Glass july:august 2014

Glass International July/A

ugust 2014

July/August 2014 Vol. 37 No.7

O-I R&D CENTREBENNU GLASS

HANDLING

www.glass-international.com

If you can‘t wait 90 minutes for results...

...it‘s time forIt’s hot news in every sense: the hot end

monitoring concept by Tiama, designed

to put you ahead of the game.

Inspired by your needs and by applying

our know-how, we have developed

technology that works – to make your

life easier.

Tiama Hot Systems already gives you information at

the hot end that complements the data you receive

at the cold end. A modular concept that is highly

efficient and, above all, easy to use: that’s Tiama

HOT Systems. Contact [email protected] for

more about the versatile hot monitoring range that

helps your team win.

tiama –advanced knowledge

1

Contents


ww

w.g

lass

-int

erna

tion

al.c

om

Glass International July/August 2014

Front cover image courtesy of

Bucher Emhart glass

www.emhartglass.com

3 International News

51 Diary

Glass profile: Bennu Glass10 Bennu is born

Abividro24 The importance of retaining talent in the

glass industry

Company profile: Thor International18 Colombian group makes inroads

into glass industry

Glass profile: O-I R&D Centre12 Owens-Illinois celebrates the opening of its

Innovation Center

2 Editor’s Comment

10


Plus find us on Linked-In and Twitter.

@Glass_Int

Hollow glass27 Hollow glass industry overview

Fibres49 An overview of basalt fibres

Events world47 Mir Stekla at its best

Glass machinery33 German glass machinery ready for glasstec

Handling36 Dry lubrication helps improve glass package

stability40 Protective clothing for the glass industry42 Inspecting thin glass45 Quad gob ware handling 46 Robotic glass handling

20 British glass

14 The UK’s Society of Glass Technology (SGT)

22 History12

27


O-I R&D CENTREBENNU GLASS

HANDLING


47

2


ww

w.g

lass

-int

erna

tion

al.c

omEditor’s comment

Editor: Greg Morris

Tel: +44 (0)1737 855132

Email: [email protected]

Editorial Assistant: Sally Roberts

Tel: +44 (0)1737 855154


Designer: Annie Baker

Tel: +44 (0)1737 855130


Sales Director: Ken Clark

Tel: +44 (0)1737 855117


Sales Manager: Jeremy Fordrey

Tel: +44 (0)1737 855133


Production Executive: Martin Lawrence

Subscriptions

Tel: +44 (0)1737 855028 Fax: +44 (0)1737 855034


Glass International (ISSN 0143-7838) (USPS No: 020-753) is published10 times per year by Quartz Business Media Ltd, and distributed in theUS by DSW, 75 Aberdeen Road, Emigsville, PA 17318-0437. Periodicalspostage paid at Emigsville, PA. POSTMASTER: send address changes toGlass International c/o PO Box 437, Emigsville, PA 17318-0437.

Official publication of Abividro - the BrazilianTechnical Association of Automatic Glass

Industries

Glass International annual subscription rates includingGlass International Directory:For one year: UK £154, all other countries £217.For two years: UK £277, all other countries £391.Airmail prices on request. Single copies £43.

Glass International Directory 2014 edition:UK £206, all other countries £217, post free.

Printed in UK by:Pensord, Tram Road, Pontlanfraith, Blackwood,Gwent NP12 2YA, UK.

© Quartz Business Media Ltd, 2014ISSN 0143-7838


Quartz Glass Portfolio

Welcome to the summer editionof Glass International. Many ofyou will be taking a well-earned

break over this period and is a time to sitback, relax and soak up the sunshine.

This year is a glasstec year, so for manyof us the summer break will be a lastchance to recuperate before preparationsbegin for the big October event.

Here at Glass International we havealready begun accepting submissions forour September (glasstec) issue, so pleasefeel free to send me any articles that youfeel could be relevant to this issue.

As we all know, glass is an industrythat never sleeps so, even while we areaway on our summer holiday, theindustry continues to function.

This is particularly true of our featuredglassworks this issue, Bennu Glass, basedin Washington state, USA.

There has been much talk recently ofthe Ardagh takeover of Verallia NorthAmerica in the USA and theramifications it will have on the US glassmanufacturing industry. Critics say itwill give Ardagh and Owens-Illinois toomuch power and they will control ahuge percentage of the market.

Well, Bennu is one of the glassworksthat make up the remaining percentageof the market and they are undauntedby the takeover.

Its CEO Jerry Lemieux states its newtechnology and its quality will ensure itis successful. So much so that much ofits production of wind bottles and craftbeer bottles, mostly for the PacificNorthwest region in North America, issold out.

Another busy man is the newSociety of Glass Technology (SGT)President, Russell Hand.

He recently took over the top spot atthe Society and one of the main rolesduring his three-year tenure is to overseethe society’s 100-year-anniversary in2016. Plans are already well under waywith a number of celebrations planned.

On top of this Mr Hand wants to makesure the centenary is a time when theSGT looks forward instead of backward.

He states the society needs to embracethe 21st century and the newtechnologies in communication andpublishing this has brought. By doingso, it will ensure the society remainsrelevant to both today and tomorrow’sgeneration of glassmakers.

Enjoy the summer!

Greg [email protected]

Greg Morris

Monthly journal for theindustry worldwide

Glassman specialist exhibitions rotatebetween America, Asia and Europe

Published by Quartz Business Media Ltd,Quartz House, 20 Clarendon Road, Redhill, Surrey RH1 1QX, UK.Tel: +44 (0)1737 855000. Fax: +44 (0)1737 855034. Email: [email protected]: www.glass-international.com

Member of British GlassManufacturers’ Confederation

The calm before the rush

Annual international reference source

Directory 2014


China National Associationfor Glass Industry

Gimav PresidentCinzia Schiatti has beenappointed to her fourth termas President of theAssociation of ItalianManufacturers of machinery,accessories and specialproducts for glass processing(GIMAV).

Guardian appointmentGuardian Industries hasnamed Rick Zoulek as VicePresident of Flat Glass for theAmericas.

Zoulek will oversee allaspects of Guardian’s Northand South American flatglass business and positionthe company for continuedlong-term profitable growth.

Zoulek joined Guardian inAugust 2013 as VicePresident of Flat Glass forNorth America.

AGC Mexican ceremony AGC Automotive Mexico hasheld a groundbreakingceremony for a newautomotive glass plant atVilla de Reyes, San LuisPotosí, Mexico.

AGC said the plant wouldcontribute to the growth ofthe city of Villa de Reyes, aswell as the automotiveindustry in Mexico.

Slovenian fundingSteklarna HrastnikGlassworks has securedfunding for the modernisationof its container glass plant.

The investment is worth€8 million, 75% of which willbe loaned by NLB financialgroup, while the glassworkswill provide €2 million of itsown funds.

The funds will be used forthe renovation of furnacesand the purchase of newmachines in the Special Unit,where the glassworksproduces bottles.

After the reconstruction,the life of furnaces will beextended by 10 years.

Work will commence on15 September 2014 and lastuntil 3 November 2014, whenproduction starts.

3

International news

NEWS IN BRIEF

ww

w.g

lass

-int

erna

tion

al.c

om

VISIT: www.glass-international.com – For daily news updates and regular features


O-I chooses BDF recovery plantO-I has chosen BDFIndustries as the supplier of aheat recovery plant for theproduction of electricity viaan Organic Rankine Cycle(ORC) turbine, at its Villota,Italy plant.

The recovery of thermalenergy via an ORC turbineallows efficient use ofexhaust gases produced bythe glass-melting furnace,

with the aim of maximisingenergy recovery withoutaffecting the glass productionprocess.

BDF Industries has beeninvesting in the field ofenergy recovery since 1990with the introduction of theActive Front End system(AFE), successfully applied tothe controls of IS machinesservo motors.

This has allowed BDFIndustries to complete itsoffer of furnaces, forehearths,IS machines and exhaust gascontrol systems.

Thanks to this project BDFIndustries reaffirms its role ofideal partner for the glassindustry, with the completeknowledge and know-howrequired by each part of theglass factory.

British Glass secures fundingfor new academy building

FTC approves Ardagh’s acquisition The USA’s Federal TradeCommission (FTC) hasofficially approved a finalorder of Ardagh Group’s $1.7billion acquisition of Saint-Gobain Containers, after thecompany sold off six glassplants and related assets.

The FTC’s administrativecomplaint alleged that theproposed acquisition wouldconcentrate most of the $5

billion US glass containerindustry in two companies –Ardagh/Saint-Gobain andOwens-Illinois (O-I).

But in settling the FTC’scomplaint, Ardagh agreed tosell six of the manufacturingplants it acquired through itsacquisition of Anchor GlassContainer Corporation,along with Anchor’s formercorporate headquarters in

Tampa, Fla. The six plants arelocated in Elmira, NY;Jacksonville, Fla; WarnerRobins, Ga; Henryetta, Okla;Lawrenceburg, Ind; andShakopee, Minn.

Ardagh’s sold the sixmanufacturing plants andrelated assets to GlassContainer Acquisition LLC,an affiliate of KPS CapitalPartners LP.

UK trade association BritishGlass has secured funding fora new academy building.

Local leaders from thepublic and private sectorsecured £320 million for theSheffield City Region.

Some of the funding willbe used to build new training

facilities, including a brandnew British Glass Academy.

Dave Dalton, CEO ofBritish Glass and The GlassAcademy, said: “This isfantastic news for the city ofSheffield and for us as thetrade associationrepresenting the UK glass

industry. “We are delighted to hear

Government is investing inskills and training projects,business investmentprogrammes and theinfrastructure needed toboost the local economy andcreate new jobs.

“The glass industry isrooted in the work of aSheffield Universitydepartment 100 years ago soit’s fitting that the creation ofthe British Glass Academy asa world class centre ofexcellence and hub of glasstraining in the UK will bebased in Sheffield.”

4

ww

w.g

lass

-int

erna

tion

al.c

om

NEWS IN BRIEF

GPI changes addressThe Glass Packaging Institute(GPI) in the USA has changedaddress.

Its offices are now locatedat 1220 N. Fillmore St., Suite400, Arlington, Va. 22201 USA.

The telephone number hasremained the same.

Muijsenberg wins awardGlass Service’s ErikMuijsenberg has won theMichael Garvey Award for thebest paper at the FurnaceSolutions 9 conference.

Mr Muijsenberg presenteda 30-minute paper titled‘Complete model-basedcontrol of glass production’ tomore than 90 conferencedelegates.

Gary Smay to retirefrom AGRGary Smay has retired fromfull time duties after a 44 yearcareer at American GlassResearch (AGR).

Gary started at AmericanGlass Research in 1970 aftercompleting his studies at theUniversity of Pennsylvania.

He is recognised as anexpert in the areas of surfaceprotection of glass containersand glass coatings. He also isestablished as a world classeducator in the subject areasof coatings, cord andannealing stresses andfracture diagnosis for theglass container industry.

Gary will continue toprovide training to the industryas a lecturer (emeritus) in theAmerican Glass ResearchGlass Technology Seminars.

HyGear in Russia HyGear has shipped threemore Hydrogen GenerationSystems (HGS) to Russiaduring the last quarter, foruse at a large glassproduction company.

HyGear’s HGS is highlysuitable to supply glass plantswith the right quantity andquality of hydrogen whilesaving costs and emissions.

Furthermore, the on-sitereforming system overcomesthe dependency of hydrogensupply by tube trailers.

Be first with the news! Visit www.glass-international.com for daily news updates


International news

Asahi Glass Co (AGC) is toterminate production ofphotovoltaic cover glass(patterned glass) at its Rouxfacility, Belgium, and shutthe plant.

The decision was takenfollowing due informationand consultation with theWorks Council and the union

organisations which startedon February 10, 2014.

There are 190 employeesworking at the plant.

The photovoltaic coverglass market has seencontinuous price decline dueto oversupply, which resultedin deteriorating profitabilityof the group’s business.

Since operating losses atthe site are unavoidable, theAGC Group said it had tourgently revise the group’sproduction to meet themarket requirement, and itwould be impossible toconvert the plant to anothertype of production.

Motim celebrates 80 yearsMotim Fused CastRefractories, the privatelyowned Hungarian company,celebrated its 80thanniversary in June.

Hundreds of guests,including local dignitaries,customers, suppliers andglobal agents as well as keyMotim personnel gathered tocelebrate the occasion.

Following her father’s briefhistory of the company,Szilvia Gerezdes, Motim’sManaging Director gave anintroduction to the occasion,recognising some of thecountries that wererepresented such as the USA,Japan, South Africa and themajority of Europe.

The event includedtraditional dancing, violinperformances, a magic show,a falconry display, beer and

AGC to close Belgian plant

wine tasting and a selectionof food throughout the day,as well as fireworks.

Many of the guestspresented gifts to Motim as a

remembrance of the day, andthe global interactionbetween the guests andMotim was continuous.

Poco Graphite is celebratingits 50th anniversary inbusiness this year

Man’s desire to explorespace and safely return led tothe development of specialitymaterials that couldwithstand high temperaturesduring reentry.

One of these materials wasspeciality graphite developedby a Texas-based aerospace

company. This materialbreakthrough was so uniquethat technology was acquiredby Pure Oil Company in 1964for further commer-cialisation.

The graphite divisionbecame known as Poco, anacronym for the new owner.

Poco’s graphites havesubsequently been used in avariety of applications and

markets and its materialsportfolio has increased toinclude a family of graphites,silicon carbides, hightemperature materials and avariety of post processes andmachining capabilities.

Poco’s main facility is inDecatur, Texas. The locationhas expanded over the yearsto 350,000ft2 and employsmore than 250 people.

Poco Graphite celebrates 50 years

A handmade, hand cut lead crystal vase produced by O'Rourke Cut Glass of Mt

Pleasant, PA, USA. It was cut by Peter O'Rourke himself, and jointly presented

by Ron D. Argent (Argent Enterprises, USA) and Paulo de Botton (Tecinde,

Portugal), both parties being agents for Motim.

FleXinspect - A full line of configurable inspection systems to ensure your product quality

FleXinspect inspection systems deliver optimum accuracy to guarantee your glass quality and safeguard your reputation. These efficient machines offer a full spectrum of inspections, with simple operation, plant control integration, and small footprints for easy installation. FleXinspect brings the technology, quality, and service of the world’s leading glass machinery company to your glassmaking process to protect your products and your brand.

FleXinspect. The future of glass inspection technology, delivered today.

FleXinspect M

FleXinspect BC

FleXinspect T FleXinspect B FleXinspect C

www.bucheremhartglass.com

6


ww

w.g

lass

-int

erna

tion

al.c

om

Schott Ibérica to close Spanishmanufacturing siteSchott Ibérica has reachedan agreement withworkers about the closureof its manufacturing sitein Sant Adrià de Besòs,Spain.

The company decidedto close the factorybecause investmentswould be needed to renewand update the

production equipment inorder to remaincompetitive.

Schott said that itwould not have beenpossible to operate theplant in an economicalway in the future. Theplant will reduce itsactivities in two stepsbeginning this summer

and stop production atthe end of 2014.

Employees willgradually cease their workin the plant.

The company said 30 ofthe 112 affectedemployees will be ablerelocate and work at itsfacilities in Germany andSwitzerland.

New President of FEVEErik Bouts, President of O-I Europe, has been electedPresident of FEVE, theEuropean Container Glassfederation.

Collectively, theEuropean container glassmanufacturing industry isthe largest glass producer

in the world, with morethan 160 plants operatingacross Europe.

It is also an importantsector of the EU economy,creating jobs and wealthin local regions.

Mr. Bouts succeedsStefan Jaenecke, CEO of

Verallia Deutschland, wholed the association for theprevious two years.

The container glassindustry employs some50,000 people in Europe,and FEVE members haveplants in 23 EuropeanMember States.

Dura Temp double appointment

Dura Temp has appointeda Vice President of Salesand Marketing and aTechnical Director.

Erica Jaspers (aboveleft) has been promotedto the position of VicePresident of Sales &Marketing, and WesleyWeaver (above right) toTechnical Director.

Ms. Jaspers started withthe company in 2004 and

was previously Managerof Global Sales andMarketing.

Her leadership ingrowing the sales andmarketing efforts for DuraTemp and knowledge ofthe glass industry willserve Ms. Jaspers well inthis new role.

Mr. Weaver has beenwith the company since2008 and his

responsibilities at DuraTemp have includedproviding technicalsupport to clients.

Mr. Weaver willcontinue to supportclients, provideleadership to Dura Temp’stechnical department andcontribute to the researchand development of newproducts.

International news

CRAFTS LIVE!

// NEW! Applications and products up close on the activity area in Hall 9

// Profi table business fi elds with glass in interior design: Functional and processed glass, e.g. for

showers, walls, fl oors or furniture

// Eff ective know-how: Seminars, lectures and tips for new fi elds of activity

// Automotive glass: Current trends, products and tips for use

www.glasstec.de/crafts

21–24 October 2014

8


ww

w.g

lass

-int

erna

tion

al.c

omInternational News

Bystronic celebrates 50 yearsBystronic Maschinen basedin Buetzberg, Switzerlandcelebrated half a century ofprocessing technology for theglass industry.

The management boardcelebrated this anniversarywith all employees and theirfamilies at an evening eventheld in a circus tent,alongside a company openday in June.

The evening programme ofcorporate entertainment wasaccompanied by culinaryspecialities as well asspeeches from managementspeakers.

For the visitors, it was alsoan opportunity to view thefully-automatic “champ’-speed” automotive glassproduction line inproduction conditions.

Bystronic Maschinen wasfounded in Buetzberg in 1964and, as part of the Bystronic

glass group, has been part ofZurich based Conzzeta since1994.

Since the company wasfounded, BystronicMaschinen has been active inthe development andmanufacture of processingsystems for the fully-automatic cutting, breaking,grinding, drilling andhandling of flat glass.

Following reorganisation

in 2012, the location hasconcentrated exclusively onautomotive glass.

Almost half of all passengercars worldwide are equippedwith glass produced usingproduction units fromBuetzberg.

The 50-year anniversarycelebrations are continuingand will conclude at glasstec2014 in Duesseldorf.

NEWS IN BRIEF

Beatson Clark’s machine caps it allBeatson Clark can nowsupply pharmaceuticalbottles pre-capped thanks toan £80,000 investment.

A new Groninger six-headcapping machine is now inoperation at the company’sRotherham, UK site.

The equipment will allowBeatson Clark to fulfil acontract with a major high

street chemist to supply pre-capped alpha sirops,continental winchesters andbespoke round bottles.

The machine applies a28mm Mediloc cap to glassbottles and can process up to180 containers per minute.

“Safety is a paramountconcern for pharmacists andit’s essential that the correct

cap is applied to the bottle,”said Lynn Sidebottom,Marketing Director..

“Certain pharmaceuticalproducts need to be child-safe and ensuring the correctcap is used also reduces therisk of contamination duringstorage.”

Beatson Clark’s newcapping machine has anassociated UV ink jet codingsystem which applies adate/time stamp code onboth the cap and thecontainer for traceability.

The capping machine ispart of a £12 millioninvestment, which includesan amber furnace to beinstalled in September 2014,new automatic inspectionequipment, a newproduction machine and anupdated computer-aideddesign (CAD) system.

Solar partnershipAsahi Glass Europe andObeikan Glass plan toproduce and market solarcontrol glass together in theMiddle East.

AGC Glass Europe hassigned a letter of intent withObeikan Glass Company, aSaudi Arabian glassmanufacturer, to establish asolar control glass coatingjoint venture.

The processing line forsolar control glass coatingwill be built in Yanbu, SaudiArabia, where ObeikanGlass already operates thelargest float glass plant inthe Gulf.

Operations arescheduled to start in early2016.

Black glass boomsO-I’s black glass portfoliohas increased to 19products as more beer,wine, and distilled spirits-makers opt for the product’sstand-out effect.

In 2010, O-I started toinvestigate ways to betterprotect the contents of abottle and black scoredhighly on two main factors:Aesthetics, and a high UVprotection.

O-I currently producesblack glass at six of itsfacilities, in Brazil,Australia, New York, Atlanta,Ottawa and Scotland,although in theory thepractice could be carried outat any of its sites.

Press Glass boostPress Glass, the largestindependent glassmanufacturer in Europe, isto invest €12 million in itsplant in Radomsko, Poland.

The area of theproduction halls will bedoubled and 200 newemployees are to be hired.

The plant wasestablished in 2008 and isthe company’s newestfactory (the remaining onesare also located in Poland,at Nowa Wie, Tczew andTychy).

To make glass better,

put us in the mix.

© 2013 Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. U.S. +1 800 654 4567 Europe +44 (0) 800 389 0202 Asia +886 2 2521 4161 South America +55 11 3856 1651

tell me more www.airproducts.com/betterglass

Our in-house melting experts can help you improve

combustion to increase glass production, reduce fuel

consumption, improve glass quality, and reduce emissions.

Including NOX, SOX, CO2 and particulate matter every day.

From the very first oxygen enrichment applications

to our latest Cleanfire® burners, we’ve delivered safe,

low-emission oxy-fuel solutions for over 50 years. And,

right now, in addition to providing reliable gas supply, our

team is optimizing production for hundreds of furnaces

all over the world.

Call 800-654-4567 to put the skills and experience

of our global team to work for you. When you want

improved melting, add one key ingredient. Us.

10


ww

w.g

lass

-int

erna

tion

al.c

omGlass profile: Bennu Glass

continued »

Bennuis born

Bennu Glass is the new player onthe block in the US container glass

market. It recently celebrated thesecond anniversary of its furnace being

lit. Despite being in a market dominatedby global giants it is not daunted by the

competition. CEO Jerry Lemieux spoke toGlass International.

- Can you briefly explain the history ofthe company?Bennu Glass was formed by Medley Capital, aprivate investment firm, when the latter boughtsubstantially all of the assets of the formerCameron Family Glass Packaging (CFGP) througha bankruptcy foreclosure sale in March 2010.

Bennu immediately began the long process ofcontracting with Nikolaus Sorg & Co. to design,engineer and install a new oxy-fuel furnace toreplace the failed electric melter that led to theCFGP bankruptcy. This process included thenecessary local and state permits for the facility,and most importantly the air emission permitfrom the State of Washington’s Southwest CleanAir Agency.

Bennu had to hire a complete new workforcefor the factory as there were no employees leftfrom CFGP. Every piece of existing equipmenthad to be recommissioned and the employeestrained.

The new furnace was lit on July 4, 2012, andproduction began later that month.

- How is the company structured andhow many employees are there?Bennu has 95 employees, all located in Kalama,Washington. The corporate staff is comprised ofthe CEO, CFO, Sales Manager and HumanResource Manager; all other employees are infactory operations.

- What markets does the companyserve, and what geographical areas arecovered?Bennu makes wine bottles for California, Oregon,

Washington and Western Canada. It also makes22oz. beer bottles for the vibrant craft brewingindustry in the Pacific Northwest.

- What is your most popular product?Bennu has a family of stock bottles that arepopular with our distributor customers, whopurchase bottles from Bennu to supply thethousands of small wineries on the West Coast.The highest volume bottles are a pair of 467gbottles, one Bordeaux and one Burgundy. Eachbottle is manufactured with either a standardcork finish or a screw-top Stelvin finish.

- It’s been just over two years since thegrand re-opening ceremony of thecompany. What has the time been like? It has been two years of great great successes. Thefactory has preformed beyond our initialexpectations. Bennu’s quality and efficiency rivalany in the industry.

- Did you have an overall business planwhen you took over, and is this nowbeginning to take shape?While the sales ramp-up period took longer thanwe forecast, Bennu is now completely sold out.Prices are slightly lower than we expected,primarily as a result of the influence of importedChinese glass.

- You are a newcomer in a marketwhich includes global giants Owens-Illinois and Ardagh.

11


ww

w.g

lass

-int

erna

tion

al.c

om

Glass profile: Bennu Glass

Does this daunt you?No. The Bennu factory is state-of-the-art, and I’mconfident our quality, productivity and coststructure are all extremely competitive.

- The site has a notable history as aresult of the 2009 leak. Did you haveany second thoughts about basingyourselves on the site in terms of extracosts in repairing the site, and timetaken to repair the site? No. The CFGP site was like finding a new car onthe side of the road, only with an inoperableengine! A new furnace needed to be installed, butthe rest of the factory was basically brand new,and the bottle machines, inspection kit, and load-building equipment were all high quality.

- Similarly, the company was formed in2010, a period when the world economywas in a fragile state due to the reces-sion. Did this play on your mind?No. Despite the economic downturn, wineproduction and consumption (in volume terms)actually grew through this period. We werecomfortable that the long-term demographic andeconomic trends in the wine business supportedwhat is, by its nature, a long-term investmentstrategy.

- Sustainability is the current buzzword within industry at the moment.What ‘green’ credentials do you have?.Bennu may be the ‘greenest’ glass containerfactory in the USA, if not anywhere in the world.Approximately 25% of the melting energy comes

from electric boosting; electricity in Washingtoncomes heavily from hydro and wind powergenerating facilities. The Sorg oxy-fuel furnace isextremely efficient. We are using liquid oxygenin the combustion process, which lowers NOxemissions. We have a bag filter system (fromLuehr in Germany) that removes virtually all SOxand particulate matter. Recycled glass makes up50-70% of our batch formula.

- How much of a challenge is therefrom manufacturers in developingnations, such as China and elsewhere?China has made a big push in wine bottles in theUSA over the past six or seven years. However,there remains a preference among the wineriesand the distributors for a reliable, high-qualitydomestic supplier.

- What does the future hold for BennuGlass?Bennu has a great future ahead of it. Withcapacity sold out, we can focus our attention oncontinuous improvement opportunities in ouroperation, such as pack-to-melt, quality, andcost. The acceptance of Bennu in the market hasbeen great.

Bennu is blessed with a dedicated, talented andcommitted team of employees focused on safety,productivity and the quality needs of ourcustomers. We are definitely here to stay. �

Bennu Glass, Kalama, USA,http://bennuglass.com/

12


ww

w.g

lass

-int

erna

tion

al.c

omGlass profile: O-I R&D Centre

continued »

Owens-Illinois (O-I) has celebrated theofficial opening of its InnovationCenter, a combined R&D and pilot plant

facility.Based at the company’s global headquarters in

Perrysburg, Ohio, the centre has alreadyestablished itself as a valuable asset to thecompany.

Through the Innovation Center, O-I seeks toadvance new concepts in glass production andqualify emerging technologies that couldrevolutionise the process of melting and formingglass.

“The Innovation Center has exceeded ourexpectations in its first few months of operation,”said Ludovic Valette, Global Vice President ofR&D.

“Through extensive collaboration among the

Owens-Illinois celebrates theopening of its Innovation Center

R&D teams, others in the global technologyorganisation, the product innovation team andmanufacturing, we have significantly acceleratedthe pace by which we produce sample bottles forour customers and test changes in the productionprocess.”

The 24,000ft2 facility, which is approximatelyone-tenth the size of a typical manufacturingplant, houses a 20 metric tonne oxy-fuelledfurnace manufactured by Sorg which is 12.1m2(5.5 x 2.2 x1). The furnace can use electricity tomelt glass as a suplment to natural gas.

The centre also includes two production linesand inspection equipment.

On one line sample bottles and trials for newproducts are made, significantly reducing the

� Collecting a glass sample � Furnace and forehearth“The Innovation

Center has exceeded

our expectations in

its first

few months of

operation.”said Ludovic Valette,

Global Vice

President of R&D


Glass profile: O-I R&D Centre

Fast facts

� Construction of the site was completedin 12 months.

� The centre operates 24/7.

� Zero discharge facility; all process wastewater is recycled.

� It can use between 10 to 95% recycled glass in its process, with the goal to use 95%.The other 5% is sand, soda ash and limestone.

� All glass not sent to customers for sample evaluations is recycled back into the process.

� Visual inspection in cold end

L

H

C

hhehe bestsebTTThTh T cchnhnolology aand PePerforrofforengooolneeTTe rmama cceannncr

CoContaacact us n ww:woouscnttvvidroromeecaniica@@vvid@ccwww vvvidroromeecanicacc.wwweel: +3+3351 444 55555 042TTTeTe

roromeecanica.comccca.comc0660

time needed to produce exactly the right bottle andminimising disruption to the manufacturing plants.

The other line is dedicated to research and development, andis being used to develop new technologies and processes formelting and forming glass.

In its first eight months of operation, the centre’s team hasalready produced more than 40 sample bottles for customersand internal development purposes. In 2013/14 the centreproduced four different colours.

“Innovation is a key component of our long term strategy,”said Al Stroucken, chairman and CEO. “This Innovation Centerdemonstrates our belief in glass as the optimal packagingsolution and our confidence that we can shift some of theparadigms around glass manufacturing.” �

Website www.o-i.com

Prof Russell Hand was named President ofthe Society of Glass Technology at thebeginning of the summer. His three-year

term will have him overseeing the Society’s 100-year anniversary in 2016, for which the Societyalready has plans.

For Prof Hand (pictured), the centenaryrepresents an opportunity for the group to moveforward and embrace new technology andcultures.

He has been involved with the SGT for 20years, and has been Senior Editor of the SGTpublications ‘Glass Technology’ and ‘Physics andChemistry of Glasses’, as well as being a UKrepresentative on the International Commissionof Glass (ICG) council.

Now as President, the general plan is to movethe SGT forward.

He states: “One of the focuses is that we have acentenary in 2016. This will be a time ofcelebration. There is always a tendency ofcentenaries to look back. But if that’s all we dowith the centenary then we will have failed and


ww

w.g

lass

-int

erna

tion

al.c

omGlass profile: SGT President

continued »

SGT President with an eye on the future

The UK’s Society of Glass Technology (SGT) recently named Prof Russell Hand asits new President. He spoke to Greg Morris about his plans for the role and

about the Society’s forthcoming centenary in 2016.

14

it will be to the long-term detriment to theSociety.

“I want to look at how we move forward, howwe make the society responsive to the needs ofthe 21st century, dealing with the changes thathave come about in communication andpublication – some of which are of benefit to us.

“People from a different continent can now beinvolved in committee meetings and that wasunthinkable a few years ago. But equally, thiscreates its own challenges in terms of delivery ofpublication, open access models and things thatare out there that provide competition.

“So there are a range of things that we have tolook at and I see that as one of my major roles,but also making sure that the Society doesn’t losewhat it has but is suited to moving into the next100 years.

“I’m very much looking ahead whilerecognising what we have done in the past and

SORG GROUP Stoltestraße 23 97816 Lohr am Main Germany Tel.: +49 9352 / 507- 0 www.wemakeglasspossible.com

SORG GROUP

Everything you need from one partner: raw material

delivery through conditioned glass. And we have

the services you need to keep everything running

24-7-365. The SORG Group. We make glass possible.

we make glass possible

16


ww

w.g

lass

-int

erna

tion

al.c

omGlass profile: SGT President

do not want to belittle that in any sensewhatsoever. “But the world is changing, and wewill have to change to make ourselves relevant tothe next generation of glass engineers andscientists.”

CelebrationsTo celebrate its centenary in 2016 the SGT’sannual meeting that year will be held inconjunction with the European Society’s ofGlass’s own meeting, which will be held inSheffield, UK.

Other plans in the pipeline include a centenarybanquet, and events held in conjunction with theUniversity of Sheffield’s Turner Museum of Glass,such as a Turner lecture.

Professional careerProf Hand has been involved in the glass industryfor 25 years and is a Professor of Glass Science &Engineering at the University of Sheffield, UK.

He readily admits he is an academic rather thanan industrialist. He joined the University’sDepartment of Materials Science and Engineeringin 1989 from Cambridge University. He wasappointed to a Lectureship in 1990 (SeniorLecturer 2001; Reader 2010; Professor 2012) andin 1999 obtained an MEd in Teaching andLearning for University Lecturers.

His two main areas of interest relate to glassstrength and to nuclear waste vitrification. He isinterested in consistently stronger bulk glass,particularly at bulk scale but at an affordable cost.Nuclear vitrification, he states, is a very real andpractical application of glass.

His research areas include Radioactive WasteVitrification where research is focused on glasscomposition development for the immobilisationof ‘difficult’ anionic species and legacy wastesinto vitreous wasteforms.

Another area is Durability of Nuclear WasteGlass where research is focused on understandingthe effects of high pH environments on thedurability of nuclear waste glass using laboratory-based durability test methods.

Prof Hand is also responsible for a field basedlong-term glass burial site at Ballidon, UK (alimestone environment), an experiment now inits 44th year, and which involves collaborationwith the Pacific North-West National Laboratory,USA.

He states: “I’m fascinated by glass because it is avery interesting material that we do not fullyunderstand. Structurally speaking the amorphousnature of it means you have no simple way ofdescribing the structure across space. If you’ve gota crystalline material, once you’ve worked outwhat’s in the unit cell and the positions of theatoms in the unit cell you know the positionsacross space.

“You can’t do that with glass and that thengives rise to a whole range of interestingproperties.

Origins ofthe SGT

In 1916 Dr W. E. S.

Turner, a chemistry

lecturer at Sheffield

University, United

Kingdom, reco-

gnised the impor-

tance of drawing

together in one

organisation the

various groups of

people interested in

glass, and so the

SGT was formed.

From this begin-

ning, the Society

has responded to

the needs of

industry and acade-

mia, and remains a

model for other

glass societies. The

Society continues to

grow in stature with

members in more

than 50 countries.

“Particularly on the mechanical property side,it’s almost your archetypal brittle material andthat raises its own interesting set of challenges ofhow do we improve the properties while at thesame time recognising the reasons it has got someof the other properties that we want, such astransparency.

“This is precisely one of the reasons why it isnot particularly good from a mechanical propertypoint of view. So there’s a whole range ofinteresting fundamental science but alsointeresting engineering and practical glass issues.The two together have kept me very busy.

“The nuclear waste side has got me intocompositional development because there youstart saying ‘ah, lets throw in this range ofelements from the periodic table which is muchwider than you would normally throw in’ andthat raises a set of its own challenges andproblems, to produce something you want to beextremely durable.

“Glass is ideal for it, because you can’t quite callit a universal solvent but it will accommodatemany species from the periodic table.”

Achievements His proudest achievements so far in his career arespecific projects that raise more questions.

He states: “A good project always raises morequestions. I’m interested in things that willhopefully have a long-term application but bybeing an academic I’ve always been at the lowerTRL levels, well away from the productionenvironment, not because I’m against it butbecause it’s the area I work in.”

He is also proud of the work of the SGT andwhat it has achieved in the past 100 years.

He states: “The SGT brings academics andindustrialists together through technicalcommittees and the various groups that run theSGT, such as its council. Meetings such as FurnaceSolutions, which is more industry focused, bringsindustrialists together to discuss very real practicalproblems.

“The event also includes a training day to fill insome of the gaps that currently exist in glasseducation. These sorts of activities arefundamentally important.

“Our annual meeting tends to be morescientific, although there is an industrial elementto it. It brings together academics from outsidethe UK, mainly Europe but we are global and havemembers in North America, Australia and India.

“Everyone receives one of two journals as partof their fee, which they can get electronically orhard-copy. So the SGT is worthwhile for a mixtureof networking and for useful technicalinformation.” �

Society of Glass Technology, Sheffield, UKwww.sgt.org

“I want to look

at how we move

forward, how we

make the society

responsive to the

needs of the 21st

century”

> Progress driver No.22

Hot End Package

The ultimate solution for New Float Glass Producers

*

http//:glass.fivesgroup.com

* Fives Hot End package which includes Melting Furnace (MF), Tin Bath (TB), Annealing Lehr (AL) and Air Pollution Control (APC) is for New Float Glass Producers (NFP) the best solution for securing their investment (SI) and making it profitable!

Since the beginning of the 90’s, Fives has engaged in a resolute development strategy to become the independent technological leader and the trustworthy partner of the new float glass makers. With already 20 Hot Ends successfully operating worldwide and 5 new process lines being implemented in Saudi Arabia, Turkey, India, Russia and Brazil, Fives is clearly the preferred supplier of the new entrants to the float glass industry.

Can you give a brief overview of thecompany’s history?Thor International is a designer, manufacturerand marketing company of high-tech elementsthat provides integrated solutions in each of itsdivisions.

We have been in the market for 10 yearsperforming high-precision manufacturing insectors such as Defense and Aeronautical for theColombian government.

Thor international just recently started its newdivision, Thor Glass, with a concept dedicated tomould design for glass container manufacturers.We are offering our customers throughout theworld engineering created in top of the linesoftware, with the best technical team andcustomer support.

Having a reliable and outsourced engineeringsupplier means that container manufacturershave the option to quote mould equipment fromany manufacturer worldwide, choosing the bestoption either in price or delivery times. Thiscreates huge savings (up to 30% in price and 50%in time) for their companies without being tieddown by mould manufacturers that own theengineering.

Glass International May 2014

ww

w.g

lass

-int

erna

tion

al.c

omCompany profile: Thor International

continued »

Colombian group makes inroadsinto glass industrySally Roberts met with Colombia’s Thor International, todiscuss the company’s foray into the container glass industry.

18

How many employees does thecompany have?30, of which almost 70% are engineering andtechnical.

What markets does Thor serve?Latin America and Colombia, but a project likethis has the advantage of being able to work forany customer in the world: The customerrequirements as well as the finished product arehandled via the internet, making thegeographical location irrelevant. Our aim in ThorGlass is to serve customers in all of the fivecontinents.

What areas of the glass industry isThor involved in? Container and hollow glass.

What prompted the company to moveinto the container glass industry?Some of our employees have worked in the glassindustry for several years with some of theleading companies in the world; this experience

Glass International May 2014

ww

w.g

lass

-int

erna

tion

al.c

om

continued »

gave us a global vision about the big opportunityof this market.

From our previous work experience, wewitnessed firsthand the lockdown that mouldmanufacturers have on the glass containermanufacturers, tying down the engineering tothe manufacturing. We offer to break this chain!

The glass container companies are clear abouttheir core business, which is making containers.Having large engineering departments implieshuge costs during short engineering periods,whereas with our option they only pay for whatthey really need. It is in our best interest to havea fast turnaround; we make a profit by beingefficient.

All of the mould manufacturers tell theircustomers that the engineering is free with theprice of the equipment; this of course should foolno one! We believe that the only real argument isto tie the glass plants down. We are looking tochange this.

We believe the mould engineering belongs tothe container manufacturer, not the mouldmanufacturer, and we supply our customers withall of the information they need to decide who togo to in the future.

What percentage of Thor’s business iswith the glass industry?25%, but this project is just getting started and weintend to grow by leaps and bounds within thenext year.

What geographical regions arecurrently most important to Thor?Our customers in the US and Europe willprobably benefit most from our rates, butcustomers in Asia, Africa and Latin America willsurely benefit most with our engineering level.

Looking ahead to the next five years,where will the company’s efforts willbe focused, geographically?Our easiest market is probably Latin America, butas we are offering a knowledge-based product we

� The Thor plant in Colombia

� Thor Glass has a concept

dedicated to mould design

for glass container

manufacturers

19

are targeting customers all around the world; oursolution is as relevant for customers fromAustralia to Portugal and from Russia to Chile.

Looking ahead to the next five years,where will the company’s efforts willbe focused, in terms of technical orstrategic developments?We will stay at the cutting edge of software,materials and manufacturing processes for theindustry. Our engineers will be constantly up todate, so as to offer our customers the mostreliable and efficient designs for their mouldequipment.

What is the greatest challenge facedby Thor?Changing a paradigm is never easy, andconvincing companies that have operated thesame way for decades can be difficult – but thelogic is irrefutable and the benefits in time andmoney are just too great for any company toignore. Starting a new business takes a lot ofperseverance, but when you have a good productand a game plan it is just a matter of time.

What does the future hold for Thor?Any expansion plans? We aim to continuously grow while offering ourcustomers and community constantimprovement and benefits. In the near future wewill offer our customers more and improvedproducts that will make their processes easier,more reliable and efficient. �

Thor International, Colombia. www.thorint.com

20Glass International July/August 2014

ww

w.g

lass

-int

erna

tion

al.c

omBritish Glass

Gareth Jones British Glass

British Glass (BG) has recently undertaken astrategic roadmapping process with twospecific objectives: To produce a de-

carbonisation roadmap as well as a wider strategicindustry roadmap.

The process of creating the roadmaps has been,and still is, just as important as the production ofthe document itself. The process has involved theindustry communicating and working together inpartnership towards a common goal, in this casethe sustainability and growth of the UK glassmanufacturing industry.

The aim of these roadmaps is to answerimportant questions for both the wider glassindustry and BG as the representative body of theglass manufacturing industry, such as whichdirection do we want or need to go in and how dowe get there?

The roadmap concept was originally developedby Motorola in the 1970’s with the then CEO, BobGalvin, defining it as ‘an extended look at thefuture of a chosen field of inquiry composed fromthe collective knowledge and imagination of thebrightest drivers of change in that field’.

This explanation has stood the test of time andis still relevant to our roadmap activity today.

WorkshopsThere have been a number of workshops held todate with a wide range of senior executives fromacross the industry and key members of thesupply chain. This activity has brought togetherstakeholders with different perspectives to buildagreement on key challenges, opportunities andactions and has facilitated ongoing dialogue.

The added benefits of the process have includednetworking and relationship building, ideageneration, collaboration, knowledge sharing andlearning. Within the workshops sessions, open

discussions were held around the challenges,potential innovations, developments, threats,opportunities and trends that may affect the glassindustry. Key themes identified included:

� Skills shortages along with an ageingworkforce and a lack of succession planning.

� Problems with attracting and retainingtalent and the need to change the perception ofthe industry at a school, college and universitylevel to encourage talent to enter the industry andsee it as a viable career option.

� A need for further innovation and creativitywithin the industry.

� Resource issues concerning materials andenergy.

� Legislation in terms of raising awareness inGovernment and among policy makers.

� Marketing of glass as a material to the supplychain and end-users and the need to betterpromote the benefits of glass to the supply chain,Government and consumers.

� Collaboration within the industry and withpartners such as academia and other industries.

Key actions and outcomesThe lack of skill levels both within the industryand in recruiting appropriately skilled employeeswas seen as a priority by the group, and throughThe Glass Academy project and Women inManufacturing, British Glass has already startedto address these challenges by engaging with theexisting and next generation workforce.

Through the ‘Employer Ownership of SkillsPilot’, a part-Government funded initiative, TheGlass Academy has been busy building links witheducation, industry and key political departments,

continued »

Developing a glass industryroadmap to 2050

What is an industry roadmap, and why do we need one? Gareth Jones* answers these questions, and outlinesthe aim to capture the high level ambitions of the glass industry, and develop strategies to make them happen.

“Which direction

do we want or need

to go in and how do

we get there.”


British Glass

funding a range of training interventions, facilitating theemployment of young people and designing industry specifictraining programmes.

Another of the key actions that British Glass is now driving asa result of the strategic roadmap process is the celebration andpromotion of glass as a material. As Dave Dalton, British GlassCEO, likes to say, it is ‘a material that has its technologicalhorizon still ahead of it’.

The concept of ‘Brand Glass’ has been launched to start tohighlight the innovative work that is being undertaken withinthe glass industry and reflect the positive messages surroundingglass across the sector.

This consumer-led and Government focused initiative willengage with these target audiences to encourage their supportand promote the progressive nature of the industry, emphasisethe R&D and technological developments across the sector andensure the benefits of glass are communicated so it becomes thematerial of choice.

The industry must come together to collaborate and build anew vision for the future by investing in new technologies,improved capabilities and the necessary skills to thrive, andthrough the roadmaps, this is developing into a reality.

This is an ongoing interactive process and further workshopswill be held over the next few months. Please contact GarethJones at British Glass for further details, if you have anyquestions or would like to get involved. �

*Project Manager, The Glass Academy and British GlassEmail [email protected] Website: www.britglass.co.uk

� �Above and below: A number of workshops have already been held with

many senior executives from the industry taking part


ww

w.g

lass

-int

erna

tion

al.c

omHistory

Prof. John ParkerTurner Museum of Glass and ICG

Blue glaze for me is indelibly linkedto fine tableware and cucumbersandwiches. I still recall the exotic

images decorating my elderly aunt’swillow pattern plates and how theyoffered an escape from adultconversation.

ColourThe Chinese were using cobalt-rich oresto create their evocative images 5000years ago. These ores occurred naturally,but elementary cobalt was first isolatedand characterised only in 1735. Its namederives from the German ‘Kobold’meaning goblin, which itself originatesfrom the Greek ‘cobalos’ meaning ‘mine’.This sobriquet was given to cobalt ores bysilver miners, who recognised a linkbetween them and the quality of thesilver extracted. But then, one man’s meatis another’s poison.

Egyptian Glass makers also realisedcobalt’s colouring qualities. Early stainedglass windows incorporated both cobaltfor deeper and copper for lighter blues.400 years ago an English chemist(Cookworthy) held the rights to sell inEngland industrial quality cobalt mineralsfrom Saxony, importing them into Bristol.They dissolved easily in glass and lowconcentrations conferred an intense andstable blue hue.

Simultaneously, Ravencroft’s lead crystalglasses, noted for easy hand-working andlack of iron discolouration, weresuccessfully competing with VenetianCristallo. The rich blue glass created byadding cobalt to lead crystal carriedadditional overtones of wealth and status.Cookworthy allocated the rights topurchase his ores liberally. The local glassindustry expanded rapidly, producing‘Bristol Blue’ ware. At its height 17separate glassworks were melting thiscomposition, although production ceasedin the early 20th century. Now Bristol Bluehas again become highly collectable and

currently two glassworks in Bristol make it.Others also appreciated the

opportunities that blue glass productionpresented. One market was to alchemists,keen to display their lotions and potionsto maximum effect. Several colours wereused (blue, amber, green, red and yellow).Certain colours became associated withpoisons, including blue, while surfaceprofiling allowed identification in thedark. Such features were not initiallycontrolled by legislation but were adoptedby custom and practice, and certainproducts dispensed in blue glass such ascastor oil were only regarded as poisonsby the young, forced to imbibe them.

Protection & illuminationColour offered more benefits thanbranding alone. Another was to protectthe contents. Strong sunlight causedheating and could spoil the contents.Initially there was little appreciation thatthe blue end of the spectrum wasparticularly deleterious, that the moreenergetic blue, violet and ultraviolet lightcould initiate reactions which spoiledtaste and reduced the medicine’s efficacy.

Even by the 19th century though,experimentalists realised that the bestprotection was offered by yellow andamber glasses, whose colour arises fromtheir strong absorption of blue light. Blueglasses were less effective, as theytransmitted damaging blue light, andpharmacists slowly abandoned them.Now glass collectors seek out hand-made,blue glass medical containers, and pricescan reach hundreds of pounds.

Glasses used for illumination have alsobenefitted from cobalt. Incandescentlamps are too red and a little cobalt in theglass envelope can improve colour,although reduce efficiency. One patentproposes its addition to mirror glass.Because silver reflects less blue than red,cobalt doped glasses, which absorb red,can balance the image colour. Cobalt blue

glasses were commonly used as eyeprotectors when examining hot furnaces,the colour seen also being a sensitiveindicator of temperature.

Only low cobalt concentrations areneeded for colouring so efficient batchmixing is an issue; two-step dilution isneeded either by using a pre-preparedcobalt-rich glass concentrate (smalt) or bypremixing the minerals with sand.Another approach was to case a partiallyblown clear glass with a thin, stronglycoloured, blue glass; selectively removingthis layer gives the glass artist flexibility.

Because cobalt concentrations are low,physical properties change little. Stressescaused by contraction mismatches duringcooling of joined coloured and clear glasspieces should be negligible. Often thoughthe glass makers’ experience was differentand Turner, English & Winks, at SheffieldUniversity, investigated this. Critically,cobalt absorbs infrared light atwavelengths where the glass wouldnormally be transparent. Glass baths hadsteeper temperature gradients and earlyblue glass furnaces were necessarilyshallower than those for clear glass. Butequally hot blue glass emitted more heatand so cooled more quickly, causing theunexpected stresses in the glassware.Similarly machines making blue ratherthan clear glass containers could be run10% faster.

Cobalt is still added to glass becauseiron impurities give it a greenish tinge.Decolourisation requires traces of cobaltplus selenium pink. Red, blue and greenbalance each other and the glass appearscolourless, although with a reducedtransmission. Our cobalt blue makes atleast one of the many shades of grey. �

BibliographyW.A. Weyl, Coloured Glasses, Society ofGlass Technology, 1951Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, CRCPress, 1974

One shade of blue

E-Glass Installations up to 3,500kW in oxy-fired furnaces for extra tonnage and improvingglass quality to eliminate strand breakages.

Container Glass Various installations inflint and coloured glasses, up to 2,500kW forincreased output and quality.

Float Glass Boosting installations fromsingle zone 1,000kW designs to 3 zone 6,000kWinstallations, for increasing clear output, maintainingoutput on tinted glass, energy substitution andreducing emissions. Multiple bubbler installations.

Display Glass Numerous installations ofup to 1000kW installed power for TFT/LCD glassesusing tin oxide electrode blocks to achieveexceptional glass quality.

Electric Furnaces Developing newfurnace designs for most glass types, includingopal. Complete technical back-up for melting qualityimprovement from raw materials though toforehearth, including all operational problems.Trouble shooting service on all types of existingfurnace designs.

The World,s Number One

in Furnace TechnologyTel +44 (0) 1736 366 962Fax +44 (0) 1736 351 198Email [email protected]

www.fic-uk.comFIC (UK) LimitedLong Rock Industrial Estate, Penzance Cornwall TR20 8HX, United Kingdom

Tomorrow,s Technology Today

The World’s leading glass companies come toFIC with their Electric Boost/Heating projects


ww

w.g

lass

-int

erna

tion

al.c

omAbividro

Abividro

The importance of retainingtalent in the glass industry

Despite the rapid evolution oftechnology (especially in the areasof mechanics and electronics),

alongside the ease of communication andinformation via the internet, the glassindustry still encounters difficultiespreparing the necessary manpower.

Specialised manufacturing of productsincreasingly requires quality, costreduction, competitiveness, sustainabilityand to remain on the market in the face offierce competition from other types ofpackaging.

This article highlights what the possibleoptions are within the industry, so itsskilled labour may have continuity andthe ability to keep up with newtechnology.

Glassmaking traditionWe know that traditionally glassmakinghas always been carried out internally,with employees trained to keep themethods and processes secret and to notpromote the dissemination of thisknowledge. The experience andknowledge of ancient glassmakers,therefore, often ends when they retire.

Furthermore, with the absence ofvocational courses in the glass sector, wecontinue to train professionals ‘in-house’because current technology requires themto have a broader knowledge of theprocess.

There is a special need to prepare theworkforce that, as part of their job, mustdiscuss the process from the raw materialto the final product with the client.

This is undoubtedly a challenge,because as we prepare these professionals,how do we create communicationchannels between them and how do wetrain them?

Amazingly, the speed of data

communication seems to have led to adifficulty in terms of interaction betweenpeople. The result is an informationoverload and lack of knowledge in thisspecialised workforce.

They need to touch, to see whathappens, talk, exchange ideas, see theresults, and disseminate knowledge. Infact, this approach needs to be instigatedand managed by stakeholders, includingthe guidance and exchange ofinformation from experiencedprofessionals in the areas involved.

Two-pronged approachIt is a difficult task because it requires atwo-pronged approach to be effective:The expert that teaches also needs tolisten to the expert that learns, and bothmust come to an equal position.

The professional on the shop floorneeds constant training, and updatedguidance on the overall knowledge of theprocess. Professionals who have thisknowledge should be encouraged totransfer this baggage acquired duringyears of work, via teaching and trainingprogrammes.

The glass industry, knowing thedifficulty in training skilled labour, needsto promote the training of futureprofessionals through the knowledge andexperience of those considered ‘older’,and recognise that they can contribute,even after retirement.

Our experience has shown that thisprogramme gives results when thedemands of training originate exactlyfrom the base of the pyramid, i.e. fromthe needs of shop floor and theirimmediate superiors.

Mutual respect between experts andthose being trained leads to a synergy thatallows participants to create, design,

study, help and not be absorbed by theday-to-day problems of a company.

We've had amazing results when ourprofessionals realise that the company isgiving an opportunity to open a directdialogue between those who produce andthose who take our products tocustomers.

This means that we must show themthe entire production chain and theresponsibility of each within theorganisation.

The professional on the shop floor iseager for information and does not alwaysreceive it in a proper way.

Experts are a fundamental part in thistraining and dissemination of knowledge,since having the experience of actualcases helps prevent a repetition of theproblems usually caused by the lack ofinformation available to youngprofessionals.

An important point to note is theretention of talent in the glass industrycan survive and is effective if you have thefull support of the company.

This is not only a strategic plan forcontinuity and improvement oftechnology in industry, but is alsorecognition of the value of training.

We must remember that today'sprofessionals must be prepared to befuture teachers and thereby leave a legacythat will allow the continuity ofglassmaking expertise necessary tomaintaining the nobility of the glass. �

*Technical Committee Member, BrazilianTechnical Association of Automatic GlassIndustries (Abividro) São Paulo, Brazil.www.abividro.org.br

Edison Toporcov* highlights the importance of training and continuous dialogue, and how this ensuresthe glassmaking tradition stays up to date in a world of rapidly changing technology.

Don’t let your moneygo to waste

Glassbondingmade more profi table through:

ExactaBlend AGP

Guaranteed waste reduction 100 % Mixing ratio assurance Quick & easy start up

Calculate your return on investmentg2.exactablend.eu

EME Maschinenfabrik Clasen GmbH • E - M a i l : c o n t a c t @ e m e . d e • w e b s i t e : w w w. e m e . d e

NEW GENERATION OF BATCH CHARGER INTRODUCED

The new EME-NEND® generation features chargers with one, two or three screws. Small melting furnaces can now enjoy all benefi ts of the world´s best charging technology. In addition the charging performance and lifetime was increased again.

• Completely sealed Doghouse

• No uncontrolled entry of false air into the furnace

• Reduction of NOx emissions and of energy consumption

• Considerably less dust formation due to the transport by means of screw conveyors

• Optimal batch distribution in the glass melting

• Quick and easy exchange of the screws

• Even huge melting furnaces can be operated with one charger and a single doghouse

LESS EMISSION. BETTER PERFORMANCE.THE EME-NEND® BATCH CHARGER.

27


Hollow glass

ww

w.g

lass

-int

erna

tion

al.c

om

Hollow glass for the storage of oilsand ointments has been in usefor a long time, with evidence

dating back 3500 years. The propertiesof the material were valued greatly at thetime and are still among its majorquality characteristics today.

Glass is made of natural raw materials,can be moulded into an infinite numberof shapes and is inert, i.e. the materialdoes not react with its content.

This means there is virtually nointeraction between the container andthe product, and is therefore anexcellent packaging material – not justfor food and drinks, but for cosmetics,pharmaceuticals and numerouschemical products.

Bottles, jars and flacons are producedby the container glass industry, whichforms the ‘hollow glass’ market segmenttogether with the domestic glass sector(drinking glasses, tableware glass, giftitems.)

Two success factorsOne of the most importantdevelopments in hollow glass over thepast few years has been the developmentof lightweight glass.

Without sacrificing strength, theindustry has gradually succeeded in

reducing the weight of different glasspackages by up to 60%.

This has produced benefits in thehandling and transportation ofproducts, while also leading tosubstantial savings in raw materials andenergy.

Apart from the weight, anotherincreasingly important element isproduct design. Anyone wanting tostand out among the crowd ofcompetitors must produce high-qualityproducts that appeal to the consumer.

It is therefore worthwhile investing inthe development of packaging andsuitable production facilities.

According to the Glass PackagingAction Forum, an initiative of theGerman container glass industry, therehas been a 39% European-wide increasein the consumption of productspackaged in glass.

This upward trend is partly due to areduction in weight and partly to thepositioning of glass as anenvironmentally friendly and trendyform of packaging.

Ecologically sustainableOne factor that is providing the hollowglass industry with a positive outlook isthe increasingly important aspect of

sustainability. Glass is essentially made from raw

materials that are available inabundance and which occur naturally,i.e. quartz sand, soda, lime anddolomite. It is 100% recyclable and canbe turned into new products. This makesglass products resource-efficient, eco-friendly and sustainable.

Recycled glass has in fact come to bethe most important input material forglass packaging. Its share in newly madepackaging is 60% on average throughoutEurope.

Another important benefit is itsreusability: Within a reusable glasssystem a glass bottle, for instance, can beused up to 50 times before beingrecycled.

Energy as a cost driverDespite the benefits of its products, thecontainer glass industry is incompetition with alternative packagingmaterials, such as metal and, above all,plastic. But even within the glassindustry the market is highlycompetitive.

continued »

Hollow glass industry overview

The hollow glass industry is faced with intense international competition. Tosecure their future, manufacturing companies are developing products and

building energy-saving production facilities.

28


ww

w.g

lass

-int

erna

tion

al.c

omHollow glass

Companies face fierce internationalcompetition and increasing pressurefrom imported goods, so the situation innational markets is often difficult.

Within the EU in particular, glassmanufacturers are subject to strict legalrequirements concerning environmentalprotection, safety at work, compliancewith legal regulations and, above all,rising energy costs – competitive factorswhich are more difficult than incountries with lower standards.

This applies especially to German

container glass manufacturers, becausethey must also bear the burden ofGermany’s renewable energy levy (underthe German Renewable Energies Act), ameasure introduced to help usher in theenergy turnaround, as envisaged by thecountry’s political decision- makers.

According to Dr. Hans-Joachim Konz,President of the German Association ofthe Glass Industry (BV Glas), only 13%1

of all companies in the German glassindustry (about 400 in total) wereexempt from this charge – an exemptionthat was granted to safeguard theeconomic future of an area and whichwas intended for energy-intensiveenterprises, so that they could pay a

much lower price per kilowatt hour ofelectricity.

After the EU Commission hadclassified this practice as an illegitimatesubsidy, the German Government nowwants to either reduce the number ofenergy-intensive companies exemptfrom the levy or restructure the systemof discount ratios.

When the agreement with the EUCommission was announced on 8 April2014, it was still difficult to see how thismight impact glass manufacturers.

Carbon emission certificatesAnother burden for the container glassindustry is the cost of carbon emissioncertificates. The decision as to whetherEurope’s glass industry is to be put backon the so-called Carbon Leakage List willnot be available until the end of 2014.

Carbon leakage means thatgreenhouse emissions are outsourced tonon-EU countries in cases wheremanufacturers are no longer able tooperate competitively in their ownregion and where they would otherwisehave to cease production.

Sectors that are included on the list aregiven the relevant certificates for free.Dr. Johann Overath, CEO of BV Glas, continued »

emphasises that in this context,however, ‘for free’ does not mean that it‘incurs no costs’:

“Thanks to extremely high benchmarkfigures and the cross correction factor, itis estimated that 65% of certificates willbe given to German glass manufacturersfor free. However, as there will be anupper limit to allocation, all glassmanufacturers – including those ofcontainer glass – will still need topurchase emission rights”.1

Moreover, Brussels will be addingfurther complications as the EUParliament has now agreed to thepractice of backloading, whereby carboncertificates are removed from emissionstrading in order to create an artificialscarcity on the market and to increaseprices.

The increase in cost pressure isintended to promote environmentalprotection. BV Glas, however, believesthat this is sending out the wrongsignals. The association maintains thatbackloading misses the mark, as it isprecisely the energy-intensive glassindustry that has massively investedinto technology with greater efficiencyover the last few years, so that itspotential has now largely reached itslimits.1

Not only has the industry achievedsubstantial reductions in carbonemissions, but it has also madeconsiderable progress in minimisingNOX (nitrogen oxide) emissions,particularly through measures thatinterfere directly with the combustionprocess in a melting furnace (primarymeasures).

Energy-saving measuresAccording to cost structure statisticspublished by the German FederalStatistical Office in 2013, the share ofenergy costs in the gross output value ofhollow glass production was 14.9% in2011, while this value was on average8.6% for the entire industry, i.e.comprising glass and glass productmanufacturers.2

In view of high energy costs, hollowglass manufacturers can only remaincompetitive if they use innovative,energy-saving production methods.

This is another area where theindustry has made great progressrecently: According to the GlassPackaging Action Forum, the use of

� Glass manufacturers have substantially

reduced their energy consumption and their

emission of pollutants over the last few years.

Photo: Schott

New things are coming. See us at:

OmniLab

TEL+1.724.482.2163

w things arNe

+1.724.482.2163 WEBAGRINTL.COM E-MAIL

oming. See us ae cw things ar

[email protected]

t:

energy in melting equipment wentdown 77% between 1970 and 2006. Thebiggest share of these savings was due togreater efficiency in production facilities(-32%).

Other savings were achieved throughweight reductions of glass products (-25%) and the addition of recycled glass(-20%). The required melting energy isreduced by 3% for every 10% of brokenglass that is used in this process.

The European hollow glass industrytherefore benefits substantially from itshigh recycling rate, which – according tolatest reports from the Glass PackagingAction Forum – was 83% in Germany in2012. The European Container GlassFederation, FEVE, reported an EU-wideaverage of 70% for the same period.

Two important partners ofGermany’s container and industrialglass manufacturers in theimplementation of the latesttechnologies are the ResearchAssociation of the German GlassIndustry (HVG) and the GermanGlass Engineering Society (DGG).

Both organisations have supporteddevelopments in the glass industry formany years.

HVG and DGG promote research atthe interface between academia andindustry, maintain laboratories, offer awide range of advisory services to answercomprehensive questions on glasstechnology, and provide informationthrough publications and trainingevents on the latest developments andfindings in research.

Greater production efficiencyTo combat high energy costs and theinflux of cheap imported products, theindustry has to use highly efficienttechnology. This is especially true forGermany as a country with high wages.

“What it means is that companies inthe glass industry must have the bestavailable technology, energy-efficientand largely automated facilities andmachinery as well as a suitablyefficient and motivating organisation ofwork routines,” says Dr. Jürgen Dispanfrom the IMU Institute in Stuttgart inhis analysis ‘Glass Industry inGermany’, published in January2014.3

It is apparently not a matter ofprocess speeds but also of ensuring ahigh level of flexibility. One majoroperational issue, particularly in thecontainer glass industry, has been thequestion of conversion flexibility due to

frequent changes in glass types, and Dr.Dispan anticipates another significantincrease in retooling over the next fewyears.3

He describes the glass industry asinvestment-driven: Unless there issufficient investment, he says,companies are likely to suffer greatly intheir future viability.

According to Dr. Dispan, as well ashaving to conduct the necessary coldrepairs to optimise melting tanks, theglass industry is engaged in acompetition for innovation to secure

unique selling propositions andtechnology leadership.

The strategy towards this goal, he says,involves not only the development ofinnovative products but also, amongother things, innovative methods andprocesses to improve the efficiency ofoperational routines.3

glasstec 2014The extent to which any existingpotential can be realised largely dependson the innovative strength of glass

machine and plant manufacturers, whocan provide the industry with morebreathing space through forward-looking technologies.

Dr. Bernd Holger Zippe, Chairman ofthe Glass Engineering Forum within theGerman Engineering Federation(VDMA), said in a press release publishedin November 2013: “There is a goodlevel of demand from the speciality andhollow glass industry. Many Germancompanies have therefore opted forspecial applications and for the solutionof technically demanding challenges.

“Other business sectors with goodprospects are apparently the engineeringof customised plants and machinery andthe provision of services. In 2014 theindustry is mainly expecting newinvestments in the hollow glass sector.”

glasstec 2014 will be showing forward-looking production and handlingsolutions provided by glass machine andplant manufacturers – solutions that canhelp towards further improvements tothe performance of the hollow glassindustry.

The leading global trade fair for theglass industry will be held in Düsseldorffrom the 21st to the 24th October.

As on previous occasions, asymposium will be held, accompanyingthe special exhibition glass technologylive. At this symposium informationabout the latest developments will beprovided by HüttentechnischeVereinigung der DeutschenGlasindustrie (HVG), DeutscheGlastechnische Gesellschaft (DGG) andthe Glass Technology Forum within theVDMA. �

Bibliography1. GlasNews, newsletter of the GermanAssociation of the Glass Industry (BVGlas), December issue 2013.2. Statistisches Bundesamt (FederalGerman Statistical Office),Produzierendes Gewerbe, Kostenstrukturder Unternehmen des VerarbeitendenGewerbes sowie des Bergbaus und derGewinnung von Steinen und Erden,Wiesbaden 4 June 2013, p. 308.3. Dispan, Dr. Jürgen, Glasindustrie inDeutschland – Eine Branchenanalyse,Industriegewerkschaft Bergbau, Chemie,Energie (ed.), Hanover Jan. 2014.

Sebastian Pflügge, [email protected]

30


ww

w.g

lass

-int

erna

tion

al.c

omHollow glass

� Efficient production engineering is

indispensable for container glass manufacturers

wanting to maintain their competitive

positions on the international market.

Photo: Messe Düsseldorf

PROVEN APPLICATIONS IN A 65 YEAR HISTORY

FOR THE GLASS INDUSTRY

PSR System 500Forehearths

and Distributors.

GUARANTEED*performance where

the glassmakerneeds it most.

*Subject to technical specification, terms and conditions System 500 forehearths and

distributors are offered with guarantees covering temperature stability, thermal homogeneity and

fuel consumption.

Are yours?

ENGINEERED SOLUTIONS FOR GLASS CONDITIONING PROBLEMS

PARKINSON-SPENCER REFRACTORIES LTDHolmfield, Halifax, West Yorkshire, UK. HX3 6SX

Tel: (44) (0) 1422 254472 • Fax: (44) (0) 1422 254473Email: [email protected] • www.parkinson-spencer.co.uk

WHEN YOUR REPUTATION IS ON THE LINEDepend on us.Are you experiencing downtime due to the lifetime of your ware handling materials? POCO’s premium GLASSMATE® grade offers exceptional wear resistance in the hot end process.

Need to increase your pack rate? Depend on us.

Visit www.glassmate.com to find out how GLASSMATE solutions can significantly reduce downtime and checking.

ISO 9001:2008 & AS9100:2009POCO® and GLASSMATE® are registered trademarks of Poco Graphite, Inc.

HIGH PERFORMANCE FEEDER EXPENDABLES FOR ALL TYPE AND SIZE OF FOREHEARTHS FROM 3 TPD TO 150 TPD

SPECIAL CERAMICS PVT. LTD.906, Gopal Heights, Netaji Subhash Place, Pitampura, New Delhi-110034, INDIA

Ph: +91-47701151-4, Fax: +91 47701154, Emai: [email protected]

33


Glass machinery

ww

w.g

lass

-int

erna

tion

al.c

omThanks to new products, services

and strategies, German glassmachinery manufacturers

continue to expand their global marketposition.

Take, for instance, glass machinerymanufacturer Grenzebach, which hasworked feverishly on developing itselffrom a conventional automationprovider into a solutions provider ofcomplete manufacturing plants.

Robert Luxenhofer, Sales Director forthe display segment, says: “Our goal is toinvest in new technologies and gain adeeper understanding of factoryprocesses.” The company hassuccessfully tackled the first steps on thispath. For example, it has marketed andsold systems for loading and unloadingdisplay coaters for thin film transistor(TFT) displays since 2009. About 50 suchsystems are deployed globally today.

The future, however, belongs to

organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs).Displays manufactured with thistechnology offer advantages over TFTs,which are still common today, includinga sharper picture, wider viewing angleand reduced energy consumption.

That was reason enough forGrenzebach to explore the topic further,resulting in equipment for loading andunloading display coaters for OLEDdisplays. Its functions parallel those ofthe TFT display system, but thetechnology used in its implementationis fundamentally different: In contrast toTFTs, which are produced using thecleanroom procedure, the OLEDmanufacturing process takes place in anultra-high vacuum and thus in an airlessspace. The requirements, saysLuxenhofer, “are decidedly morestringent.”

Among other things, neither the usualway of transporting the panels by

gripping and suctioning them norcurrent drives can be used in a highvacuum environment.

But Grenzebach technicians havefound practical solutions based on theexisting system for loading andunloading TFT display coaters. “Wemodified the line accordingly,” saysLuxenhofer, as he tries not to reveal toomuch information. Just this: The screwsalone, made of silver, are worth about€30,000 per line.

A holistic strategyGrenzebach’s work in the architecturalglass segment offers further evidence ofthe company’s holistic strategy.

In September last year, themanufacturer started offering completeturnkey packages, which include the

continued »

German glass machinery readyfor glasstec

German glass machinerymanufacturers continueto expand their globalmarket leadershipposition. Their efforts arebacked by the GermanEngineering Federation(VDMA), home to morethan 90% of Germanmanufacturers.

� Grenzebach robot technology being used to load

and unload a vertical coater.

34


ww

w.g

lass

-int

erna

tion

al.c

omGlass machinery

necessary equipment for coating. In fact,says Dr. Jens Ellrich, who heads thecoating technology department, theycome ‘with everything that goes alongwith that, including processengineering.’ The aim is to use glasstecto introduce the topic to a broader tradeaudience for the first time.

Moreover, says Ellrich, the company isable to service not just its ownequipment but also machinery andplants from virtually any othermanufacturer, especially those made bymanufacturers that have sincedisappeared from the market.

Insulating glassGrenzebach isn’t the only German glassmachinery manufacturer with a lot tooffer to glasstec visitors.

Another is Bystronic glass, which willpresent speed'line at the trade fair,currently the world’s fastest productionline for triple-pane insulating glass.

According to Peter Nischwitz, who’s incharge of corporate communications,the line can be used to produce triple-pane insulating glass in the same time asdouble-pane insulating glass on anyother line, including the company’s ownand competitor products.

Simulation softwareTriple-pane insulating glass has been onthe market for quite some time, but so-called total cost of ownership (TCO)software – which the manufacturer willalso present at the trade fair – is new.

It lets users quickly and easily simulatethe entire production process for anyinsulating-glass line supplied byBystronic glass.

Among other things, the softwarecalculates exact cycle times, materialquantities and the cost per unit ofinsulating glass. Even logistics expenses,including labour costs, can be calculatedwith extreme precision – if necessary,down to the last euro. What really turnsthe tool into a show-stopper, though, isits ability to simulate any changewhatsoever in the plant’s configuration.The various components can also beexchanged freely.

Moreover, simulations for variouswarm-edge spacer materials can be run.Not only does data collected in this wayfacilitate the rapid and uncomplicatedoptimisation of production processes onexisting lines, it can also be used forhigh-precision alignments of the waythe lines function and the needs ofcustomers. Even exact ROI calculations

are possible to figure out the time ittakes to amortise expenses for new linesor newly installed components.

The same is true for side-by-sidecomparisons of complete productionlines in various configurations.

However, a prerequisite for all this isthat the complete set of parameters anddata points necessary for the calculationis available – and only the customer canprovide that. All in all, says Tobias Neff,the Production Manager in charge ofsolar technology at Bystronic glass andthe creator of the software, the toolallows for cost reductions, depending onthe configuration of the equipment.

And as if that wasn’t enough,companies – at least those based inEurope – receive another benefit: Thesoftware helps them to secure EU grantmoney available to businesses whenthey introduce new productiontechnologies with reduced emissions ofharmful CO2 that are more eco-friendlythan the ones they replace.

The software makes it easy to generatethe required proof demanded by theauthorities. The tool, sayscommunications manager Nischwitz,has been ‘extremely well received’ bycustomers. He added that Bystronic glasswants to be more than a mere providerof manufacturing equipment, aiminginstead at becoming a solutions providerin a more general sense. “We wantcustomers to know that we don’t justunderstand this process from atechnological but also from a businessstandpoint.”

Even though every company thatdeploys Bystronic glass software receivesa PDF file with the data calculated fortheir plant, they don’t get the softwareitself. “We’re guarding it like gold,” saysNeff. No wonder – it’s based onexperiences collected, oftenpainstakingly, over the course of years. �

VDMA, Germanywww.vdma.org

� Grenzebach’s offerings include turnkey PVD

glass coating lines able to process glass

measuring up to 2600 mm x 2200mm

� Bystronic’s speed'line machine can produce triple-pane

insulating glass just as fast as double-pane insulating

glass on other lines.

HIGH�TECH PRODUCTION PLANTS

Grenzebach – Ready for any glass challenge

Grenzebach will lead you to success through our:– 40 years of glass handling experience

– Highest product quality

– Reliability and Performance

– High-tech equipment

– Sustainability – the key focus of our activity

Grenzebach – Your Perfect Partner for Cold End Equipment

www.grenzebach.com

Grenzebach Maschinenbau GmbHGermany | Phone: +49 906 [email protected] CorporationUSA | Phone: +1 770 [email protected] Machinery (Shanghai) Ltd.China | Phone: +86 21 [email protected]

We look forward to your visit:Glasstec Düsseldorf Hall 15, Booth E24

Our drive is the glass industry – since 1920.

High-Tech for the Glass Industry

ZIPPE Industrieanlagen GmbH • 97877 Wertheim

T +49 93 42 804-0 • [email protected] • www.zippe.de

ß High-class inhouse-built machinery

ß Quality made in Germany

ß Leading through experience

ß Full process automation

ß Highest plant availability

ß Lowest maintenance cost

ß 24h online support

ß Innovative family company

BATCH PLANTS • CULLET SYSTEMS • BATCH

CHARGERS • GLASS LEVEL CONTROLLERS

PREHEATING • PROCESS AUTOMATION

MODERNISATION • ENGINEERING

36


ww

w.g

lass

-int

erna

tion

al.c

omHandling

Dry lubrication helps improveglass package stability

In a crowded and competitive marketplace, packaging can helpbrands create an advantage at point of sale. Unusually shapedbottles can, however, cause problems on the manufacturingline – a problem Dry Lube believes it can help with.

As well as offering lighter andmore environmentally friendlypackaging, interesting bottle

shapes are becoming more readilyavailable.

There are a number of drivers that caninfluence the decision to change bottledesign. The most common reasons are:Recouping market share; entering a newmarket; increasing point of sale

continued »

�Fig 1. Bottle Design

engagement; conveying brandattributes; and commemorating amilestone with a limited edition.

The decision is often made in themarketing department based on marketinsight and marketing objectives.

Production headacheAll too often a new bottle design issigned off without consulting theproduction department about its fillingcapabilities and experience in fillingnon-standard bottle shapes. Surprisingthe production department with a newbottle design can create a productionheadache.

For example, bottles with an inversetaper (its shoulders are broader than itsbase) can be especially tricky.

The design of the bottle creates a

� Fig 2. Bottles with an inverse taper can de-

stabilise and fall over during production

AVENTICS [email protected] www.aventics.com/toothchain

PERFECTLY ALIGNED FOR GLASSSILENT CHAIN TECHNOLOGY FROM AVENTICSWe’ve made sure all our products are strategically aligned for the glass industry. Our crystal-clear drive and transport solutions are tailored to your specifi c application, helping you increase the service life of your machines and cut downtimes.

38


ww

w.g

lass

-int

erna

tion

al.c

omHandling

single point of contact high up thebottle and no stabilising point at thebottom.

When the bottles line up together, thecentre of gravity in the bottle movesbeyond the balance point and thebottles can de-stabilise and fall over.

The result is a high volume of wastedexpensive premium packages anddramatic drops in efficiency: OEE candrop to 30% and packaging losses canamount to tens of thousands of dollarseach month.

How Dry Lube can helpDry Lube provides a technical solutionfor unstable packages by managing thecoefficient of friction (CoF) using itslubricants. The lubricants have beenformulated for filling line conditionsand can be used with cans, PET, cartonand keg containers as well as one-wayglass and returnable glass.

It is important to accurately controlthe CoF to manage the drive pressure ofthe bottles: Too high and the bottles willdrive into guides and other bottlescausing damage and fallen bottles, toolight and the drive will cause bottleslippage, slow running and lowproduction efficiencies.

Dry Lube’s zonal distribution systemprovides the capability to controldifferent CoF values as packages travelalong the filling line, depending on thecharacteristics of each conveyor section.

Table 1 is based on a returnable glassbottle line in beer packaging. It showsthe tolerance range for each zone andthe reason for it.

Managing CoF with conveyorlubrication technology can make asubstantial improvement to packagestability which also improves levels ofsafety in the production area byreducing the volume of broken glass. Butwhat is its impact on final packagequality?

Section of the conveyor CoF Reason

De-palletiser 0.08 – 0.1 Low CoF required as crates provide stability.

De-crater 0.09 – 0.1 Empty bottles are more unstable requiring tight control on CoF range.< 0.09 Too much slippage, bottles will not align.> 0.12 Packages could fall from too much pressure.

Bottle inspector 0.1 – 0.12 If outside this range the package will not move at the expected speed meaning that the rejector couldmiss the package that it intends to reject.

Infeeds and outfeeds 0.1 – 0.12 Single conveyors, bottle pressure required to of the rinser, filler, ensure no gaps on entry to starwheels and scrolls pasteuriser, labeller feeding process equipment.

Filler outfeed 0.1 – 0.12 <0.08 Low traction on belt means that package is not carried out of filler machinery as expected and could lead to a jam.

>0.14 Product coming out of filler at high speeds will stick on the belt and could topple over.

Glideliners 0.1 – 0.13 Require forward drive on the bottles to single file on the rail. Needs to be low enough to enable bottles to single file easily.

Deceleration 0.06 – 0.10 Product speed will be brought down abruptly and could lead to fallen packages without consistent CoF control.

Inliners 0.09 -0.12 Less side pressure on bottle than glideliners and usually much longer.

Pressure Combiners 0.11 – 0.13 Higher COF required ensuring pressure is achievedto push the container through combiner and achieve single file.

Inclines 0.12 – 0.15 Bottle size is a factor here. Need a slight increase in CoF to stop the container slipping back down theslope.

Declines 0.1 – 0.12 Necessary to stop bottles accelerating downhill, then crashing and falling or breaking.

Packer 0.09 – 0.11 A little pressure is required to drive the filled containers into the packers however lateral movement in this area should also be taken into consideration.

� Table 1. The tolerance range for each zone of the conveyor and why

� Fig 3. A close up of a tapered bottle that has

de-stabilised

Protecting the bottle integrity Finally, a typical lubrication system usesspray nozzles which can cause excesslubricant to be sprayed onto the packagewhich damages labels.

Dry Lube’s distribution system appliesa thin layer of lubricant on to the topand underside of the conveyor belt using

brushes and conveyor inserts. This ensures specific dosage volumes

are dispersed with zero excess ensuringthe final package quality is notjeopardised. �

Dry Lube, Edinburgh, UKwww.drylube.co.uk

� Fig 4. It is important to accurately control the CoF to manage the drive pressure of the bottles

Hot glass

Dead Plates

For more information on how ‘glass handling is evolving’ contact us today:

Phone: +44 (0) 113 256 4664Fax: +44 (0) 113 257 1119Email: [email protected]

W W W . P R O TAT H E R M . C O M

Anglo Carbon, Waterloo mills, WaterlooRoad, Pudsey, Leeds, LS28 8DQ, UK

protatherm_00_GI_0909 7/30/14 11:11 AM Page 1

protatherm copy_00_GI_0909 7/30/14 12:26 PM Page 1

40


ww

w.g

lass

-int

erna

tion

al.c

omHandling

Protective clothing for the glass industry

The glass industry is a globalbusiness employing millions ofpeople worldwide, with around

100,000 people in the UK alone. Due to the manufacturing techniques

and the materials used and produced,glass manufacturing and processing isone of the most potentially dangerousworking environments.

However, health and safety legislationand initiatives within the industry (forexample, The Glass Charter in the UK)and by individual employers, combinedwith the existence of suitable personalprotective equipment (PPE) which isoften designed and developedspecifically for the glass industry, meansthat the industry enjoys, in mostcountries, an enviable safety record.

Although both glass manufacturingand processing inevitably share a rangeof common hazards and PPE solutions,there are distinctly different risks facedin the two main types of workingenvironment.

Hot endAt the hot end, the principal needs areto provide protection against ignitionwhile working in the general proximityof heat and flame, and against extremeheat (both radiant and convective). Thisis not only during the manufacturingprocess itself, but also during furnacerepair work and plant maintenance,where temperatures can reach severalhundred degrees C and with apotentially naked flame.

In these circumstances it is importantthat garments (often a separate jacketand trousers) provide adequateinsulation and flame-protection, are of aloose fit to allow heat dissipation, and

� Heat-resistant hot-end woollen

‘Gladding’ jacket

Glass manufacturing and processing arepotentially some of the most dangerousworking environments in the world. DavidBennett* provides an overview of theprotective clothing available to industry staff.

continued »

are ergonomically designed for comfort,mobility and quick removal if necessary;forced cooling may be necessary in somecircumstances.

Despite the number of flame-retardantman-made fabrics available, a number ofmultinational companies continue touse garments (including hats)manufactured from a treatedheavyweight wool due to its excellentinsulation properties.

These may be reinforced with eitheran aramid fabric for additionalinsulation and to prevent singeing in thecase of accidental contact with heat oran aluminised fabric to protect againstextreme radiant heat. Alternatively, afull aramid or aluminised garment witha wool or other lining can be worn.

Head protection, usually for furnacerepairs, is provided in the form of abalaclava hood manufactured frommultiple layers of a knitted flame-retardant fabric, often Nomex,sometimes with a nose-piece formaximum facial protection. All clothingshould be certified to EN ISO11612:2008, the relevantEuropean/international standard forprotective clothing against heat andflames, although products certified toEN 531 (an earlier standard) continue tobe in use.

The same principles apply to handprotection in so far as it must provideflame-retardancy with adequateinsulation, dexterity and grip. Aramidcontinues to be the most suitable fabricfor this purpose, having supplantedleather and asbestos some time ago.

In extreme conditions a mitt, ratherthan a five-fingered glove, may be moresuitable as its construction permitsadditional insulating layers andimproves air circulation and heatdispersion, and can be discarded morequickly in an emergency.

Where dexterity and grip areparamount and the heat is less severe, aseamless knitted aramid gauntlet with acotton lining will provide adequateprotection, in some cases up to 500°C.

Gloves should be certified to EN407:2004, the European standard forgloves giving protection from thermalhazards, and ideally also to EN 388:2003,the equivalent standard for protectionagainst mechanical risks.

Cold endThe hazards encountered in glassprocessing can be equally severe andpotentially life-threatening.

Traditionally the prime areas ofexposure to the risk of injury, principallyfrom broken glass, have been regarded asthe arms, wrists and hands, althoughemployers are now increasingly givingconsideration to other areas includingthe legs and stomach.

Arms and wrists can be protected bysleeves and cuffs/wristguardsrespectively. Originally manufacturedfrom leather, these are now commonlymanufactured from aramid compositematerials, usually covered or reinforcedwith polycotton for a comfort andadditional protection.

Due to the many high performancefabrics now available, ideally theseshould be certified to Level 5 cut-resistance and Level 4 puncture-resistance (the maximum obtainable)according to EN 388:2003. In the UKcuffs/wristguards should be a minimumof 20cm long according to the GGFguidelines.

Hand protection for handling andcutting glass is now usually provided bya knitted aramid or UHMWpolyethylene composite glove with apalm (or sometimes, full) coatingappropriate to the particular application.Latex and nitrile are the most commoncoatings.

Latex provides good grip in dry, wetand oily conditions, although nitrile issometimes preferred for soft coat, itsbetter resistance to cutting oils and toavoid latex allergies. Leather may beused for increased durability and also toavoid damage to soft coat.

Fingerless gloves are no longerconsidered appropriate for any glasshandling activities. All products shouldbe certified to EN 388:2003, with glovesoffering Level 5 cut-resistance (themaximum obtainable), often with Level

4 puncture-resistance, now widelyavailable.

Recent developments in yarn andknitting technology have brought a newdimension to torso protection.

The traditional leather jacket,sometimes reinforced with metal rivets,gave way initially to polycotton jacketsand sweatshirts lined with or made fromaramid fabric and, most recently, tolightweight seamless knitted garmentsusually manufactured from a blend ofhigh performance fibres and combiningcomfort with maximum cut protection.

In the absence of any specificinternational standard for this type ofprotection, garments should instead becertified to the relevant glove standard(EN 388). Reinforcements in key areas(shoulders, arms and stomach) canprovide enhanced puncture-resistance.

Aprons, now usually manufacturedfrom aramid fabrics, but sometimesreinforced with leather, continue to beused to provide cut and punctureprotection to the lower torso and/orthigh/groin areas.

Leg protection, total or partial, can beprovided by polycotton trousers linedwith a soft aramid composite fabric.Aprons and trousers should be certifiedin the same manner as other garments.

Other items of PPE such as footwear,eyewear and respiratory protection,which are critical in both hot and coldend applications, are subject to theirown regulatory regimes and are outsidethe scope of this article. �

(With thanks to Andy Reid and KenWard)

*Managing Director, Bennett Safetywear,Liverpool, UKwww.bennettsafetywear.co.uk

41


Handling

ww

w.g

lass

-int

erna

tion

al.c

om

� Armatex Bodyguard cut-resistant sweater with

puncture-resistant reinforcement patches (on

shoulders, sleeves and stomach)

� Armatex Bodyguard cut-resistant sweater

42


ww

w.g

lass

-int

erna

tion

al.c

omHandling

Inspecting thin glassDr. Ulrich Neuhäusler* discusses advancements in thin glass production, and new

trends in optical metrology and camera-based defect inspection.

Thanks to its excellent opticalproperties, resistance to scratches,chemicals, UV light and diffusion

barrier properties, glass is the material ofchoice for applications such as solarpanels, the encapsulation of OLEDdisplay or lighting devices andCMOS/CCD image sensors as well astouch screens in smart phones andtablets.

‘Miniaturisation’ has been – and still is– a general trend in microelectronics.When looking at the evolution ofelectronic devices, they have becomemore compact from generation togeneration. For this reason, the glassused in such devices has continuouslyshrunk in thickness, and the amount ofthin glass production with thicknessesin the low mm range (even entering therange well below 1mm down to 100μm)has increased. Fortunately, opticalinspection technology is able to keeppace with these advancements in thinglass production.

Thin glass inspection tools The production of thin glass poseschallenges to glassmakers: Making glassthinner is intrinsically connected to anincreasing glass band speed at the coldend. Because thin glass is largely used inmicroelectronics, more stringent criteriafor glass defects in terms of smallerdefect sizes and new defect types have tobe addressed at a high detection speed.

At the same time, the product hasbecome more sensitive and is susceptibleto breakage due to its reduced thickness.Handling becomes difficult, and theproduct conditions unstable in terms ofshape and position deviations due to theability of thin glass to flex. Robust andreliable inspection technology has toadapt to these new boundaryconditions.

Defect inspectionThe detection of different glass defects(such as top and bottom tins in float,bubbles, knots, stones), and their correct

automated classification into differenttypes requires several detection channelssuch as bright field, reflection and (near)dark field. Only the combination of theinformation acquired from all channelsallows the unambiguous identificationof the correct defect type.Unambiguously identifying glass defectshelps to minimise the number ofmisclassified defects, and keep fakedetection and defect misses low.

The increasing speed of the glass band(when reducing glass thickness) coupledwith the high spatial resolutionsrequired and up to five detectionchannels calls for new parallel conceptsof detection. Conventional inspectiontechnology mostly uses a serial dataacquisition approach, where allchannels are read in a serial fashion oneafter the other.

continued »

� Typical inside view of a defect scanner


Handling

This approach is easily limited by the maximum scanfrequency of the camera used, because the effective scanfrequency is the actual maximum camera scan frequencydivided by the number of channels.

Our approach uses an RGB detector system, where channelseparation is accomplished by illumination with light ofdifferent wavelengths.

The wavelength-selective sensitivity of the RGB-sensor CCDline detector has almost no cross talk between channels. Themaximum scan frequency is no longer limited by the numberof channels, but only by the camera itself. In consequence, thedetection of small defects (down to 50μm and beyond,depending on the number of cameras) becomes possible at ahigh glass band speed with high resolution in both lateraldirections.

Optical metrology Glass thickness and stress are commonly measured inline atthe cold end by sensors traversing perpendicular to the traveldirection of the endless glass band. The process of producingthin glass intrinsically imposes a high glass band speed at thecold end.

To achieve a dense mesh of high resolution data whensampling the glass band a sensor travel speed in the range of afew metres per second is desirable, so as to achieve a spatiallateral resolution in the mm range.

dr.schwab GmbH developed a combined stress and glassthickness sensor which can be accommodated in one sensorhead and needs just one traversing unit, thus saving space andcost. The glass stress measurement is accomplished by laserpolarometry (relative birefringence) and is over a wide rangetolerant to variations of glass height and tilt.

The measurement of the glass thickness is done by laserinterferometry for thin glass or laser triangulation for largerglass thicknesses.

For thickness measurements however, height variations andtilt of the glass influence the measurement result.

To achieve a robust, stable and correct measurement of theglass thickness, these variations can be eliminated inline by aredundant symmetrical optical setup that takes ‘glassthickness’, ‘glass band tilt’ and ‘height drift’ simultaneouslyinto consideration for automated correction.

This feature is particularly useful for thin glass, where heightdrifts and tilted glass on the conveyor is more common thanfor several mm to cm thick glass.

Benefits of process statisticsBy combining the information from both metrology (e.g. glassthickness and stress measurement) and camera-based visiontechniques (for glass defect detection), and subsequentlyfeeding them – thanks to the abundance of data acquiredinline - into process statistics tools, one can reveal usefulinformation on systematic product parameter variations, thusallowing the improvement of process capability.

Glass makers benefit directly from higher yields and get abetter handle on running their process systematically, withtighter specification limits or higher process capability indices.�

*COO, dr. schwab GmbH Grenzebach Maschinenbau www.grenzebach.com

Ramsey Chain.You’d go to great lengthsto protect your investment.

[email protected] +1-704-394-0322

Pictured is Ramsey’s patented Lifeguard® chain

Halifax Way, Elvington, York, YO41 4AU, UK T: +44 1904 608 999 W: www.sheppee.comE: [email protected]

Leaders InHot End Ware

Handling

, korYon, , Elvingtyy,aWHalifax : +44 1904 608 999T, UKUO41 4AY, E: sales@sheppee: +44 1904 608 999 om.cE: sales@sheppee om.c.sheppeeww: wW om

High Temperature Insulation

LUBISOL #2-SL 1600

Lubisol Engineering Co. is offering a new type of refractory foamed material for

high temperature insulation. Lubisol #2-SL 1600 (Supper Light) has a low specific density

of 0.3 kg/dm³, a very high working temperature of 1600 °C and very low thermal conductiv-

ity: 0.05 W/m.K at 20 °C. Heated at higher temperatures it does not melt, but only starts

shrinking.

It is supplied as a wet mix of granules, packed in plastic bags, ready for use. The

application is done by light ramming.

The new material is very suitable for thermal insulation of all kind of industrial

furnaces, kilns and heating appliances.

___________________________________________

Contact: Prof. S. Lyutskanov, G. Manager www.lubisol.com

e-mail: [email protected]

Handling

Wilfried Seidensticker* discusses howHeye supports quad gob operationthrough retrofit of modern 3-axisservo pusher equipment on existingmachines to meet the challenges ofmodern container glass production.

Ware handling itself begins with the pusher system,which transports containers from the dead plate toconveyor belt.

Recently, Heye has launched the new high-speed pushertype 2158. The optimised motion profile results in a highlyaccurate container positioning on the conveyor belt. Hence, amaximised production efficiency and ambitious quality resultscan be achieved.

The new pusher type, replacing the former version 2155,combines high speed with long-lifetime and less parts.

This new 3 axis-pusher has for the past two months runsuccessfully on a 10-section Quad Gob IS-machine in aEuropean glass plant.

The replacement of the old solution was done in less thantwo 24 hours, and due to the superior new ware handlingsolution it is possible for the output of the machine to beraised.

Additional advantages of the new pusher solution are:� Increased life-time through reduced wear;� Longer service intervals;� Less storage costs for spare parts, as common parts are

used with the 2-axis series (2157);� Shorter job change times through improved profile-

setting; and� Improved usability through quick exchange of pusher

fingers. �

*Hot End Product Manager, Heye International, Obernkirchen,Germanyemail: [email protected]: www.heye-international.com

Quad gobware handling

adre

ssec

reat

ive.

com

NEED SAVINGS?

CERBERITE®

NEW DESIGN TOT HOLDER

46


ww

w.g

lass

-int

erna

tion

al.c

omHandling

Robotic glass handlingRoboload-Pro is robotic glass

handling designed for highperformance loading or

unloading of glass processing lines. Apart from the obvious advantages of

speed and accuracy, removing manualhandling automatically introduces a raftof additional benefits includingconsistency of product and output,elimination of damage to glass coatingsdue to finger marks, elimination of riskto operator health and safety due tofatigue and reduced labour costs.

In three-shift operation Roboload-Procan cover the duties of two people pershift: Six wages saved means the capitalcost can be recouped in little more thana year.

ProgrammableRoboload-Pro is programmable to liftglass from rack in multiple positions,each rack protected by a gate systemwhich prevents personnel exposure tothe robot’s working area. Rack 1 can bechanged while work continues fromRack 2, and vice versa, in total safety andwithout any interruption to production.

The specially designed vacuum

suction frame and pass-throughconveyor allows automatic handling ofcoated glass without any contact tocoated surfaces.

Loading of single, double or triple litesin a single 15-second cycle meanstremendous performance of up to 12lites a minute.

This equates to five seconds per piece,depending on glass size.

Roboload-Pro can be viewed in actionon the Ashton Industrial Youtubechannel by going to www.ashton-industrial.com, scrolling down to thearticle headed ‘Watch the Action’, andfollowing the links. �

Ashton Industrial, Harlow, UKwww.ashton-industrial.com

� Roboload-Pro is programmable to lift glass from rack in multiple positions

47


Events world

ww

w.g

lass

-int

erna

tion

al.c

om

This year the 16th International Mir Stekla ‘World of Glass’ exhibition was heldwithin the Expocentre Fairgrounds in Moscow, Russia. Glass International wasthere to cover the event and get a feel for the state of the Russian glass industry.

Dedicated to glass, technologiesand equipment for themanufacture and processing of

glass, Mir Stekla is the largest annualinternational exhibition for the glassindustry in Russia, the CIS and EasternEurope.

This year the event attracted morethan 240 exhibitors from 24 countries,including 80 Russian companies, andsold a total of 5,700m2 to companiessuch as Bucher Emhart Glass, Sorg, HeyeInternational, Iris and Sisecam.

Companies from all around the worldwere there, including representativesfrom Germany, China, the UK, Israeland Italy, which had a pavilion areaconsisting of more than 30 companies.

With a reported 9,000 visitors, theevent was a success for the companieswho came to do business in this part ofthe world. There was a wide range ofglass sectors on display, withmanufacturers and suppliers representedacross the container, flat, decorative andglass printing divisions.

The exhibition floor was bustling,with machinery demonstrated by thelikes of Bottero and Glaston, printedglass pieces on display from DipTechamongst others, and drinks provided bySisecam at its busy and social booth.

This year was the first time the eventwas jointly organised by the Expocentreand StekloSouz, (the United NationalCouncil of Glass Industry Enterprises for

Russia), with the aim of supporting thedevelopment of the glass industry inRussia.

A conference was also held alongsidethe exhibition. Running over two days,the sessions were entitled ‘Main Trendsin Fighting against Production and Useof Counterfeit Glass Products’, and‘Issues Concerning Quality of RawMaterials for Glass Industry Enterprises’.

This overall focus on maintaininghigh standards was reflected in themood of the exhibition, which manyexhibitors agreed was the busiest it hadbeen since 2008, when the Russian

continued »

� At the Mir Stekla official opening, Mr Michail Tolkachev (front) and Mr Victor Osipov (behind) congratulated Glass International for its Russian language issue.

Mir Stekla at its best

48


ww

w.g

lass

-int

erna

tion

al.c

omEvents world

market started to decline.In terms of the Russian market itself,

the general consensus was that while themarket level currently remains fairlystagnant, it is expected that over thenext two or three years demand willincrease. This was a view echoed byVictor Osipov, President of StekloSouz.

At the event’s opening ceremony, Mr.Osipov noted that within Russia thenational production of pharmaceuticalglass is one area in particular that isdeveloping and growing.

Currently, approximately one third ofpharmaceutical glass in Russia isproduced by domestic factories, but thegovernment has set the goal of raisingthis figure to 80% by 2019.

To reach this, the volume of domesticproduction must increase more thanthree-fold over the next few years.

With regards to flat glass, Russianimports have decreased dramatically dueto increased domestic production sincethe 1990s, and today imports of theproduct make up only 6% of thecountry’s total demand.

Production of flat glass in Russia isfurther expected to rise due togovernment targets for the constructionof new houses by 2020.

It is a similar picture in terms of theproduction of glass containers, as well asnew plants for the production of foamglass. Mr. Osipov concluded that thisyear’s slogan for Mir Stekla, “All from

glass and all for glass”, conveys theorganisers’ intention that the exhibitionwill cover all aspects of the glassindustry, under one roof.

At the end of the official opening Mr.Tolkachev, Deputy General Director ofthe Expocentre, also noted that:

“We are very happy this year with thestrong international media support ofour Mir Stekla exhibition by worldleading international magazine GlassInternational from the UK, which haspublished exclusively for our exhibitiona special issue in the Russian language.”

Mir Stekla 2015 will be held 8-11 June,2015 at the Moscow Expocentre. www.mirstekla-expo.ru/en/

�

49


Fibres

ww

w.g

lass

-int

erna

tion

al.c

om

An overview of basalt fibres

Davide Pico, Teresa Benczek and Thomas Gries* outline the history of basaltfibres and how European companies have recently seen their potential.

Anew type of man-made fibrehas entered the market inrecent years. Fiberised basalt is

a product situated in the commercialsector of technical fibres between specialglasses and carbon fibres (Table 1).Their commercial production started inRussia and Ukraine but the competitiveprice combined with their properties hasattracted new European companies andresearch institutes.

Definition of basalt Basalts are volcanic rocks produced bythe solidifying magma escaped fromEarth's interior to the surface or seabedin the context of effusion activities.They are the largest distributed type ofvolcanic rocks on the oceanic ridge andon the mainland.

Due to the quick cooling rate, thecrystallisation’s growth in solidifyingbasalt is low compared to that ofplutonic rocks.

The mineral content and the chemicalcomposition in basalts vary dependingon which geographical site they haveoriginated from. Basalt is usuallycomposed of SiO2 in a range between45% and 52% followed by Al2O3 (~12-16%), iron oxide (~6-18%), alkalineearth (~10-20%) and alkalis (~2-8%)[1].The crystalline fraction is composedmainly of plagioclase (such as albite andanorthite) and pyroxene (mostlyaugite).[2]

Basalt fibre spinning processThe first basalt fibre spinning processwas patented in 1923 by Paul Dhe but itwas from the early 1960s that research inthis area really grew. It was financedmainly in the former Soviet Unionwhere the know-how of basalt fibreproduction was kept undisclosed formilitary use.

Basalt E-glass S-glasss E-CR glass AR-glass Carbon

Characteristic Natural High High Corrosion Alkalirock dielectric strength resistance resistance

� Table 1. Properties of basalt, glass and carbon fibres [5,7,8].

Strength [GPa] 3,00-4,84 3,40-3,50 4,02-4,65 3,5 3,5 3,5-6,0

E-Modul [GPa] 93-110 72-74 83-86 80 72 230-600

Dichte [g/cm3] 2,6-2,8 2,54 2,49 2,68 2,68 1,80

Liquidus T,[°C] 1220 1064 1500 1160 1200 -

Fibreforming T,[°C] 1300 1200 1565 1230 1300 -

T (F-L),[°C] 80 136 65 70 100 -

SiO2 [%] 49,6 52-56 65 58,2 60,7 -

Al2O3 [%] 15,7 12-16 25 11,6 - -

K2O + Na2O [%] 4,6 - 1,0 16,5 -

CaO + MgO [%] 15,1 16-32 10 23,7 - -

Fe2O3+ FeO [%] 11,7 - - - - -

ZrO2 [%] - - - - 21,5 -

B2O3 [%] - 5-10 - - - -

ZnO2 [%] - - - 2,9 - -

TiO2 [%] 1,3 - - 2,5 - -

C [%] > 90

Price [€/kg] 2-3 1-2 8-10 - 2-5 15-30

Since 1991 basalt fibre companieshave been privatised and the basalt fibretechnology become unrestricted. Butuntil recently production was locatedprincipally in Russia and Ukraine.

The fibreisation process for basalt andglass is similar. Raw materials are meltedand supplied via feeder channels to thespinnerets, the so-called bushings. Thebushing is made of platinum andrhodium alloy and its bottom iscomposed of a set of nozzles throughwhich the melt flows forced by itshydrostatic pressure. The melt isconsequently quenched at solidificationtemperature by drawing. The filamentspass over a sizing applicator before being

wound by the winder. The process isdescribed in Fig 1.

In contrast to common glass fibres,basalt is a natural rock composed of abright variety of oxides. The chemicalcomposition is the main processparameter and has a direct influence onmelt viscosity and process temperature.Moreover the mechanical properties aswell as the chemical stability of thefibres depend on their chemicalcomposition.

In general, the viscosity is related to xi

the mole fractions of the main oxides in

continued »

Visit us at

Glasstech DusseldorfHall 13

51


Fibres

ww

w.g

lass

-int

erna

tion

al.c

om

the melt and can be expressed by theviscosity modulus MV

[4]:

‘and research institutes is thedetermination of raw material potentialsin terms of spinning behaviour as well asthe final product. Actually in Austria,Belgium, Czech Republic, Hungary,Germany, Italy, Spain, Ukraine andRussia, several research institutes as wellas R&D departments in the industry areengaged in basalt/natural rock fibreprojects. Basalt fibre is longer ageographically controlled Russian andUkrainian research field.’ �

Literature[1] A. Bartl, D. Pico: “Revolutionary high-performance

fibre based on basaltic rock”; Chemical Fibers

International, 58 (2008), S. 240 - 241.

[2] Brown, G.M.: Mineralogy of basaltic rocks. In Hess,

H.; Poldervaart, A.: Basalts - The Poldervaart treatise on

rocks of basaltic composition. Band 1. 1.Aufl..- New York;

London; Sydney: John Wiley & Sons, 1967, S. 103-162

[3] Deák, T.; Czigány, T.: Chemical Composition and

Mechanical Properties of Basalt and Glass Fibers: A

Comparison. Textile Research Journal 79 (2009), H. 7, S.

645-651

[4] Morozov,N.; Bakunov, V.; Morozov, E.; Aslanova,L.;

Granovskii, P.; Prokshin, V.; Zemlyanitsyn, A.: Materials

based in basalts from the European north of Russia. Glass

and Ceramics 58 (2001), H. 3-4, S. 100-104

[5] Novitskii, A. G.: High-temperature heat-insulating

materials based on fibers from basalt-type rock materials.

Refractories and Industrial Ceramics 45 (2004), H. 2, S.

144-146

[6] Tatarintseva, O.; Khodakova, N.: Obtaining basaltic

continuous and staple fibers from rocks in Krasnodar

Krai. Glass and Ceramics 67 (2010), H. 5-6, S. 165-168

[7] Wallenberger FT, Mac Chesney JB, Naslain R, Ackler

HD: Advanced inorganic fibers: Processes, structures,

properties, applications. Kluver Academic Publishers,

1999.

[8] Zhang, X.; Zou, G.; Shen, Z.: Experimental research

on continuous basalt fibre and basalt fibers reinforced

polymers. International Conference on Experimental

Mechanics 2008. Nanjing. 8.-11. November 2008.

* Researchers, Institut für Textiltechnik(ITA) der RWTH Aachen University.

1

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

2

3

� Fig 1.

1. crushed stone silo; 2. loading station; 3. transport system; 4. batch charging station; 5. initial melt

zone; 6. secondary heat zone with precise temperature control; 7. filament forming bushings; 8. sizing

applicator; 9. strand formation station; 10. fibre tensioning station; 11. automated winding station.[3]

The

glas

smak

er’s

dia

ry

� 19th ISNOG ISNOG deals with the synthesis, process-

ing, modeling and physical properties of glass ceramics

and new functional glasses.

August 24th -28th 2014Jeju Island, South Korea

CONTACT: www.isnog.org/index.php

� 38th AFGM Conference Asean Federation of Glass

Manufacturers: The theme for 38th Asean Glass

Conference is 'Go Green with Glass'.

September 8th -11th 2014Penang Island, Malaysia

CONTACT: http://38afgm.com/main/

� CelSian - NCNG International Glass TechnologyCourse A five-day, glass technology training course for

the international glass industry, developed in coopera-

tion with the National Committee Netherlands Glass

industry (NCNG).

September 8th -12th 2014Eindhoven, The Netherlands

CONTACT: http://www.glasstrend.nl/news.php?uid=21

� GlassBuild America Annual event that brings the

glass and fenestration industries together.

September 9th -11th 2014Las Vegas, USA

CONTACT: www.glassbuildamerica.com

� Living Glass and GLASSAC As with each of its prede-

cessors, this conference will draw together those who

are at the forefront of glass science.

September 10th -12th 2014Durham, UK

CONTACT: www.durham2014.sgt.org

� 12th ESG Conference The conference will focus on

ways to improve the quality and performance of glass

products in their various applications.

September 21st -24th 2014Parma, Italy

CONTACT: http://www.ativ-online.it/Indexus.htm

� Sri Lanka Glass Expo 2014 Provides a platform for

industry leaders to expand their business and stay up to

date with the industry.

October 3th -5th 2014Colombo, Sri Lanka

CONTACT: www.lankaglass.net

� glasstec International fair for the glass industry,

machinery/equipment, skilled trade, architecture.

October 21st -24th 2014Düsseldorf, Germany

CONTACT: www.glasstec.de

� Glasstech Asia 2014 Southeast Asia’s trade event for

the glass industry.

November 25th -27th 2014Manila, The Philippines

CONTACT: www.glasstechasia.com.sg/

GlobalCombustion

Systems

Total SupportUnit 43, Evans Business Centre, EasterInch, Bathgate EH48 2EH, Scotland, UK.

Tel +44 (0) 1506 657310,

Fax +44 (0) 8704 799975

Email [email protected]

Web www.globalcombustion.com

contact us [email protected] www.vidromecanica.com

for Tableware and Stemware

TEMPERING LINES ON BELT / SPINDLES

ANNEALING & DECORATING LEHRS for Containers and Tableware

GNILAENNA

GNIREPMET

eniatnCorof

ITAATROCED&G

TLLTEBNOSENILGawelbaTTarof

reawelbaTTadnasr

SRHELGN

SELDNIPS/TerawmetSdnaer

awelbaTTarof

erawmetSdnaer

sutcatnoc

mordiv.wwwcinacemordiv

moc.acinacecinacemordiv@ac

moc.a

Rio Tinto Minerals2 Eastbourne Terrace,London W2 6 LG, UKTel +44 207 781 1450Fax +44 207 781 1851Email: [email protected]: www.riotintominerals.com

GLASS LEVEL

MEASUREMENT

HEAT-UP

SERVICES

RAW MATERIALS

CONTACT

ESME HORN

+44 (0) 1737

855136

TO BOOK

YOUR SPACE

SCREEN PRINTING

TIAMA - msc & sgccZA des Plattes, 1 Chemin des Plattes, 69390 Vourles,France.Tel +33 (0) 4 37 20 15 00 Fax +33 (0) 4 78 07 94 50Email: [email protected]

Website: www.tiama.eu

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS

COMBUSTION

SYSTEMS/BURNERS

ANNEALING

LEHRSFURNACES

Glass InternationalDirectory 2014

contact: Esme Horn toreceive your copy

On-line Process & Quality Control

INSPECTION

COMBUSTION EQUIPMENT

GLASSMAN EVENTS VISIT:

www.glassman-events.com

INDUSTRIAL GAS ENGINEERS

UNIT D2, BROOKSIDE BUSINESS PARK, GREENGATE,

CHADDERTON, M24 1GS, UK

TEL +44 (0) 161 654 7700 FAX +44 (0) 161 655 3812

EMAIL [email protected] WWW.MONTSELAS.CO.UK

Manufacturers and suppliers of selas

square port gas & air valves GASAIR

KBA-KAMMANN GmbH Bergkirchener Str. 228D-32549 Bad Oeynhausen (Germany)

Fon +49 (0) 5734 5140-0 Fax: +49 (0) 5734 [email protected] www.kba-kammann.com

DECORATING MACHINES

FLEXIBLE.PRECISE.INNOVATIVE.

Special cast irons andalloys for glass moulds

53035 MONTERIGGIONI (Siena) ITALYStrada di Gabbricce, 6 • P.O.Box 30

Tel. +39 - 0577 - 304730 Fax +39 - 0577 - 304755

E-mail: [email protected] •Website: http://www.fonderievaldelsane.com

Fonderie Valdelsane S.p.A.Fonderie Valdelsane S.p.A.

Documents

Glass july:august 2014