings. � Combustion - VSDs on the combustion air fans were optimised using the automatic controls using the controls on the air flo meter etpoint adjustments were made to account for gas flo and furnace air fuel ratio � xhaust - ith the installation of pressure sensors in the flue system a flue pressure control algorithm was created on larity for the flue pressure setpoints based on the pull rate and fuel flo and the VSDs now adjust the exhaust fan speeds to meet this automatically. This has given the site the ability to maximise energy savings by taking away the

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Air Compressor.

original manual control using the furnace pressure damper.

Conclusion As the furnace is the largest energy consumer on site, understanding the differences in performance was vital to identifying priorities and operational anomalies to be worked on. Crowley Carbon connected the site’s existing systems to its Clarity platform and used data science, modelling and furnace and combustion engineering experts to help identify clear and meaningful

actions to reduce energy losses. A digital twin was built and kept running in Clarity so we could constantly compare equipment performance with the ideal, and alert on deviations. As a result, energy savings were created for gas and electricity. There was an electricity saving of $179,721 on fans, and a gas saving of 7 , on furnaces The project delivered a return on investment within nine months to the customer. �

Crowley Carbon, Enniskerry, Ireland www.crowleycarbon.com/

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The CP Glass facility in Orzesze, Poland.

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he glass industry has identified many practices for increasing energy efficiency and energy-efficient technologies that are implemented at component, process, system and organisational levels. t is a fact that energy efficiency is the most effective way to secure the supply and to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and other pollutants to the atmosphere. Therefore, many industries, including the glass industry, have set targets for saving primary energy consumption. Comparing to projections it becomes a ey step to ards achieving long-term energy and climate goals [2]. The solutions implemented in CP Glass’s glassworks in Orzesze, Poland enable uplift of the energy efficiency This article describes the application of aste heat recovery from flue gases for the production of steam to power the turbine of the centrifugal compressor.

nergy e ficiency sol tions There are numerous opportunities to reduce energy consumption. The glass industry has identified many energy efficiency practices and technologies that are implemented at the component, process, system and organisational levels. Areas where savings are mostly sought are: � the melting process as it is the most energy intensive process with the

potential to trigger additional solutions li e heat recovery from flue gases, � compressed air consumption, � raw material areas, consisting of reducing the consumption of natural resources by replacing them with cullet, � production areas, more efficient use of glass, which is based on reducing the weight of packaging, � energy monitoring and control systems that took an important role in energy management and reduction of energy consumption [1].

eat alance o glass

rnaces

The glass industry consumes substantial energy in high temperature melting process. Oil and natural gas are frequently used as fuel. The electric booster systems can be installed to provide the additional energy to melt and increase the melting capacity. In the melting furnace the batch is melted into the glass in temperatures between 1450°C and 1650°C. The molten glass is refined in order to remove bubbles before the forming processes. Most of the heat is carried with the exhaust gas and by losses to the walls, the crown and the opening holes of the furnace. This is caused by the complicated shape of a glass furnace, to the presence of a considerable number of openings in the furnace walls and to the unknown residual thickness of

the refractory bricks of the furnace lining. The exhaust gas from the tank furnace flo s to the regenerator or recuperator , where the heat contained in the exhaust gas is transferred to the combustion air [5]. Fig 1 highlights the heat and mass balance of a typical regenerative furnace.

eat reco ery ro

e gases

The standard practice in the glass industry is to use regenerators, or occasionally recuperators, and more oxyfuel furnaces in glass manufacturing process. Moreover, in view of the limitation caused mainly by the laws of thermodynamics, the amount of remaining heat in the flue gases leaving the furnace is still high. Heat recovery methods include capturing and transferring the waste heat from flue gases to the system as an extra energy source. The energy source can be used for social heating or to generate electrical and mechanical power. The heat recovered in this way can be used for various purposes, such as: extra preheating of combustion air, steam generation, hot water production for glassworks use, � coupling of heat and power generation, � preheating of batch and/or cullet. � � �

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ner

e ficienc

The aste heat recovery system at CP Glass in Orzesze was designed as a complex system used to recover waste heat from the exhaust from furnaces. It consists of several heat recovery sections such as recovery boilers, economisers, fans, a deaerator, t o-stage steam turbine, centrifugal compressor with an intercooler and a few heat exchangers. Fig 2 presents the simplified configuration of a in lass The system can recover the waste heat from the exhaust gas of melting processes to improve overall efficiencies by generating steam that can be used for driving a t o-stage steam turbine combined with centrifugal compressor. t is reported that ith the use of for compressed air production, a system efficiency of as high as 6 can be achieved.

Waste eat eco ery yste W at C lass Many companies in the glass industry have already accepted the challenge to improve their energy efficiency in response to the need of reduction of the negative impact on the environment, steadily-rising energy prices and meeting the requirements of energy and the environmental policy. These companies have also begun to get benefits from energy efficiency investments

Fig 1. Heat and Mass Balance of a typical regenerative furnace [3]

Fig 2. Waste heat recovery system (WHRS) in CP Glass S.A. in Orzesze (red line is a steam, green line is a water)

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enerally, in the field of high temperature heat recovery it is necessary to consider heat recovery in the context of the application of the whole process. The reason is that it should be considered the interaction of several major pieces of equipment with the main glassworks process in order to achieve the desired reduction in energy consumption without compromising operational efficiency [4].

The system contains recovery boilers for converting water to steam by receiving heat from the flue gases from three glass furnaces. Boilers generate steam for the turbine which drives a centrifugal compressor to produce compressed air. Extracted and condensed steam from the turbine is delivered to the deaerator here is separated from steam aturated steam and feedwater is delivered to the recovery boilers. Between the two stages of compressor is installed the intercooler which additionally heat condensed water from steam behind the turbine. Contin ed

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Bright ideas. Better glass.

Better world. We are world leader in the field of sensor and robot solutions for hot end inspection, quality assurance and closed loop automation. With our solutions we actively work together with glass producers on making containers and table ware products lighter and stronger, produced with (almost) zero defects at higher speed and with minimum human dependency. The result is that the container and table ware industries are more competitive with other materials and more sustainable. Consequently together we create a better world!

www.xparvision.com

ner

The innovation in at lass in Orzesze is via the use of an additional heat exchanger behind the compressor to extract waste heat from the compressed air. This solution allows to recover heat from successive elements of the system and still keep the heat in the energy cycle, hich increases the total efficiency of the waste heat recovery system technology from to 6 Advantages resulting from the waste heat recovery system investment are: � 0 annual electricity consumption reduction; � reduction of CO2 emission by over 7000 tonnes of CO2 per year; � increment of the compressed air production efficiency eat recovery system reduces electricity consumption what result in doubled compressed air production efficiency in comparison ith a traditional solution; � provides hole demand for social heating and domestic hot water purpose,

of the glass manufacturer’s strategy to implement programmes aimed at reducing energy use and resources to protect the environment. An example of this are programmes to recover and reuse heat energy such as described in this article. CP Glass, acting on its own initiative, too the ris s for investments without any grants or funds. The company has been motivated by environmental responsibilities and reducing the impact of industry on the climate. On the basis of the current environmental legislation, implementation of waste heat recovery systems like those in CP Glass is one of the best available techniques that reduce negative impact on the environment and also increase the efficiency of the process. This is also in line with European Union policy regarding improvement of effectiveness and decrease the emissions in industry. �

e erences

ary

D’ Antonio M., Hildt N., Patil Y., oray , hields T ; nergy fficiency Opportunities in the Glass Manufacturing

CP Glass’s activities require energy and other scarce resources. It is a part

e ficienc

ndustry; olume - ndustrial nergy fficiency easures and Technologies; ; 00 alits y, ; orrell, ; asanet, ; raus, nergy fficiency mprovement and ost aving pportunities for the lass ndustry n nergy tar uide for Energy and Plant Managers, Energy Analysis Department niversity of alifornia, 00 https gsl c services-products assessment audits-data-analyses heat-massbalances/ 4. Jouhara H., Khordehgah N., lmahmoud , Delpech , hauhan , Tassou ; aste heat recovery technologies and applications; Institute of Energy Futures, College of Engineering, Design and hysical ciences, runel niversity ondon, 0 5. Tapasa K., Jitwatcharakomol T.; Thermodynamic calculation of exploited heat used in glass melting furnace; Thailand Center of Excellence for Glass, Department of cience ervice, ang o 0 00, Thailand; 2011

* Energy Process Analyst, ** Project Manager, CP Glass, Orzesze, Poland, http://cpglass.eu/?lang=en_gb

Air Products is blazing a new trail for oxy-fuel burner technology . . . Boost your performance and productivity for better glass with the Cleanfire® HRx™ burner! Upgrading your oxy-fuel burners, adding burners to boost production, or converting your air-fuel furnace to oxy-fuel? The patent pending Cleanfire HRx burner offers you expanded functionality and flexibility with unmatched performance. It can deliver: Increased flame radiation for high fuel efficiency Ultra-low NOx emissions Foam reduction capability for higher-quality glass Enhanced productivity Optional remote performance monitoring feature

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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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Automation

Heinz-Glas has adopted a uniform process control system for its batch house and melting ends, made by a trusted Siemens Solution Partner.

Production employees at HeinzGlas noticed the benefits right after the conversion.

A uniform process control system for batch house and melting ends Heinz-Glas has adopted a uniform process control system for its batch house and melting ends, made by a trusted Siemens Solution Partner. Its harmonised process control systems in the batch house and melting end helps make

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ased in Kleintettau in Bavaria, Germany, Heinz-Glas is an example of how tradition and innovation can live well together. With a family tradition as glassmakers dating back to 1523, the company is now one of the largest manufacturers of small glass bottles and jars for the perfume and cosmetics industry. Its core competencies include its inhouse development department, its own mould manufacture, and proven hightech production and finishing at its 6 locations worldwide. So it’s no surprise that this renowned company in the perfume and cosmetics industry relies on glass containers from Heinz-Glas. One of the pieces of the puzzle behind this success story is the company’s process control system. Its production facility in Kleintettau is where the raw materials are mixed in accordance with precisely defined formulas and melted into li uid glass in three melting ends. Since 2019, both the mixtures and the tanks have been controlled using the Simatic PCS 7 process control system.

From standalone solution to integrated system Andreas Lindhuber, Managing Partner of Schlemmer Prozess Systeme (SPS) in Deggendorf, Bavaria, says: “Even today, distributed control systems for batch houses are often developed separately from the system at the melting end. This is usually because the control systems are provided by the respective suppliers of the batch house and the melting end.” Mr Lindhuber is a specialist in measurement and control technology and his company has been a trusted iemens olution artner since 006 SPS has managed the PCS 7 process control system at Heinz-Glas for about 20 years. “But until recently we only looked after the system for the melting ends,” he adds. “With the impending upgrade to the Simatic WinCC batch-house process visualisation system, it was a logical step for us to integrate the batch house into PCS 7. “With this integrated approach, every time a new tank is constructed and every time a batch house is upgraded, our customers essentially have the

opportunity to choose the system supplier that best suits their needs and have the process control system supported by a central contact.”

ediate enefits Production employees at Heinz-Glas noticed the benefits right after the conversion. Standardised operation means the batch house can now be operated from all the client systems distributed around the plant. For many employees, that represents a saving

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Automation

of both distance and time in many operating se uences n addition, the standardised system makes it easier for SPS to perform upcoming maintenance and updates, which also reduces the costs for everyone else involved.

From design to automation with no system discontinuities Right at the outset, SPS made full use of key potentials for improvement. “Uniform engineering is an important element in design uality, r indhuber observes n approach that selected for Heinz-Glas was the rigorous use of control module types (CMT) to create the automation programme. “That allows us to share information with the Simatic PCS 7 Plant Automation Accelerator to ensure easy and rapid software engineering,” he adds. “After all, engineering of process control systems has always been a challenge that involves many participants, many different data formats, and many interfaces. System discontinuities often lead to transmission errors that need to be fixed manually and that means more time and expense. “The Siemens software gave us access to a fully integrated solution for system design and documentation. As a result, ein - las benefited from consistent engineering ith no system discontinuities between automation design and the distributed control system.” sing the Ts also offers more benefits for the future by laying the groundwork that will enable Heinz-Glas to switch over to the fully web-based Simatic PCS neo process control system in the years to come.

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ADVANTAGES MECHANICAL RESISTANCE

Simulated commissioning saves time In an additional stage, and based on its many years of experience, SPS recommended and implemented a simulation of the batchhouse control system using Simit. That enabled the software to be tested and optimised at a virtual level prior to commissioning to ensure that the switch to the new Simatic PCS 7 distributed control system could be completed within a week with no system downtime. The result was a smooth ‘restart’ of glass production in leintettau, significantly contributing to the company’s ability to continue supplying customers with one billion glass containers every year from its global production facilities. �

https://youtu.be/d4pyW6Cmnt4

CHEMICAL RESISTANCE

https://youtu.be/N8IIsu73ujo

TEMPERATURE RESISTANCE

More information: Heinz-Glas, www.heinz-glas.com Schlemmer Prozesse Systeme, http://www.sps-gmbh.de/ Siemens Glass, www.siemens.com/glass

https://youtu.be/N9Ud1Ky11OQ

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PRINTING SPEED

Heinz-Glas manufacturers more than 1 billion glass

https://youtu.be/NyVLZiWkUgU

containers for the perfume and cosmetics industry a year.

WWW.GPBAX.COM SALES@GPBAX.COM

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WE ARE GLASS PEOPLE

NEXT LEVEL INSPECTION

SMARTLINE 2 STARWHEEL INSPECTION MACHINE COMBINING FLEXIBILITY AND SPEED Flexible inspection options Fast job changes Full connectivity Reliable and robust design High compatibility with existing tooling sets

www.heye-international.com

Industry 4.0

The glass plant of the future Adopting the latest Industry 4.0 technologies is now crucial for the international glass container industry, says Dirk Pรถrtner, CEO at Heye International.

election is ey to defining the perfect path but it s a challenging ob to eep trac of the ndustry 0 ungle The lass eople at eye combine longterm process expertise and a passion for the material ith advanced s ills in the latest technology very possible solution is evaluated by the company s process experts based on the decision criteria of financial , or place safety and influence on product uality eye nternational is a partner to select the correct technology from ndustry 0

all data from eye peed ine is the ne ommunication To er ere, the data from all control systems of the machine are merged and managed in one central cabinet Data integration bet een hot end and cold end especially helps to gain time The ommunication To er has already integrated a multi-functional remote maintenance router, hich enables access via a tunnel, if re uired ombined ith precise mechanisms, the latest servo technology helps to achieve maximum production speed at

high uality levels, especially for large beer bottle lines etc igh production flexibility is another result of the technology lass plants ith small customers and many different obs have t o advantages irst, ob changes can be performed in a very short time, as important parameters ill be retrieved and the ma or parts of the machinery ill be ad usted automatically in the future econd, the operators can produce different bottles Continued>>

Heye Cockpit & Heye SpeedMaster The availability of smart user interfaces for operators has become especially important, as production employees ith comprehensive process no ledge are increasingly difficult to find The eye oc pit is the central user access to the eye peed aster hot end control and process intelligence portfolio The eye peed aster consists of three modules -timing, motion control servo and pneumatic actuators and the process intelligence solution set, combining all process control closed loops The approach employed is usercentric The central collection point for

Heye Cockpit - The Smart User Interface.

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The Heye smart plant

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Industry 4.0

Heye Double motor shear.

on one machine, by using multi- eight assortment technology This ma es the production of samples or short ob runs extremely efficient

Heye Process Control & Heye GobMaster

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ell as being the inventor of the process, eye has set the standard in closed loop production technology large set of closed loop solutions gives the customer a competitive edge eye offers operator assistance for gob loading, closed loops for gob shape and eight for and press-blo operation ith the eye rocess ontrol or heavy and premium articles produced by blo blo operation, the eye ob aster satisfies demand for a closed loop solution according to gob shape and eight by visual gob measurement ollo ing the glass flo , on the blan mould side, closed loops for cooling and press duration glass distribution are available The abbing obot eliminates one of the most important manual or ing steps, at the same time being the basis for precise, temperature measurement on the blan side losed loops on the blo side allo accurate, high speed are handling Dead plate cooling is controlled, creating the basis for proper bottle movement by the high speed pushers, hile the closed loop for are spacing is a second speedrelevant factor urthermore, both loops eliminate defects generated by a incorrect are handling set-up any of these solutions are already available, hile others are in the prototype phase n some areas, operator assistance is a good first step and in other situations, full closed loop systems are already in place

different machines or modules can be connected to manage the plant n addition, important analysis possibilities are offered to optimise the production process n particular, data integration bet een hot end and cold end helps to gain time ia the eye oc pit, the hot end operator has a perfect overvie of the defect situation on the different cavities y a future extension of the database to an expert system, recommendations for the correction of production defects can be given s production companies encounter increased challenges to find s illed people, these expert systems for glass forming ill become an important success factor

Remote services esides supporting machine-to-machine communication, many of the connected devices also provide an interface that allo s eye to monitor them across the nternet from any geographic location Depending on customer settings, this remote control capability can be used to perform such tas s as virtual maintenance chec s ithout stopping system operation t

is also used for latest soft are updates, failure detecting and is giving a helping hand for any imaginable scenario onnecting machines in this ay is the first step to ards creating smart factories

Shape the future with Heye Smart Plant Solutions n summary, the eye smart plant concept combines different innovative solutions in ma or areas ll of them have become possible through a set of enabling technologies, from sensors and communication net or s to robots and automation The eye lass eople are your correct partners to develop a common roadmap for the ourney to a smart plant, a factory that ill be able to produce high productivity containers at lo cost, resource-efficiently and ith a consistently high uality ďż˝

Heye International, Obernkirchen, Germany email: marketing@heye-international.com www.heye-international.com Social media: LinkedIn & YouTube

Heye Process Intelligence.

Connecting hot end and cold end to a Smart plant The eye lant ilot is a cornerstone in the field of data integration in the glass plant y using internet-based technology,

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Thewhol ei sgr eat ert hant hes um ofi t spar t s . Ar i s t ot e

wens pect . gl as s

Automation

Refractory 4.0 PaneraTech now has thickness data from half a million refractory measurements collected from more than 300 furnace inspections. Yakup Bayram* discusses how they are using this data to predict the reliability of glass furnace by establishing wear performance over time.

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hat is the most important metric for a glass manufacturer? There are many factors that are high on the list. Product yield, risk management, asset life optimisation, and safety are all important considerations that are discussed whenever major decisions are made. When industry 4.0 is discussed, the first thing that usually comes to mind is improving product yield. In this case, the focus is placed on the process and how to fine-tune it to produce the highest yield However, it is just as important to make sure that all assets in the plant are in good health so that these processes can take place. aneraTech is the first company to release an industry 4.0 compliant solution dedicated to the reliability of the refractory. XSight, our refractory 4.0 platform, enables customers to prepare their refractories for 4.0, primarily focusing on furnace reliability. hen e first started or ing ith glass manufacturers, our focus was on using radar inspections to give an accurate assessment of the refractory condition. This was a successful effort, and it quickly became a new industry standard. FM Global, a US insurance provider, recently included radar inspections in its guidelines for furnace health management. The radar inspection gives you a snapshot of the refractory condition at one point in time. This alone has reduced speculation and given glass manufacturers a new level of objectivity. But now that we have three years of data from performing these inspections, we can add predictive assessments to that data. When we present the results of a SmartMelter inspection and show our customers thickness measurements, we can now give more insight into what these numbers mean.

Fig 1. Predictive maintenance engine applied to a furnace bottom.

We can assess the reliability of that furnace and tell manufacturers how quickly they need to act. This also means that we can use the data to assign ris profiles to each furnace and help manufacturers prioritise their maintenance decisions. Our software platform takes this important insight and integrates it with other furnace records to provide specific benefits to glass manufacturers

Centralised Corporate Record The knowledge and experience of plant personnel are often a valuable resource when managing furnace reliability. Good plant managers often know the history a furnace well and often have great observational skills. However, the labour force is changing, and turnover is more common than ever before. What happens when the person with the knowledge of the furnace history is no longer available? When furnace maintenance and health data is stored in one place, you have a permanent corporate memory that can be accessed whenever it is needed, even if your best manager has retired or otherwise moved on. Our refractory 4.0 platform does recognise the importance of human observation.

The human eye is still one of the most important sensors used in furnace health management. But XSight provides a way to track this data by providing a central place for images, notes, and observations.

Standardisation and Consistency of Risk Management When evaluating an entire furnace portfolio, it can be hard to prioritise maintenance decisions without standardised data. If records are kept in different formats and health is assessed in different ways, it is impossible to compare the condition of furnaces objectively. o ever, if a consistent ris definition is applied to every furnace, then data can be used to rank each furnace according to its ris profile This means that ob ective, data-driven decisions can be made about maintenance. XSight enables manufacturers to standardise a corporate- ide ris definition based on ris appetite and business objectives. corporate- ide ris definition framework can be applied to each asset across the entire organisation or individual assets in each plant. This removes subjectivity by the operator during data entry, creating objective risk data entry. Continued>>

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Consistent, end-to-end digitalization ensures lasting success

VRGS-A10005-00-7600

Generate and collect operating data effectively â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and use it for business success

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In order to sustainably reduce operating costs in the glass industry, plants must be thoroughly optimized. Using a digital twin, system components can be tested before commissioning and the entire plant sections optimized while in operation. This enables you to maintain your leading market position while boosting the productivity and availability of your plant for the long term. Let Siemens accompany you on the path toward a digital future â&#x20AC;&#x201C; as your partner. siemens.com/glass

06.03.18 10:48

Automation

Fig 2. 3-D view of furnace model in XSight software.

Transparent Risk Presentation

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Sometimes communication can be key barrier to standardised risk management. Even when communication is excellent bet een the corporate office and the plant, this is usually done with multiple phone calls or emails, taking valuable time from everyone involved. XSight provides a dashboard of the entire furnace portfolio ith real-time data that can be viewed in detail. This creates transparent risk assessment across the entire organisation that is specific to each asset. Everyone in the organisation can be on the same page, looking at the same objective data.

Sensor and Production-Driven Risk Framework When a glass manufacturer is already using sensors on their assets, the data from these sensors can be specifically tracked and viewed as well. This data can be incorporated into the ris profile XSight software enables risk categorisation based on each sensor category, including human eye. The manufacturer can categorise risk based on critical health-related production data

Cost Savings What does access to all of this data mean? Ultimately, it allows glass manufacturers

to ma e data-driven decisions about where and when to spend maintenance and repair dollars. Money can be allocated to the highest priority areas, and action can be taken precisely when and where it is needed. This saves money in audit and inspection management. As the glass industry adopts 4.0 technology, improvements will be made in all areas of production. PaneraTech is already helping manufacturers prepare for this shift by improving the metric that supports all others: reliable production. ďż˝

*CEO, Paneratech, Chantilly, VA, USA https://www.paneratech.com/

Fig 3. 3-D view of XSight furnace model, rotated to bottom view.

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Predict the future by really knowing the past

Traceability Imagine being able not only to trace every individual bottle to its origin but also to know everything about it, allowing you to produce the best container possible. Well, with YOUniverse you can, thanks to yet another powerful tool for you to prepare for Smart Factory. With Tiamaâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC; Traceability systems you can store and recall all the (big) data via a datamatrix code: company, plant and line codes; production day, hour, minute and second; section and cavity numbers; defects and fixes on faulty bottles; and much, much more. One could call it the unique DNA and history of every container. And the best part is, you can offer your customers and their customers a multi-value tool: great for marketing and research, effective as an anti-counterfeit tracking tool and efficient for cost reduction because resorting & recalls can be minimised. For more information visit youniverse.tiama.com.

Data â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the deciding factor

Process control

Speaking the same language Thomas Bewer* discusses how communication between multiple subsystems is vital to guarantee optimised production and seamless integration in a plant.

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roduction lines for glass containers are equipped with ever more sophisticated sensor systems. This promises a much deeper understanding of the production process. However, before we embark on using any data analysis tool, or attempt to set up a closed-loop control system, there is a much more basic issue to address: The ‘partners’ involved must be able to talk to each other. In other words, the various systems that collect data must be able to communicate directly with each other, or the various data has to be translated to achieve the same effect. While this may sound simple and straightforward on paper, the reality is different. A major advantage of sensor systems is that the results of their measurements can be used to adjust control-system parameters automatically, in what is termed a ‘closed loop’ system. These systems can help to stabilise the production process and shorten the time required for job changes. For a closed loop system to operate, a measurement value must be passed to an actuator, so it can carry out some adjustment based on what it learns. Within the Bucher Emhart Glass range, all the elements can talk to each other, thanks to the FlexTernal software within FlexIS, which acts as an ‘interpreter’. FlexTernal passes data from sensors to actuators, and also makes sure that such data is free from outliers and misreadings that could skew the system. Fig. 1 summarises the closed loops available from Bucher Emhart Glass, and the various ‘partners’ that can be integrated into the system. The more sensors are involved in a closed loop, the more important communication between systems becomes. As we move into the second generation of closed loops – currently in development – this will become even more vital. For example, an upcoming closed loop is the smart feeder, which will combine data about the cut gob with data on the gob falling into the blank. Another system relates to vertical glass

distribution, and uses the temperature of the parison, combined with the container’s intensity distribution, to stabilise glass distribution. Bucher Emhart Glass has also developed automated solutions such as FlexRobot, which takes on the repetitive and sometimes hazardous job of swabbing. In the future, robots like this will communicate with sensors and control systems in order to prevent collisions, and ultimately take on additional tasks beyond process adjustments. For instance, data on the gob falling into the blank might alert lex obot that deflectors need to be swabbed, adjusted or exchanged, allowing it to take prompt action without any need for human intervention. Every container on the production line passes through the same stages – but it reaches them at different times. This raises a challenge when combining data

across multiple systems, each with their own time series. The right data needs to be picked out and correlated with the right time frame. This tricky task is handled by the Control Center, which stores data from measurement systems and the change log of the timing system and translates it into tailored data analysis and aggregated views for users to review. The information is available through different applications and formats for every hierarchical level in the plant, so every user can find the information they need to fulfill their o n tas s One example of this is the Defect Advisory Tool, which shows the Hot End operator an aggregated view of currently detected defects, aligned with imagery drawn from inspection machines and advice on how to remedy the defect. Continued - page 45>>

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We build your furnace. You enjoy peace of mind.

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CUTTING TABLES

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Process control

Fig.1

Partner 1

Partner 2

Interpreter

Plunger up closed loop

Plunger Process Control measurements

FPS pressures in the FlexIS control system

FlexTernal

Mold temperature closed loop

Mold temperature measurement by TCS or Blank Radar

Mold cooling timing in the FlexIS control system

FlexTernal

Plunger temperature closed loop

Plunger temperature measurement by TCS or Blank Radar

Plunger cooling timing in the FlexIS control system

FlexTernal

Bottle Spacing closed loop

FlexRadar measurements

Pushout timing in the FlexIS control system

FlexTernal

Smart feeder

Gob weight and shape measured by the Gob Radar. Feeder multi gob timing in the FlexIS control system

FlexTernal

Gob length at section level measured by the BlankRadar

<<page 42 ‘life story’ – that is, all the information about how it was formed – to be gathered together in the Control System. When the bottle reaches the Cold End, the inspection machine notes the datamatrix code and all the inspection results are attached to the same number. This, the settings and measurements from the Hot End can be linked to any defects that are discovered later on at the Cold End. rtificial intelligence and machine learning can open up new possibilities for improvement, but they depend on a clean, consistent data model. Data science companies suggest that data cleaning and modelling account for around 80% of the time (and cost) of data-science projects. To help customers take control of their data, Bucher Emhart Glass provides them

with an ‘Advanced Data Interface’ that allows them to access measurements and machine settings via a single interface. As this brief overview shows, communication between multiple subsystems really is vital in order to guarantee optimised production and seamless integration. Bucher Emhart Glass offers all the necessary components under one roof, thus ensuring that all the ‘partners’ involved are speaking the same language: the FlexIS control system, the relevant measurement systems from the Radar family, FlexRobot, FleXinspect and Symplex B or C inspection machines. �

*Senior Project Manager, Bucher Emhart Glass, Cham, Switzerland https://www.emhartglass.com/

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This is achieved by matching the classification in the inspection machine with defect information generated at the Hot End. Thus, the operator is not confronted with a screen full of confusing statistics – instead, they receive vital information in a language they can understand. Correlating inspection results with the forming settings and measurement results obtained at the Hot End is an expert job, and it calls for an additional ‘interpreter’: the datamatrix code. This takes the form of a reference number that is inscribed by lasers by the Emhart ID Mark unit on the conveyor at the Hot End. Thus, each bottle has its o n uni ue identifier, hich allo s its

45 Glass International September 2020

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22/09/2020 06:13:01

O-I launches third Gironcourt furnace in â&#x201A;Ź60 million investment

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O-I inaugurated the third furnace at its Gironcourt-sur-Vraine plant in France on Thursday August 27.

46 0 Glass International September 2020

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Furnace ignition

t s a great source of pride to see the first flames light up this furnace, particularly in the challenging environment in which e find ourselves, said obert achot, Managing Director South-West Europe. e are deeply committed to the region, our employees, customers and consumers of sustainable and recyclable pac aging, thanks to the engagement and resilience of our teams." The furnace was lit by its two odparents ne is the site coordinator, arie- hristine offman, who is deeply committed to ensuring

everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s safety. The other is the areaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s refect, hose support as instrumental to the success of the project. The plant transforms local raw materials, of hich is glass cullet, recycled 4km away from the factory. Once produced, 7 of the bottles are delivered to customers by rail. The lighting ceremony was attended by local dignitaries and senior O-I executives including ean- ierre ran ois, uropean Director of - , and r achot

O-I Glass, www.o-i.com

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The â&#x201A;Ź60 million investment will ensure the company can produce 1.9 billion glass beer bottles a year. It is the largest investment made by the company in Europe in 20 years. This new furnace is the culmination of 20 months of work that involved more than 340 people. A total of 60 people were hired to work at the site. They have spent six months being trained by O-I glass master makers to become glass experts themselves and produce this emblematic and sustainable packaging

47 Glass International September 2020

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Annealing

Understanding the annealing process Lorenzo Frediani* (pictured above) explains how annealing can help reduce

Annealing lehrs The annealing lehrs, tunnel equipped, are the most appropriate machines to perform the hollow glass items annealing process (pictured above). The tunnel is made by zones in which the temperature can be controlled and set in a wide range of values; this makes it possible to treat many glass containers types. pecific ventilators ensure crosssectional temperature uniformity eeping the air flo inside a closed loop, run over the glass items from below

upwards, throughout the whole zone. ir is actually the only fluid to enable the heat exchange between the glass containers and the tunnel zones environment. The heat exchange happens in a relatively short time so in the heating phase the set point values must be higher than the ones the glass will reach (the same in the cooling phase).

Glass thermal cycle compared to the annealing curve setting The annealing phases are split into four parts: Heating, Distension, Annealing and Cooling) and are put in practice in the Annealing Lehrs tunnels. Many lehrs manufacturers declare its lehrs thermal exchange system is the best

Heating.

against others. In the heating process (1) the items at the entrance of the lehr meet, in the first tunnel zone, a room with an increasing temperature until 0degrees celsius over the annealing point (with a viscosity of 1013 poise). Each type of glass has its own annealing point, known by every customer’s internal laboratory. It’s essential that the containers enter the lehrs at the highest temperature possible, depending on structure stability; this temperature can be also superior to the annealing point previously mentioned. The plant must do as much as possible to meet this requirement. Continued>>

In this phase we have the glass fibres distensions (annealing). The temperature of the ob ect is led to a value where the viscosity is such to let the fibers relax without deforming the ob ect itself.

Distension.

The high viscosity temperature must be kept for a time enough to have all the fibers involved

Annealing.

A slow cooling bring the viscosity to a specific value ( 1014.5 poise, strain-point ) to fix the

Cooling.

The temperature of the ob ect decreases to the ambient value in order to be handled or

in the distension process. fibers in the distended position. to undergo a new process.

Table 1. The annealing process

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rdinary hollow glass objects like bottles, glasses and cups are made by advanced machines that use the melted glass drop viscosity to shape them through proper moulds. During the forming process the melted glass drops undergo ‘plastic strain’ effects, creating internal tensions to the glass fibres When the glass cools down the tensions remain and make it extremely fragile, not appropriate for the common usage and transportation. The internal tensions must be removed, the ‘annealing’ is the thermic process performed to heat the glass until its melting point at which the lo viscosity let the fibres lie do n and the tensions disappear.

49 Glass International September 2020

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Annealing

The lehr must be able to compensate the unavoidable temperature gap of the containers in the right/central/left position at the entrance of the tunnel, this gap is due to the different distance covered by each item from the furnace to the entrance of the lehr. The wider the belt is, the clearer the gap temperature is n field experiences have proved that with belt width over 2.7m the phenomenon is evident. Antonini lehrs are provided with a separate temperature control system on the right side and on the left side to have a quick compensation of these differences due to the transport. The Distension phase (2) take place later when the entire mass of the object reaches the same temperature and the glass fibres are in a specific position ithout internal tensions fibres alignment This happens in the ones after the first one where the temperature is just over the annealing point n this phase a crosssectional and longitudinal temperature homogeneity is essential in order to have a perfect distension of each container. The annealing (3) as previously described happens in the following zones

after the distension. The annealing zones work both in heating and in cooling mode, called mixed ones and are manufactured with different criteria from the previous ones, here the decreasing temperature is perfectly monitored and adjusted for each load condition. The max cooling speed (°C/min) in this phase depends on the glass containers thickness. At the end of these zones the viscosity must be higher than the strain-point in order to avoid the glass fibres misalignment. The cooling phase (4) happens in the last tunnel zones, the temperature goes down from the values where the annealing has already been performed and the glass fibres are fixed and cannot

change their alignment, to the tunnel exit temperature in order to have following processes or to be handled and packed. The cooling speed (°C/min) depends on the glass containers thickness and it’s much higher (from three to six times) than in the annealing phase. In order to avoid the thermal shock of the containers it’s not recommended set a higher cooling speed. Antonini lehrs stand out for the optimal control and regulation of the temperature set points for each zone during the cooling phase, this allows it to have the perfect cooling speed control and the best result. All Antonini lehrs are equipped with an open part (no tunnel), usually used to put possible accessory devices like the cold end treatment for the protective spray coating of the items. In the open table can be placed also cooling batteries equipped with fans to bring the containers to proper temperatures to be handled, transported and packed. �

*Sales Director, Antonini, Florence, Italy www.antoninisrl.com

Over 1000 production lines are equipped with Graphoidal Shear Spray Systems. Contact us today to find out how our latest technology can help you. Graphoidal Developments Ltd, Broombank Road, Chesterfield S41 9QJ, England Tel: +44 (0) 1246 266000 Email: sales@graphoidal.com Fax: +44 (0) 1246 269269 Website: www.graphoidal.com Antonini.indd 2

21/09/2020 06:46:27

The fan never stops with LWN

WHAT ARE WE COOL AT? C

We are the first company providing complex delivery and installation service specialized in glass industry, from one hand you can get:

Fans service and maintenance

CMY

IS machine: - Installation with steel support design, delivery and installation - Piping (vacuum, compressed air, water, greasing system) - Fans, ducting, valves for mold, dead plate, conveyor and servomotors cooling - Cabling of IS machine - Electric cabinets and automation and control system of all IS machines supply devices (fans, vacuum pumps, compressors, water pumps)

Furnace: - Assembly of steel structure around furnace - Piping (gas, water, air supply) - Cooling water basins, tanks, manifolds - Fans, nozzles, valves and ducts for cooling system

LWN offers to visit companies four times a year to check the fans.

DELIVERY AND INSTALLATION OF THE EQUIPMENT FOR: GAS

COMPRESSED AIR

FRESH WATER

VACUMM

FANS

COOLING WATER

WASTE WATER

STEEL CONSTRUCTION

LAYING POWER CABLES

Our team is experienced and focused on glass industry, we have more than 20 years of experience in installations. Get in touch with us!

We look after all fans by all manufactures, repair them and afterwards we create a report with suggestions for improvement.

Stay cool with us! w w w .l w n -l u f t t e c h n i k .d e | LW N Lu f t t e c h n i k Gm b H Hü h n d o r f e r Hö h e 7 | D – 01723 W i l s d r u f f | Ge r m a n y

The fan never stops with LWN

WHAT ARE WE COOL AT? C

We are the first company providing complex delivery and installation service specialized in glass industry, from one hand you can get:

Fans service and maintenance

CMY

Furnace: - Assembly of steel structure around furnace - Piping (gas, water, air supply) - Cooling water basins, tanks, manifolds - Fans, nozzles, valves and ducts for cooling system

LWN offers to visit companies four times a year to check the fans.

DELIVERY AND INSTALLATION OF THE EQUIPMENT FOR: GAS

COMPRESSED AIR

FRESH WATER

VACUMM

FANS

COOLING WATER

WASTE WATER

STEEL CONSTRUCTION

LAYING POWER CABLES

Our team is experienced and focused on glass industry, we have more than 20 years of experience in installations. Get in touch with us!

We look after all fans by all manufactures, repair them and afterwards we create a report with suggestions for improvement.

Stay cool with us! w w w .l w n -l u f t t e c h n i k .d e | LW N Lu f t t e c h n i k Gm b H Hü h n d o r f e r Hö h e 7 | D – 01723 W i l s d r u f f | Ge r m a n y

Annealing

John R. Hann* discusses how developing the annealing process can be a worthwhile endeavour for customers.

aving the ‘optimal’ set up on an annealing lehr is a critical component in achieving overall uality and efficiency goals in the production of any hollow glass container. However, truly optimising the annealing process involves more than choosing the best temperature profile on the lehr during normal production conditions. An overall awareness of the annealing process including lehr capacity, lehr operational systems status and variable production conditions is required. Below we will review how each of these elements impact the efficiency of the over-all annealing process and how best to prepare for and manage them.

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Lehr Capacity Before you can have any chance of optimising your annealing process you have to understand the capacity and the limitations of the annealing lehr itself. Although actual glass weight/daily tonnage is considered when designing the lehr’s drive and conveyance systems a lehrs annealing capacity is really determined by the cooling rates one can achieve in relationship to the maximum thickness of the glass. In general the thicker the glass container the lower the cooling rates need to be between annealing and strain point to achieve satisfactory levels of residual or permanent annealing strain. The maximum cooling rate from the strain point to the desired exit temperature also needs to be considered (not for annealing but to prevent the chances of thermal shock / breakage). These two cooling rates result in an over-all ‘Tunnel Time’ necessary to efficiently process the glass Tunnel time is determined by the belt speed and the cooling rates are determined by a combination of the temperature step changes between zones (set points) as well as the belt speed. To determine the belt speed for a particular item the proposed forming speed, item diameter and loading patterns need to be considered. Simple

Optimising the container glass annealing process

HFT help customers optimise the glass annealing process.

calculations allow you to determine the lehr belt speed necessary to support the given production conditions. You can now evaluate if it’s possible to obtain the required cooling rates based on the maximum glass thickness to produce the desired permanent annealing grades. If the resulting belt speeds produce insufficient tunnel times and cooling rates you are operating the lehr in an overcapacity condition. This not only makes it highly unlikely to achieve satisfactory grades of annealing but also creates high energy usage as well as possible damage to the annealing lehr itself. One must always remember that under optimal production conditions the lehr needs to introduce a minimal amount of energy to complete the annealing process. We are essentially trying to control the rate at which the glass cools without having to use large amounts of energy to re-heat or equalize the glass temperature through its maximum thickness. This is achieved by preserving as much of the containers glass entrance temperature as possible. If the production conditions result in lower than recommended tunnel times due to increased belt speeds energy usage can quickly skyrocket. The lehr not only needs to contend with the glass entering the tunnel but

also the lehr belt. The faster the lehr belt travels the more ‘tonnes per day’ of belt the lehr’s thermal systems must also heat and cool. This can in itself overwhelm the heating systems of the lehr creating constant operation at high outputs resulting in internal damage to the lehrs conveyance and recirculation systems. So it’s quite easy to see that without an understanding of the lehrs design capacity efforts to optimise its operation may have minimal impact. Your lehr supplier should be able to assist with evaluating lehr capacity to assure optimisation efforts start on solid ground!

Lehr Operational Systems Status Of course, it’s important to have all of the lehrs electrical, mechanical and process control systems in good working order. Attempting to improve and optimise your annealing quality and energy efficiency is difficult to do unless all of the lehrs operational systems are in good or ing order pecific systems to target for annealing quality and energy efficiency include Recirculation Fans – Be sure fans are turning at design rotations per minute (RPM) and in the correct direction as designated by the lehr supplier. Proper airflo in the lehr tunnel is paramount to accurate set point control, temperature

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Annealing

outputs for sustained periods of time the energy usage of your lehr will continue to be high, even with perfectly maintained, high efficiency burners t s best to revie ith your specific lehr supplier what they believe typical burner output and cycling should be based on a given set of production conditions. As rule of thumb if you are experiencing recurring problems due to flame impingement damage to recirculating fan impellors, internal ductwork and burner tubes along with high energy usage you should likely have a review of your overall process conditions to determine how they are effecting your burner outputs and cycle rate.

A factory’s environmental conditions also need to be considered when annealing glass.

uniformity and drift control. Proper airflo is particularly relevant if or ing with a lehr that’s heated with electric elements. Burner Set Up – Proper air gas ratio, clean free flo ing combustion air filters, correct gas orifices and uality natural gas supply all play a role in efficient burner operation and over-all lehr energy efficiency Monitoring and maintenance of all these elements is fairly straight forward. n reality most gas fired burners offered in the marketplace today will consistently and reliably operate at or above 95% combustion efficiency hen properly maintained. With an annealing lehr

one should not only focus on the how efficiently the burner is firing but the frequency, duration and output the burner is firing at to maintain the desired set point curve. Although the lehr is technically an oven a lehr is what we frequently describe as on open system. The lehr tunnel is not totally enclosed, in fact it can be easily influenced by variable factory and process conditions (to be discussed further below). Having ell maintained, high efficiency burners is important. However, if your over-all process conditions are dictating high burner

Without question, what has the most impact on ho efficient an annealing lehr functions are the production conditions and how the lehr is set up to handle them. As mentioned above the annealing lehr is an ‘open system’ which has to constantly react to variation in production input as well as the environmental conditions within the factory. Variation in production conditions such as glass entrance temperature, weight, wall thickness as well as loading patterns to name just a few all have significant impact on ho hard the lehr has to work to maintain the desired annealing grade of the glass. As the production conditions move further from ideal and begin to combine, the energy required by the lehr to maintain the necessary temperature profile can easily double s mentioned above negative impact on the lehrs operating systems is also increased. Job changes and downtime also need to be properly managed to assure a lehr’s over-all operation is optimised. When a lehr has no production input there is no thermal mass from the glass present to assist with maintaining the set points in the lehr tunnel. The lehr is now totally dependent on input from it’s heating systems. Although there is no glass input into the lehr, there is still lehr belt to heat and cool. When sizing a lehr or calculating estimated usage the lehr belt must always be considered. In most cases the lehr belt itself is the biggest factor in determining how much energy a lehr will use during typical production conditions.

Continued>>

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Variable Production Conditions

55 Glass International September 2020

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Annealing

The key to the success in turnkey projects is to seamlessly integrate ... • Engineering / Procurement Services Construction Services / Project Management • Glass Melting Furnaces / Batch Plants Annealing Lehrs / Buildings and Civil Work The lehr has to be in perfect working condition otherwise defects in the glass

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annealing process may arise.

3009 Washington Road

•

McMurray, PA 15317-3202

•

+1 724 941 9550 www.hft.com Fax: +1 724 941 3479

info@hft.com

USA

Just as forming speed impacts total tpd of glass processed, belt speed also determines total tpd of belt/steel processed in the lehr. Without question higher belt speeds equal increased energy usage. By simply slowing the belt speed during extended job changes or downtime (when the lehr is not completely shut down) the energy usage of the lehr during these periods can be significantly reduced This ill also allo the lehr to better maintain the production setpoints, specifically ith lehrs utilising electric elements as the main heating source. Environmental conditions in the factory also need to be considered when optimising lehr performance. xtreme changes in ambient temperature as ell as airflo within the factory impact lehr energy usage and performance. deally laminar air flo or drift through a lehr should flo counter to the direction of the production flo also no n as counter-drift. Most lehrs through its design promote counterdrift by controlling pressure within the tunnel. xternal airflo in the factory that produces too much counter drift or drift in the direction of the product flo ill be detrimental to both the process control of the lehr as well as the energy usage anaging excessive airflo through the use of tunnel entrance and exit shielding as well as being aware of auxiliary process fan and blower placement is essential to maintain optimal performance of the annealing lehr. In closing, optimising lehr performance is certainly a worthwhile endeavour. However, it’s important to realise that extensive savings and improved annealing quality can be achieved many times without extensive component replacement, downtime and costs by understanding and evaluating all of the elements in the annealing process detailed above. �

*Technical Director, E.W Bowman (part of Henry F. Teichmann) McMurray, Pennsylvania, USA https://www.hft.com/

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Refractories

Lower CO2 emissions with Type 8 Cruciforms - Industrial feedback S.Schaller, E.Lopez, I.Cabodi* and M.Gaubil and M.Allen-Larut** discuss a type

EFPRO offers a complete range of checkers for regenerators and more specifically the fused alumina material Type hich can increase refractory surface area at the top of the packing. The thermal measurements performed on one furnace e uipped ith Type ruciforms sho a strong correlation bet een numerical predictions and actual performance, and an increase in energy efficiency compared to standard solutions

Fig 1. Left to right: Type 6, Type 2, Type 3, Type 4 and Type 8 Cruciforms.

Introduction Fig 2.Illustration of Cruciforms checker packs with Type 8 topping.

2a 2b

Checker design The main phenomena driving heat exchanges in the regenerator are radiation, free convection, and forced convection ith their respective intensity varying along the height of the chamber Therefore, the shapes, materials, and flue dimensions of the chec er pac should vary accordingly to maximise thermal efficiency and ensure longer performance. n regenerative furnaces, chec er pac s design is the ey to maximise regenerators and thermal efficiency and reduce 2 x emissions significant part of the exhaust gases energy can be recovered, allo ing decreased fuel consumption

sing a large-scale high temperature experimental setup and specific numerical models, efpro developed a simulation tool able to predict local heat exchange rates and temperatures in the regenerator chambers.

ombining the numerical approach ith a range of fused cast chec ers offering different materials, shapes Fig. 1 , and ad ustable flue dimensions can Continued>>

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The glass industry faces a challenge to reduce the environmental footprint of its glass furnaces, to meet environmental regulations concerning the reduction of CO2 and NOx/SOx emissions. nergy consumption reduction and furnace efficiency are ey in the pursuit of competitiveness and environmental friendly glassma ing egenerative furnaces are the most efficient solution for the glass industry to recover lost energy contained in the furnace s exhaust gases

57 Glass International September 2020

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Refractories

Fig 3. Schematic representation of aspiration pyrometer and its positioning during measurements.

SIMULATION RESULTS

STOELZLE T8 Solution

Standard T3 /T4 Solution 5 739 Nm3/h

Fumes flow rate Air flow rate

4 984 Nm3/h

Fumes inlet temperature (TIF)

1445 C

Fumes outlet temperature (TOF)

525 C

547 C

Air inlet temperature (TIA)

75 C

Air outlet temperature (TOA)

1332 C

1300 C

Thermal Efficiency

91.4%

89.0%

nergetic e ficiency

Table 1. Simulation results for Stoelzleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and Standard Cruciform packings.

Fig 4. Representation of Stoelzleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and

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standard reference packings.

help maximse regenerators efficiency and sustainability Type chec ers ere developed as a solution to increase energy recovery in the top part of a regenerator chamber. ade from fused alumina material , Type ruciforms exhibit a high corrosion resistance to chemical aggression caused by al aline vapors and carryover particles at high temperature Their particular shape Fig. 2) can increase refractory surface area of the pac ing resulting in higher heat transfer rates n addition, the corrugated shape of Type ruciforms generates turbulences in air cycle, increasing heat exchanges in the top portion of the chamber. In recent years, Type ruciforms have been installed in many furnaces

Industrial application Type ruciforms ere installed in the regenerator chambers of an end-fired

Temperatures [Â°C]

Measured in chambers

Simulation

Location

Left

Right

Fumes inlet (TIF)

1462

1423

1445

Fumes outlet (TOF)

446

335

525

Air inlet (TIA)

Air outlet (TOA)

1331

1314

1332

Thermal efficiency

90.6%

91.8%

91.4%

nergetic e ficiency

Table 2. Comparison between measured & simulated temperatures for Type 8 Cruciform packing.

furnace for toel le asni res, rance (Fig. 4) toel le s furnace as rebuilt in 0 and produces metric tons per day of extra-clear glass for the perfume containers market. efpro provides a service of industrial measurements using various devices and methods to monitor regenerators ageing and performance n ay 0 , gas temperature measurements and endoscopy of the chambers ere performed at toel le to assess the thermal performances of the checkerpacks and evaluate the ageing of materials inside the regenerator chambers after six years of operation as temperatures ere measured by aspiration pyrometers, at the top and bottom of the chambers simultaneously Fig. 3).

The performances measured on site are similar to the results of the simulation ith a variation of 0 in thermal efficiency and 0 6 regarding energetic efficiency Table 2 nergetic efficiency of the regenerator is above 70 for both chambers and air outlet temperatures are around 0 ccording to the glassma er, the comparison of the 0 0 period ith the previous campaign sho s a increase of the average pull rate hile decreasing specific fuel consumption by 0 Table 1 presents the simulation results for toel le s Type solution compared ith efpro s standard cruciforms design Type Type , Fig. 4). Continued>>

58 0 Glass International September 2020

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Our conveyor chain transports glass around the world.

All Pennine Conveyor Chains : www.pennine.org

100% UK manufactured 100% European steel

sales@pennine.org

+44 (0)1484 864733

Refractories

Fig 5. Endoscopic observation of the top

Fig 6. Pictures below the rider arches.

chambers.

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onsidering a fixed fuel consumption, simulation sho s a difference of in energetic efficiency bet een the solutions, due to a diminution of air outlet temperature from to 00 dditional simulations sho that, to maintain the energy input to the furnace, the use of a standard Type Type ruciforms solution ould re uire a 70 m3 h gas consumption increase representing a increase

ith the Type ruciforms solution, the CO2 emissions avoided than s to fuel savings during the campaign are estimated at 0, 6 tonnes, corresponding to the emissions from ,666 homes energy use for one year(3). ne of the concerns associated ith the use of smaller flues in regenerator chambers is the risk of additional clogging. Clogging of the checker packs is generally due to the accumulation of dust carried by the exhaust gases and condensation of al aline species as they cool in the chamber bet een 0 and 0 for sodium sulphates efpro recommends the use of Type ruciforms up to courses in a pac ing very layer added can increase regenerator s

performance hile maintaining Type ruciforms outside of the condensation area ndoscopic observation of the top of the chambers and pictures ta en belo the rider arches revealed unclogged channels after the six-year period n addition to Type ruciforms, Type 6 ruciforms ith larger flues Fig. 1 ere used in the condensation area to prevent clogging and reduce maintenance costs during the campaign The pac ing density of toel le s Type Type 6 ruciforms solution 7 g m3) is therefore similar to the density of the standard Type Type ruciforms solution 7 g hile maintaining higher energetic m3 efficiency The redistribution of chec ers density along pac ing height can maximise refractory presence in areas ith high heat exchange potential for an almost constant overall eight of the chec erpac thus optimising efficiency and investment costs

Conclusions fficient regeneration is a ey factor to reduce fuel consumption in a furnace s lifetime and a step to ards greener glassma ing hec erpac s design is crucial to maximising the energy recovery of regenerators and substantially reduce the carbon footprint of glass products Than s to the versatility of the ruciforms chec ers product range, efpro offers tailor made solutions to glassma ers to address their specific needs The use of Type 6 ruciforms prevents clogging issues in the condensation

areas of the chec erpac s hile Type ruciforms intensify heat exchanges at the top of the packings. In addition to the fuel savings due to better energy recovery estimated at , the prevention of clogging reduces maintenance costs during the campaign efpro proprietary numerical tool, developed using a large scale high temperature experimental setup and validated ith industrial measurements 06 variation , accurately predicts the thermal behaviour of regenerator during operations The combination of predictive simulation and flexible product range allo s the design of tailormade and optimised solutions for glass furnaces regenerators targeting long lasting energy savings ďż˝

Acknowledgements aurent Derigny, a rocess anager, arfumerie, rance

aterials toel le

elting asni res

References D echevalier, into, Domingues, itti, aubil, lass nternational, vol , pp - 6 0 D echevalier, itti, ourdonnais, Proceedings of International Congress on Glass (2010) reenhouse ases uivalencies alculations and eferences, epa gov 0

*Saint-Gobain Research, Provence, France **SEFPRO, France https://www.sefpro.com/

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Refractories

New refractory materials from PSR David Parkinson* and Phillip Toperesu** discuss the development and purpose of two new materials for feeder expendable refractories.

he year 2020 marks 50 years since Parkinson-Spencer Refractories (PSR) commenced the manufacture of feeder expendable refractories and is therefore an appropriate time for the company to release two new advanced refractory materials to the market. Both materials were jointly researched and developed with the assistance of the University of Leeds, School of Chemical and rocess ngineering, the first one being carried out under a UK government sponsored KTP (Knowledge Transfer Partnership) scheme and the second carried out by direct sponsorship of a University of Leeds PhD student.

PSR-925 The first material, , is a niche product originally conceived as a spout insert material. Spout insert for refractory paper.

The spout insert is a refractory component installed as part of the spout bowl in the tube seating area so as to extend the life of the spout bowl by replacing the highest wearing area with a more corrosion-resistant refractory. At one time it would have been manufactured from fused cast AZS material but in recent years materials based upon chrome oxide have become popular. PSRâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s approach to developing a competitive material was to avoid the use of chrome oxide for three reasons: 1. It is costly to produce.

Continued>>

A typical feeder expendables from PSR.

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Refractories

SiO2

Al2O3

ZrO2

Fe2O3

TiO2

CaO

MgO

Na2O

K2O

Bulk density

Apparent Porosity

kg m-3

PSR-925

0.15

74.0

24.1

0.03

0.04

1.06

0.05

0.13

0.01

3410

17-18

PSR-930

12.8

61.8

24.9

0.06

0.09

0.04

0.01

0.10

3380

Table 1 - Composition and properties of the new materials.

2. Chrome-based materials have the potential to release hazardous chromium (VI) and are harmful to the environment and to health. Special consideration is required for their manufacture and disposal.

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3. It can add a green tint to molten glass and can cause cross-contamination in the plant. As this was to be a niche product, PSR decided to dispense with the traditional approach of basing it upon an AZS formulation such as is used in its standard materials, PSR-333 and PSR-315. These materials rely upon the addition of Zircon (ZrO2.SiO2), more accurately known as zirconium-silicate, where the silica dissociates from the zircon at hightemperature and reacts with alumina in the composition to form mullite. Instead, the company used zirconia (ZrO2), the oxide of zirconium, where the silica has been removed and then stabilised by the addition of a small amount of CaO. Without the presence of silica, zirconia is one of the most refractory materials available and is not easily wetted by siliceous glass. sed as the base material for it therefore had the potential to achieve much greater corrosion resistance in normal soda-lime container glass. The only other additions to the mix were alumina grains and powders, added in the correct proportions to optimise the packing density, and a small amount of deflocculant to assist the flo properties of what was essentially a slip-cast product. Using predictive process control (PPC) techniques, with many adjustments made over the two-year development period, and with repeated testing in its own in-house glass corrosion testing rig, we achieved a highly refractory, dense, material containing only zirconia and alumina, that very nearly matched the corrosion characteristics of chrome-oxide based materials for the temperature and application intended. Improved fracture toughness and thermal shock properties of the refractory

were also observed. And then, a ‘light bulb’ moment. If the new material can be cast easily and successfully into the shape of a spout insert, why not extend its application to the entire single piece ‘uninserted’ spout bowl. Not only would this remedy the issues identified above ith chrome oxide inserts but it would also remove the joint between two different refractory materials in a highly sensitive area right before the forming operation. It would also extend the life of the main body of the spout, a common problem with inserted spouts where the spout corrodes faster than the insert. no offer a spout insert in if that is the customer preference or PSR’s recommended option of a complete onepiece spout in Based upon feedback from customers over the past four years, is confident that for a single piece spout in a life in excess of three years can be achieved in most typical soda-lime container glass applications.

PSR-930 The development of - 0 as a response to the perception in the industry that higher zirconia contents lead to greater glass corrosion resistance. At PSR, its traditional feeder expendable materials PSR-333 (11% ZrO2) and PSR315 (18% ZrO2) continue to perform well and are often the products against which competitive materials are evaluated. ts first line of research therefore as to evaluate whether or not it is true that more zirconia = greater corrosion resistance. Unlike with the development of PSRdescribed above, from the outset ith - 0, decided to remain ith the familiar AZS group of minerals. s ith , the company also decided to remain with its traditional slip casting process, a process that relies upon the constituent raw materials being suspended in a slip ith flo characteristics that enable it to be poured into plaster moulds. Starting with PSR-333 and PSR-315 as being the standards needed to exceed,

PSR used a design of experiment (DOE) approach to develop a series of different compositions with varying proportions of zircon. PSR examined their microstructure, chemical analysis and mineralogical phases and evaluated them for porosity, density, glass corrosion resistance and thermal shock resistance. It compared compositions containing 35% granular weight of zircon with compositions containing 40% and 45% granular weight of zircon and reached the conclusion that in fact the lower (35% granular weight) zircon containing material showed to be an optimum level and had greater potential for development than the higher zircon containing materials. o ever, an e ually significant characteristic that was found to have an e uivalent influence on the corrosion resistance of these compositions was their particle packing density. Literature shows that glass corrosion increases linearly with the percentage of apparent porosity, and is shown to be true within a limited range of apparent porosity of around 12-16%. Above this range corrosion rates were reported to be non-linear. It is for this reason that refractory research and development is directed toward achieving higher densities in refractories. To put it simply, the more solids that can be got into a ‘slip’ the greater its density, the lower its porosity, and therefore the greater its resistance to glass corrosion. Getting the right packing density, however, is not easy as it depends upon the available grain sizes and shapes of the constituent raw materials and the proportions in which the various types of raw materials need to be added. Zircon for instance, although abundant as a raw material, is only found as sand and therefore, in its natural form, cannot provide any of the coarse material required to produce a good packing density.

Continued>>

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WHEN QUALITY MATTERS www.parkinson-spencer.co.uk

Refractories

A scanning electron microscope (SEM) image showing the microstructure of PSR-930 refractory.

* latest swabbing-robot installed in July 2017 in Germany

PSR.indd 3

In this case, the coarse material is provided by the alumina materials added to the composition. Establishing the ideal particle packing density was traditionally done using a semiempirical model known as the Andreassen Model, subsequently modified by Dinger and un urther particle pac ing development of - 0 as aided using DigiPac modelling software. This uses a digital representation of the particle shapes and sizes in the composition which are then simulated to create a digital packing environment in the form of voxels (pixels as lattice grid cells) in a three-dimensional grid, and enabled us to achieve low porosity with consequent high density. A study of competitive feeder expendable refractory materials with high zirconia contents revealed that most had porosities within the 18-20% range, with the lowest being 16%. imilarly, their densities ere typically in the range 00- 000 kg m-3 with the highest being 3200 kg m-3. With a porosity as lo as and a density as high as 0 g m- , - 0 exceeds the porosity and density characteristics of all equivalent competitive materials that could find by a comfortable margin. further ey feature of - 0 is the microstructure of interlocked zirconia-alumina-mullite grains. This is analogous to that seen in the microstructure of fused cast AZS materials and goes to ard explaining hy - 0 has improved glass corrosion resistance and improved thermal shock properties. ut theoretical resistance to glass corrosion needs verification and using PSR’s own in-house glass corrosion testing rig we carried out rigorous testing against its own ‘standard’ materials and available competitive materials. Resistance to thermal shock is also a vital characteristic for feeder expendable refractories and in spite of its low porosity and high density - 0 outperformed our o n standard materials and available competitive materials in repeated standard water quench tests. - 0 is no available for all feeder expendable parts, although a variation ith finer grain materials is used for orifice rings to allow the casting of small complex shapes. ased upon feedbac from field trials over the past t o years, is confident that the - 0 ill increase the life of feeder expendable parts by between 30-50% in most standard soda lime container glass operations. �

*Chairman, Parkinson-Spencer Refractories **Research & Development Manager, Parkinson-Spencer Refractories Halifax, United Kingdom www.parkinson-spencer.co.uk

21/09/2020 10:47:06

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Handling

Tecnocat and technology for vacuum systems Andreu Gumà* discusses the Industry 4.0 features of Tecnocat’s handling technology.

www.glass-international.com

ince its foundation in the 1990s, Tecnocat has become a reference company in the glass handling sector in Spain, highlighting an accurate customer service and the capacity to develop custom projects on vacuum equipments and other systems of glass handling systems. In the 21st century Tecnocat has broadened its portfolio of customers, offering solutions to companies around the orld in need of specific glass handling equipment. Since then, Tecnocat’s I+D department has worked hard to improve and develop new vacuum equipment designs. Our engineers, moved by the new needs of the market, constantly investigate technology in terms of glass handling. Tecnocat has increased its catalogue of standard equipment. Today, there are more than 35 different models of products distributed in five families ith their specific typology, hich is or Series, Factory Series, Elevation Systems, Handling and Storage. Keeping in mind that every single model has got its specific features, the chances of adapting the equipment to the customers’ needs are endless (Picture 1). Tecnocat also creates full custom equipment. The I+D department has developed special equipment through all these years and today deals ith specific projects for the most important brands of this sector, always focusing on reliability and security for their workers. Tecnocat’s manufacturing criteria is above all quality and security in effective designs. The materials used in its vacuum equipment and other models meet quality standards, as well as the production and assembly processes are done by dedicated workers exclusively in

its factory (Picture 2). Visually, our designs are clean and clear, with all electric and pneumatic connections protected, avoiding any element to be broken or affected negatively to security. In terms of ergonomy, the designs are intended to be easy to use with the right position of all the elements to control. ith this, or ers on t need to ma e any extra effort and any physical damages will be avoided. Security is the key factor for every company and so for the glass industry, taking into account that it is a fragile material. Because of this, the company’s vacuum equip-ment has a range of security systems. These include for instance, double safety circuit, and acoustic and optical alarms that prevent and warn workers of any minor incident that could happen (picture 3). Industry 4.0 is here to stay and will be a motivator for glass companies to be up-to-date. The interactive and telematic control of the machinery is a trend in modern industry. The most important companies in the glass industry are investing in technology which can monitor the date of the machines and the production lines in real time.

Picture 1. The VL-GB4+4 work series.

Picture 2. The CML-B4 (GR) 250 + VNL-GB2 elevation system.

Tecnocat’s 4.0 equipment can help ith � Start up assessment and maintenance the machine has an automatic checking system of tune –up protocol which validates every single action done by the worker before starting

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Handling

Picture 3. The VR-136 2000Kg work series.

the production sequence. Technical data discusses a maintenance plan and regular technical inspections . � Digital control the company can access a complete register of users data, time of activity, cycle frequency and other useful data focused to improve productivity. � nergy saving the system can optimise resources by planning with

anticipation which parts of the system can readjust according to the production, just with the analysis of the production processes � Data analysis through telematic control, several productivity studies can be done in order to improve organization and productivity. All

technical

parameters

can

controlled by the intelligent core of the machine, which transmits the relevant information through wireless connections and shows the actions in a digital touch screen, to get all the information in real time. �

*Sales Manager, Tecnocat, Tarragona, Spain www.tecnocat.com

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Glass International September 2020

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Inspection

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Touch That Glass! Jeff Hartung* discusses the progress made to ensure container are not touched or constrained during the glass manufacturing and inspection process.

n previous editorials on glass container and glass tableware inspection, Amir Novini, our President and CEO, discussed our companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mission of no/ minimum touching of the container during the manufacturing and inspection process. In other words, do not touch or constrain the container to examine it. I am delighted to share more information on steps we have taken toward that mission that have origins well over 30 years ago. We are now realising very encouraging results! When not contacting the containers during the manufacturing inspection process, cold end line speeds increase substantially; line layout efficiencies improve; yields increase by reducing loss associated with material handling challenges and container breakages; energy consumption decreases; massive amounts of manufacturing space is freed up; cost of ownership dramatically decreases; job change times improve; and maintenance labour is decreased. The majority of job change time, downtime and unscheduled maintenance repair in the cold end is attributed to contact machines.

Fig 1. Electromagnetic Spectrum.

Fig 2. Aligned Upper and Lower

Mechanical In the early days of container inspection, the inspection machines were primarily mechanical in nature. lug and dip as inspected ith specific tooling designed for the container with the inspections physically penetrating the bore of the container and pressing the sealing surface finish of the container to measure for leaks. Infeed screw tooling was designed for the container to feed them into position for the plug and dip inspections via cam drive. It was an effective method for the time. However, the physical constraints of the cam movement combined with the up and down travel of the plug and dip mechanical inspections, limited speed causing the cold end to be divided

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Multispectral Sidewall Views.

Fig 3. Colour Gradient Settings Control for Illumination.

Continued>>

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Inspection

into several inspection legs after the lehr from one IS machine line. Wall Thickness inspection was performed via capacitance measurements to check the containers for thin spots - touching the containers while they travelled inline at the contact points. These inline contact inspection machines evolved into stop/ start rotary machines in order to combine Mould Number Reading, Plug and Dip with increased check inspection and Wall Thickness measurement into a single machine while increasing the speeds. As a result, speeds and capacity increased from the linear cam driven machines, however the rotary machines were not able to achieve speeds necessary to overcome the constraint. In addition, star heel tooling specific to the containers became necessary. Rotators needed to be maintained, and infeed and out feed mechanisms re uired specific tooling. As production mix increased, so did the number of star wheels required to support it. Complex and non-round containers remained a material handling and rotation challenge, leaving them with minimal wall thickness inspection coverage and unreliable check inspection due to the instability of the container during rotation. Despite these nuisances to the container manufacturer, more inspections were added to the already cumbersome and counterproductive mechanical stop/start rotate machines rather than pursuing inline non-contact solutions.

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Electromagnetic spectrum Applied Vision has decades of experience and expertise with imaging techniques utilising the full electromagnetic spectrum (Fig 1). Therefore, we did not see the value in container manufactures continuing with contact machines; in particular, the stop/rotate machines. We challenged ourselves to eliminate the necessity for these machines and are well on our way of accomplishing this. Camera technology, camera speeds and the accessibility of these new sensor technologies have all benefitted visionbased inspection development. LED technology has advanced tremendously over the decades. Computer processing speeds and capacity have also advanced to a point where we really have to ask ourselves why are we still rotating containers and adding cost and complexity to the process of container inspection?

Surface and Top inspection to include Wire Edge and Over press inspection. In addition, we had to solve the problem of performing Wall Thickness inspection and Check inspection without rotating the container. These challenges were then combined with the need to inspect containers featuring more specialised branding â&#x20AC;&#x201C; including highly detailed decoration as well as new shapes and geometries.

Multiview sealing surface

Fig 4 Multispectral Upper Sidewall inspection

Fig 5. Multispectral Base image Inspection.

To eliminate the stop/rotate machine, we had to overcome the following challenges: Perform Mould Number Reading utilising Vision Technology at 99% plus read rates; using Vision Plug to inspect the bore of the container without contacting it; improve our already patented Vision Dip and Saddle Inspection, and improving Sealing

Fig 6 Overpress Detection

ur first brea through introduced to the market was for Multiview Sealing Surface inspection including Wire Edge and Over press. This patented approach utilises a fixed geometry of multispectral illumination combined with a high resolution colour camera and specialised optics (Fig 2&3). As these spectral LEDs illuminate the sealing surface, depending on the geometry of sealing surface, certain colour light is projected back to the camera. Geometry that is perpendicular to the camera will appear black which is the peak of the actual sealing surface. As the contours change from the sealing surface, different colour is projected upward creating a raw camera image that has the appearance of a 3D image. From this multispectral raw image (Fig 4), an infinite number of images can be derived utilising soft are filters Fig 5). The advantage here is that the light best suited for the defect to be inspected is utilised creating the highest signal to noise ratio possible for the defect, protecting against false rejects. Different filters apply to different defects whereas previously a compromised lighting was used for inspection often compromising capability and increasing false rejects. In addition, because of our patented illumination we are able to effectively detect wire edge and over press (Fig 6) during traditional Sealing Surface (Fig 7) inspection for chips, line-overs and blisters nfilled finishes and sugary finishes are easily detected due the projection of light they create. Sealing Surface inspection can be managed by our Cyclops system which can be installed as a standalone self-contained unit, or it can be handled using our Volcano SSB which is a complete top and bottom system.

Continued>>

70 0 Glass International September 2020

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FIC SGT advert 2020 AW_FIC-Society advert 2019 27/01/2020 16:29 Page 1

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Inspection

Migrate Vision Dip and Saddle (Fig 8) was another important inspection necessary to migrate from the traditional mechanical version of the stop/rotate machines. Building upon foundation knowledge from our previous patent using four views to image across the top of the container, we came up with a much improved version. As mentioned earlier, cameras are more accessible and economic today than they were 15 plus years ago. As a result, we went with more cameras and no mirrors, utilising six independent camera views across the sealing surface and are able to detect the slightest of dips and/or saddles. n addition, tilted finishes can be detected. Rather than pressing the tooling fixture on to the sealing surface hich can damage the finish, e are looking across it at line speeds without touching it. By doing this while also focusing a camera on the bore, we can inspect the bore for defects without touching it. This eliminates the need for a mechanical plug penetrating the bore as a go/no go gauge. Additionally, the vertical movement of the mechanical plug and mechanical dip and saddle are large contributors to the speed constraints of the start/stop rotate machine. Our two inspection solutions require no special tooling and work across the entire ware range of the Volcano SSB. Using our non-contact camera-based inspection for Plug and Dip and Saddle prevents damaging the finish as ell as allowing for inspection at much faster line speeds requiring less inspection legs.

www.glass-international.com

Non-contact To fully eliminate the stop/rotate machines, e had to find a solution for wall thickness inspection that did not require rotation of the container or to make contact with the container. This was only one of the challenges. We did not simply try to replace what can be done in the stop/start rotary machines. We took on all the containers that couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be inspected even with effective rotation. Certain shaped containers could not be inspected effectively for all Thic ness due to the difficulty handling the container combined with the necessary stand-off distances of the sensors measuring the thickness. However, standoff distances and real estate constraints were not the only limitations - these sensors had additional

Fig 7 Sealing Surface inspection

limitations They have fixed apertures that have grown longer over time so getting consistent readings with certain colours and thicknesses of glass proved to be very challenging. Large areas that were too thin also presented a challenge to get readings. Certain methods of forming also made inspecting the wall thickness challenging due to the unevenness of the inside walls. Handled containers, oval shaped flas s, s uared containers, heavily embossed, short necks and reverse tapers all challenged the ability to get wall thickness measured through rotation and other means. At best, the shoulders or contact points of the containers ere inspected at a fixed aperture. This industry need challenged our innovative spirit. The result - Neutron (Fig 9), a patented system poised to be a major game changer when it comes to measuring glass distribution inline. It does not require the container to be touched or rotated, hile providing a full profile

of glass distribution for the 360-degree perimeter of the container. Neutron not only protects the manufacturer against the containers with areas that are too thin, but also provides the information necessary to correct the issue before the glass becomes too thin. Since Neutron has moved from concept to fully functioning in production environments, more benefits are being realised. Not only does Neutron provide a full profile of glass distribution for nonrounds, square, reverse tapered, heavily embossed, as well as beers and wines, it can provide valuable and essential feedback for mould design improvements thereby extending mould life. Neutron is a self-contained inspection machine positioned inline in the cold end near the lehr that runs at line speeds and provides inspection and glass distribution information for the full profile on every container Neutron utilises a patented method of imaging never before used in the empty container glass industry. Reject criteria can be as simple as a comparison to identify good distribution from bad distribution of glass and/or assigning tighter thresholds in specific areas that are more critical for container safety and functionality. Neutron is proving to be invaluable as we discover more and more possibilities with each container inspected.

Check inspection FInally, Check Inspection. As everyone knows, this has been a slow migration from old Volkswagen interior lighting bulbs and sensors to modulated Continued>>

Fig 8. Non Contact Dip and Saddle inspection.

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GLASS SHEARING S E R V I C E S We make shear blades.

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Inspection

frequency lights with complex lensing and sensors, to a combination of camera vision and sensor-based inspection. The common theme across each of these advancements is how they all still require rotation and contact with the container. As check defects migrate or are discovered, inspections need to be modified and or additional lights and sensors need to be added. Yes, check inspection capability has improved tremendously over many years but still remains a function of the quality of rotation. Quality of rotation degrades with speed and container geometry and poor tooling design. So once again, relying on our understanding and use of the full electromagnetic spectrum, we are currently devising methodologies for non-contact Check Inspection without rotation. While still in the preliminary stages, we are encouraged by our results. Whether the focus is on the orientation of the check, location of the check, thread ends or no threads - our inspection captures the full range of inspection without ever contacting the container. The only container contact that occurs is when the ware handler belt holds the container during the break in the

conveyor for illumination of the base. This new Check Inspection combined with a new approach to Sidewall Inspection utilising the full spectrum completely eliminates the need for contact inspection machines. We see the value in process feedback and closing loops -- important tools to improving glassma ing efficiencies

Fig 9 Neutron Wall Thickness - Non Round inspection.

But don’t forget the operational facts touching and handling the containers creates losses and limits inspection capabilities. We should not accept how traditional ways of inspecting may discard perfectly good containers while still missing defects. Strides have been made, but I contend much more can be done. Touching glass during manufacturing and inspection is a double whammy for the glassmaker that cannot be ignored. Imagine a world without tooling in your warehouse. Imagine job changes without multitudes of complex sensors and receivers. Imagine not having to wait for tooling for new articles of glass. Imagine less inspection legs and less conveyance per IS machine. Imagine improved inspection with less false rejects. Imagine not damaging containers with unnecessary contact. Actually, there’s no need to imagine - Applied Vision is making it reality! �

*Executive Vice President, Sales Manager - Glass, Applied Vision, Ohio, USA www.appliedglass.com

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For you, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time to get Greener From fully electric furnaces to advanced forehearth design, our leading technologies aim for greener glass manufacturing. Discover PriumÂŽ Eco-Flex, our flexible hybrid furnace.

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Glass application: Nuclear waste

Glass is Key for Nuclear Waste Immobilisation Michael I. Ojovan*, ** describes why glass is an ideal material to store nuclear waste.

uclear (radioactive) waste is waste that contains, or is contaminated with, radionuclides at activity concentrations greater than clearance levels established by regulatory organisations. Naturally, radioactive wastes with activity concentrations below those levels are considered non-radioactive, or exempt wastes. The highest hazard for humans and environment is waste with high contents of toxic radionuclides, so-called highlevel waste (HLW). There is not an unresolved problem on controlling and handling nuclear waste as radioactive waste management is a mature, well-developed and internationally regulated industry that safely deals with all aspects of nuclear waste. There are many scientifically and technologically sound areas related to this industry, that focus the attention of experts ne is the use of glass as a final aste form and vitrification technology for nuclear waste immobilisation.

itrification is one of the best solutions in providing safety of nuclear waste storage safety, transportation and final disposal [1-3]. France, India, Japan, Russia, Slovakia, South Korea, the UK and USA use vitrification facilities to immobilise both HLW and low and intermediate level waste (LILW), with Germany having recently completed its vitrification programme (Table 1) [3]. Except for alkali-aluminophosphate glass used in Russia, borosilicate glass has been universally selected as the vitreous wasteform to immobilise HLW (Table 2) (DWPF – Defence Waste Processing Facility, Savannah River Site, US; SRNL – Savannah River National Laboratory, ; aste itrification lant, ellafield, o ever, some nuclear waste streams, such as legacy LILW that were accumulated during completion of various nuclear development programmes are preferable immobilised using bespoke selected silicate or phosphate systems that are better suited for given compositions of waste.

Toxicity of nuclear waste The toxicity of HLW resulting from reprocessing of nuclear fuel used during one year at a one giga watt (GW) nuclear power plant is immense with potentially contaminated water volumes exceeding 1012m3 (Fig 1). Fig. 1 shows that vitrification reduces ha ard to levels close to almost zero.

Glass as preferred wasteform In addition to its high durability glass can incorporate a range of elements into its structure. Michael Faraday described glass as ‘a solution of different substances one in another’. Glasses are highly tolerant to compositional changes and characteristic properties of glasses change continuously with variation of composition. Because of this vitrification is little sensitive to slight compositional variations typical for most waste streams. Glasses are optimal immobilising materials to ensure safe long-term storage, transportation and Continued>>

DURABLE CRYSTALS

1011 1010 109 108 107 10

SYNROC

Fission products

SPENT CLINOPTILOLITE GCM

SYNROC GLASS Am

ASH OF INCINERATORS

241

NUCLEAR

Total

243

WASTE GLASSES

ASH GCM U-MO GLASS

239

YELLOW PHASE

129

YELLOW PHASE GCM

226

... 0

102

104 105 103 Storage time, years

106

107

108

Fig 1. Reduction of ingestion hazard of HLW via vitrification (shown by red

GLASS

NONDURABLE CRYSTALS

Fig 2. Phase composition of nuclear waste and wasteforms.

arrow).

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Vitrification reduces the hazard

Ingestion radiotoxicity, m3 of H2O per GW.year

1013

77 Glass International September 2020

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Glass application: Nuclear waste

Country, facilities

Performance data

France, R7/T7, AVM

8252 tonnes, 291-106 TBq to 2019

USA, DWPF, WVDP, WTP

7870 tonnes, 2.7-106 TBq to 2012

Russia, EP-500

6200 tonnes, 23.8-106 TBq to 2010

UK, WVP

2200 tonnes, 33-106 TBq to 2012

Belgium, Pamela

500 tonnes, 0.5-106 TBq. Completed.

Japan, Tokai

70 tonnes, 14.8-103 TBq to 2007

Germany, Karlsruhe

55 tonnes, 0.8-106 TBq. Completed.

India, WIP, AVS, WIP

28 tonnes, 9.62-103 TBq to 2012

Slovakia, Bohunice

1.53 m3 to 2012

Table 1 Operational data of nuclear waste vitrification programmes.

Fig 3. Schematic of one-stage vitrification EP-500 melter: 1 – drainage (pouring unit), 2 - molybdenum electrodes, 3 - overflow window, 4 – feeders, 5 – arch, 6 – off-gas duct, 7 - water cooled electric power supply, 8 – Bakor refractory blocks, 9 - Fireclay refractory blocks.

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consequent disposal of nuclear waste due to their physical and chemical durability combined with their high capability to incorporate most elements into their structure aste vitrification is attractive due to the following: (a) Glass can reliably immobilise a range of elements; (b) Glass has a simple production technology adapted from glass manufacture; (c) Glassy wasteform has a small volume; (d) Glass is highly durable in contact with natural waters; (e) Glass is highly tolerant to radiation damage. There is a trend of using glass composite materials (GCM) containing both crystalline and amorphous phases rather than homogenous glasses [3]. Fig 2 shows the phase composition of vitreous wasteforms used currently. The stability of glassy form of matter is of fundamental importance as disposal times span for HLW beyond a million years (see Fig. 1). Although, compared to crystalline

materials of the same composition, glasses are metastable materials, their relaxation to crystalline structures is kinetically impeded so that practically no phase changes such as crystallisation can occur within very long times which for silicate glasses is 1098 years that significantly exceeds the lifetime of the Universe which is ~1.5 - 1010 years [3].

Glassy state of matter Natural glass has always existed on Earth and was formed from melts that cooled rapidly as a result of volcanic eruptions, lightning strikes or the impact of meteorites. Glass is a stable and durable form of matter that survived in a corrosive environment for many millennia. The high chemical resistance of silicate glasses allows them to remain stable in corrosive environments for many thousands and even millions of years. Several glasses are found in nature such as obsidians (volcanic glasses), fulgarites (formed by lightning strikes), tektites found on land in Australasia and associated micro-tektites from the bottom of the Indian Ocean, moldavites from central Europe, and Libyan Desert glass

from western Egypt. Some of these glasses have been in the natural environment for about 300 - 106 years with low alteration rates of less than a millimetre per million years. The highly siliceous massive volcanic glasses glass found in the volcanic caldera in Krasnokamensk, Russia (U-Glass) contains radioactive uranium at concentrations exceeding 60 ppm and has the age of about 200 - 106 years [4]. Glasses are solid state materials which have a topologically disordered internal atomic structure. Glasses can be considered as true solid solutions e.g. solutions which were frozen to a solid state without phase separation. Upon heating, glasses continuously change most of their properties to those of a liquid-like state in contrast to crystals where such changes occur abruptly at a fixed temperature the melting point The solid-like behaviour of amorphous materials at low temperatures is separated from liquid-like behaviour at high temperatures by the glass transition temperature (Tg). Glassy materials have an internal structure made of a 3-D network of interconnected structural blocks however whether a material behaves either as liquid or solid depends on the connectivity between its elementary building blocks – molecules. Solids (glasses) are characterised by a high degree of connectivity whereas structural bloc s in fluids melts have a lower connectivity. n increase of temperature fluctuations break some of bonds between glass structural blocks (molecules) so that bro en bonds termed configurons start forming clusters, moreover the higher the temperature the larger are the clusters made of broken bonds. Melting of an amorphous material occurs when the broken bonds form a percolation cluster, which penetrates the whole volume of the disordered network [5] . Formation of percolating clusters at glass transition temperature is evidenced both by experimental and computer modeling results.

Vitrification technology itrification involves melting of astes with glass-forming additives so that the final vitreous product incorporates the waste contaminants in its macro- and micro-structure.

Continued>>

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TWO HEADS ARE BETTER THAN ONE One system. One operator. One touch performance. High-precision coating measurement for the ďŹ nish and body of glass containers in one machine.

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Glass application: Nuclear waste

Glass, country

SiO2

P2O5

B2O3

Al2O3

CaO

MgO

Na2O

Others

Waste oxides

R7/T7, France

47.2

14.9

4.4

DWPF, USA

49.8

8.0

4.0

4.1

10.6

18.8

1.0

1.4

8.7

27.1

SRNL, USA

30.5

1.1

15.2

25.0

6.1

0.1

9.6

13.5

WVP, UK

47.2

16.9

4.8

5.3

8.4

19.4

25 – 38

Pamela, Germany and Belgium

52.7

13.2

2.7

4.6

2.2

5.9

18.7

Mayak, Russia

52.0

19.0

21.2

7.8

33*

P0798, Japan

46.6

14.2

5.0

3.0

10.0

20.2

GC-12/9B, China

46.2

13.4

4.2

2.5

1.5

9.1

23.1

* ≤10 for fission products and minor actinide oxides.

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Table 2. Compositions of nuclear waste glasses as oxides, mass %.

Hazardous waste constituents are immobilised either by direct incorporation into the glass molecular structure or by encapsulation when the waste components are surrounded by the glass matrix. The vitrification process generally involves evaporating the liquid HLW, decomposing the volatile anions (e.g., nitrates) if not removed by calcining, fusing the waste with oxide glass additives, pouring the glass into canisters, and cooling to form the solid glass containing the waste. The thermal energy required for the conditioning of 1 litre of typical commercial HLW containing 120g of salts is roughly 1.2kWh. The major portion of this energy (about 67%) is required for evaporation. The energies required for decomposition of nitrates and fusion amount to 20% and 13% of the total respectively. T o basic types of vitrification technologies are used: a two-stage process when the waste is calcined prior to melting, and a one-stage process in which both waste calcination and melting occurs in the melter. The main types of melters include ceramic, metallic and cold crucible melters. Refractory ceramic lined meters (Fig 3) have the advantage of high efficiency and relatively long melter life, however they have large size and weight of the refractories and difficulty in cooling and reheating due to thermal shock. Metallic melters have the advantages of high thermal conductivity, thermal shock resistance and small volume. Their disadvantages include a lower temperature of operation, microstructural changes at high temperature creating failure modes, elding fla s, and, in the case of induction heating, the potential for hot spots. Cold crucible melters provide frozen glass contact materials maintained by active cooling which separates the melt

from crucible walls. Their advantage is very-high temperature process capability, relatively low volume, and tolerance to corrosive melts. There is a distinct trend currently of using pot in-can vitrification processes for immobilisation of legacy and decommission radioactive waste. ot vitrification is the simplest process for immobilisation of radioactive wastes in glass. In this method nuclear waste is mixed with glass-forming additives and fed at a constant flo rate directly into vessels (crucibles) where water evaporation, calcination and vitrification occur Refractory canisters-containers are used to ensure containment of radioactive waste during processing (glass melting), storage, transportation and disposal [6]. n the in-can vitrification process the melting pot is disposable and serves as the primary canister for both metallic and vitreus wasteforms.

Conclusions uclear aste vitrification is attractive because of technological and compositional flexibility, the large number of elements which can be safely immobilised, high corrosion resistance, mechanical and radiation durability, as well as the reduced volume of the resulting wasteform. Borosilicate and to a lesser extent phosphate glasses are the overwhelming world-wide choice for the immobilization of high-level radioactive wastes (HLW) resulting from nuclear fuel reprocessing and low- and intermediate level radioactive wastes (LILW) such as those from operation of nuclear power plants and legacy waste. itrification is a mature technology which has been used on an industrial scale for more than fifty years ontinued advances in glassy wasteforms and nuclear aste vitrification technologies ill be keys in enabling widespread deployment

of nuclear energy. �

References 1. C.M. Jantzen. Development of glass matrices for HLW radioactive wastes. In: Ojovan M. Handbook of Advanced Radioactive Waste Conditioning Technologies. Woodhead, Cambridge, 230-292 (2011). 2. S. Gin, P. Jollivet, M. Tribet, S. Peuget, S. Schuller. Radionuclides containment in nuclear glasses: an overview. Radiochim. Acta, 105 (11): 927–959 (2017). 3. M.I. Ojovan, W.E. Lee, S.N. Kalmykov. An introduction to nuclear waste immobilisation. 3rd edition, Elsevier, Amsterdam, 497 pp. (2019). 4. V.A. Petrov. The nature of U behaviour in the processes of transformation of volcanic glasses of different composition. Joint ICTP-IAEA International School on uclear aste itrification, bdus alam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP). Trieste, Italy, 23 - 27 September 2019. http://indico.ictp.it/ event/8772/session/9/contribution/83/ material/slides/ 5. M. Ojovan. Glass formation. In: Richet P. (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Glass Science, Technology, History, and Culture. In press, Wiley, Hoboken, NJ, 2020. 6. D. Heumannskaemper, M. Ojovan. Refractory Crucibles for In-Can Melting and itrification of uclear egacy aste – 20453. Proc. WM2020 Conference, March 8 – 12, 2020, Phoenix, AZ, USA.

*Imperial College London, UK, **Institute of Geology of Ore Deposits, Petrography, Mineralogy and Geochemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences http://www.imperial.ac.uk/people/m. ojovan m.ojovan@imperial.ac.uk

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...works for you

Release Agents Coatings Shear Blade Lubricants

RIM tempering Tempering Lines on spindles

TEMPERING Lines on belt

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Multifunctional glass

Multifunctional glass has a fascinating range of uses, yet is challenging to produce. Germany’s VDMA reports that its glass technology forum members have introduced technologies that shorten processes and increase productivity of multifunctional glass.

Function through technology

www.glass-international.com

he core challenge in producing thermal insulation coatings is the size of the substrate to be processed, combined with the need to maximise the system service life and reduce maintenance times. Grenzebach Maschinenbau has now opened a coatings laboratory to develop solutions for the panes, which can be up to 3.4 m in width. Coatings can be applied for high-end products, from dielectrics such as silicon nitride and titanium dioxide to ultra-thin metal and blocker layers like silver and nickel chromium, and even transparent conductive layers for use in the display and solar industries. Tests in this laboratory can answer a variety of questions, such as how to apply silver layers to thermal insulation glass while also extending the service life of the system. In order to minimise shutdown and maintenance times, digital solutions support the production process. The IIoT platform SERICY developed by Grenzebach controls all the processes of coaters and peripherals in production, the warehouse and shipping. The data

collected can be used to derive continuous analyses and adaptations, which further optimise performance and thus economy. App-supported assistance systems help in this task. The aim of all this is to offer almost fully automated PVD coating lines. The PVD process is a vacuum-supported procedure for layer removal. The sputter process has a significant effect on layer gro th, with the involvement of excited atoms and molecules and/or ions generated in plasmas. This allows manufacturers to produce all coatings on large surfaces, from sun protection applications to highquality thermal insulation glasses (low-E layer systems). Grenzebach recently installed a system for an American manufacturer that produces more than 500 km of sheet glass globally every day, demonstrating just what this procedure is capable of. The glass is intended to ensure a pleasant temperature and high energy efficiency in buildings. The production line can coat more than 12 million m² of sheet glass with thermal insulation or sun protection coatings every year. The processing

section of the coating system is equipped with 11 process chambers and a range of coating stations, which apply various coating systems to the glass in a precisely defined order T o of ren ebach s three stackers work constantly to add new sheets of glass and remove them at the end of the production line. As the product is sensitive to touch both before and after coating, the stackers are arranged in such a way that they pick up the coated sheets from underneath. Stacking, coating and unstacking on racks: the entire line covers 9,300 m², or the size of 1.3 football pitches. 110 m of the coating system is under a vacuum, while the section equipped with conveyor technology measures 450 m in length.

No autoclave required Laminated glasses undergo a complex process. They generally consist of three layers: a glass layer at the top and bottom, enclosing a layer of , or film, for example. An autoclave is used in the standard process, but this is complex and cost-intensive. Robert Bürkle has developed inline flat lamination a ne

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Multifunctional glass

Bright and warm

multi-stage process that can be used for laminated glass or laminated safety glass, and even switchable glass. Lamination is faster and is flexible in terms of glass structure. Moreover, set-up times are short when switching between different products. The glasses enter the laminator in batches. As the batches are only formed on the feed belt, the process enables a high level of flexibility vacuum removes the air between the layers before lamination, hich then begins ith a vacuum flat press heated on both sides. Steel plates heated with thermal oil ensure symmetrical and homogeneous temperature input across the entire surface. Simple glasses such as tempered glass can be processed at a temperature of around 150Â°C. The effective area is 2,600mm by 5,000mm and the cycle time is less than 10 minutes. Lamination of particularly thick glasses can be completed in a second step, thereby reducing the cycle time. Another flat press then cools the laminated glasses and completes the process. This procedure allows fast and even lamination without overpressure at the

Windows and fully glazed tower faĂ§ades today do a lot more than just letting light into the building. Numerous functional layers meet the requirements of modern working environments and personal preferences. Electrically conductive layers are in just as high demand as self-cleaning surfaces and thermal insulation. Glass that both lets light in and keeps heat inside the building demands a special metallic coating. Manz AG worked with Trumpf GmbH + Co. KG to develop a laser process that makes this surface treatment more efficient for a rench glass manufacturer. The goal was to improve the thermal insulation properties of very large glass substrates while also allowing the greatest possible quantity of light to permeate. Manz has many years of expertise in producing thin-film solar modules The company was therefore responsible for the conveyor line with consistent synchronisation, the high-precision kinematic control of the laser optics including all sensor technology and inline measurement technology, and the overall integration of all individual components to form a system ready for production.

The glass manufacturer integrated this into its production flo , do nstream of the inline coating system. Eight line optics arranged next to each other make it possible to process the glass sheet running underneath at a width of 3.30m. 12 laser sources with 12kW of power each feed into the line optics, which Manz has constructed as a bridge across the width of the conveyor line. A continuous laser line across the entire width of the glass sheet requires precise control. The Gaussian width and edge characteristics at each end of the line must be ensured. Homogeneous energy input within the individual lines and the correct focus depth were further requirements for the quality of the products. With a width of less than 00 m, the laser line only briefly heats a silver coating that is just a few micrometres thick on the glass substrate. The coating thus switches from an amorphous to a crystalline state, thereby enhancing the insulation effect and transparency of the material. The more constantly the glass substrate, which can weigh up to 750kg, is transported along the line and the more constantly the laser inputs the energy, the higher the quality of the coating. In order to adapt the system to various products uic ly, flexibly and based on the recipe, the line optics are mounted on very stiff, moveable fixtures to ensure the highest level of precision. Cooling units and radiation protection equipment provide the necessary safety. ďż˝

VDMA, Germany glass.vdma.org/en/

www.glass-international.com

edges, which is a particular problem in membrane laminators. Cooling both sides simultaneously under pressure prevents internal tension and deformation. These flat presses are suitable for safety glass, decorative glass, solar modules, and especially multifunctional glasses that are to be equipped with sensor technology or contain functional films

83 Glass International September 2020

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Glass Decoration with the ISIMAT I-series

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Raw materials

Soda ash demand slumps â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but there is cause for optimism The IHS Markit World Soda Ash conference online, Beyond Covid-19: Surviving to Thriving takes place next month and includes a paper from Marguerite Morrin*, who will provide an overview of the global soda ash market. Greg Morris spoke to her. at the Green River basin in Wyoming. The Green River Basin is the largest and one of the highest purity known deposits of trona ore in the world. The spot price out of China of the material had risen to $250 per tonne Free on Board (FOB) at the beginning of 2019.

But due to over supply in the market mainly due to Chinese overproduction this had gradually decreased first to about $211 FOB at the start of 2020 and then $166 FOB in July. Continued>>

Fig .1 World Soda Ash demand in 2020.

www.glass-international.com

oda ash demand fell during the Covid crisis â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but there are signs it is slowly beginning to bounce back. World demand of the crucial glass manufacturing raw material is expected to fall by about 3.8 million tonnes this year - a decrease of approximately 6%, which includes a decline in demand from the glass sector of 3.1 million tonnes, or 9%. But prices have recently started to rise, an indication demand is beginning to return and a reflection of the fact hinese producers were operating at a loss. The majority of soda ash producers lowered their production as a result of the drop in demand during the height of the pandemic. US soda ash manufacturer, Genesis, said in March it was to idle 500kt of production at its Grainger facility in Wyoming, USA. It initially said this capacity would be restarted in September but now indicates the plant will remain idled in 2021. Glass manufacturing is hugely important to soda ash production. About 50% of all soda ash is consumed by the glass industry. Excluding China, the container glass sector consumes 24% of all soda ash, flat glass and other glass hina is the orld s largest flat glass manufacturer so if China is taken into account, these statistics vary to 18% of total soda ash demand from container glass, from flat and from other glass. Pre-Covid, the soda ash market had been buoyant with a number of capacity expansions announced, including the 3.6 million tonnes Inner Mongolia Berun Group project, Inner Mongolia, set to open in 2022, as well as more expansions

Fig 2 China soda ash prices down to a decade low.

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Raw materials

Chinese production has recently slowed as a result of several plant maintenances and prices have started to increase again. While the soda ash industry survived the crisis thanks to its continued supply to markets such as lithium, and the soaps and detergents sector it should soon be in a position to thrive again thanks to glass and the increased focus on environmentally friendly solutions. n the flat sector solar glass production is expected to increase while container glass is viewed as an environmentally friendly and recyclable packaging material. These products, which depend on soda ash, will have opportunities to thrive in the future.

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An overview of the global soda ash market will be provided by Marguerite Morrin, Executive Director Global Soda Ash Services at IHS Markit, during the forthcoming World Soda Ash Conference online. Beyond Covid-19: Surviving to Thriving, takes place between October 19 – 22 and will include 20 presentations as well as two training workshops. Speakers from the glass industry include Mukul Somany, Vice Chairman & Managing Director of Hindusthan National Glass & Industries who will discuss the Glass Outlook for India. FEVE’s Stefano Cassano, Chairman of

Fig 3. Capacity increases in the US are subject to delays. All images source IHS Markit

its Circular Economy Group, will provide a presentation focused on Developments in Glass Recycling and Container Glass, while Xiaofei Chen, Director, Flat Glass Futures, China Construction Glass and Industrial Glass Association will talk about the Flat Glass Outlook for China. Glass for Europe’s Public Affairs Manager, Cedric Jenssens will provide a paper highlighting Flat Glass in ClimateNeutral Europe. Other papers will include an update on the Chinese soda ash industry from the Chinese soda ash industry association, a producer view of the Indian soda ash and

detergent industry from Rohit Surfactants and an update on packaging materials and their environmental costs from IHS Markit. �

*Executive Director, Global Soda Ash Services, IHS Markit, London, UK The World Soda Ash Conference takes place online October 19-22. More information from https://ihsmarkit.com/events/World-Soda-Ash-Conference-2020/overview.html

Fig 4 a b and c. The world’s largest exporters have seen exports fall.

86 0 Glass International September 2020

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Event preview: Glass Problems

The 82nd Conference on Glass Problems will take place from 1st - 4th November 2021 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center and the Hilton Columbus Downtown in Columbus, Ohio, USA

Glass Problems Conference goes virtual for 2020 Bob Lipetz* previews the 81st Conference on Glass Problems, which had been due to take place in Columbus, Ohio, USA in October but will now be replaced with a virtual conference.

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he 81st Conference on Glass Problems, which had been scheduled to take place between 26th – 29th October in Columbus, Ohio, USA, has been replaced with a virtual conference. The Virtual Conference on Glass Problems (VGPC) will take place online 26-30 October. Being accessible via the internet will allow a larger participation from the industry to hear the world’s leading technical experts address current problems in manufacturing. The VGPC will also provide an exhibiting platform for solutions providers to communicate with the industry. Larry McCloskey, Glass Engineering Consultant at Anchor Hocking, said: “The GPC conference has the cross section of information and vendor interaction, coupled with the technical papers, that may provide the only practical/ technical experience many plant level or young engineers have opportunity to experience, during the year.” The Virtual Conference on Glass Problems is organised by the Glass Manufacturing Industry Council (GMIC), which is the American trade association bridging all segments of glass manufacturing, and Alfred University, a US glass research institution. It is endorsed by the American Ceramic Society. The virtual conference will allow delegates to visit an online exhibition

of suppliers of glassmaking plant, equipment and services. In addition, delegates can communicate directly with exhibitors and exhibitors will be providing additional satellite education events An industry advisory board oversees the programme, which is composed of invited papers and submitted abstracts, with the proceedings manuscripts distributed to attendees. Programme highlights are: Marty urran, nnovation fficer, orning Incorporated – Glass Industry Today: Challenges & Opportunities; John Mauro, Professor, Pennsylvania State University – Machine Learning and Glass Formation; Frank O’Brien-Bernini, VP and Chief ustainability fficer ens orning – Sustainability – Creating Enterprise Value; Daniel Swiler, Glass Scientist, O-I, Inc. – Surface Viscosity and the Melting of

Erik Muijsenberg, Vice President of

Glass; and Lance Lemings, Senior Director Operations, Gallo Glass Company – Hot Bottom Repair on a 10-Year-Old Furnace. The technical programme, which had traditionally been two days, now expands to three days, 26-28 October. Two technical short courses are offered virtually on 23 October; ‘Fundamentals of Batch and Furnace Operations’ taught by C. Philip Ross and ‘Introduction to Redox and Sulfur Chemistry’ taught by Corinne Claireaux, Glass Scientist and Oscar Verheijen, Senior Consultant at CelSian Glass & Solar. An additional opportunity is the GMIC organised virtual symposium entitled ‘The Future of Glass Manufacturing. The world’s top experts examine the technologies and trends that shape the future of glass manufacturing. The symposium will have three sessions, Digital Transformation, Resources, and urnace Design To allo for sufficient time to cover the topic in depth, the symposium has been extended to two days, on 29th – 30th October. �

Glass Service, will once again give a presentation on

The full programme is available to view via http://glassproblemsconference.org

“Industry 4.0 and Beyond”

*Conference Director, Glass Manufacturing Industry Council, Westerville, Ohio, USA www.glassproblemsconference.org

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CONNECTING THE GLASS MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY MAGAZINE

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24/06/2019 09:53

Automation

The next step in hot end automation Cortex Glass develops hot end systems for automatic glass production.

t is becoming increasingly difficult for glass producers to eep and ac uire experienced hot end employees. To ensure a sustainable glass production in the future, the hot end production process must be automated In recent years Cortex Glass has developed years several hot end systems to measure, monitor and control different hot end processes. The GobWatch system measures gob parameters and automatically controls the gob eight, the lan atch system measures and controls blan temperatures and gob loading, the atch system measures the glass distribution, are spacing, inspects every glass container for defects and stores images of each bottle produced All Cortex Glass systems provide important data about the hot end production process ma ing ndustry 0 possible and the mart actory a reality ith all hot end systems, sensors and data available, ortex lass is no cooperating ith several ma or glass manufacturers to reach the next step, an automated hot end production process rtificial ntelligence and neural net or s ill be used by ortex lass to control and optimise the hot end

Cortex Glass IS Watch system with 3 Side and 1 Top camera.

production process ith closed loops. ortex lass uses rtificial ntelligence and neural net or s in all its systems The first neural net or has been running for more than four years in the ob atch system. In the GobWatch system the neural net or is trained to detect bubbles and stones in flint glass gobs The atch neural net or is trained to detect bird s ings, fins, spi es and other critical defects. A big advantage of the atch neural net or is that the system automatically inspects for the critical defects after a ob change, ithout user intervention ortex lass ill soon provide innovative -machine Tuning options to fine tune the forming process automatically, reducing the dependency on specialists, improving the bottle uality and increasing the production efficiency �

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History

Prof. John Parker

An international year of glass

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Prof John Parker discusses a proposed celebration of glass, and highlights its potential to support a sustainable society. When David Pye (ICG past president) learned in 2014 that the UN General Assembly would declare 2015 an International Year of Light and LightBased Technologies he arranged for the International Journal of Applied Glass Science to showcase “Glass and Light”. An article proclaiming that society had entered the Age of Glass followed in 2016. Concurrently, lectures by Manoj Choudhary, then ICG President, and David to international audiences explored the theme that glass science, engineering and art were entering new and profound chapters in their histories. David next floated the concept of an International Year of Glass (IYOG) with Charlie Craig, Senior Vice President, Science and Technology, Corning Inc. He was strongly supportive and was joined soon after by Manoj Choudhary, who with David tabled a motion at an ICG Council meeting in Japan: “The International Commission on Glass, representing organisations and individuals throughout the world dedicated to the promotion of science, technology, artistry, and application of glass enthusiastically endorses the exploration of a future declaration of a Year of Glass by the United Nations.” David presented the concept to the American Ceramic Society Board (ACerS) and the Corning Museum of Glass (CMoG). Both embraced the idea and Steve Gibbs, a senior administrator at CMoG, played a pivotal role in advancing IYoG 2022 to the international art community. The die was cast. Just how transformational glass in its many guises has been is often missed. Its story deserves wider telling. Buoyed by a groundswell of enthusiasm ICG’s current President, Alicia Durán, took up the baton to become Chair of an International Steering Committee for the proposed IYOG. From the start was a realisation that

such celebrations could not be organised solely by one body; local communities had to be harnessed for local activities. Advertising has generated an amazing 900 letters from 68 countries endorsing the concept and offering enthusiastic support. The Corning Museum of Glass, the Glass Art Society, the International Committee of Museums, along with the Community of Glass Associations promoted by VITRUM and the Italian Government, have joined with many national Glass Societies to help. New partners are welcome, particularly from under-represented areas such as Africa, the Middle East and the Balkans. Any readers wishing to join our circulation list should email: manager@iyog2022.org and visit (www.iyog200.org). A UN badged International Year requires a United Nations Resolution. Our application promotes glass, its past and future potential; it shows how the glass community is supporting UN developmental goals (2030 agenda): responsible production and sustainability; innovation and infrastructure; affordable and clean energy; climate action; unpolluted water and oceans; sanitation, health and well-being; education and gender equality. A presentation for the next UN General Assembly meeting is almost complete. The Spanish ambassador has agreed to sponsor the Resolution, offering China the opportunity to co-sponsor the initiative. The next President of the UN General Assembly, the Turkish diplomat Volkan Bozkir, knows of the proposal and supports it, appreciating its widespread backing within the glass community. As an important preliminary, UNESCO, the science arm of the UN, has been approached. This uncovered planning for a 2022 International Year of Basic Sciences for Sustainable Development (IYBSSD) and an International Year of Mineralogy. While ‘competition’ was the

first reaction, collaboration and mutual support were agreed as the way forward and UNESCO encouraged this. UNESCO also stressed protocol to ensure global benefits, through inclusivity and the UN 2030 developmental goals. But then COVID-19 reared its head, slowing progress. The anticipated UN General Assembly in April was postponed. The world of glass remains on hold but manufacturers, suppliers, users, teachers, artists and museum curators are poised for action once approval is given. A 2022 celebration will include eight anniversaries: 100 years of the German Glass Society (DGG); 100 years since glass was discovered in King Tutankhamun’s Tomb; 670th anniversary of first depiction of eyeglasses in a painting; 200 years of Fresnel Lenses in coastal lighthouses; 70th anniversary of the Pilkington patent for Float Glass; 60 years of the Studio Glass Movement; and the 45th anniversary of Anderson, Mott & Van Vleck’s Nobel prize on glassy materials. Planned events include an International Congress in Berlin in 2022 (DGG/ICG); a Glass Technology event in China; a World Congress on glass art and history in USA; an event in Egypt around the archaeology of King Tutankhamun’s Tomb; and many national activities, both educational and cultural. Protocol demands an opening session in Geneva in February 2022; a closing ceremony in Japan will involve and inform key UN dignitaries. While individual events should be financially self-sufficient, expenditure is inevitable and requires funding. Previous organisers have advised on costs. A team will identify sponsors and begin once a UN agreement is in place. So, drink a glass to future success and expect a knock on the door! �

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

92 Glass International September 2020

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