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June 2016—Vol.39 No.6
INTERVIEW: CM.PROJECT.ING COMPANY PROFILE: YANTAI CHANGYU GLASS FORMING I N T E R N A T I O N A L
A GLOBAL REVIEW OF GLASSMAKING
Glass International June 2016
SOUTH AMERICA 2017 29-30 March 2017, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Contents
June 2016 Vol.39 No.6
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2 Editor’s Comment
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June 2016—Vol.39 No.6
3 International news
INTERVIEW: CM.PROJECT.ING COMPANY PROFILE: YANTAI CHANGYU GLASS
FORMING I N T E R N A T I O N A L
10 Company profile: cm.project.ing Young company defies conventions
A GLOBAL REVIEW OF GLASSMAKING
Glass International June 2016
14 SOUTH AMERICA 2017 29-30 March 2017, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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14 Company profile: Yantai Changyu Glass Changyu reaps benefits of invesment
19 Events world: ICG Congress Congress appeals to young and old alike
23 Conditioning Oxygen Metering Trim: A technology update
26 Forming Superior thermal homogeneity 28 History
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Front cover image www.bdfindustriesgroup.com
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31 Furnaces Prolonging furnace campaign life
34 Refractories Furnace refractories with solid fuel combustion
36 Forming Four decades of forming concepts
40 Energy efficiency Energy from heat recovery
42 Inspection Evolution in inspection of glass containers
44 Events world: Glass Focus 2016 Glass Focus conference 2016 47 Diary
Plus find us on Linked-In and Twitter.
@Glass_Int
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30 British Glass
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Editor’s comment
Greg Morris
www.glass-international.com Editor: Greg Morris Tel: +44 (0)1737 855132 Email: gregmorris@quartzltd.com Assistant Editor: Sally Love Tel: +44 (0)1737 855154 Email: sallylove@quartzltd.com Designer: Annie Baker Tel: +44 (0)1737 855130 Email: anniebaker@quartzltd.com
Glass industry mourns the loss of a pioneer
Sales Manager: Jeremy Fordrey Tel: +44 (0)1737 855133 Email: jeremyfordrey@quartzltd.com Production Executive: Martin Lawrence Managing Director: Steve Diprose Chief Executive Officer: Paul Michael
S
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Sales Director: Ken Clark Tel: +44 (0)1737 855117 Email: kenclark@quartzltd.com
ad news indeed about the recent passing of Geoff Evans. Mr Evans was a popular and well-known figure in the glass industry, particularly in the UK, and he will be sorely missed. As an obituary from friends and colleagues on page 4 states, Mr Evans made an immense contribution to emissions control back in the 1980s and 1990s, at a time when environmental awareness was not as heightened as it is today. In this respect he was a pioneer. There have been many messages of condolence from around the world, which is testament to his popularity within the industry. Our thoughts are with his family. Forward-thinking ideas are what keeps the glass industry ahead of its rival materials. An unconventional approach is what has kept this month’s featured company ahead of its competitors. Led by the relatively young Daniel Schippan, cm.project.ing uses the latest computer software and virtual reality to give customers a detailed idea of what their planned glass plant will look like. At a time when the industry is fearful it is losing out on young talent to other businesses, such as software and social media, Mr Schippan’s company has embraced Industry 4.0 and technology. Not only does it help secure future contracts but it is also an appeal to any poten-
tial new recruits the company wishes to employ. Glass industry convention states that glassmaking takes place in a hot and noisy environment but Mr Schippan’s company has thrown convention on its head. Its recruitment policy is also different to the rest of the industry, with most staff on fixed contracts rather than being contracted for a short period of time. The company is less than a decade old but already has a number of glass references from around the world. There was good news for Horn Industries this month after it secured a contract from Turkmenistan to supply a complete turnkey production plant to produce float glass and container glass bottles. Horn will be responsible for everything, from the supply of raw materials via batch house, melting aggregates and tin bath up to the cutting line and storage technology. The new line will start from scratch and comprise a 250t/d float glass line and a 50 t/d container plant. The good news for the glass industry was that there was previously no glass industry in Turkmenistan. Hopefully other similar developing nations also decide to invest in glass manufcaturing capabilities. Greg Morris, Editor gregmorris@quartzltd.com
Quartz Glass Portfolio SOUTH AMERICA 2017
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International News
Carib Glassworks doubles capacity with help from Heye
Heye International has supported glassmaker Carib Glassworks in its efforts to double production capacity and develop potential sales opportunities in export markets. Carib Glassworks is located in Port of Spain, Trinidad and is the only manufacturer of glass packaging in the
Caribbean. It produces both standard and custom-made containers in flint, green and amber for customers in the soft drinks, beer, food, alcohol and juice sectors. The glassworks doubled its production capacity to 70,000 tonnes/year in April this year via the commissioning of a
second melting furnace and three production lines. Heye International was closely involved with the new factory’s design and construction. In addition to project management responsibilities, it engineered the hot end installation, supplying three IS-Machines, as well as the cold end, which features its HiShield SmartLine inspection machines (pictured). Its Heye PlantPilot information management system helped the glassworks achieve high quality production and avoid cost-increasing disturbances. The technology matches together all production information in real-time.
Verallia to invest €26 million in Spanish and Portuguese plants Glass manufacturer Verallia plans to invest €26 million on developing its facilities in Spain and Portugal this year. The company begun a new stage of development in 2015 after it separated itself from Saint-Gobain and started functioning independently. Following that move, Ver-
allia now plans to stay at the top of the Iberian market for glass packaging with the modernisation of its factories in Azuqueca de Henares (Guadalajara) and Zaragoza. Last year, global sales at the firm reached €2.4 billion, with 16,000 million bottles and jars produced worldwide. In 2015,
the company invested €40 million on its Iberian Peninsula facilities. Paulo Pinto, Director General of Verallia Spain and Portugal, said: “Our priority for 2016 is to achieve operational excellence, in order to offer the highest level of quality and service to our customers.”
Xpar Vision installs third IR-D unit at Vetropack’s Pöchlarn plant The Vetropack Group and Xpar Vision have strengthened their cooperation in the Hot End by installing a third IR-D unit at Vetropack’s Pöchlarn glass plant in Austria. Xpar Vision’s Infrared Dual Camera (IR-D) systems are positioned at both sides of the
conveyor belt, between the IS Machine and the Hot End Coating tunnel. In real time the IR-D inspects all bottles for critical defects and rejects them in the Hot End phase. By doing this, the IR-D inspection saves a considerable amount of lehr- and inspec-
tion time, creates a more consistent and better CE flow and results in a safer environment. At the same time, process information on the cavity level is presented to the operators, allowing them to react immediately on any form of process or quality deviation.
NEWS IN BRIEF
Ardagh’s CEO to step down in September
Ardagh CEO Niall Wall is to step down in September. He will be replaced by Ian Curley, who was CFO of Smurfit Kappa Group from 2000 until March of this year. Mr Curley will join Ardagh in late June as CEO designate and succeed Mr Wall when he steps down in September. The Board of Ardagh said it thanked Mr Wall for his enormous contribution to the success of the group and wished him well for the future.
O-I elects Board Members and Chairman
Owens-Illinois (O-I) has elected Andres A. Lopez and Joseph J. DeAngelo to its Board of Directors. Lopez has been the company’s Chief Executive Officer since January this year. DeAngelo is the Chairman and CEO of HD Supply Holdings, a North American industrial distributor. Former Board Members Thomas L. Young, who reached the mandatory retirement age for Board Members and Albert P.L. Stroucken, who retired as CEO and President at the end of 2015, did not stand for reelection. The company has also appointed Carol A. Williams as Chairman of the Board, effective immediately.
Beta Glass appoints Managing Director
Glass container manufacturer Beta Glass has appointed new directors to its board. Mr. Darren Bennett-Voci has been appointed the new Managing Director. Mr. Bennett-Voci comes with more than 19 years of experience in the container glass industry. Most of his experiences were with Owens-Illinois (O-I), where he held a variety of positions in sales and marketing at a regional level. Mr. Bennett-Voci joined Frigoglass, Beta Glass’s Greek parent company in June 2012 as Commercial Director – Glass, based in Dubai.
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International News
NEWS IN BRIEF
Frigoglass reports sales decline
Geoff Evans obituary
Frigoglass reported a first quarter sales decline by 15.1% to €101.9 million, mainly driven by a double digit sales decline in Eastern Europe and lower demand for glass containers in Nigeria. The difficult macroeconomic and trading conditions in Russia continued to put pressure on beverage consumption, leading to cautious cooler investments mainly by key brewery customers.
O-I partners with Hungarian dairy firm
Glass bottle manufacturer Owens-Illinois (O-I) has partnered with Hungarian dairy supplier Cserpes Sajtmuhely to open a new market for healthy, nonallergenic dairy products. The Budapest-based company has launched a range of lactose-free milk and yogurts, filled exclusively in glass containers from O-I. The new milk is packed in O-I’s 50cl Bohus standard bottle and the yoghurt in 28cl Siola jars. Both products are made at the Dubi plant in the Czech Republic.
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Riedel Glass celebrates 260 years of glassmaking history
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This year marks the 260th anniversary of glassmaking for the Riedel family. Established in Bohemia in 1756, after the Second World War the Riedel family was dispossessed and lost all their factories and the entirety of their private assets. The modern era of the Riedel company began when Claus J. Riedel escaped from a prisoner train on the journey over the Brenner Pass. Supported by Swarovski, who the Riedel family knew from Bohemia, in 1956 Claus Riedel was able to take over the bankrupt Tirol glassworks. The family business has concentrated its efforts on grape-varietal specific wine glasses since then, and Riedel is now known as ‘the wine glass company’.
After graduating from the University of Manchester with an Honours degree in Geology, Geoff joined Pilkington’s R&D Centre at Lathom, Ormskirk in 1969, initially working in the Refractories Department. This was followed by periods in Raw Materials and Combustion Engineering before returning as Refractories Department Manager in 1978 and latterly as the Group Head of the Glass Technology Group. During this time huge progress was made in refractories, furnace design, construction and maintenance, raw materials, combustion and furnace operation. This resulted in a two-threefold increase in furnace campaign lives, a halving of energy consumption and big improvements in glass quality, increasing yields and furnace pulls. Electric melting and pollution control were also increasingly important factors through the late 1980s and into the 1990s. Geoff made an immense contribution to many aspects of these activities, and additionally made crucial inputs in non-furnace areas, not least in the area of Float Bath bottom blocks. Several problems developed during the 70s and 80s with surface glazing, the horizontal splitting of blocks and surface flaking.
The splitting and flaking in particular were very major problems, blocks could lift and flakes up to a centimetre thick could break off during operation, often resulting in stopping the float ribbon, with considerable disruption to glass production. The resolution of all of these problems was vital to the successful operation of the float process. Latterly, as Group Head he was chairman of the Pilkington Group Furnace Design Panel, responsible for the designs of 30 plus flat glass furnaces (and many smaller furnaces) around the group, and its licensees. Geoff was the holder of several patents in flat glass manufacturing. Throughout his Pilkington career, he won many friends with his hard work, approachability, great knowledge, ready smile and good humour. He also travelled extensively to many overseas plants, forming close relationships with everyone he worked with - as witnessed by the many messages of condolence that have been received. Colleagues had a profound respect for Geoff - he was able to cut through all the chaff and distractions and seize upon the salient, significant facts. His memory was indeed prodigious, and behind his (sometimes creatively drawn) graphs was an enormous wealth of experience and insight gained over many years. He had the gift of scientific intuition - that ability to synthesise understanding out of a combination of sound technical knowledge and a thousand nuggets of observation and experience of how plants responded in the real world. Geoff drove himself hard,
and could lead others - but it is remembered that he did not suffer fools gladly! He retired from Pilkington in 1998, but continued to work actively in the glass industry as a consultant, primarily in the refractories area, but his wide knowledge of the whole glass melting process enabled him to contribute in many areas. The SGT owes Geoff a debt of gratitude - he was the inspiration behind the highly successful Furnace Solutions series of seminars. He understood what people in the glass industry needed, he perceived that the melting operation was one hugely significant area in which collaboration was possible without the taint of anticompetitive collusion, and had the strength of personality to persuade others to follow the vision he articulated. Outside Pilkington, he had many interests, from gardening to flying model aircraft, and he enjoyed holidays in the warmer climes of southern Europe. He also devoted considerable time to charitable work with the Lions in Preston, and Rotary in Ellesmere. More recently, he was lecturing with the “U3A”, the University of the Third Age, giving talks and leading field excursions. Geoff leaves his wife, Cath, their children Elizabeth and David, and David’s family, plus Geoff’s twin sister Jennifer and their mother. The thoughts of many colleagues and friends are with them and the wider family at this time of sudden and tragic loss.
Compiled by Gordon Cochrane, David Martlew, Richard Quirk and John Hartley 20th May 2016
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International News
NEWS IN BRIEF
Heye appoints Sales and Marketing Director
Heye International has appointed a new Director of Sales and Marketing. Jens Langer previously worked as international Sales & Marketing Director as well as Head of Project Management in the mechanical engineering industry. Now he will share his knowledge with Heye International to develop the company’s growth strategy.
Gerresheimer facility celebrates 10-years
Gerresheimer Shuangfeng has two reasons to celebrate in 2016. Firstly, it was founded 30 years ago in April, and secondly it has been operating successfully in the Chinese market as a Gerresheimer joint venture for 10 years. The Chinese plant in Shuangfeng comprises three tubular glass-converting facilities in Danyang and Zhenjiang. The Danyang I facility is 220km from Shanghai and is also the headquarters.
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Xpar Vision to host Bright Ideas. Better Glass seminar
Xpar Vision is to organise a seminar titled Bright Ideas. Better Glass in Groningen, The Netherlands on June 29 and 30. It aims to create the best possible alignment between market requirements and its development activities. All customers of its GobAssist/ Blankside Temperature Control and Swabbing Robot technologies have been invited to attend. Developers from Xpar Vision and Novaxion will also be there.
glasstec 2016 to welcome glass industry
The organisers of glasstec 2016 have found the positive upswing in the glass industry reflected by a strong demand for stand bookings. The exhibitor database and ticket shop are online as of now.
Gerresheimer in Mexican and Polish equipment upgrade
Gerresheimer has set up an investment programme spanning several years to install machines for converting vial manufacturing at all its plants. It said the latest-generation machines and high global standards will enable it to meet stringent product quality requirements in the future. The rollout of the new machine strategy in the USA is almost finished. It commenced at its Morganton, NC, plant – the Gerresheimer Group’s
Centre of Excellence for Vials – and at its US tubular glass plant at Forest Grove in Vineland, NJ, in 2014. Next was the Querétaro, Mexico, plant at the end of 2015. This shifted the upgrade focus to vials, after the installation of new machines, technology, inspection and camera systems for ampoule production at the site in 2014. Six new vial machines have been installed to date, and another three will be in place by the end of the year. Querétaro
now uses the technology and produces vials to the same quality as the two US plants. The new machine strategy has been introduced at the Polish sister plant in Bolesławiec, where the first of the new vial machines was installed in April. Two more will be installed and be put into operation by the end of the year. The second and third machines are also scheduled for installation this year, and further machines will follow in 2017 and 2018. The company is in the process of building a tubular glass plant in Kosamba, India, where it will also install the latest-generation machines and inspection technology. It will upgrade the machine parks and invest in camera systems at its Chinese plants.
SGD Pharma set to be acquired China Jianyin Investment (JIC), a long-term investor, has entered into exclusive discussions to acquire SGD Pharma. Jürgen Sackhoff, President of SGD Pharma, welcomed the move, and said: “The combi-
nation with JIC will open exciting new growth opportunities for us in Asia.” SGD’s perfumery manufacturing business has been a separate company to SGD Pharma since 2015 and will not be
affected by the acquisition of SGD Pharma. The company operates five manufacturing sites in France (two plants), Germany, India and China and employs 2,750 people around the globe.
Ethiopia’s brewery industry to boom Foreign investment in Ethiopia’s beverage industry is showing a huge increase as global groups are attracted to the industry, stated an Ethiopian Food, Beverage and Pharmaceuticals Industry Development Institute report. The Institute says investment in alcoholic, non-alcoholic beverages and soft drinks as well as the stimulants industry have shown tremendous progress during the
past decade. Institute Beverage Processing Directorate Director Aklilu Kefyalew said multinational beverage companies are continuing to increase their presence in Ethiopia’s rapidly growing economy. Breweries are helping transform Ethiopia’s business landscape with alcoholic beverage industries having a lion’s share in terms of investment and market coverage, said Aklilu.
By the end of the fiscal year, the country’s export revenue from the alcoholic beverage industry is expected to hit US$17 million. More than US$6million has already been secured during the past six months, he added. In line with its policy of encouraging private investment, the Ethiopian government has privatised state-owned breweries including Harar and Meta.
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International News
NEWS IN BRIEF
Appeal to support the Chance Glass Works site
An urgent appeal to friends and supporters of Chance Glass Works Heritage Trust (CGWHT) in the UK has been launched. A planning application for the Chance site has been submitted which, if successful, could end proposals by CGWHT to rejuvenate Chance for the benefit of all. A petition form is on the CGWHT blogspot under ‘Latest News’ at www.cgwht. org, where further information on the Trust and its work can be found.
2nd ICG Winter School in China is a success
A total of 34 students and 12 teachers gathered this springtime for the second China Winter School. The subject matter ranged over glass fundamentals through structural analysis to advanced applications, and from glass strength to optical properties such as coatings and quantum dot structures. The ICG team gave about half the lectures and the remainder were presented by academics from Wuhan or other Chinese Universities that work with glass. The next ICG Winter School is currently planned for 1317th November 2017.
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Glass plant worker loses life in Tracy, USA
A glass plant worker lost his life after he fell from a beltdriven lift. The worker at the OwensBrockway Glass Container Plant in Tracy, California, USA, had gotten onto the unenclosed platform but part of his clothing caught on machinery. He was unable to free himself and fell 20ft. Owens-Illinois, which owns the facility, said: “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends, as well as our entire plant team and the O-I community at this difficult time. “We have offered counseling services to employees through our Employee Assistance Program.”
Top 10 stories in the news Our most popular news items, as determined by our website traffic All full stories can be found on our website, www.glass-international.com/news r 1 Gerresheimer Shuangfeng facility celebrates 10-year anniversary r 2 2nd ICG Winter School in Wuhan, China is a notable success r 3 O-I elects two Board Members and appoints independent Chairman r 4 Ardagh’s CEO to step down in September r 5 Geoff Evans obituary r 6 Carib Glassworks doubles production capacity thanks to Heye r 7 Xpar Vision installs third IR-D unit in Vetropack’s Pöchlarn plant r 8 Beatson Clark wins design prize at Glass Focus Awards r 9 Ethiopia’s brewery industry set to boom r 10 Verallia to invest €26 million in Spain and Portugal
Verallia chooses Heye for Brazilian greenfield project Heye International has been selected to supply production technology at Verallia’s Estancia, Brazil plant. Verallia’s Estancia plant in Brazil’s north-eastern state of Sergipe began operation in December. It is the glassmaker’s fourth production facility in Brazil and its first in the country’s north-eastern region. The site will employ around 140 people when its first melting furnace is commissioned. The plant will initially pro-
duce 80,000 tonnes per year of glass bottles and jars for food and beverages and will primarily serve the region’s growing local customer base. Heye International’s involvement with stage one of the Estancia greenfield project involved the supply of specialist equipment for use between the feeder mechanism and the lehr loader for two high speed production lines. The scope of supply included Heye Servo plungers,
double motor shears and gob distributors, serving two high productivity, 5 ½’’ centre distance IS-Machines. One is a 12-section tandem IS-Machine (2 x 6-section machines), the other a 16-section tandem (2 x 8-section). Also included as part of the Heye International supply contract is a full complement of ware handling equipment, comprising pushers, ware transfers, cross conveyors and lehr loaders.
GPI forms US recycling coalition The Glass Packaging Institute (GPI), Diageo and have New Belgium Brewing have formed the US Glass Recycling Coalition. The coalition aims to help build a foundation to make
glass recycling a successful industry, and an efficient, high-quality and convenient service consumers want and expect. Members of the coalition include glassmakers such as
O-I and Ardagh, companies from the glass processing and recycling industry as well as waste haulers and trade organisations who will all work towards a common goal.
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Company profile: cm.project.ing
Young company defies glass industry c The construction of a glass plant can be a daunting prospect. It requires an initial outlay of several millions of dollars and return on investment can be low. Daniel Schippan spoke to Greg Morris about how his company offers detailed planning and advice to anyone plotting to build a glass plant.
C
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onvention states that glassmaking is a noisy, dirty and hot process. Any new technology improvements take time to become established within the industry. But one new company has thrown convention on its head. cm.project.ing was established less than a decade ago but already has a number of references from glass plants around the world. The company designs and project manages the construction of new glass production plants. It can provide financial consultation for a glass plant project, which can typically cost $70 million and take months to complete.
To help potential customers picture what the new plant will look like, the company uses Industry 4.0 and virtual reality headsets. This allows the customer to ‘explore’ the new plant and gain a more detailed idea of what it will look like. Its Managing Director, Daniel Schippan, said: “Plant layout and engineering is important because a company lives for decades with a design in a glass plant. If you look at the automotive
Continued>>
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Company profile: cm.project.ing
y conventions
and some other industries they take much more care of plant design. We are convinced that the plant design is very important and that no other company is going with Industry 4.0 with virtual reality combined with easy 3D printing.” “We think the industry is very weak in plant design. We have had success with our plant design and we want to keep going in that direction. It’s innovative and we want to continue to show this.”
Young people A concern for glass industry leaders in recent months has been the lack of young talent attracted to the industry. Mr Schippan believes that cm.project.ing’s approach, with its use of new technology and the latest software is one way of convincing young people to join the industry. “Young people want to work in clean, highly respected environment such as internet start ups, they don’t want to work in a hot, noisy atmosphere. “We take young people into consideration when people approach us. By showing them the virtual reality and the modern technology, the person feels different. They feel modern and up to date with technology. Just putting a 2D drawing on the table is not state of the art. With virtual reality hee feels he can bring his own ideas to the game, he feels immediately integrated and has ownership. “Our approach is that we want to bring more innovation and more automation. If we don’t take care of this we will not bring a new generation of people into the glass industry.”
Although only aged 43 Mr Schippan is a glass industry veteran. He admits to a love of the material. “It is a product with many applications that is used in the automotive, civil engineering, beverage, construction and interior design sectors. In food and beverage it is healthy because there is no interaction with ingredients. It is a sustainable product and 100% recyclable. “Also, I always have felt comfortable in this industry, it’s a fair industry, it’s a family. I have found that if you perform well you will be treated very fairly.” After studying Material Science at Aachen University in his native Germany he combined an industrial PHD with work at Gerresheimer’s Dueseldorf site. After a stint at BSN Glasspack he joined glass wool manufacturer URSA International where he worked as R&D leader. He then took a role as head of gross investment where he was responsible for building new plants in Russia and France. It was during this time that Continued>>
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Career background
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Company profile: cm.project.ing
he hatched the idea to form his own company. He had looked for companies that would support him in terms of engineering and project management to build new glass plants but could not find one. A short while later, while plant manager at two sites in Belgium and France in 2007, he received a call from a German wool company that was considering building a new glass plant but that could not find an engineering company to do so. On an impulse Mr Schippan said he would do the job and would provide a new company the next day. The rest is history. Mr Schippan won the pitch and formed his own company. He quickly built a professional team and secured a contact with Agenda Glass (now Hindusthan National Glass Industries Ltd (HNG) Mr Schippan said: “I quickly realised it was difficult just to have business in Germany so we expanded to Poland where we were an EPC contractor to a container glass factory. Then we decided to go international and formed offices in Poland and Brazil and gained contracts with Vidroporto and now recently the Verallia IVN project. We also have projects in Iran and Africa. “We have become a worldwide player with 40 fixed staff now, with business in nearly all regions of the world.”
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Recruitment Its recruitment policy also differentiates from the rest of the industry. Most of its staff were recruited from within the industry and 90% of its personnel are on fixed contracts with 10% sub contracted out. “Everyone else is the other way round, they pull freelance people together for a project. I’m not convinced by this idea. For big greenfield projects you need the workflows, to develop new ideas, develop know processes, develop databases, develop experience and know-how, to learn from your mistakes and to remedy the mistakes inside your internal organisation. “This is not possible if you just bring people together for a project and then disappear.” Among staff working for the company are a former CPO plant manager, a maintenance manger, design people, six fixed technical
“I always have felt comfortable in this industry, it’s a fair industry, it’s a family. I have found that if you perform well you will be
”
treated fairly
draftsman and operation people who can run IS machines and furnaces. The aim is for the combination of its design is proven by operational people, who discuss issues such as are the access points OK? Is the workflow OK? Is this design realistic? The variety of different people gives it a strength, particularly for the complete life cycle of a project. It supports a customer from the first idea. It develops a business model, which it states is more detailed than everyone else and makes a business case to its customers if needed. Some customers from emerging markets are not familiar with the details on how to build a glass plant and do not know about a business case. “We create a business model that is proven by banks to let it happen, to realise the business case. We have legal people and financial people from the industry as fixed employees. This is another strength to support a project over the complete life cycle. “With our fixed staff we don’t just look at part of a project, we cover the complete life cycle of a project.”
Daunting It can be a daunting prospect to enter the glass manufacturing industry. The entrance barrier is high and requires a large investment. The margins are not as high as, say, the software or social media businesses. Investments are dependent on the general economics of a country. If the situation in a particular country is stable then people are willing to invest but should something happen during the course of construction the investment can be rapidly stopped. It means cm.project.ing has to be quick and react to any political changes in a region. When it is contacted by a potential customer, cm.project. ing implements a front end engineering and design report which highlights all the engineering and design targets. It offers a calculation and specification of the technology that fits into the customer’s product portfolio. From this it makes a detailed layout and from this it makes preliminary specifications. It then works out a financial package taking into account Capex and Ebita, which identifies how much the entire project will cost. A financial institution can then view it and decide if it wants to invest or not. Mr Schippan said: “Such large projects have to stand on a good foundation financially, so you have to do an analysis like this. There can be huge differences in the civil engineering costs between say Poland, Australia and South America. Each project is different and depends on the product portfolio, capacity, flexibility and civil engineering.”
Continued>>
12 Glass International June 2016
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Flat glass The company serves the container, wool and reinforced glass fibre sectors, with container making up about 70% of its business last year, glass wool about 20% and reinforced fibre 10%. It was an equal balance between container and glass wool until last year, when a glass wool project in Russia was cancelled. The next step for the company is to enter the flat glass market but the company has been too busy to make any bids so far into the sector. The company already has appropriate staff who can work across sectors, but requires some flat glass experts before entering the market. “We have shared staff such as technical draftsman for all branches, project management, utility and then we have specific staff working for specific sectors such as glass wool who are all experts in glass wool while another team specialises in container glass. I’d like to build a flat glass team as well. We have all the shared departments which are strong in layout and project management and technical drafting – we only need three to four flat glass experts and then we can provide a professional approach to flat glass. “I want to do it in the correct way so it’s on my agenda in the next year or two.” In addition the company has staff from a multitude of countries including Russia, Poland, Ukraine, Brazil, Africa, Spain and Belgium who are capable of handling business in cultures and a variety of areas of the world.
DECORATING LEHRS
STACKERS
Trends Each glass plant is different and factors vary for each site. There is a current trend in Western world glassmaking for each bottle to have its own design. There is no longer a trend for long runs of the same bottle. The product design, mould design and plant design has to be configured for shorter runs while still at an acceptable production cost. To meet this trend a new plant must be designed with colouring forehearths and for flexibility, such as multi-gob running different articles on one machine. The cold end has to be equipped and different articles on the same line means different palletisers. Mr Schippan said: “If your plant is designed just for long runs of the same beer bottle for 365 days a year and no job changes, that’s the past, it’s not possible anymore, you have to react to the market. “There is a strong trend in the industry, which we have to take very seriously and for which my company is well prepared.”
cm.project.ing, Jülich, Germany www.cmprojecting.de Glass International June 2016
COLD-END COATING
Belt Cleaning Brush • Belt and spindles tempering lines • Annealing lehrs • Chemical tempering ovens • Hot-end coating • Mold pre-heating kilns • Stackers + cross conveyors • Scraper conveyors • Cullet crushers • Thermal shock test systems Contact us: vidromecanica@vidromecanica.com
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Company profile: Yantai Changyu Glass
Changyu reaps benefits of investment
The formerly state-owned Yantai Changyu Glass became a private company in 1999. Under the leadership of its President, Mr Zhu Pengcheng, the company has been transformed into a modern, forward-thinking glassmaker. Here, he describes the company’s activities.
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antai Changyu Glass has the largest wine bottle making capacity in China and is the fourth largest container glassmaker in the country. Its products include wine, oil, condiment, beer, spirits and beverage bottles The company employs 1000 people, and produces glass in five colours: Antique Green, Champagne Green, Dead Leaf Green, French Green and Flint. Nearly all of its glassmaking equipment is imported from Europe, from companies such as Bottero and Tiama. It has seven furnaces and 20 automatic production lines. Its products are shrink-film wrapped for packaging and it has an Italian automatic repacking line that can repack up to 10 million cases a year.
www.glass-international.com
Can you briefly describe Changyu’s activities in the glass industry, for example what products do you make, and what is your most popular product? Changyu Glass specialises in producing wine bottles and food containers. Changyu has the largest wine bottle capacity in the Chinese market and more than 50% of wine bottles produced in China and exported to international markets. Our most popular products are wine bottles, which are sized between 100ml to 6000ml. In addition to wine bottles, food and beverage containers cover one third of our capacity.
When was the company formed and can you give a history of the company? Before Changyu Glass, the company was a state-
owned glass plant with a capacity of only 28,000 tonnes per year and its equipment was very antiquated. Current President Mr Zhu Pengcheng bought the company from the government, turned it into a private group in 1999 and transformed the company into a modern glass plant with up-to-date facilities.
How many glassmaking plants does the company have and what is the total production capacity? The company has two glass plants in Yantai with a total capacity of 500,000 ton a year.
What makes Changyu stand out from its competitor companies? Changyu has an ambitious, courageous, experienced management team with a forward-looking vision. Changyu cares about customers and is a proven responsible company. Changyu is dedicated to sustainable development and keeps investing in the plant, environmental protection and human resource construction. Changyu specialises in wine bottles with competitive know-how. Changyu is famous for its high product quality, including in the US market. Changyu has a large capacity with not only up-to-date facilities but also outstanding software systems. Continued>>
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“Yantai Changyu Glass has the largest wine bottle making capacity in China and is the fourth largest container glassmaker in the country”
The Chinese and overseas market occupies 45% and 55% respectively of total sales in tonnage. The major overseas markets are North America and New Zealand.
Is there an emphasis on ‘green’ technology within the company? The company’s vision is to be a pioneer and the leading Chinese eco-friendly packaging supplier. Operating the plant under the ISO9001, ISO14001, FSSC22000 and OHSAS18001 certification systems, our primary goal is to provide clean and safe products for customers. We focus on food safety during the whole production process, from raw material inspection to warehousing and shipping. For example, we strictly control cold end coating and inspect it with AGR test equipment to keep its safety.
We use recycled cullet for production and recyclable plastic pallets for packaging. We focus on reducing bottle weight and keep investing in pollution control to minimise the amount of emissions in the environment.
Similarly, is there an emphasis on Research and Development within the group? We started our business by producing bottles for the Chinese wine market and then expanded to the US, Canadian and New Zealand wine markets. From the wine bottles business to food containers, we have big customers who have strict quality requirements. The reason that we can meet their demand and continue their loyalty is due to our sustained Research and Development effort. Changyu not only has its own R&D department, but also technical experts from overseas who help us with R&D. Only through a consistent R&D effort can we continue to satisfy our customers.
Continued>>
www.glass-international.com
Who are your main customers geographically? How much of your products are exported and what are the main countries that you export to?
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Company profile: Yantai Changyu Glass
How would you describe the Chinese container glass market currently? Are there any particular trends? The glass industry had a very good year in 2015. There are a number of glass manufacturing plants in China, but only a few can produce high quality products. Due to the increase in running cost, glass plants are facing a harder business environment.
Is glass a popular material among consumers or is there much competition from rival materials such as PET? Glass is widely used in the wine, beer, food and beverage industries in China, but PET and aluminium material provide a challenge to glass. However, with increased income and a higher education level, people are paying more attention to food safety. Glass is recognised as a safe material for food packaging so we believe there will be an increase in demand for glass containers.
Are there any challenges facing the Chinese container glass industry right now? How can they be overcome? The Chinese glass container industry is facing stricter governmental requirement on environment protection, higher pressure on pollution control costs, increased labour costs and slower economic growth. Glass container plants need to improve their automation levels, and increase production efficiency to lower their running costs. A successful glass plant also needs to have good management ability and a forward-looking vision.
In your view, is container glass consumption likely to increase in China in the next five years?
www.glass-international.com
We think glass consumption is going to increase in China, because people need a safer material for packaging food. As for wine bottles, we believe glass consumption will steadily increase since China has a large population but currently with a very low per capita wine consumption. We expect more people will begin to consume wine.
Does Changyu have any future plans for the next five years? We plan to steadily expand our capacity, focus on the wine bottles business, increase our market share in food containers, improve production efficiency, continue to invest in pollution control and be a socially responsible and shareholder-satisfied company.
Yantai Changyu Glass, Yantai City, Shandong Province, China www.changyuglass.com
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Events world: ICG Congress
z Current and former ICG Presidents Manoj Choudhary (left) and Peng Shou (right) at the event.
ICG’s Shanghai Congress appeals to young and old alike
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ore than 800 people attended this year’s International Congress on Glass in Shanghai, China. Delegates were from a variety of sectors of the glass industry and included a number of age groups. These included industry veterans and, importantly, a number of younger students who had only recently entered the glass industry. The four-day event featured a series of plenary talks, an awards presentation, invited talks and technical papers given by glass experts. These papers varied from academic papers to presentations given by industry experts. Prof Peng Shou, Chairman of the ICG
Congress 2016, said: “The International Congress on Glass is an important platform for the dissemination of glass science and technology information. It not only reviews the latest progress and achievements made in the field of glass but also indicates the future trends for glass research and development. “It provides a valuable opportunity for glass scientists and technologists to exchange ideas, strengthen communication, renew old friendships and establish new connections.” The ICG Congress is held every three years and was last held in Prague, Czech Republic in 2013. Its invited lectures review major
achievements in the glass science fields as well as related glass applications. In his plenary talk Prof Shou discussed how China’s glass sector is one full of innovation and has made rapid progress in terms of industry scale, energy savings and emission reduction. He summarised the Chinese float glass industry and gave market prospects for new glass such as TFT-LCD substrate glass and touch panel glass. He also briefly presented the policies issued by the Chinese government on the future direction of the Chinese glass industry. This points to an industry built on Continued>>
www.glass-international.com
The 24th ICG International Congress on Glass in Shanghai preceded the China Glass exhibition. More than 800 people attended the popular event with an array of both students and industry veterans attending. Greg Morris was among those who participated.
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Events world: ICG Congress
low-carbon development using ‘green’ manufacturing technologies that produce environmentally friendly products and applications. A paper from Glass International columnist, John Parker, touched on the theme of youngsters in the industry. In the west, there is a shortage of young people in the industry. The ICG has attempted to rectify this by forming its Technical Committee 23, which meets annually and discusses different ways it can rectify this. One particular way it is doing this is to run an annual Summer School for young researchers in Europe. It has also started a Winter School in China. Prof Parker’s talk discussed the approach that has been taken to course content at these events. For example the course mixes a number of approaches such as formal teaching and student centred project work. It tries to break down barriers between lecturers and students to encourage interaction. Prof Parker compared how the ICG runs its school now to how Prof W.E.S Turner, who played a pivotal role in creating both the ICG and the UK’s SGT, taught in the past.
The reasons for the differences were examined in more detail, and came down to fundamental quality differences in the finished products. These quality differences may have resulted in longer lives for flat glass furnaces as opposed to shorter lives for hollowware furnaces. Mr Hakes examined the reasons for the differences to determine if the quality demand drove the change, necessitating a better understanding of processes in convection currents, return flows and refining for flat glass, which is not the case in hollowware. But Mr Hakes said the hollowware segment has a better understanding of downstream processes after glass conditioning and asked: has this resulted in a divergence of furnace types, cross-fired with regard to flat glass versus end-fired for hollowware? He questioned whether we are at the limit of our development of furnaces and if there was less innovation now, warning that many parts of the world are living in
a “fool’s paradise” with regard to cheap fuel that is currently available. It is generally accepted that electric melting is one of the most likely paths of the future. Electricity is currently expensive so optimising it is essential. Mr Hakes’ talk kicked-off a series of industry-focused papers. Next up was Bernard Savaete, consultant of BJS Differences, who spoke about The world’s flat glass industry from 2013 to 2015. Again, speaking to a busy conference hall, Mr Savaete gave a follow up to the presentation he gave at the previous ICG Congress in Prague in 2013 titled 1962-2012: 50 years that have deeply changed the world flat glass industry. In his Shanghai presentation he reviewed the main events of the past three years in the flat glass industry, which has unfortunately seen a number of closures worldwide. Continued>>
Glass International columnist Prof. John Parker with current ICG President Manoj Choudhary.
www.glass-international.com
Technical papers The technical papers were divided into seven sessions over the four days of lectures. Session titles varied from the industry-focused ‘Advanced glass melting and processing’ to the more academicbased ‘Glass structure and theoretical simulation’. The event took place between the 7th and 11th April, and on the Saturday afternoon FIC UK’s Stuart Hakes drew a large audience when he gave a paper titled ‘Glass – what is the future?’ His 30-minute presentation examined the challenges the industry faces both now and in the future. He reviewed the progress of the industry generally and investigated the differences between the two main sectors: flat and hollowware.
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In another invited talk, Yongguo Wu, Vice President, Business and Technology Development at Frazier-Simplex, discussed Advancements of melting technology for the development of glass products. Mr Wu reviewed the major developments in melting technology in the area of mathematical modelling of glass furnaces, oxy-fuel combustion and other melting technology. He also discussed the role advanced melting technologies play in the commercialisation of new glass. The adoption of mathematical modelling has been a major advancement in glass melting technology, Mr Wu said, and has helped glass manufacturers improve their production efficiency and glass melting quality. The majority of large glass producers and engineering companies use furnace modelling software today for furnace rebuilds and new furnaces, with an estimated 200 modelled a year. Furnace modelling has played a key role in developing the melting process for new products in a more cost effective way and provided a more rapid route to commercially manufacture new glass products of a higher quality. In conclusion, the three purposes of melting technology have revolved around higher temperatures, energy efficiency and less environmental pollution. Mr Wu said melting technology has advanced to be more energy efficient, have a better heat transfer to molten glass, and has helped higher meting temperatures in the mass production of glass become a reality. Jie Lu, a Research Engineer at Sefpro presented a paper titled ‘Glass refractory challenges with solid fuel combustion’. In it she described the growing use of pet coke as a solid fuel instead of oil or gas because of lower prices and the impact on glass manufacturing costs. The waste product from the petroleum industry contains impurities that affect refractory products within the glass furnace lining and the material in the heat exchange regenerators. This could have a detrimental impact on glass quality and/or glass furnace lifetime. Only a few studies have been conducted on the fused cast refractory corrosion process with solid fuel impurities. Sefpro’s R&D team developed tools to measure the consequences in terms of vapours, carry over compositions and temperature inside the glass furnace when burning solid fuel. From the measurements, it defined test procedures on a laboratory scale to study the interface reaction between slags and the different types of refractory materials, mainly fused cast. It also confirmed the results with on site glass furnace refractory tests, where refractory samples were placed in real industrial conditions and also conducted a post mortem analysis on the refractory. In her presentation, Ms Lu analysed the results of the measurements inside the glass furnace which indicated the different concentration level of impurities such as Fe2O3, NiO and CaO. She also presented the phase formation due to the reactions between synthetic slags and refractory material in isothermal conditions and compared them with the post mortem analysis. She also proposed a refractory choice based on thermodynamic stability ahead of different slag type compositions linked to solid fuel impurities contamination. r
ELECTROGLASS TIME FOR A CHANGE TO
ALL-ELECTRIC FOREHEARTHS
PROVEN TECHNOLOGIES REDUCE OPERATING ENERGY COST BY UP TO 85%
*International Commission on Glass www.icglass.org/
The next ICG Congress takes place in Boston, USA in 2019. The ICG also has annual meetings taking place in Istanbul, Turkey in 2017 and in Yokohama, Japan in 2018.
The Specialists in Electric Glass Melting and Conditioning
www.electroglass.co.uk
Glass International June 2016 BENFLEET, ENGLAND
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ENSURE THAT YOUR INVESTMENT PAYS OFF That is why our furnaces and conditioning systems are designed to reduce your total cost of ownership. Reliability and efficiency built by design. www.sorg.de
Conditioning
Oxygen Metering Trim: A technology update Jürgen Grössler* updates us on the progress of Nikolaus Sorg’s third generation Oxygen Metering System, which has been installed in more than 75 factories around the world.
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Function
z Fig 1. OMT burner directly on the forehearth. has always been a feature of Sorg’s strategy and many of the improvements achieved are derived from the experience gained in system operation. However, certain improvements are the result of a specific development programme. This is the case with the OMT system – Sorg’s third generation Oxygen Metering System.
Fig 2. VMC unit with trim bypass.
The VMC gas heating system used on all Sorg forehearths maintains an accurate air/gas ratio at all times. However, there are situations when it is useful if the ratio can be checked and easily adjusted. The patented Sorg OMT forehearth oxygen trim system offers continuous measurement of the air/gas ratio of each zone on a distributor or forehearth and as a possible option with automatic adjustment to maintain a constant ratio. A sample of the premix is ignited directly at the forehearth (Fig 1), and the waste gases from the controlled combustion are passed over an oxygen analyser which gives an output dependent upon the air/ gas ratio of the premix. The output of the oxygen sensor is passed to a controller (normally a software controller in a PLC) which varies the air quantity of the premix and thereby the air/gas ratio. The use of the air quantity as the variable rather than the gas is a new feature and one of the reasons why the OMT system is better than traditional systems. The combustion chamber directly on the forehearth does not require flame detection or automatic ignition, and the system is thus much simpler than those systems using sample combustion away from the forehearth. The advantage with Sorg forehearths is that the combustion chambers are already considered in the design of the forehearth refractory superstructure so that no Continued>>
www.glass-international.com
he air/gas mixture of each heating zone is usually gauged with a manual measuring device. These devices have an electro-chemical oxygen sensor. For the normal adjusting procedure of forehearths, this is considered by the glass industry as sufficient and state-ofthe-art. With this kind of measurement, electro-chemical or paramagnetic oxygen analysers measure the volumetric content of the oxygen molecules in the unburnt gas/air mixture. Due to their measuring principle, electro-chemical or paramagnetic oxygen analysers are unfortunately not able to recognise heating value changes and modifications in the humidity content of the gas/air mixture. Thus, they are also not suitable for the control of the gas/air mixture. It must be remembered that the meters used to measure the oxygen content of the premix are subject to certain tolerances, and that the chemical cell contained in the instrument also has a limited life and will start to give different values after a certain period, independent of whether it has been used frequently, occasionally or not at all. On colouring forehearths it can be vital to maintain a defined atmosphere above the glass to obtain a specific colour, and once again an automatic system simply offers more certainty that the required quality (in this case the colour) will be achieved. Sorg introduced its first Oxygen Metering System for forehearth operation in 2001. Continuous product development
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Conditioning
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9600 9550 9500 9450 9400 00:00 04:00 08:00 12:00 16:00 20:00 24:00 04:00 08:00 12:00 16:00 20:0024:00 Time
z Fig 3. A trace of the actual calorific value over 24 hours, as measured by a
z Fig 4. The OMT system copes with the variation and maintains a stable oxygen
Wobbe meter.
value in the premix.
refractories must be added or exchanged, if the OMT system should be installed. This concept simulates the combustion process of a forehearth heating system and continuously controls the waste gas atmosphere. The zircon-oxide sensor immediately detects every variation in the heat value of the gas, each change of the humidity content of the gas mixture and of course every modification of the gas/air ratio. Under some circumstances it may also be possible to apply the OMT system to existing forehearths during operation.
Adjustment with trim bypass
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18,50 0 00:00 04:00 08:00 12:00 16:00 20:00 24:00 04:00 08:00 12:00 16:00 20:0024:00 Time
An improvement has also been made in the way in which the premix ratio is adjusted by the OMT system in the case of its use as part of a fully automatic premix ratio control system. Previous automatic systems have varied the air/gas ratio by adjusting the amount of gas being added to the air. This approach is logical and has been used successfully, but it does involve very fine adjustments to the gas quantity, which is the smaller of the two premix components. In contrast, the OMT system works with the air and not the gas supply. The correction of the oxygen content is made via a correction bypass unit, which is installed in parallel to the VMC system (Fig 2). The trim of the Lambda value is made via an electric valve, controlled by a PLC unit. The indication of the oxygen content in the mixture as well as the adjustment of the correction range is made at a touch display, which is installed on site, or at the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system, to which the OMT system is connected. The basic premix production is set up with slightly less air than is actually
required. The ‘missing’ air is then added to the premix after the mixer through a separate air line that by-passes the complete premix production. This method makes it easier to make small adjustments to the relatively large air quantity required, rather than to the much smaller gas quantities. The equipment required is simpler and therefore cheaper, but nevertheless the results are more accurate.
References and results The third generation OMT system has now been in operation for six years and has proven to be robust and reliable. Sometimes the system is used only for monitoring, but the advantages for the glass plant are much greater if the OMT system also controls the ratio. Sorg has installed more than 75 units. However, the most interesting and possibly most important justification for the application of such systems was recently observed at a factory in Germany. A recent change in the gas supply conditions has resulted in an unexpected variation of the calorific value of the gas for forehearth heating in this factory. A trace of the actual calorific value over 24 hours, as measured by a Wobbe meter, is shown in Fig 3. This type of variation cannot be compensated for by any conventional premix system and would normally result in noticeable instability in the forehearth heating. However, in this case the OMT system was able to cope with the variation and maintain a completely stable oxygen value in the premix. In Fig 4 the green line shows the OMT system output, which closely resembles the variation in the calorific value (red line), while the blue line shows the resulting oxygen content of the mixture – a remarkable
confirmation of the capabilities of the OMT system. There is no doubt that the OMT system is the best yet, being both compact and robust, easy to install and effective. As manufacturing standards continue to increase there is likely to be even more interest in the application of such systems. Future instability in the gas supply quality, perhaps caused by the increasing practice of mixing gas types, may provide yet another reason for the use of such systems. Automatic ratio control can also contribute to gas savings, always an important topic, by ensuring that the ratio maintained is suitable and does not involve using more gas than necessary. Analysis has shown that by this optimisation, energy savings of approximately 3-5% of natural gas could be achieved.
Benefits r Constant and reproducible air/gas ratios. r Additional security in terms of accurate air/gas ratio. r Robust hardware without flame detector or auto-ignition. r Ideal for colouring forehearth operation. r Substantial energy savings. r Can lead to a reduction of operator interventions, freeing up personnel for other tasks. r Has a display with Lambda value. r Easy adjustment if rchanges in the ratio is necessary. r
*Head of the Glass Conditioning Department, Nikolaus Sorg, Lohr am Main, Germany www.sorg.de
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Forming
Superior thermal homogeneity The Heye rotor mechanism has been widely adopted by the international hollow glass community, even by customers not operating the German company’s IS machines.
A
ccording to Heye, the rotor mechanism delivers superior thermal homogeneity and top weight consistency. The rotating movement of the rotor segments provides good thermal homogeneity of the glass melt, the equipment’s design guaranteeing reliable functionality and a long lifetime. Retrofit installations are possible. The Heye rotor mechanism is mounted at the forehearth/feeder channel. By a rotating movement of the toothed ring, three paddles provide a stirring movement in the glass melt and thereby
keep it homogenous. Unlike traditional designs that employ rotating tubes, this mechanism guarantees high thermal homogeneity. The movement generated is deflected at the bevel wheel by 90o (from horizontal to radial), so that the sprocket executes a rotating movement. The servo motor motion is controlled by a Heye Simotion Servodrive, based on the multi-axis Simotion drive system from Siemens. Excellent reliability of electronic components in combination with the application of a compact servo motor with robust resolver delivers reliable, nonstop operation. All movable parts are located behind a
demountable safety housing. The rotor mechanism’s drive is torque-controlled and if blockages occur, the system stops. The benefits of the rotor mechanism include good thermal homogeneity, high weight consistency, variable speeds, the ability to change the direction of rotation, the provision of a high mechanical equipment lifetime, the uniform rotation of rotor segments, height adjustment and complete housing of mechanical components. A detailed 3D simulation, showing the equipment’s advantages can be found on the Heye website.
Heye International, Obernkirchen, Germany www.heye-international.com
www.glass-international.com
Superior thermal homogenity with Heye’s rotor mechanism.
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History
Prof. John Parker Turner Museum of Glass and ICG
House warming Prof John Parker highlights the role of conduction in glassmaking.
www.glass-international.com
Y
ou might imagine that a jeweller, kissing a large gemstone, is extolling its value. Probably, though, he/ she is simply assessing its thermal characteristics. Glass stones, aka paste, are poor conductors. Heat in solids is manifest as atomic vibrations, and conduction (heat transport) requires the flow of such oscillations through the solid. The disordered structure of glass impedes this. Conversely, precious stones are highly regular and consequently much better conductors; diamond is an extreme case with a conductivity a thousand times higher than glass. Strictly thermal diffusivity – the ratio of conductivity to heat storage capacity - is the parameter to use for time varying heat transport. Either way though, the real McCoy at room temperature extracts heat rapidly from a warm and particularly temperature sensitive part of the anatomy and so feels cold, certainly cooler than glass/paste would. Interestingly the need to identify cheap imitations of natural stones dates back millennia. Pliny the Elder, in his ‘Naturalis Historia’ written in the 1st Century AD, advises testing their ‘validity by several ways’ including a note that ‘the real ones feel colder in the mouth’. Such poor thermal properties extend the times for cooling hot glass during forming and for effective annealing. On the other hand they allow steep temperature gradients to be created by rapid cooling and so facilitate thermal toughening. They make glass more susceptible to thermal shock failure but equally have made glass ceramics the preferred choice in some high temperature applications where a degree of insulation is required. In a glass melting furnace a different issue arises. Suppose the melt surface is at 1550°C. Heat from the flames is
transferred partly through the melt by conduction as a result of the temperature gradient caused by heat loss through the tank bottom. If the melt behaved like poorly conducting cold glass, then at the bottom of the tank it would be well below its liquidus temperature and would devitrify (crystallise). This does not happen because heat is also transferred through the melt by radiation. In the near IR, where this process is most effective, glass is partially absorbing. So heat does not simply pass through - it is absorbed over short distances only to be re-emitted and passed on to deeper layers. This ‘radiation’ term effectively enhances conductivity by 10 times or more, depending on temperature. Dissolved iron in the reduced state (ferrous, Fe2+) absorbs in the IR near 1µm and strongly influences this heat transfer. Consequently flat glass makers, who are particularly reliant on stable convection flows in the melt for homogenisation, must strive to control redox and maintain fixed levels of iron in their melts by deliberately topping up the impurity levels in their raw materials to a constant value. Conversely glasses for photovoltaics use low iron sands and require process adjustments. Of course air is a much better insulator than glass – here heat is transferred as moving molecules (rather than vibrations) but their number density is low. This gives double glazing its excellent insulating characteristics, relying on an air barrier of approximately 16mm between the two panes. A smaller gap means that the gas molecules have less distance to travel and so transport heat faster. A larger gap encourages heat transfer within the unit by convection – a rotating cell of air rises near the inner pane as it is heated, and then sinks as it passes
on its energy to the cooler outer layer. If a noble gas such as krypton replaces the air between the panes, further improvement is possible; this relies on the greater mass of krypton atoms compared with oxygen and nitrogen molecules and their correspondingly lower velocity, slowing heat transport. Glass wool is a mat of glass fibre with numerous pockets of trapped air, too small to allow convection, and is another efficient insulator. The blanket density is typically 40% of that of the original glass and so it contains 60% air. Its fibrous nature also makes any conduction path for heat transmission via the glass unacceptably long. The production of glass in this format started commercially in the 1940s. According to Vogel (Technical Glasses), 5cm of such a product is the equivalent thermally of 1m of brick or 2m of concrete. Being noncombustible, its role in insulating modern homes, both roof space and walls, is vital. The fibres in these mats have diameters little bigger than the wavelength of light and so efficiently scatter light, giving opaque products. Now foams called aerogels are being developed, with innumerable trapped air bubbles much smaller than the wavelength of light; they are almost transparent with even better thermal insulation characteristics. Glass wool does not need extreme properties and so is often made from simple unadulterated ores. Its common name, mineral or rock wool, acknowledges a link that our jeweller would not. He would certainly not wish to confuse paste with rock. r
*Curator of the Turner Museum of Glass, Sheffield University, UK www.turnermuseum.group.shef.ac.uk j.m.parker@sheffield.ac.uk
28 Glass International June 2016
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British Glass
British Glass
Reducing risk through knowledge Whether you employ five people or 5000, managing business risk is a daily exercise – from financial impacts to data breaches, slips and trips to skills shortages and legislative changes. The impending REACH deadline for substance registration is one current example.
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O
f course there’s no such thing as zero-risk – but you can manage your exposure with the right knowledge, culture and practices. British Glass is helping the UK glass industry to do this with an expanding range of sector-specific training and development opportunities. HR Manager, Debbie Firth, says: “Outdated knowledge and skills, coupled with the loss of talent if employees feel undervalued, can be catastrophic for businesses. Keeping staff training up to date helps increase productivity, safety and the ability to embrace new practices – which all drive morale. The risks of not investing in training and development are too high.” The June 2018 REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and restriction of Chemicals) deadline is a perfect example. This is the final phase of substance registration under the EU REACH regulations (implemented in UK law by the REACH Enforcement Regulations 2008) that make industry responsible for assessing and managing the risks posed by chemicals, and for providing appropriate safety information to users. REACH affects the whole glass supply chain – from raw materials to the downstream users of these substances whose production depends on them. Mark Pudner, British Glass Technical Adviser explains: “Ultimately REACH should streamline and improve the legislative framework on chemicals, while allowing free movement of substances on the EU market. But glass supply chain companies urgently need to grasp the implications
for their business. The 2018 deadline affects companies manufacturing or importing more than 1 tonne a year of any substance – and glass manufacturers need to inform such suppliers of how they use specific substances one year before that 2018 registration deadline. Manufacturers could find that substances they rely on may no longer be available if a supplier chooses not to register them.” The one-day course British Glass has organised on 12 July 2016 will bring together materials suppliers, glass manufacturers and other users for expert training on the regulations as they specifically affect the glass supply chain. “We think sector-specific, full-supply chain collaboration is really valuable on this topic – because the devil will be in the detail of how REACH duties link up and impact between companies. “Having those people learn together will help iron out potential problems sooner rather than later,” says Mark.
Monitoring British Glass has closely monitored the development and implementation of the REACH regulations for their impact on glass – with the expert input from particular members. Working with the REACH Centre – an international provider of regulatory guidance – British Glass has put this course together. The training is free for British Glass members, but nonmembers can also book places for £180. Health and safety more widely has, of course, long been a hot topic for the glass industry - one where British Glass has proactively supported and demonstrated significant improvements.
Its Glass Charter accident statistics show a reduction of more than 30% in the accident rate between 2005 and 2015. One strand of this work has been the British Glass IOSH Working Safely and IOSH Managing Safely programmes, created specifically for the glass industry through the help of British Glass members. Both are available as classroombased group sessions – either at British Glass or on companies’ own sites. The one-day IOSH Working Safely course is also available as an e-learning package. British Glass Operations Manager Gareth Jones explains: “Glass brings specific health and safety challenges – so generic examples can be a barrier. Trainers have to really understand the process and environment of glass manufacture if they’re to have credibility and help staff develop a sense of personal responsibility and a culture that actively improves safety for everyone in the workplace. “That’s why British Glass has developed this course with industry input and using materials and examples drawn from real glass companies. “Our relationship with our members means we’re perfectly positioned to map the specific risks and challenges companies in glass face, find the right expertise and skill to meet those needs and then provide the coordinatio 0n and scale to make industry-tailored training affordable.” r
For more details about forthcoming British Glass courses visit : www.britglass.org.uk/training British Glass, Sheffield, UK http://www.britglass.org.uk
30 Glass International June 2016
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Furnaces
Prolonging furnace campaign life Fernando Salvino* reviews the techniques used to extend the campaign life of glass furnaces, and identifies operational practices, remedial actions and aspects of plant design that help achieve this.
F
rom the beginning, one of the common problems for users of the continuous furnace in the glass industry was its short lifespan. Research and development was carried out to extend the furnace campaign life. Current glass melting technology, based on continuous furnaces initially designed and developed in 1860 by the Siemens Brothers in Germany, has evolved in response to manufacturing requirements. The development of melting techniques is, however, hampered by the industry’s peculiar characteristic of being segmented into the sectors of container, flat, fibre and speciality glasses, with those segments further divided within themselves. Over the past 50 years, major improvements in furnace campaign life have been achieved, and numerous glass furnaces have surpassed a lifespan of 13 years. The basis of a long campaign life is good design, equipment and refractory developments – primarily, replacing original fireclay alumina by AZS; comprehensive instrumentation and monitoring; continuous, smooth operation; and remedial actions.
Furnaces that have recently been rebuilt have benefitted from the development of technology that extends campaign life, with many furnaces now aiming for a campaign life of 13 to 18 years or more (Table 1). In recent years, there has been an increased need to extend the campaign life of a furnace. To reduce hot glass costs by reducing manpower requirements and capital costs, glass companies have increased in size and reduced the number of their glass furnaces. In many cases there is no longer a standby furnace to be brought into operation during furnace rebuilds. Consequently, long campaigns with minimum repair periods are essential. As well as this, the cost of rebuilding or the cold repair of a furnace can be high, and may represent a large proportion of the total capital expenditure of a company. Techniques for prolonging the life of of glass furnaces can be summarised into three categories: r Operational practices: The control of the glass furnace process has an important effect on the life of the furnace.
14
13
14000
8000 6
6000
4
4
4000
2
2000
0.5 1920
1940
1960 Year life
1980
2000
2015
0
t/m2
zTable 1. Campaign furnace life and total campaign production, in the period
z Fig 1. Remedial actions for each zone of glass furnaces.
1920–2015.
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10000
8 6
Total campaign production, t/m2
Campaign life, years
10
10
0
Continued>>
12000
12
2
The furnace must be operated in a manner that maximizes furnace life, compatible with production requirements. To do this, it will often be necessary to modify operating practices as the campaign progresses and in response to problem areas. r Remedial actions and hot repairs: Once wear or damage that may affect the life of the furnace becomes evident, engineering repair techniques must be utilised or developed to maximize campaign life (Fig.1). r Improved designs of the future: As improved materials and equipment are developed, they should be incorporated into future rebuilds to extend the life of critical areas of the furnace, where it is cost effective to do so. To prolong the life of existing furnaces and those that have been rebuilt without the facilities for a long life, or for those that operate at high productivity, repair techniques play an important role. Engineering techniques, planning, and the speed of execution of repairs
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Furnaces
z Fig 2. Burner ports repair by ceramic welding. 2A is before ceramic welding, and 2B shows after ceramic welding.
z Fig 3. Regenerator crowns repair by ceramic welding. 3A is before ceramic welding and 3B is after ceramic welding. and rebuilds have improved markedly in recent years. In this context, one important factor is the development of remedial actions such as new techniques for hot repair: mainly ceramic welding, hot bottom repair, anchoring and overcoat.
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Hot repair techniques Internal ceramic welding: Using a special lance, a homogeneous mixture of fine refractory powder and metal is sprayed in a stream of oxygen on to the area to be repaired. The oxidation of the metal particles begins at a temperature of 2500°C. The high temperatures reached on the existing refractory part cause it to melt on the surface, ensuring excellent anchoring of these parts with the weld material. This molten liquefied mass is able to fill every hole, join or crack and solidifies when the furnace reaches working temperature, forming a single compact mass with the structure. The welded refractory part is virtually identical to the original refractory; this eliminates stress and reactions, obtaining a longer lasting repair (Fig. 2a & b). Sealing by external ceramic welding: Using lances it is possible to externally seal every joint, spacing or part of the
superstructure in which heat dissipation or loss of efficiency can occur. This type of external ceramic welding is performed with powder mixtures specifically designed for the application. Cleaning of regenerators: The sulphate deposited on regenerator checkers causes an increase in pressure and the consumption of the furnace, and can be damaging to the furnace life. With regular cleaning using special lances, the sulphates, which clog the cruciform, can be removed in a targeted manner and restore the efficiency of the furnace. In a recent case, following five days of thermal checker cleaning in a boucle furnace powered by fuel oil, the pressure decreased from 240Pa to 160Pa resulting in a recovery of 80Pa (33.3%). If the number of days is increased it is possible to reach a pressure of 120/110Pa (50%). Anchoring blocks: Preserving the integrity of the original blocks is better than any replacement or ceramic welding, which is why in the case of cracked or unstable blocks we act promptly, drilling holes with thermal lances and anchoring them with Inconel bars to the carpentry. In the case of crumbling walls, it is possible to prevent their collapse by inserting cooled hooks. The large holes that arise on the crown can be repaired with the positioning of
pendulums – bricks tied to the carpentry using chains and subsequently fixed with internal welding or externally with a layer of special concrete for high temperatures. Grenaillage bottom repair: If the floor has consumed zones, the grenaillage technique can be used. Grinded refractory material is inserted on to the target area, to restore the original level and reduce the consumption process, using the same quality refractory material as the original bottom. This method can be performed while the melt tank is full or empty, so with or without draining. With an empty tank we can easily look at the condition of the damaged areas during this hot repair.
Furnace inspections Inspections and audits are important tools to analyse the conditions of the furnace, refractories and steelworks during the campaign life. A variety of inspection services is available, using instruments such as infrared cameras and water-cooled video cameras. Thermography: A technique that is particularly effective in locating local hot spots. The outside temperature of a refractoryContinued>>
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Furnaces
lined construction is determined with an infrared camera. The remaining thickness of the refractory lining is calculated using the temperature measured and the design temperature. On the basis of the inspection results, an estimate can be made of the remaining lifetime or, if required, a repair procedure can be determined. ClavĂŠ endoscope: ClavĂŠ is a linear endoscope with watercooling which, by connecting high-performance SLR cameras, allows internal inspections to be performed in every part of the furnace (superstructure, walls, breast walls, chambers, regenerators and feeders) Video endoscope: The video endoscope (or the endoscope for welding) has the same structure of the lances used for welding, to ensure a constant cooling of the camera. Its use arises from the need to see in real time the points where it is not possible to weld at sight, to improve the performance of these interventions. It is often performed with ad hoc shapes dependent on the accessibility within the furnace and the position of the area to be repaired. The technology allows us to record videos during the work, which is the reason it is also used to inspect the regenerator cruciform from the basement (Fig. 3a & b).
Conclusions For a long campaign life, a glass furnace should be operated at a productivity that enables stable and smooth operation. Comprehensive instrumentation and routine techniques, such as furnace inspections, are essential for stable operation and to enable the early detection of problem areas so that remedial actions can be scheduled, such as ceramic welding, to extend furnace life. Maximum use should be made of computers to process and analyse primary data, giving the operations staff both rapid information and advice on potential problem areas. Proactive works, remedial actions such as hot repairs and furnaces inspections are key elements in maximising campaign life, particularly on existing furnaces which may not incorporate the most modern design features. These repairs include ceramic welding (with a variety of mixtures of powders available to prolong refractory retention). With more advanced repair techniques available, and the large capital and production costs involved in a full furnace rebuild, more glass companies are adopting the philosophy of hot repairs, particularly to extend the pay-back and save money and also when there is no stock capacity to cover furnaces under cold repair. For further improvements in glass furnace campaign life, the continual development of materials and techniques is essential, particularly in critical areas. The effect of hot repairs is important when prolonging the campaign life, and an extension of this is improvements in anchoring, new materials and new techniques. The reduction in cooling member failure and subsequent glass leakage is also an important factor in extending furnace life, as are scheduled audits including for visual, thermography and endoscopy, as a means of identifying key maintenance work. As the age of the furnace increases, all of these aspects need to be run in conjunction to prolong the furnace campaign life to the maximum. r
*Engineering Manager, IRF Europa, Casier, Italy www.irf-europa.com Glass International June 2016
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Furnaces
Challenges of furnace refractories with solid fuel combustion Jie Lu*, Huachun Li*, Isabelle Cabodi** and Michel Gaubil** explain the influence of petcoke on furnace atmosphere, the impact on glass quality and on the refractory’s corrosion process. They also recommend appropriate products for this application.
P
etcoke is characterised by a high sulphur and metallic oxide impurities content. Based on the chemical analysis of petcoke powders used by different customers (Table 1), it can be seen that the composition shows an average of 0.5% ash and 3% sulphur. The ash also contains a high level of metal oxides such as Fe2O3, NiO and V2O5. The level of impurities varies from batch to batch and depends on the purchasing sources. Based on industrial measurements performed with an appropriate device (water cooled stainless pipes) within a glass furnace using around 100t/ day of petcoke, around 500kg of dust containing these aggressive impurities is estimated to be introduced into the furnace. These corrosive impurities may stick to the surface of refractories (furnace superstructure or regenerative chambers), leading to corrosion, plugging, impacting glass quality and furnace performance.
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Influence on furnace atmosphere Onsite measurements of gas and carryovers were performed in the regenerative chamber of a float glass furnace using 90 tonnes/day of petcoke. In that case, the atmosphere was highly oxidising (average of 4.5% O2), that led to high NOx content (average of 4450ppm) in the tested chambers. Due to the high level of sulphur in the petcoke, the SOx concentration was also much higher than in furnaces using natural gas, with an average of 7350ppm. Also, compared to furnaces using natural gas, carryovers in these furnace regenerators contained high levels of Fe2O3, NiO, V2O5, and SO2 (Table 2). Calculating the flow rate, every year, in this furnace about seven tonnes of dust with aggressive V2O5, Fe2O3 and NiO will enter the regenerators. These corrosive
a
b
c
d
e
f
z Fig. 1: Furnaces with the burning of petcoke. (a) (b) Silica crown with increased rat holes, (c) corroded AZS ports, (d) AZS superstructure with intensive rundowns, (e) collapsed division walls (f) corroded and plugged top checkers.
impurities in contact with refractories will largely influence the performance and lifetime of refractories of crown, walls and checkers.
Impact on refractories Based on shutdown visits and feedback from customers, in a furnace burning petcoke the corrosion of the silica crown was accelerated and the amount of glass defects with dark knots caused by crown dripping also increased. The intensive rundowns of the AZS superstructure result in an increased secondary zirconia related to glass defects. In regenerators, collapsed walls were observed, as was severe corrosion in the top of checkers with volumetric expansion, plugging and/or collapse of channels. (Fig.1a-f).
(a) Silica On a silica rod tested for one month in a furnace crown using petcoke (Fig.2), a black glassy layer formed on the hot face. Inside the brick, a layer with a 5cm thickness was found highly enriched in Fe and Ni. Note that the vanadium level was low in this solid fuel. Different
clear porosity and microstructure were observed compared with the initial state, creating a damaged gradient inside the brick. SiO2 may react with Fe2O3, alkali oxide and V2O5, when present in the petcoke, to form a glassy phase with a low melting temperature point and low viscosity. This glassy phase, particularly enriched in Fe and Ni in that case, is likely to fall as droplets into the glass and result in an increase in glass defects, such as silica stones and dark knots.
(b) Fused-cast alumina Compared to silica rod, fused cast α-β alumina tested in the same conditions exhibit a much better corrosion resistance. Fig.3 shows, close to the hot face, a conversion of β-Alumina to α-Alumina that leads to corundum layer formation. The FeNiMg-spinel phase is formed on a tight skin layer. This shows that fused cast α-β Alumina is more stable than silica.
Continued>>
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Furnaces
AZS32 (32% ZrO2) - after a seven-year application in superstructure - is typically enriched in Fe, Ni and V. Compared with the initial state, the microstructure demonstrates a dissociation of eutectic phase and coalesced Zirconia grains. Fe, Ni and Mg elements from petcoke migrate into the product through the glassy phase and react with the corundum phase to form spinel. V2O5 is mainly located in the glassy phase (thus able to decrease its viscosity and increase its exudation). A comparison between AZS32 and AZS36 Lowex (higher level of zirconia and lower level of vitreous phase content) shows less migration depth in AZS36 Lowex, attributed to its relatively less glassy phase content.
(e) (f) MgO bricks
Using petcoke as a solid fuel in glass furnaces results in: r Introduction of highly corrosive elements into the furnace, r Increases refractory corrosion; r More glass defects caused by intensive crown dripping and superstructure rundowns; and r Corrosion ( the collapse of walls and checkers) causes regenerator plugging.
chosen. It is recommend to use: r In crown, fused cast α-β Alumina (Jargal M) instead of Silica brick, or a combination of AZS36 Low ex (ER1851) and Jargal M. r For superstructure: AZS32 (ER1681) could be replaced by ER1851 or even AZS41 (ER1711). r In regenerators: fused cast cruciforms such as β-Alumina (ER5312) or high corundum (ER5555) as topping layers, followed by AZS cruciform (ER1682) or spinel cruciform (ER55XX) in case of reduced conditions. Regenerative chambers could also be reinforced by using mullite (BP mullite), sillimanite (MS75, MS4) or even fused cast AZS (ER1681). r
To increase furnace lifetime, glass quality and furnace efficiency, more appropriate refractories should be
*Saint-Gobain Research Shanghai, China **Saint-Gobain CREE, Cavaillon, France www.sgrshanghai.com
Conclusion
Sample A
Sample B
Sample C
Sample D
Ash /%
0.54
0.41
0.57
0.36
S/ %
3.94
4
2.63
2.85
Sample A
Sample B
Sample C
Sample D
Chemistry of ash ppm CaO
285
173 176
445
Fe2O3
561
417 1001
360
NiO
465
473 428
710
SiO2
1016
492 1016
1125
V2O5
1373
1554 1990
373
z Table 1 : Chemical composition of petcoke powder measured by XRF analysis.
Transferred area ~5cm
z Fig.2: Silica brick after a one month’s test with petcoke.
Content of β-Al203 decreases Content of α-Al203 increases
Hot end
MgO bricks are widely used for walls and checkers in regenerators. A post mortem analysis of MgO bricks indicated a significant increase of V, Fe, and Ni, even after only 1.5 years. The initial bonding phase, Ca2SiO4 (C2S) reacted strongly with V2O5 to form a low melting temperature phase. A coarsening of MgO grains may be found as well. MgO bricks run a high risk of peel-off and collapse during the service due to this strong transformation. Regarding checker pieces, fused cast cruciforms, AZS, β-Alumina, and high corundum based, were tested in both laboratory and industrial furnaces. From the post mortem samples analysis (removed from an industrial furnace after a one-month test), a black deposit layer was observed formed on the surface of a cruciform; but from the cross-section, the shape was stable. In the AZS cruciform, the deposit layer mainly contained spinel phase and coalesced Zirconia, which is similar to standard AZS bricks. In β Alumina and high corundum cruciforms, MgFeNiMn spinel was formed in the deposit layer. The microstructure of these cruciforms indicated that the migration of petcoke elements is mainly limited in the black deposit layer, particularly for the fused
cast high corundum cruciform. All these products, particularly aluminous ones, proved to be more resistant than MgO-based chimney blocks in such applications, leading to more stable checkers with a higher lifetime.
Industrial scale test
z Fig.3: A fused cast alumina brick after a one month test with petcoke.
mg/m3 Al2O3 CaO Cr2O3 Fe2O3 Na2O NiO SiO2 V2O5 Cl- SO42Chamber 1
12.9 3.5 7.8 35.7 24.3 9.3 1.4 15.6 60.21 2863.3
Chamber 2
8.6 9.6 9.5 52.1 74.2 20.2 7.5 40.54 116.6 5349.82
Chamber 3
9.1 8.8 13.8 56.4 76.1 32.5 8.2 46.5 86.47 4791.74
Chamber 4
8.5 6.3 6.6 27.2 56.8 33.3 5.9 30.4 52.45 4461.54
Natural gas furnace typical
0.24
1.96
0.98
3.98
69.62
-
2
-
41.64
623.26
z Table 2 : Onsite carryover measurements in regenerators.
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(c) (d) AZS superstructure
35 Glass International June 2016
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Forming
In the year of Quantum’s 40th anniversary, Adam Neupert* highlights the role the company has played in the forming process and the importance of forming in glass manufacturing. z Fig 2. Process equipment – Quantum’s process equipment for BB, NNPB and PB production.
Four decades of forming concepts M
anufacturing a high-quality glass container involves refining a few key steps within the overall process. From beginning to end, no glassmaker can afford to neglect the fine details of any step in the manufacturing process. This is particularly true for the most critical process, forming. Some may argue that forming, although important, is no more critical than other key steps of manufacturing such as melting,
conditioning or inspection. Furnace technology has evolved since the early glass furnaces that were made of boulders and mud. Today they are designed, built and engineered with technology that is comparable to many space programmes. The cold end process of inspection is also a critical stage in container glass production, but even the most sophisticated inspection machines with their various sensors and camera systems cannot fix a defect. After all, it’s better to prevent a defect rather than detect a defect. Again, no individual process in glass container manufacturing can be understated, but overall the forming process is the most critical.
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History For the past 40 years, USA based Quantum Engineered Products has dedicated 100% of its business to refining the forming process. At the heart of the process is the plunger mechanism. In the late 1970’s Quantum was created to fill a gap within the glass container industry. There was a need to take a deeper approach to understanding and improving the forming process. Continuous advancements were made in other phases of the manufacturing process, but it seemed that advances in forming technologies
had in large part remained stagnant. Joe Kozora founded Quantum while earning a living rebuilding existing plunger mechanisms for glass container manufacturers in and around the Pittsburgh region. The small business grew, and Quantum began launching its own designs created to solve the problems of the forming process. Quantum celebrates its 40th year of serving the glass container industry this year and the company remains entirely dedicated to improving the forming process. It has developed products and concepts that have given glassmakers the tools needed to improve the efficiency of the hot end forming process and the overall quality of their products.
Standardisation concepts Most glass manufacturers are under pressure to reduce equipment maintenance costs. One way of doing this is to standardise forming systems across all production lines. Quantum plunger mechanisms are designed to facilitate the standardisation process, which can substantially reduce future operating costs. Since many of today’s glass plants have various OEM IS machines, there was a need for a supplier to offer a forming system that would interface with any IS machine, regardless of OEM. Quantum fulfilled that need and today there are many glass container manufacturers all around the world that have various OEM machine
Fig 3. 64mm – Quantum’s 64mm quad gob plunger mechanism.
Continued>>
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Forming
Forming flexibility Some manufacturers have production lines solely dedicated to one or two products, but most glass container plants prefer an IS machine that is flexible and able to adapt to changing market demands. The industry needed a forming system that would not limit a manufacturer’s flexibility. In response to this, Quantum developed the moveable port block system, which enables manufacturers to make fast gob
Press and Blow (NNPB) process ushered in a new era of forming process control systems (Fig.2). The NNPB process provides the greatest possibility for reducing the weight of narrow neck containers. The production process requires tighter tolerances at every stage of production and forming is no exception. One of the most important factors to successfully operate the NNPB process at peak efficiencies is gob weight consistency. To meet this demand, Quantum developed its automatic gob weight control/forming process control system called the Total Forming Analysis (TFA). Quantum initially established itself in mechanical forming systems, but as the global glass container industry shifted more production to the NNPB process, Quantum diversified its business to electronically enhanced forming systems. The TFA is today at the centre of groundbreaking projects within the industry. Total forming analysis systems have
Increased production In many parts of the world, the recent industry trend is to maximise production outputs in order to keep up with rising consumer demand. Products that were once manufactured in double gob now need to be manufactured in triple gob, and products that were once manufactured in triple gob now need to be produced in quad gob. Quantum has recently focused on developing quad gob forming systems. These forming systems have been implemented in a variety of manufacturing techniques including pharmaceutical ware, cosmetic and perfumery, and standard beverage containers. Its quad gob designs are capable of interfacing with the latest IS machine models. Each Quantum quad gob forming system is complete with individual cylinders and the industry’s only dirt free air delivery system, the Tube-within-a-Tube (TWT).
Process control systems The advancement of the Narrow Neck
Fig 1. Plunger mechanism – Quantum’s DG plunger mechanism with moveable port blocks.
recently been installed on a 64mm quad gob machine in Germany that will be used for advanced pharmaceutical container production (Fig.3). The TFA has also been used for quad gob production in Mexico. The design features of the TFA provide manufacturers with a key element of efficient NNPB production: dependability. The electronic transducer of the TFA, which records and displays Continued>>
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builders within their factory, but have standardised all production lines with Quantum forming equipment. There are advantages to standardisation, and perhaps the main advantage is to reduce spare part inventory costs. Quantum’s ‘universal individual cylinder’ concept enables manufacturers to use the same cylinder for many different IS machines, so maintenance departments only need to stock a few spare parts. Standardisation can also reduce IS technician training costs. As IS machines become more sophisticated, the need for training increases. When a glass factory standardises its forming system all mechanics, technicians and maintenance personnel become more comfortable with the equipment and therefore more productive. Reduced training costs go hand-in-hand with faster repair times and rapid problem diagnosis. Increased productivity resulting from equipment familiarity is one of the biggest sources of savings associated with forming system standardisation. Increased safety is also a function of equipment standardisation. Mechanics and technicians do not have to continuously switch between various technologies, and the increased familiarity with their equipment can result in a reduction of on-the-job accidents.
configuration changes (i.e. SG to DG, DG to TG, or TG to QG) (Fig.1). The Quantum Forming System can quickly convert without the added man hours and downtime required to change plunger mechanism baseplates, compressed air hose connections, lubrication connections or realign the plunger mechanism. Its Super System is a combination of hardware to allow for maximum flexibility. For example, a manufacturer can produce small cosmetic ware in quad gob one day and the next day the same production line can produce large diameter food jars in single gob. The change from quad gob to single gob or other various gob configurations can be completed in minutes not hours. A flexible forming system has its advantages. A manufacturer can quickly react to predicted or unpredicted changes in production requirements. The ability to produce new products with less machine downtime will have a positive impact on production efficiency and the overall bottom line. Manufacturers can expand their product lines, lower costs per unit produced and have better lead times with a more flexible forming system. Existing or newly manufactured production lines can be upgraded to operate the Quantum Forming System, which will provide an immediate impact on production flexibility.
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Stay in touch: Join the Glassman Events Group
SOUTH AMERICA 2017 29-30 March 2017, Buenos Aires, Argentina
@glassmanevents
WWW.GLASSMANEVENTS.COM/SOUTH-AMERICA
REACHING THE SOUTH AMERICAN MARKET South and Central America has been one of the most dynamic regions in the hollow glassmaking sector in recent years. There have been a host of new glassmaking facilities that have opened recently and there has been a renewed interest in the region thanks to its favourable economic and political conditions. This, coupled with an increased disposable income among the population’s consumers, has seen a surge of confidence in glass packaging. Argentina, and its surrounding region, epitomises this renewed optimism. New President Mauricio Macri has moved the country to one that is more free market-orientated compared to his predecessor, easing trade and currency controls. Several glass facilities have opened recently thanks in part to increased trade and the popularity of its wine and olives. Global glassmakers O-I and Verallia already have factories in Argentina, while domestic manufacturers such as Cattorini and Rigolleau are strongly represented. In addition, a new glassmaking site has opened recently in nearby Uruguay while neighbouring Chile has an established hollow glassmaking industry. In short, there has never been a better time to expand your business within this region and we are delighted to be taking Glassman to Buenos Aires in 2017. Don’t miss out, reserve your exhibition stand now.
WHO WILL VISIT? As an exhibitor at Glassman, you can expect to meet and do business with: • Presidents / owners • Technical / production directors • Factory managers • Plant engineers • Technicians / engineers • Production / R&D / test & inspection personnel • Education & training personnel • Consultants / researchers • Sales & marketing managers Who have purchasing influence in the following areas: • Melting equipment • Forming equipment • Raw materials • Annealing equipment • Inspection / quality control • Batching equipment • Decoration equipment / materials • Cold end equipment • Processing equipment
CONFERENCE The conference will run alongside the exhibition and is free to attend for all visitors to the show. If you would like to present a paper please contact: Greg Morris | Tel: +44 (0)1737 855132 | Email: gregmorris@quartzltd.com
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Forming
the full stroke of the forming plunger in real time, is completely protected from the harsh elements of glass production. No excessive heat, oil, carbon, or glass debris can compromise the transducer or its electronic output. Production lines that operate Quantum plunger mechanisms, Quantum process equipment and the Total Forming Analysis system are some of the highest performing and most dependable production lines in the world.
Reduced energy consumption Minimising the energy required to form a glass container and bring the final product with its contents to the marketplace is the primary goal of the industry. We can no longer deny the harmful environmental effects of burning fossil fuels for energy. Glass manufacturers must side with suppliers that take the initiative in reducing energy consumption. Quantum engineers are continuously developing ways that the forming process can become less energy-intensive. They have developed advanced Blow and Blow techniques with vacuum assisted forming
for light weighting containers, a forming process that uses fewer raw materials and less melting energy. Quantum strives to develop forming designs for the NNPB process, which will continue to develop into the environmentally friendly forming process. Suppliers for each stage of container production must make a commitment to saving energy. Small improvements and energy savings at each step in the process can add up to a considerable overall impact. Quantum cylinders are designed to use the least amount of compressed air as possible. The moving components of the forming system are engineered to be lightweight so the pressing of the glass requires less force, which allows for a reduction in compressed air usage. Plunger cooling features exist within the Quantum Forming System. Manufacturers that once used highpressure cooling can now reduce air consumption by implementing Quantum’s 360-degree low-pressure plunger cooling system. The company’s goal is to do its part in
helping to make the forming process as energy efficient as possible. In today’s glass factories, forming departments and forming experts are held in high regard. Centuries ago, when hollow glass manufacturing was in its infancy, forming experts were also coveted and were members of the elite social classes. The famous 12th century glass forming experts of Murano, Italy were held captive on the isolated island out of fear their knowledge would spread to the competition. Even then, those with a deep knowledge of the forming process were recognised as having an important impact on glass production. Glass forming is an art and the future successes of the glass container industry will heavily depend on companies such as Quantum that demonstrate passion for helping glassmakers improve their forming process.
*Project Coordinator, Quantum Engineered Products, Saxonburg, PA, USA www.quantumforming.com
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Energy efficiency
Energy from heat recovery Sustainable Glass is an engineering company that aims to enhance the environmental sustainability of the glass industry. It specialises in the development and design of heat recovery systems for all glass activities: hollow, flat, tableware and glass fibres. Giacomo Scotto* discusses two of these systems and the environmental and financial benefits they can bring to glass manufacturers.
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electricity thanks to the expansion of natural gas in a design turbo-expander generator. The second one, the BryCycle system, converts waste heat into electricity by means of a Brayton cycle based technology.
GAS+ system Natural gas comes out of the ground at high pressure, called geopressure. The pressurised natural gas is then transported by pipelines to the end-users. As glass plants need a lot of natural gas, they are connected to medium-high pressure natural gas grids (up to 80 bar). This means they have to lower their pressure to 1-2 bar by using valves in pressure reduction stations. Reducing the pressure in this way releases energy. Today this type of energy is not harnessed, even though it is possible to generate carbonfree electricity merely by installing a turbo-expander generator system at some of these stations. The GAS+ system follows this concept, combining heat recovery and pressure energy harness. Fig. 1 describes the main phases of the process: natural gas from the grid is heated up by flue gas before being expanded into a specific turbine, which
generates electricity. In fact, during the expansion in the turbo-expander, natural gas is cooled and its final temperature can be lowered by tens of degrees (even hundreds of degrees) depending on the pressure ratio. A preheating phase is necessary to maintain natural gas at an ambient temperature enabling it to be used in the plant. Heat for preheating can be easily recovered from furnace flue gas as just a small amount of energy is needed. It means that flue gas cooling (during the preheating phase) is limited to several tens of degrees. Because of that the GAS+ system can be used even in plants equipped with SCR DeNOx or other depollution devices working at high temperature. Concerning safety issues, using flue gas to heat up natural gas is a risk-free configuration. In fact, Fig. 2 shows that even if some natural gas accidentally comes in contact with flue gas, the low oxygen concentration of flue gas (usually between 5% and 10%) avoids any ignition. Indeed, in the case of an accident due to the system architecture, only natural gas Continued>>
Mixtures which cannot be produced from methane and air
Main pressure let-down valve
Regenerator (optional)
Low pressure natural gas
High pressure natural gas
Downstream isolation valve Turbo-expander
GAS + System Depollution system Upstream isolation valve
Preheating heat exchanger
Flammable per se
Oxygen, percent
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ustainable Glass finds cost effective technologies that bring competitive advantages to customers without interfering with the production process. The systems developed are automatised to be easy to manage. The company’s approach is based on the assumption that each glass plant is unique and therefore each case requires a customised solution. Researchers often develop innovations without knowing what the final application will be, or the end-user acceptance. Sustainable Glass engineers try to design solutions with a specific target from the beginning of the process. Being intimately aware of glass technology, the company puts itself in the place of a glass company with the aim of satisfying its needs. Research and development is focused on technologies that can be easily applied to glass industry: all designed systems are based on existing equipment, and aim to give reliable solutions for current and future problems. Two heat recovery systems are presented here. Both of them are already on the market and aim to transform waste heat from furnace flue gas into electricity. The first one, the GAS+ system, generates
Capable of forming flammable mixtures with air (contain too much methane to explode per se)
Not capable of forming flammable mixtures with air
Fumes from furnace
Methane, percent
z Fig 1. The Gas+ System uses electricity from natural gas expansion.
z Fig 2. Relation between quantitative composition and flammability of methane.
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Low T flue gas
High T flue gas End-port furnace
Heat exchanger
Hot air T>300°C
Hot compressed air
Cold compressed air C
T Air @ 25°C
z Fig 3. The BryCycle system is a single loop thermo dynamic cycle using only air. could move into the flue gas flow (and not vice versa). Because of that, all possible mixtures, even with air, stay inside the nonflammable area. The GAS+ system has thus been designed to be intrinsically safe. The GAS+ system can convert waste heat into electric energy with an efficiency of 80%! In other words, for each thermal kilowatt recovered 0.8 kilowatt of net electricity is produced. These results are achievable due to the high performances reached by the turbo-expander and by the high pressure level of natural gas feeding the glass plant (given for free). Fig. 1 shows the GAS+ system works in parallel to the existing pressure reduction station, thus avoiding any inconveniences during maintenance operations. To summarise, natural gas is delivered to the plant at the same pressure and temperature than without the GAS+ system installation. However, before feeding the plant the same gas is heated up by flue gas and then cooled during the expansion in the turbo-expander, thus efficienctly generating electricity. If you consider a hollow glass plant that uses an average flow of natural gas of 3000 Nm3/h supplied at a pressure of 13 bar, and suppose a final pressure of 1.5 bar, the GAS+ system can deliver about 300kW of electricity. Now consider a flat glass plant consuming 6000 Nm3/h and a natural gas pressure at the grid connection of 25 bar: if the final pressure is again 1.5 bar, electricity production reaches 1200kW. The amount of electricity generated is proportional to the natural gas consumption and pressures ratio, making it easy to estimate GAS+ production for any glass plant. Depending on the price of electricity and the size of the installation, the return
on investment for the GAS+ system is between two and four years.
BryCycle system Industrial sites disposing of waste heat from the production process often have the opportunity to convert it into electrical energy by means of steam turbines or ORC based technologies. These solutions can be applied to many fields: industrial heat recovery, geothermal, biomass, solar energy, etc. The glass industry has specific features that differentiate its process from others, even from the heat recovery point of view. In fact, medium temperature waste heat (around 500°C) and regenerators allow the Brayton cycle technology to be applied, obtaining substantial advantages compared to standard solutions. The BryCycle system is able to generate electricity with an efficiency of more than 20% and, at the same time, to deliver clean hot air at a temperature of more than 300°C. Moreover, the regenerator’s size can be reduced compared to standard design, giving the BryCycle system an additional advantage. This technology is not simply a new way to produce electricity from waste heat, it represents an innovative concept in furnace design that takes into account the specific patterns of the glass melting process as well as of thermodynamics laws. The Brayton cycle is a well-known thermo dynamical cycle used in gas turbine plants all over the world (and in most aircraft motors). Fig. 3 shows the only working fluid operating in the facility is clean air, which is neither dangerous, inflammable or toxic. Moreover, air is free and ready to use as it does not need special and expensive equipment to be purified. The BryCycle system is an open cycle where ambient
air is compressed and then heated up thanks to hot flue gas from regenerators. Downstream, air is expanded and partially cooled by means of a standard gas turbine. Electricity generated by the turbine is obviously more than the power consumption of the compressor, giving the glass plant the possibility of reducing electrical demand from the grid. In addition, clean air coming out from the turbine has a temperature of more than 300°C and a portion of it can be used on site or in the neighborhood of the plant for heating, cooling or any other thermal application. The rest of the hot clean air is sent to regenerators as preheated combustion air to increase the flue gas exit temperature, which is a necessary condition for applying Brayton cycle technology. The BryCycle system can be applied to all glass furnaces based on the regenerator’s design (end-port, side-port and flat furnaces). Thanks to its efficiency this technology gives results even in small glass plants with only one furnace, where normal solutions are not financially viable. For example, in a relatively small plant with just 2MW of waste heat available, the net electricity produced by the BryCycle system can reach 500kW. Obviously, in bigger plants, this solution performs even better, thanks to the conversion efficiency of the compressor and turbine. Flat glass plants as well as big hollow glass plants can then generate several megawatts of electric power. In any case, the BryCycle system can reduce electricity dependence from the grid, giving glass manufacturers the possibility of facing electricity blackouts as well as price oscillations. The BryCycle system is characterised by the robustness of its machines as well as by the simplicity of its facility. On one side, the compressor and the turbine are not subjected to corrosion; on the other side, heat exchange working at a high temperature avoids any risk of acid condensation and limits dust fouling. These aspects are translated into competitive investment and maintenance costs. Most projects based on the BryCycle system have a return on investment of less than 2.5 years. r
*Founder & CEO Sustainable Glass, France www.sustainable-glass.com
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Inspection
The evolution in the flexible inspection of glass containers Eleonora Bordini* discusses the evolution of Marposs’s VisiQuick inspection machine, which is a flexible machine for dimensional and geometric inspection, on a sample basis.
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arposs began working in the glass industry more than 20 years ago. The company provides solutions for glass industry segments such as automotive, flat and glass containers. The glass containers market was approached either with existing products, based on contact technology, or with flexible solutions (VisiQuick), based on cameras, developed specifically for the market.
measured, they are automatically placed on the output conveyor where they can be manually removed. The VisiQuick includes a measuring station with two high resolution cameras, dedicated to body and finish respectively, with telecentric lens and collimated illuminators to measure the external characteristics on finish neck and body, such as: total height; partial heights;
verticality; planarity and parallelism of the mouth; external diameters on body, neck and finish; diagonals; long and short sides of non-round containers; thread diameter (interrupted threads and threads in depression are also managed); angles and radiuses, among others.
Continued>>
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Evolution Since glasstec 2008, when the first manual loading/unloading VisiQuick machine was introduced to the market, the product has undergone an evolution in terms of layout and features. VisiQuick is now a flexible machine for dimensional and geometric inspection, on a sample basis. It can measure glass containers of any shape, dimension and colour without any retooling. This is a characteristic that distinguishes the machine from other products on the market. When the part to be measured changes, even though the dimensions and shape are different compared to the previous one, the operator just needs to programme or select the relevant recipe on the PC, enter the mould’s numbers, load the container’s batch on the input conveyor and push the start cycle button. Containers are automatically loaded in the measuring stations and, after being
zVisiQuick 1.
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Inspection
z Scale for weight inspection.
Database The measurements database has grown continuously, based on customers’ requests. With an optional bore gauge, mouth internal diameter and ovality can also be measured at different depths from the top. The bore gauge also doesn’t need any retooling. Sensors used in the bore gauge are designed and manufactured by Marposs. They are accurate but sturdy at the same time. In fact, they are also extensively applied for in-process measurements of metal parts during the machining (grinding) process. Both cameras’ measuring station and bore gauge are calibrated using a master, manufactured and certified by Marposs’s accredited metrology lab. The master can be manually loaded or it can be housed permanently inside the machine and automatically moved in the measuring stations when a calibration is required. Other optional measurements include weight, push-up and glass thickness.
z Cameras and bore gauge. their needs and requirements and used its know how and experience in metrology to find the best solutions to their gauging problems. Marposs does not propose an ‘as it is’ standard machine but a modular system that can be adjusted to different needs in terms of performance and budget. The VisiQuick can provide measurement results compatible with the Vertech SIL system, but an interface to other proprietary production monitoring systems has also been developed. Another reason for its success is the support that Marposs provides to its customers from the definition of the specifications up to the after sales service. Marposs is not just a supplier, but a company able to build a real partnership with customers, leading to a mutual growth. Recently Saverglass, manufacturer of luxury containers, received the prestigious ‘Productivez’ award, promoted by the French association SYMOP. The award is conferred to French companies
who have invested to improve quality and competitiveness. In the case of Saverglass the investment is related to two VisiQuick machines, which contributed to it winning the prestigious award. Marposs is a worldwide company in precision equipment for measurement and control in the production environment. The company was founded in 1952 and, since then, has experienced continuous growth. Marposs is present in 33 countries, almost everywhere with its own organisation and has 2800 employees. Production is based at its headquarters in Bentivoglio, Italy and also in other countries such as China, France, Germany, Japan, Korea and USA. More information about the VisiQuick machine is available from: www.marposs.com/product.php/eng/ glass_containers_flexible r
* Glass Industry - Product Manager, Marposs, Bentivoglio, Italy. www.marposs.com
The VisiQuick provides real-time, accurate information about geometry and dimensions of the containers, helping customers to monitor the manufacturing process, for example evaluate the status of the moulds and decide if they have to be replaced. On-line inspection machines cannot provide such accurate information, so they cannot replace the inspection on sample basis.
Bore gauge for internal diameter inspection.
Reasons for success The main reason for the success of VisiQuick machine is that it has been designed closely with glass container manufactures. Marposs has listened to
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Purpose
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Glass Focus conference 2016 This year, British Glass headed to Edinburgh for its day-long conference event and awards dinner. Sally Love attended.
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he event took place at the Dynamic Earth venue in Edinburgh, and in attendance were key figures from across the UK’s glass manufacturers, raw materials and machinery suppliers, policy makers, researchers and brands. A series of workshops throughout the day looked at specific areas and challenges for the industry, and was followed by the black-tie awards dinner which recognised achievements from across the British glass industry. The workshops covered a variety of sectors and topics, such as: Flat glass for tomorrow’s buildings; Fresh perspectives on packaging design and supply; Squaring the circular economy; Innovation thinking and the valley of death; and Energy efficiency and decarbonisation. Key speakers included: Corporate financier Nicholas Mockett of Moorgate Capital; r Prof Kenny Dalgarno of the University of Newcastle; r Will Dawson, Head of Energy at Forum for the Future; r Sheldon Davis, Vice President of Science and Technology for Guardian Industries Glass Group; r Vicky Panayiotou, Global Procurement Director, Glass and PET Packaging at Diageo; r Gilli Hobbs, Strategy Director for the Building Futures Group at BRE; r Dr Simon Elmer, Luxury Fragrance
Package Development at Procter and Gamble; and r Dr Bruce Adderley of the Energy 2050 initiative at the University of Sheffield.
Adapting for the future Kicking off the day was Kenny Dalgarno, Professor of Manufacturing Engineering at Newcastle University and the first keynote speaker. He gave an overview of anticipated trends in the manufacturing industry, using the Government’s latest roadmap to 2050 as the basis for what manufacturers can expect to find themselves focusing on in coming years. Looking back through historical predictions made by a similar report released in the 1950s, which cited the rise of digital technology as a key trend, Prof. Dalgarno was able to highlight how these reports can accurately predict trends, if not the specifics, of the future of manufacturing. The report states that by 2050, “Constant adaptability will pervade all aspects of manufacturing”, and that “Products and processes will be sustainable, with built-in reuse, remanufacturing and recycling for products reaching the end of their useful lives.” Applied to glass manufacturing, this indicates that the industry as a whole in the UK is already in a good position, especially with regards to the Circular Economy efforts, but highlights that
adapting to future demands is key to manufacturers and suppliers thriving in the industry. The second keynote speaker was Nicholas Mockett, Head of Packaging Mergers and Acquisitions at Moorgate Capital. Using figures available from North America’s glass industry, he gave a financier’s point of view on the market, pointing out how unusually consolidated the market is compared to other industries and packaging materials, such as plastics. He noted how 2015 was a record year for mergers and acquisitions in the packaging market, but less than 5% of that activity was in the glass industry as it is already very consolidated. Interestingly, he highlighted the rise in investment companies acquiring glass manufacturing companies, as with Verallia and Apollo, as they see it as a good market to invest Continued>>
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Events world: Glass Focus 2016
z The winners from the evening awards dinner. x The Dynamic Earth venue.
how Diageo depends on collaboration with glass manufacturers to help them achieve their goals in her presentation in the ‘Fresh perspectives on packaging design and supply’ workshop. She outlined what it is that Diageo needs from its glass manufacturers, namely speed and flexibility; collaboration and long term planning, in terms of finances; sustainability, such as using more cullet etc. which is one of Diageo’s main drivers in terms of performance, finances, and progress; and, of course, forwardthinking design options. Simon Elmer, Head of Procter and Gamble’s Luxury Fragrance Package Development R&D Group, also stressed the importance of collaboration between manufacturers and their customers in terms of design and representing a brand’s ‘design equity’. He highlighted key trends that he sees influencing luxury fragrance bottles, which will require both manufacturers and brands to work together to bring to life, including glass distribution and decoration techniques.
in. He showed how the containers and packaging market as a whole has steadily been more profitable than the FTSE 100 over the previous 10 years, with packaging increasing by 62% and the FTSE rising only 1.5% in the same time. Mr Mockett described the industry as having “a strong performance, [that] has outperformed other industries.” The final keynote speaker, Will Dawson, Head of Energy at Forum for the Future, also referred to the industry’s ability to adapt in order to survive, as did Dave Dalton in his opening speech: “To succeed in an uncertain future, the glass industry needs to grasp opportunities and be agile enough to adapt.”
Collaboration Another key theme that emerged from the day was that of collaboration between brands, glassmakers, and their suppliers, as well as between direct competitors as a
way to fend off outside competition – for example, from rival materials. Vicky Panayiotou, Global Procurement Director of Glass and PET Packaging, for drinks manufacturer Diageo, emphasised
The evening awards dinner was hosted by Hermione Cockburn, TV presenter and Scientific Director of Dynamic Earth. The award for ‘sustainable process development’ was awarded to O-I, for its investment in oxy-fuel furnace technology at its Harlow plant. The award for ‘glass design’ went to Beatson Clark, for its creative combination of lightweight with embossing, proving that light weighting needn’t be boring with their bottle for Story Pressé. This year, the ‘corporate social responsibility’ award went to Encirc, while Ardagh won the award for ‘marketing campaign impact’ for its Reasons to Love Glass campaign. Siemens was awarded the ‘supply chain initiative’ prize for its efforts in demonstrating how major players can collaborate to reposition the UK glass industry, as with their energy supply partnerships initiative. Encirc won a second award, ‘improvement through innovation’, for its approach to sharing best practice through its Academy. Finally, ‘Apprentice of the Year’ went to Ardagh’s Tom Bagley, who was commended for the impact he has been able to have on his employer’s efficiency and productivity. r
www.britglass.org.uk
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Recognising achievements
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CelSian-NCNG International Glass Technology course Celsian’s regular five day course on glass technology, held in the USA. June 20 - 24 2016 Toledo, Ohio, USA CONTACT: http://www.glasstrend.nl/eventsNCNG-September-26-30-2016-EindhovenThe-Nerherlands.php SGT Centenary Golf Day The day will involve a round of golf, four course dinner in the evening and entertainment. July 7th 2016 Mid Yorkshire Golf Club, Darrington, Nr Pontefract, West Yorkshire, UK CONTACT: www.centenary.sgt.org/eventshtm ESG 2016/SGT 100 conference 2016 marks the SGT’s centenary year and it will celebrate with events including a return to the university for its annual conference. September 5th - 9th 2016 University of Sheffield, UK. CONTACT: www.esg2016.eu World Soda Ash Conference 2016 The conference and workshop will once again present the insight and analysis of the market. September 20th - 23rd 2016 Lisbon, Portugal. CONTACT:www.ihs.com/events/world-sodaash-2016/overview.html.
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glasstec 2016 Biennial exhibition and conference devoted to all sectors of the glass industry. September 20th - 23rd 2016 Messe Duesseldorf, Germany. CONTACT: www.glasstec.de International Glass Technology course Celsian’s regular five day course on glass technology, held in its hometown of Eindhoven. Sept 26th - 30th 2016 Eindhoven, The Netherlands CONTACT: www.glasstrend.nl/events-NCNGSeptember-26-30-2016-Eindhoven-The-Nerherlands.php Glass Problems 2016 77th Conference on Glass Problems. November 7th - 10th 2016 Columbus, Ohio, USA. CONTACT: www.glassproblemsconference.org Glasstech Asia 2016 14th International Glass Products, Glass Manufacturing, Processing & Materials Exhibition. November 24th - 26th 2016 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. CONTACT: www.glasstechasia.com.sg
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The glassmaker’s diary
Events world
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CLASSIFIEDS
ANNEALING LEHRS
COMBUSTION
COMBUSTION EQUIPMENT
SYSTEMS/BURNERS
ANNEALING & DECORATING LEHRS for Containers and Tableware
TEMPERING LINES ON BELT / SPINDLES for Tableware and Stemware
INDUSTRIAL GAS ENGINEERS
I NDUST RIAL G AS E NGINEERS UNIT D2, BRO O KSID E BD2, U S Brookside I N E S S P ABusiness R K , G R EPark, E N G AGreengate, TE,C H AD D ERTO N, M24 1G S, ENG LAND Unit Chadderton, T E L E P H O N E : 0 1 6 1 - 6M24 5 4 71GS, 7 0 0 UKF A X : 0 1 6 1 - 6 5 5 3 8 1 2 Tel +44 (0) 161 654 7700 Fax +44 (0) 161 655 3812 E-MAIL: S A L E S @ M O N T S E L A S . C O . U K WWW.MONTSELAS.CO.UK Email sales@montselas.co.uk www.montselas.co.uk
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GLASS LEVEL MEASUREMENT
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HEAT-UP SERVICES
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LUBRICATING Classified Ad1.pdfAND 1 03/02/2016 COATING SOLUTIONS
INSPECTION
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TIAMA ZA des Plattes, 1 Chemin des Plattes, 69390 Vourles, France
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Tel +33 (0) 4 37 20 15 00, Fax +33 (0) 4 78 07 94 50
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Email: marketing@tiama.com Website:www.tiama.com
• Oxygen & oxygen flow control equipment • Global oxygen enrichment applications • Cleanfire® oxy-fuel burners • Start-up services
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Lubricating and Coating Solutions for the Glass Container Industry Graphoidal Developments Ltd, Broombank Road, Chesterfield, S41 9QJ, England
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RAW MATERIALS
Tel: +44 (0) 1246 266000 Fax: +44 (0) 1246 269269 Email: sales@graphoidal.com Website: www.graphoidal.com
REFRACTORY LINING
Ware Handling Made Easy Complete intergrated Ware Handling package 2 & 3 Axis Servo Stacker Advanced Lehr Cross Conveyor Ware Transfer units for ALL types of production Adjustable pocket Pushbars Worldwide service and support team Dedicated to resolving your Ware Handling problems Airfield Business Park, Elvington, York, YO42 4AU, UK Tel: 0044 1904 608999 Email: sales@sheppee.com Web: www.sheppee.com
• Hydrogen, nitrogen & other gases
1 04/02/2016 10:34:15 • Enabling flow control equipment
800-654-4567 (code 344) gigmrktg@airproducts.com airproducts.com/glass
(39101)
Global Combustion Systems Total Support Unit 43, Evans Business Centre, Easter Inch, Bathgate EH48 2EH, Scotland, UK Tel+44 (0) 1506 657310 Fax +44 (0) 8704 799975 Email Sales@globalcombustion.com Web www.globalcombustion.com
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SCREEN PRINTING
DECORATING MACHINES KBA-KAMMANN GmbH Bergkirchener Str. 228 D-32549 Bad Oeynhausen (Germany) Fon +49 (0) 5734 5140-0 Fax: +49 (0) 5734 5140-5130 mail@kba-kammann.com www.kba-kammann.com
FLEXIBLE. PRECISE. INNOVATIVE.
Contact Esme Horn T+44 (0) 1737 855136 to book your space
Glassman events visit: www.glassmanevents.com
Analysis
Rio Tinto Minerals 2 Eastbourne Terrace London W2 6LG, UK Tel +44 (0) 207 781 1450 Fax +44 (0) 207 781 1851 Email: simon.cook@riotinto.com Web: www.riotintominerals.com
CLASSIFIEDS.indd 1
Supervision
Assembly
REFRACTORY SOLUTION ENGINEERING
Supply of materials
PREVEL BOURGOIN-JALLIEU (38) – FRANCE +33 (0)4 74 99 06 80 +33 (0)4 74 99 06 81 info@prevel.fr / www.prevel.fr
SOUTH AMERICA 2017 29-30 March 2017, Buenos Aires, Argentina
6/6/16 12:48 PM
53035 MONTERIGGIONI (SI) ITALY - Strada di Gabbricce, 6 Tel +39 0577 304730 ifv@fonderievaldelsane.com
www.fonderievaldelsane.com
One viewing angle is not enough
VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL OVERLAPPING FOR FULL GLASS INSPECTION Each angle is covered by 2 HD cameras. The upper cameras analyze the higher part of the bottle, from above the neck up to the shoulder. The lower camera analyses the lower part of the bottle, from the base to the shoulder. Vertical overlapping allows 100% inspection coverage even for non-round bottles with strong shoulders. The high resolution cameras are 400% more powerful, providing sharper and more accurate images, as well as improved discrimination between different types of defects (eg small stones and blisters), better definition of container shapes and excellent dark glass inspection capabilities.
Probably the most precise inspection of hollow glass - www.iris-im.com