Glass international dec jan 2015

December/January 2015 | Vol. 38 No.1

POCHET DU COURVAL INDIAN OVERVIEW LUBRICATION

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Contents

December/January 2015 Vol.38 No.1

12

December/January 2015 | Vol. 38 No.1

POCHET DU COURVAL INDIAN OVERVIEW LUBRICATION

2

Editor’s Comment

5

International News

www.glass-international.com

Company profile: Pochet du Courval 12 France’s Pochet du Courval pushes the fragrance boundaries Glass International December/January 2015

Interview: Phoenix Award 16 Phoenix Award brings glass community together

16 dec jan cover.indd 1

Front cover image courtesy of Nikolaus Sorg www.sorg.de

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Interview: Guardian Industries 18 Guardian Glass President, Kevin Baird, gets to grips with new role Country Profile: India 22 Indian container industry set to surge 25 History 26 British Glass 27 Abividro 29 Technology Topics

18

Batch House Control 31 Keeping the fires burning Lubrication 34 Lubrication: an eco sustainable use glasstec conference 36 Key executives discuss future glass trends

Plus find us on Linked-In and Twitter.

www.glass-international.com

47

Process Control 39 Automated process control with FlexIS closed loops.

Forming 42 Modernisation for IS-machines Batch Plant 43 Everything starts with raw materials

@Glass_Int

Events World 45 75th Conference on Glass Problems 47 China Glass 2015 in Beijing

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1 Glass International December/January 2015

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Editor’s comment

Greg Morris

www.glass-international.com Editor: Greg Morris Tel: +44 (0)1737 855132 Email: gregmorris@quartzltd.com Editorial Assistant: Sally Roberts Tel: +44 (0)1737 855154 Email: sallyroberts@quartzltd.com Designer: Annie Baker Tel: +44 (0)1737 855130 Email: anniebaker@quartzltd.com

Industry needs to continue to make itself heard

www.glass-international.com

H

appy New Year and I wish you all a wonderful 2015. Hopefully, the upward spiral that the industry experienced in 2014 will continue this year. The turn of the year is a time to both reflect and to look forward.

From a business point of view 2014 was a busy year. It finally saw the acquisition of Verallia North America (VNA)

by Ardagh Group approved by the US authorities. It was also a year that saw Owens-Illinois (O-I) open a new R&D centre in Ohio, USA and Stoelzle take control of the Masnieres site in France from Bormioli Rocco.

The year ended with two potential acquisitions: VNA’s former owner SaintGobain stated it plans to sell the rest of the Verallia company by mid-2015. Then, practically as the sun faded on 2014, Spanish group Vidrala presented an offer to buy Ireland’s Encirc.

It was also a glasstec year, with many exhibitors reporting a successful show and plenty of business generated.

So 2015 starts on a positive note but it is important for the industry not to rest on its laurels. It has to continuously promote itself as the material of choice for consumers. Glass’s sustainable properties and environmental benefits are well known in the industry but is this message being heard loudly enough in the corridors of power and by the end consumer?

It was a shame to hear that Erik Bouts,

O-I’s European President is to leave his post at the end of January to join metals packaging company Ball Corporation.

Mr Bouts, who is also FEVE President, has been a keen champion of the glass industry since he started his role at O-I in January 2013 and proved to be an adept spokesperson for the industry.

In his time at the helm, he managed to secure vital media airtime on at least a couple of occasions in the UK, both in print and on the radio. He used this airspace to expound the benefits of glass and explained why glass should be used instead of rival materials.

It was perfect promotion for the industry to a wider audience and ensured glass was on the national news agenda.

When a story makes the news, people talk about it, as was the case in Alloa, Scotland earlier in 2014 when, hours after Mr Bouts had spoken on national radio about glass, the townspeople were talking to each other about glass.

Similarly, he was prepared to speak at conferences to promote the material to audiences other than our industry. Glass’s loss will be the metal industry’s gain if a similarly agile, confident promoter of glass is not found soon. If not, plenty of rival materials will be more than willing to occupy the airspace and print media.

Greg Morris Editor gregmorris@quartzltd.com

Quartz Glass Portfolio

Monthly journal for the industry worldwide

Directory 2015 Annual international reference source

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Sales Director: Ken Clark Tel: +44 (0)1737 855117 Email: kenclark@quartzltd.com Sales Manager: Jeremy Fordrey Tel: +44 (0)1737 855133 Email: jeremyfordrey@quartzltd.com Productive Executive: Martin Lawrence Subscriptions Tel: +44 (0)1737 855023 Fax: +44 (0)1737 855034 Email: subscriptions@quartzltd.com Published by Quartz Business Media Ltd, Quartz House, 20 Clarendon Road, Redhill, Surrey RH1 1QX, UK. Tel: +44 (0)1737 855000. Fax: +44 (0)1737 855034.

Email: glass@quartzltd.com Website: www.glass-international.com

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Glass International (ISSN 0143-7838) (USPS No: 020-753) is published 10 times per year by Quartz Business Media Ltd, and distributed in the US by DSW, 75 Aberdeen Road, Emigsville, PA 17318-0437. Periodicals postage paid at Emigsville, PA. POSTMASTER: send address changes to Glass International c/o PO Box 437, Emigsville, PA 173180437.

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International News

O-I Covet for Copper Fiddle gins

Reuse Collections, a UK glass recycling company that trades as Berryman, has won a court case and been awarded substantial costs against a former employee.

The court ruled that Keith Sendall, who worked at the company’s Dagenham plant, acted in breach of duty by setting up a competing business, and that his company, May Glass, had conspired with Mr Sendall to unlawfully take customers away from Berryman.

The former General Manager of Reuse Collections and current owner of INGs Environmental, Mick Keogh, was also found to have assisted in the formation of May Glass.

Berryman operates three recycling plants in Yorkshire, employing 170 people with a turnover of £43m.

or require the higher risks of big volumes.

O-I’s Covet Classics collection has cosmetic flint bottle designs available in a variety of sizes, for orders as small as one pallet at a time.

“Start-up distilleries are looking for scalable packaging solutions to help them break

into this highly competitive market,” said Danielle Catley, O-I North America’s category manager for spirits.

Covet Classics is part of O-I’s Covet line. Covet Classics bottles are available in a variety of sizes and can be modified with embossing, coatings, labels and closures.

Europe container glass production increases during 2014, states FEVE According to FEVE statistics, production data for container glass showed a general positive trend in most of the European countries for the first half of 2014.

Total production volume increased by 1.2% across the European Union (EU27) in the first half of the year, with 120KTons more produced

Berryman wins court ruling over former employee

than in HY1 2013.

The positive trend was reflected in some of the major markets: France (0.3%); Germany (2.4%); Spain (2.5%); and the United Kingdom (2.8%).

Data for Poland showed a rise of 10%, while Portugal dipped at -1.5%.

Production in Italy declined

by -5%, offsetting the positive pace of previous months.

A positive growth of 3.9% was recorded in the north and central regions of Europe, and a rise of 4.3% was recorded in the south and east regions.

Turkey’s production rate has dropped by -9.7% in contrast to the growth of the previous years.

India imposes dumping duty on Asian countries

India’s Finance Ministry has imposed a definitive antidumping duty on clear float glass imports from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and UAE. This duty will be valid for a period of five years.

Saint-Gobain tries to buy Sika chemicals

Saint-Gobain is planning to buy a controlling stake in construction chemicals group Sika for around €2.3 billion.

The Burkard family, Sika’s current majority shareholder, decided to sell its controlling stake through its holding Schenker Winkler Holding.

Sika, based in Switzerland, said in a separate statement that it did not support the change of control and that the company’s management would resign if the deal went through.

“The board neither sees the industrial logic in the transaction, nor significant synergies for Sika,” Sika said.

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

www.glass-international.com

A bottle from Owens Illinois (O-I)’s Covet Classics collection is helping Copper Fiddle Distillery generate buzz for its whiskey and gins.

The distiller, based in Illinois, USA, is the first in North America to feature the Imperial bottle design, used for its Bourbon Whiskey, Tom Gin and Fiddle Gin. Custom labelling and a black cork accentuate the package and add a modern attitude to the classic decanter style bottle.

“Our bottle caught the eye of producers in Hollywood, who saw it in media coverage and called to talk to us about product placement opportunities,” said Jose Hernandez, Proprietor, Copper Fiddle Distillery.

Jose Hernandez and Fred Robinson, long-time friends and neighbours, founded Copper Fiddle after changes in Illinois state law embraced the craft spirits movement, making it possible for them to turn an interest in distilling into a business venture.

As they geared up for a commercial launch, Copper Fiddle needed packaging that would not sacrifice speed-to-market,

NEWS IN BRIEF

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International News

NEWS IN BRIEF

Zippe batch house for Vidroporto starts production

Vidroporto, a long-established container glass factory in Porto Ferreira, São Paulo, Brazil has started production of its furnace no. 3.

Line 3 comprises a new fully automatic batch house including batch transport as well as cullet return system, all of which was supplied by Zippe Industrieanlagen.

The batch house is designed for the production of 400 tons of batch in 16 hours.

Amber beer bottles for the Brazilian market will be produced at the plant

Jianhua starts first resin sand line

www.glass-international.com

China’s Jianhua Mould Technology has started operation of a fully automatic resin sand casting line.

According to Jianhua, the new production line has tripled capacity and is more automatic, flexible and has improved quality compared to the traditional manual grey sand casting process. The company stated it was Asia’s first such production line.

The company is based in Changshu City near Shanghai, and had the support of a European equipment supplier when it established its mould casting facility in 2014.

Jianhua Mould is a former government owned company that was founded in 1976 and privatised in 1997, under the founder & senior engineer Mr. Ma Jianhua. Under his leadership the company has entered the global market. Its main products are containers and tableware moulds.

Hotwork launches revised website

Hotwork International has launched its newlyredesigned website.

It is crafted to give more detailed and easy accessible information on the various products and services the Hotwork International group offers for the glass industry as well as other industries. www.hotwork.ag

Horn Glass rebuilds 180tpd furnace for Stölzle The end-fired furnace was installed at the company’s Czestochwa plant in Poland in June 2014.

A specific characteristic of the project was the forehearth location, with a reversed glass flow due to the limitation of the building. Horn improved this distributor and forehearth location by changing its design, but keeping the existing gob points.

Horn supplied the steel structure, a port controlled combustion system including the Dualflame MC 700 burners, a flue gas and combustion air reversing unit, and the tank and throat cooling.

It also supplied the measurement and control system, including an oxygen measurement and a day batch hopper,

including the charging machines.

In order to reach a glass production of 180tpd, a melting boosting and a barrier boosting were installed at the furnace.

One of the four forehearths was equipped as a colouring

forehearth, with an additional dosing and weighing unit to add the colouring frit, as well as a stirring system to mix up the coloured glass.

The demolition and construction works were carried out by a subcontractor, under the guidance of Horn.

O-I: Changes in senior management as Erik Bouts leaves company Andres Lopez has been named President of Glass Containers and COO of Owens Illinois (OI), while Erik Bouts has said he will leave the company.

As of the 1st February 2015, Andres Lopez will preside as President of Glass Containers and Chief Operating Officer of O-I. In the newly created

role, Lopez will oversee O-I’s business and operations in all of the company’s geographic regions.

In August, Lopez was named president of O-I Americas, adding responsibility for O-I’s North American operations.

Erik Bouts, president of O-I Europe, will leave the compa-

ny, effective January 31, 2015, to pursue other opportunities.

Leadership succession for the European and North American businesses will be determined in the near future.

In the interim, Lopez will continue to lead the North American business.

CTIEC signs Nigerian float glass project Nigeria’s Harmony Glass Factory has completed the signing ceremony of a 500t/d float glass production line, constructed by China Triumph International Engineering Company (CTIEC).

Prof Peng Shou, CTIEC president, signed the contract with Femi Fadeni, vice executive president of Harmony Glass Factory.

The project will fill the blank of Nigeria’s float glass

industry, which is highly valued by the local government.

Peng Shou said the signing of the project will be important to CTIEC in exploring the African market and CTIEC will push the project forward.

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

6 Glass International December/January 2015

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International News

O-I and Constellation complete joint venture Owens-Illinois (O-I) has completed the formation of a 50-50 joint venture with Constellation Brands to own and operate a glass container production plant in Nava, Mexico.

In October the companies announced the plan, which was subject to regulatory approval. Approvals from the Mexican Federal Competition Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice have since been received.

The joint venture will operate the glass container

production plant in Nava that it recently purchased from Anheuser-Busch InBev. The plant operates under the name IVC and produces bottles exclusively for Constellation’s adjacent brewery, which makes Mexican beer brands for export to the United States, including Corona Extra, Corona Light, Modelo Especial, Negra Modelo and Pacifico.

The plant employs about 250 people and first began operating in February 2014.

The joint venture will expand the capacity of the plant from one to four furnaces over the next three to four years.

A team of engineering and manufacturing experts has already begun working on the expansion.

In a related matter, O-I signed a long-term supply agreement with Constellation to supply additional bottles to the brewery.

Supply under the agreement begins in late 2015.

Completion of amber furnace at Beatson Clark A new amber glass furnace has gone into production at Beatson Clark after a £6.5 million building project was completed.

The new furnace has a larger melting area, improving Beatson Clark’s capacity to supply the growing market for craft beer bottles both in the UK and overseas.

The melting area in the furnace has been increased by more than 6m² and can produce around 200 tonnes of glass per day.

Glass furnaces need to be completely rebuilt every ten years and this latest project is part of a major £10 million investment which Beatson Clark has made in plant and equipment at its site this year.

“We’ve installed stirrers in the forehearths to improve the quality of the glass, and by widening them we can also get a greater pull from the furnace”, said Marketing

Manager Charlotte Taylor.

“The design has been improved too for greater efficiency and reduced CO2 emissions in line with new Government targets.”

The new equipment now utilises the flame length to burn more gas, thereby reducing NOx emissions by over 20%.

Improvements to the regenerators and a greater wall height have increased

the combustion volume, which means that more heat can be recycled.

Meanwhile a new burner system with an oxygen trim facility ensures combustion is optimised, further increasing efficiency.

A new six-section bottle forming machine has also been installed which will offer further flexibility to supply smaller breweries.

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International News

NEWS IN BRIEF

Lucky AFGM for EME

Thai glass manufacturer Luckyglass has ordered a Mixer and a hammer crusher from EME. Luckyglass is a glassware manufacturer in the global market and a supplier for glassware in Thailand.

It strives to improve its production environment, quality, quantity and environmentally friendly glassware products.

To achieve this target, EME as a supplier of batch plant and cullet handling systems for the glass industry, has been entrusted with the order of a mixer and a hammer crusher.

P-D Refractories inaugurates tunnel furnace

P-D Refractories has inaugurated a tunnel furnace at its Bochum, Germany site.

It is a continuous highfurnace which is automatically fed with fire-proof moulded products.

P-D refractories Associate Mr Jurgen Preiss-Daimler said the new investment would lead to a bright future for the Bochum plant.

At a ceremony where Mr Preiss-Daimler was accompanied by the Mayor of Bochum, the furnace was named Beatrix II by Mr PreissDaimler’s wife, Mrs Beatrix Preiss-Daimler.

www.glass-international.com

Glaston’s President & CEO transfers to Asia

Glaston Corporation’s President & CEO Arto Metsänen will transfer to Asia on 1 January 2015 for around one and a half years.

The aim is to promote the company’s growth in Asia, especially in the areas outside of China, and to promote the company’s development projects in the Pacific region.

Mr. Metsänen’s temporary transfer to Asia will not affect the company’s operational structure or head office functions in Helsinki.

The Asia region accounted for 22% of Glaston’s net sales in 2013.

Allied supports the launch of Makar Glasgow Gin Allied Glass Containers has supported The Glasgow Distillery Company with the creation of a beautiful pack for its new Makar Glasgow Gin. The heptagonal bottle was originally designed by Fraser Reynolds on behalf of Glasgow Distillery.

The Allied design team then became involved in the project at an early stage ensuring working closely together to translate the original concept into a fit-for-purpose bottle design.

A bold yet intricate bottle manufactured in Gicel extra white premium flint glass, the key features are the chamfers and slices in the body, which were produced to be as sharp

as possible to create a bold light refraction effect through the bottle.

A premium hand-crafted gin named after the Scot’s word for ‘poet’, Makar is produced in 300 bottle batches from the company’s copper

pot still, Annie, and is based on a juniper-led recipe that includes seven additional botanicals: angelica root, liquorice, coriander seeds, lemon peel, rosemary, black peppercorns and cassia bark.

Vidrala bids to buy Encirc Spanish container glass manufacturer Vidrala has presented an offer to purchase Encirc Limited, which has activities in the UK and Ireland.

Encirc has production sites in Derrylin, Ireland and Elton, UK and has produced container glass since the end of

the 1990s. The company has invested approximately €640 million into its production sites in recent years.

No final result of the outcome of negotiations or the offer presented via the subsidiary company Inverbeira Sociedad de Promoción de Empre-

sas has been published yet.

Vidrala reported a profit of €40.2 million for the first nine months of this year, a loss of 1.5% compared to same period in the previous year.

Sales went down by 1.6% to €362.8 million compared to 2013.

Saint-Gobain to sell Verallia by mid-2015 to focus on buildings Saint-Gobain plans to sell the rest of its Verallia glass packaging group by mid-2015 after it sold the unit’s North American unit to Ardagh earlier this year.

Saint-Gobain CEO Pierre-André de Chalendar said the group had received

plenty of interest from funds as well as industrial companies for Verallia.

Saint-Gobain has been looking to shed Verallia for years, to focus on higher-margin home and construction products, but previous attempts to sell or spin off the unit were thwarted

by the financial crisis.

Saint-Gobain, founded in 1665 and this year enjoying its 350th anniversary, is focusing on building materials for which there is growing demand as the construction industry shifts its focus towards energy-efficient buildings.

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

10 Glass International December/January 2015

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Company profile: Pochet du Courval

France’s Pochet du Courval pushes the fragrance boundaries Nestled in the historic glassmaking region of the Bresle Valley, French fragrance and cosmetic bottles expert Pochet du Courval is currently modernising its Furnace Number 4 at its Guimerville, Normandy site. Greg Morris travelled to the region and spoke to Christian Durand, Managing Director Operations, and Antoine Planque, Managing Director of Sales and Marketing, to find out more about the company and its decoration techniques and technologies.

This profile is part of a series of articles in the lead up to the Glassman Europe exhibition and conference in Lyon, France, in May 2015.

www.glass-international.com

Can you give a history of the company?

The company is the result of the association of two companies: a glassmaker, Les Verreries du Courval, founded in 1623 in the Bresle Glass Valley, in Guimerville in the north of Normandy and a glass decorating company, Pochet, located in Paris, which was the distributor of Verreries du Courval in Paris.

Pochet acquired Verreries du Courval in 1919.

In 1853 Les Verreries du Courval had produced the first glass bottle designed for a perfume: the Guerlain ‘L’Eau Impériale’. This was the start of a key change for perfume. From that day perfumes were not filled in standard bottles, but rather in customised glass bottles.

The company has always been a leader in the fragrance/cosmetics glassmaking market, by innovating and pushing the limits of feasibility,

and making possible creative designs for fragrance companies.

How is the company structured?

Pochet du Courval is part of Groupe Pochet, which comprises three divisions dedicated to the high end fragrance and cosmetics packaging: the Glass division with Pochet du Courval, the plastic/ metal division with Qualipac, and the decoration division with Solev, a specialised decoration division.

Pochet du Courval comprises the French operations, with the glass making plant in Guimerville and three decoration plants in Guimerville, Gamaches and Beaugency; and the US operations with a decoration plant in Wayne, Continued>>

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Company profile: Pochet du Courval

NJ. Both operations total around 1800 employees.

“

Since 1997 we have reduced our CO2 emissions by more than 30%.

Also, as far as volatile organic compounds are concerned, we have reduced our emissions by more than 50%.

Can you tell me more about the Guimerville site, such as the number of production lines, and type of specialist equipment used?

The glass manufacturing site has four furnaces and 18 production lines. The equipment has evolved to adapt to the specific needs of our market.

Today, our key challenges are to enhance our process control equipment and our inspection equipment. Our focus remains to serve our customers’ needs and push the limits of design feasibility to produce extraordinary products.

”

What products do you make and which is your most popular?

We produce customised glass bottles for the fragrance and cosmetics markets. Our most popular products are the leading fragrance brands from the industry leaders, for which we have mastered the glass repartition to achieve the most difficult designs. Our innovation department, working with the manufacturing team, constantly introduce new inventions, which have made the impossible, possible.

How have the perfumes and cosmetics markets performed in recent years, in light of the recent global recession?

that it says push the limits of perfume bottle manufacturing. Shown here is an example of ‘Eole’ patented technology (pictured top), ‘Texture’ technology (middle), and the company’s ‘In’pressive’ sculpting technology. (bottom).

You are also a specialist in decoration.

Can you explain some of the decoration techniques that you use?

Decoration has always been a key activity of our operations. We decorate not only in Guimerville, but also in our production sites at Gamaches, Beaugency and in Wayne, NJ, USA. Of course, we have more ‘standard’ operations of lacquering and silk screening, but we are also involved with Continued>>

www.glass-international.com

z Pochet has recently launched three bottle types

Both high end fragrance and cosmetics are global markets, where the brands are produced in a few locations and distributed in all countries.

For the fragrance market, the 2001 to 2012 period had an annual average growth of approximately 3.5%, which made a 40% increase during that period. In the past two years (2013 and 2014), the growth was more moderate, at around 1.5 to 2.5%. The growth of the travel retail market is compensating for a stagnation of the sales in the key markets of Europe and USA, while the Latin American market, mainly Brazil, is still growing at a high rate.

For the cosmetics market, the growth in the 2001 to 2012 period was even higher, with an average growth at 4.4% for glass products, which made a 53% increase in the period. The key markets are Europe, USA and Asia. The last two years have seen a lower growth in the first two markets, compensated by high growth in Asia.

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Company profile: Pochet du Courval

hot stamping, pad printing and gluing. We also work closely with our sister company, Solev, which specialises in high-end applications such as metallisation, laser engraving and sublimation.

Has decoration become more important in recent years?

As far as the evolution of decoration in our company, I would say there are two trends. The first is that for certain types of packaging the purity and the design are focused on sublimating the glass itself. On these products there is actually little or no decoration. On the other hand, there are products where decoration is truly a way to enhance the product.

“

France is a key country for our deliveries in terms of percentage.

”

other via our investment strategy, which targets installing equipment that offers the best available energy use. Since 1997 we have reduced our CO2 emissions by more than 30%.

Also, as far as volatile organic compounds are concerned, we have reduced our emissions by more than 50%.

The path to sustainability is to continuously challenge ourselves and strive to implement the best technology available for any given investment.

What are the current glass industry challenges and opportunities?

Are there any ‘green’ technologies in place at the plant?

For the fragrance and cosmetics markets, the challenge is certainly to keep a high pace of innovation. Product differentiation is a key marketing element for the end product marketeers and, if they can achieve this on the packaging, it follows that they will offer the winning product to the market.

The challenge is always keeping the right balance between the ‘handcraft’ and ‘industry’ parts of our world.

Recently, we have introduced three innovations that bring to our customers huge potential for new creative designs. The first is the ‘In’pressive’ patented technology - sculpting the inside of the glass bottle, which has never been done before. We have made a first launch with a key player in the prestige fragrance market.

The second innovation is the ‘Eole’ patented technology, which gives different possibilities of internal forms in a ‘classic’ glass bottle, also something that was not achievable until now.

The third innovation is the ‘Texture’ technology, which allows us to produce very fine external designs on the surface of the bottle.

We also have ‘e-motion’, which involves light design. 

Being involved in a high-energy use operation, it is key to keep in mind ways to improve our environmental footprint. One area on which we focus is how we utilise energy. We do this on the one hand by operating procedures and on the

Pochet du Courval, Guimerville, Blangy-Sur-Bresle, France www.pochetducourval.com/

What geographical markets does Pochet serve?

The fragrance and cosmetics markets are global markets for our customers, most of which are located in Europe and the USA. We serve our European, Middle East and Asian customers from our French plants and we serve the North American customers from our US plant.

How important is the French market?

Due to the fact that several French groups have been able to consolidate into world leaders in the fragrance and cosmetics market, with manufacturing operations in France, it is a key country for our deliveries in terms of percentage.

We deliver to our customers in France and then they deliver worldwide.

What is your daily output of glass?

www.glass-international.com

It is one million bottles a day.

14 0 Glass International December/January 2015

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Interview: Phoenix Award Chairperson

Phoenix Award brings glass community together Tim Park is Chairperson of the Phoenix Award Committee for 2015. Each February the committee meets to select its ‘Glass Person of the Year’. He spoke to Greg Morris about the award and the recognition it has given to members of the glass manufacturing community.

Can you tell us a little about the Phoenix Committee such as when it was formed, why it was formed and what is its purpose today? Who had the idea to form the award?

 Each recipient of the Phoenix Award is presented with a glass sculpture that represents the mythological Phoenix Bird.

The Phoenix Award Committee was formed in 1971 by a group of suppliers to the glass industry.

The purpose of The Phoenix Award Committee has always been to recognise outstanding contribution to the glass industry.

How many previous winners of the award have there been and what credentials should they have to win the award?

There have been 44 recipients of The Phoenix Award. The award is presented to someone, now living, that has made significant contributions to the world of glass. The original Phoenix Award Committee bylaws stated:

www.glass-international.com

“It is the purpose of the Phoenix Award Committee to select each year a person, now living, who has been active in and has made significant and major contributions to any phase of the Glass Industry.

“This may be in the field of Science, Production, or Education relating to Glass. As a symbol of this award, the recipient shall be presented with a Glass Sculpture representing the mythological Phoenix Bird.”

Over the past years, the recipients have contributed to the legacy of the Phoenix Bird by making lasting contributions to the Glass Industry in the areas of Fundamental Research, Education, Glass Technology, Engineering, Glass Art, Glass Manufacturing and Management.

Continued>>

16 Glass International December/January 2015

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Interview: Phoenix Award Chairperson

How is the award decided each year?

The committee meets once per year to choose that year’s recipient. Each member is responsible for bringing forward the name of at least one potential recipient. We discuss the different people and one person is nominated.

So far, we’ve been lucky enough that every vote has been unanimous in support of the nominated recipient. In the autumn, we present The Phoenix Award to that year’s recipient at a formal banquet.

All have been black-tie affairs, save Javier Gutierrez in 2009. In deference to the King of Spain, he requested that gentlemen wear dark suits.

What benefits does it bring to be a member of the committee? How many members do you currently have and what is their role?

z Last year’s winner G Clinton Shay (seated) with his family at the presentation ceremony.

How long will you be Chairperson for and do you have any plans for the role during your tenure?

You were appointed Chairperson at the end of the last Phoenix award ceremony when G Clinton Shay received the award. What does the role of Chairperson entail?

All positions in The Phoenix Award Committee run from banquet to banquet, so Wally Evans was our chairperson during the banquet to honour Clint Shay. As Chairperson, I will preside over our meetings and the banquet.

First, it was an honour to be asked to be Chairperson. Secondly, I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know a few of the recipients. They are humble people, who have worked a long time to achieve the things they have achieved.

It’s easy to give an award to someone who truly deserves to be recognised, especially when they are so humble. Each one of the recipients that I have known has said that they don’t understand why they were chosen or has said that they were just following their passion. Everyone who does work for The Phoenix Award, does so in addition to his or her normal job.

I’m always impressed with how much each person does and how much work can be accomplished when we all chip in and do our parts. I’ve been lucky to work with dedicated people and I can see that the committee is full of dedicated people.

“

The award is presented to someone, now living, that has made significant contributions to the world of glass.

”

Tim Park, Phoenix Award Chairperson (above)

I will be chairperson for one year. We have a wonderfully diverse group of members, including our first Japanese member and our first Indian member. We have become more diverse during my time with the committee and I hope this diversity trend continues.

Our industry is a global industry, so our committee reflects this more and more. I also hope that the increasing publicity and recognition that The Phoenix Award has received in recent years continues.

Our publicity group does a tremendous amount of work to raise awareness and I think it is paying off. I think it’s a wonderful award and it’s a shame that we don’t yet have 100% awareness throughout the industry.

In future years, how will the Phoenix Committee evolve?

As I mentioned, The Phoenix Award Committee has been on a path to more diversification and more global representation. It’s not been a fasttrack, but it’s been steady.

For example, Carol Schnall was our chairperson in 2004, so that is why we say chairperson instead of chairman. David Senior was our first European chair in 2009. I look for this trend to continue. r

www.phoenixawardcommittee.org

www.glass-international.com

Committee members get greater networking among fellow suppliers in the industry. If one of my customers has a question, to which I may not know the answer, I can find an expert among my fellow suppliers to answer the question. My customer benefits by having access to that expert.

The Phoenix Award Committee has 24 members.

Each serves for a four-year term.

After fulfilling a term, the member should be off the committee for at least a year, before being invited for another term. Sometimes former members are invited back, to fill a vacancy due to a resignation.

17 Glass International December/January 2015

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Interview: Guardian Industries

Guardian Glass President, Kevin Baird, gets to grips with new role In January 2014 Kevin Baird was named President of Guardian’s Global Flat Glass group. Mr Baird spoke to Greg Morris about the role, the company’s participation at glasstec and the industry as a whole.

Congratulations on your appointment as President of the Global Flat Glass Group for Guardian. How have you found the role since taking over in January?

The eight months have gone very quickly. It’s been a steep learning curve, not so much with Guardian because I have been with them for six years, but of the glass industry in general. I’m used to the applications in automotive, but otherwise had no idea how much glass exists in the world and how different the applications are.

www.glass-international.com

What is the purpose of Guardian exhibiting at glasstec 2014?

There are several reasons. For me, the main purpose is to spend quality time with customers.

It’s the one event every two years where we get a real global group; customers from around the world are here. I’m meeting many for the first time and some for the second time.

It provides an opportunity to understand how we are creating value for them as a supplier and what we can do better. It is also an opportunity to understand their goals and views on the industry and its future trends.

Finally, it is also a chance to show off some of the innovations our team has been working on and display new products and technologies that we have added to our portfolio to meet customer needs for commercial, residential and interior value-added glass products and solutions.

Obviously we’re a buyer of glass equipment, too.

I’ve had a chance to walk the show floor to see the latest technologies and trends that are on display.

It has been very interesting.

Are there any particular geographical regions of interest at the moment?

Guardian is a global business. We are doing business in every region of the world and have a manufacturing footprint in most of those regions.

 Kevin Baird, President of Guardian’s Global Flat Glass group.

“

We are doing business in every region of the world and have a manufacturing footprint in most of those regions. The emerging markets are interesting to us but we do a lot of business in the mature economies as well.

”

Continued>>

18 Glass International December/January 2015

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Changshu Jianhua Mould Technology Co., Ltd. is China’s most emerging mould manufacturer, with about 40 years’ experience in the design and manufacture of glass moulds. At present, Jianhua Mould has three divisions: the Foundry Section, the Container Mould Section and the Tableware Mould Section. It also operates on R&D institute with local government in China developing mould material and seeking solutions to overcome problems in the mould industry. Now Jianhua Mould is looking forward to cooperating with more packaging companies around the world...

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Material

Jianhua operates its own foundry to ensure qualified castings.

Delivery

Jianhua applies efficient production management to ensure quick delivery

Manufacturing

Jianhua has a highly experienced team ready to serve you at any time.

Quality

Jianhua has tailored technology in production with total quality control

Capacity

Jianhua has four workshops capable of producing large quantities of moulds

Reputation

Jianhua is the first Chinese mould manufacturer operating an NNPB R&D center.

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Interview: Guardian Industries

The emerging markets are interesting to us but we do a lot of business in the mature economies as well. For instance, in North America, we’re encouraged by increased activity in commercial and residential construction. The European economy has its challenges, and Russia remains a challenge given the recent political unrest.

Regions such as South America and India are experiencing strong glass demand on a per capita basis.

Globally, our glaziers/cladders and fabricators are busy, and that’s certainly good for Guardian.

Given our large global footprint, we have the ability to respond and adjust as economies change.

Optimising and leveraging that global footprint is how we manage the global system to meet customer demand.

What’s important to us is that this demand is increasing around the world for glass.

Can you give us any news on the proposed plants in India and Malaysia?

We see economic growth in these regions in the future. Capital investments are under review at the moment, so we’re not ready to make any announcements.

However, we remain interested in both India and Asia Pacific. We already have a strong presence in Thailand with two float glass plants.

Also, we recently announced a new vacuum sputter coater in Saudi Arabia. We consider the Middle East and the amount of commercial construction there a very important growth area, particularly for our commercial glass façade business.

www.glass-international.com

How much emphasis is placed on R&D within Guardian?

Research and development is critical to us. We have a central R&D capability for customer-focused work that aligns practical solutions with the trends and needs of the glass industry.

In addition, we have just completed a comprehensive expansion of the home of Guardian’s R&D, our Science and Technology Center in Michigan.

It is now a showplace for Guardian customers and partners to see our products and solutions in real-world applications, and it includes a new advanced technology vacuum sputter coater to allow faster development of products.

Guardian has put a big premium on the need to look at the long term, and R&D is a big part of that.

How important is the environment and ‘green’ technology to the company?

Energy efficiency is a key phrase at Guardian, both for our products and our processes, and in the industry as a whole at the moment.

But it does depend on where you are in the world and what your situation is with regards to energy prices and what the overall infrastructure costs are.

z Guardian’s stand at glasstec 2014.

“

I like to think that code development and government regulations are important, but are far from being the drivers of the industry: Drivers stem from the end consumer.

”

In short, it goes beyond energy efficiency.

I like to think that code development and government regulations are important, but are far from being the drivers of the industry. Drivers stem from the end consumer, whether they are increasing energy costs, occupant comfort, sustainability and/or codes.

As a company, we are committed to sustainability and finding innovative ways to use fewer resources in all we do.

How much competition is there from competitor materials?

The feedback from architects is that they still want to design with glass; their preference is to use more glass. They’re asking us to help them maintain a higher window-to-wall ratio, either through higher performance glass or other modelling techniques. They want to use more glass, and they’re only reducing the window-to-wall ratio if they absolutely have to.

As a matter of fact, architects are willing to do the modelling (that comes with a window-to-wall ratio greater than 40%) and base their designs on performance as opposed to prescriptive.

They need our help and, to do that, it is incumbent upon us to find products that they find exciting and that they want to use in design and construction.

We can promise today’s customers and our future customers that Guardian will continue to leverage its position as one of the largest, most global manufacturers of sputter coated glass products.

We’re going to continue to invest in product and process technology that will be the cornerstone of Guardian Flat Glass moving forward. r

*Guardian Industries, Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. www.guardian.com

20 Glass International December/January 2015

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Country profile: India

Indian container industry to surge Ahead of the Glasspex exhibition in March , Glass International presents an overview of India’s container glass industry.

www.glass-international.com

I

ndia is a paradox and the same is true of its container glass industry. Despite the country’s mammoth population (1.28 billion and counting), container glass demand is met by a capacity of 10,000 tonnes per day from about a dozen large and mid-sized companies, and another 20 smaller businesses.

The country’s economy and consumption has been through a tough time in the past three years but has started to show positive signals. But, per capita consumption of container glass is still at abysmal levels, even lower than some of the lesserdeveloped countries in the continent.

By global standards the Indian container glass industry remains small, at only a little over $1 billion, despite the rapid growth of user industries in recent years. Barring the last two years, when economic activity slowed, the demand for glass containers has been enjoying double-digit growth as part of the ‘Great Indian Consumption Story’.

Glass packaging, however, only accounts for 11% of the overall packaging demand of the country.

That said, it is one of the fastest growing segments due to its popularity in some of the fastest growing consumer sectors. At its current CAGR of over 16-17% it is expected to reach INR104 billion (US $1.679 billion) by the end of 2015.

On the supply side, the majority of production is controlled by the top three players: HNGIL, AGI

Glaspac and Piramal Glass.

India offers opportunities for container glass industry growth, as per capita consumption of glass bottles in the country is low at about 1.4kg Compared to its neighbouring countries such as Japan (10.2kg) and China (5.9kg) this is almost a fraction. The scope for Indian container glass is optimistic on the back of steady consumption growth by the middle and upper classes who are the main buyers of foods, beverages, cosmetics and pharmaceutical products that are usually packaged in glass. All the above sectors have witnessed double-digit growth in the last decade and are expected to continue to do so in the coming years. There were some blips in 2012 and 2013 when the liquor segment, which is the largest sub- segment for the container glass industry, grew only in the low single digits. The Indian container glass industry differs from the global market in so far as the bulk of demand comes from distilleries and not breweries. While beer consumption in India has shown phenomenal growth in recent years, it remains low in absolute terms. In view of the changing trend in drinking habits, the gradual shift to beer in line with international averages therefore augers well for the industry.

Continued>>

22 Glass International December/January 2015

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Country profile: India

Indian GDP growth is likely to improve steadily in coming years. Macro-economic indices have improved in the last few months and the demand from downstream industries has started to register robust growth rates. The economy growth will further boost end-user segment growth, thus providing container glass producers with vibrant opportunities.

Capacity addition, the start of four new container glass plants and sluggish demand in 2012 and 2013 saw a temporary oversupply in the container market. However, with brisk growth in user industries that excess supply has practically vanished.

As far as sub-segments are concerned, alcoholic beverages is the largest sector of container glass in the country, followed by pharma and non-alcoholic beverages and food, in that order (Table 1).

Sub-Segment

1

Alcoholic Beverages

56%

2

Pharma

17 %

3

Non Alcoholic Beverages

14 %

4

Food

13 %

Food and non-alcoholic beverages

Contribution

z Table 1. Container glass demand according to market subsegments.

Alcohol There are three categories –Indian Manufactured Foreign Liquor, which includes whiskey, rum, brandy, vodka & gin (IMFL); beer; and domestic spirits (cheaper, spiced liquor).

Each of these segments has a volume of between 230-260 million cases per annum; hence, the market is divided almost equally by volume.

However, the IMFL market is much larger in terms of value, due to the difference in price per bottle.

The IMFL sub- segment accounts for more than 65% by value (of the alcoholic segment); the beer industry takes second spot with 25% of value; while 10% is accounted for by domestic liquor.

The alcohol segment accounts for 56% of overall container glass demand in India. IMFL is poised to grow by double digits due to the rise in disposable incomes. Another major consumer of container glass, the Indian beer market, is at the start of its growth trajectory. Currently dominated by United Breweries, the Indian beer market has seen the entry of many multinational companies such as SAB Miller, Carlsberg, Molson Coor, Kobra and Budweiser in recent years.

Pharmaceuticals Pharma is experiencing steady growth in the country. India’s pharmaceutical sector is expected to touch US$45 billion by 2020, according to a study by consulting firm, McKinsey & Company.

Between 2002–2012, the country’s healthcare sector grew three times in size, reaching US$70 billion from US$23 billion. India’s pharmaceutical market experienced a similar boom, reaching US$18 billion in 2012 from US$6 billion in

“

Accounting for more than 65% of the country’s container glass capacity, the Indian container glass market is dominated by three companies: HNG, AGI Glaspac, and Piramal Glass.

”

Demand for container glass in packaged food in India is currently at a low level. However, with modern retail trade gaining a larger share each year, glass packaging is expected to provide a sizable market in the coming years.

The packaged food industry is the fifth largest sector in India. The industry is currently at US$39.7 billion and is expected to reach US$65.41 billion by 2020, owing to the rise in middle class income, changing urban lifestyles and the rise of modern retail trade.

The food processing industries in India attracted foreign direct investments (FDI) worth US$5,360.89 million between April 2000– January 2014, according to data published by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP). India has formulated a Vision 2015 Action Plan that includes trebling the size of the food processing industry, raising the level of processing of perishables from 6% to 20%, increasing value from 20% to 35% and enhancing India’s share in the global food trade from 1.5% to 3%. If these figures are realised, container glass’s share in food packaging will also rise.

Another sub-segment that offers potential for container glass growth is the non-alcoholic beverage sub-segment. The Indian non-alcoholic beverages market is growing at 15% year-onyear. “As more people are trading up to packaged drinks, consumption of non-alcoholic beverages in India is expected to increase by 16.5–19% over the next three years,” stated a report by the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations and the Indian Beverage Association.

Major players Accounting for more than 65% of the country’s container glass capacity, the Indian container glass market is dominated by three companies: HNG, AGI Glaspac, and Piramal Glass.

There are also about a dozen tier II companies, which account for 25% of the country’s capacity (Table 2). Most of these companies have a capacity of about 200t/d and serve niche markets Continued>>

www.glass-international.com

S. No.

2005. The report further states that the Indian pharmaceutical market will be the world’s sixth largest by 2020.

Recently, the Indian government has become the first to ban the use of PET or plastic containers for liquid oral formulations for children, geriatrics, and women who are pregnant or of reproductive age. Effective from 2016, this ban is expected to significantly increase the amount of glass used in the Indian pharmaceutical industry, with some estimates stating that 1 lakh metric tonnes of PET used in India’s pharmaceutical industry will need to be replaced by 9 lakh metric tonnes of glass per year.

23 Glass International December/January 2015

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Country profile: India

S. No

Company

Location

Capacity

Plant Location

Installed Capacity ( t/d)

1

Haldyn Glass

Gujarat

320

Rishra (West Bengal)

860

2

Mohan Meakins

UP

240

Bahadurgarh (Haryana)

840

3

Sunrise Glass

Gujarat

220

Virbhadra (Uttranchal)

460

4

Jantha Glass

Gujarat

220

Puducherry

330

5

Universal Glass

Ghazibad

220

Nasik (Maharastra)

980

6

Hyaline Glass

Indore

150

Neemrana (Rajasthan)

180

7

Vitrum Glass

Mumbai

130

Naidupeta (Andhra Pradesh)

650

8

Pragati Glass Industry

Gujarat

130

Total

4300

9

Enki Glass Industry

Gujarat

120

z Table 2: Installed Capacity of Tier II Container glass produc-

z Table 3. HNGIL has seven manufacturing facilities in India.

ers in India (t/d)

in their respective regions. These tier II companies are expected to grow into larger companies in forthcoming years.

There are also another approximately 15 tier III companies. These are small and often supply low quality glass bottles to food, domestic liquors and locally brewed non-alcoholic beverage producers.

About half of these small-scale producers are based in the glass cluster of Firozabad, located 125km from the capital, New Delhi.

www.glass-international.com

HNGIL With seven manufacturing facilities in the country, Hindusthan National Glass & Industries Limited (HNGIL) is the largest container glass producer in India with a capacity of 4300t/d of container glass (Table 3).

If its German manufacturing site (formerly Agenda Glass) is included, HNGIL has eight manufacturing units, which houses 13 furnaces and 58 production lines with fully-automated IS machines.

HNGIL started container glass manufacturing in 1952 with a 30t/d capacity in Rishra and went on to become the largest producer of container glass in the country. The company serves the needs of food, beverage and pharma industries. In 2012, HNGIL started its Greenfield plant at Naidupeta in the Southern State of Andhra Pradesh. The company states it will be South East Asia’s largest glass manufacturing complex in a few years.

AGI Glaspac AGI Glaspac is India’s second largest producer of container glass and has an installed capacity of 1600t/d. The company has two facilities at Sanathnagar, Hyderabad, with a capacity of 650t/d and at Bhongir, Telangana with a capacity of 950t/d.

Due to the industry’s overcapacity, the company could achieve a capacity utilisation of 70% in 2013-14. AGI said that this is still higher than the industry average of 65%.

AGI management said that it was able to reduce costs by purchasing imported raw materials in advance to counter currency volatility and to optimise the use of raw materials to counter the rising prices of soda ash and fuel. The company also had to shut one furnace temporarily.

HSIL also introduced updated technology to manufacture lightweight bottles for pharma and soft drink sectors.

Piramal Glass One of the largest global producers of flacconage container glass for the pharmaceuticals and perfumery businesses, Piramal Glass has a capacity of 1,115 tonnes per day and sales of more than $200 million worldwide.

Piramal Glass also produces glass bottles for speciality food and beverages. It has invested more than $110 million in the creation of new capacity and is among the top five manufacturers of perfumery bottles in the world. Piramal Glass has two major facilities at Kosamba and Jambusar (both in Gujarat state).

Its manufacturing unit at Kosamba has six furnaces – three each for pharma and cosmetics & perfumery segments - with a combined capacity of 340t/d. It produces USP Type I, II and III amber and flint bottles and vials for the pharmaceuticals industry.

It also makes containers for nail enamel, perfumes, skin care and miniature bottles.

Piramal’s second facility at Jambusar is one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical container glass producer’s of amber glass. With a capacity of 355t/d, this plant produces type 3 amber and flint colour bottles for the pharmaceutical, cosmetics and perfumery segments. 

24 Glass International December/January 2015

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History

Prof. John Parker Turner Museum of Glass and ICG

Silica M

ost sands are rich in quartz, a crystalline and seriously stable form of silica - the sands of time do not run out in deserts, except for in extreme events. For example, the intense heat of a lightning strike can melt quartz, producing glassy silica rods termed ‘fulgurites’. Meteor impacts create similar conditions over greater areas and probably explain the large glassy silica fragments almost 30 million years old found in parts of the Libyan desert.

Samples were discovered by ancient Egyptian jewellers and were used by our early ancestors for tool making.

Pure silica only melts above 1700°C. Even then it gives an extremely viscous liquid, almost a million times thicker than treacle, and so actual melting temperatures for a copycat product must be 200-300° higher. Early technologists, limited to burning wood or coal, could not reproduce such conditions. Only oxyfuel firing or electric melting removes this limitation, but then further difficulties appear. One is the lack of sufficient refractory container materials (only tungsten or molybdenum are suitable and they need an oxygen-free atmosphere).

The second is a significant increase in evaporation losses. Consequently, commercially produced silica was not available until 1925.

Even if the temperatures are sufficient for melting, refining remains problematic.

Vacuum treatment to remove bubbles, possibly followed by the application of high pressure to dissolve any remaining gases, helps. This works even better if the quartz grains making up the batch are flushed free of air by saturation with helium or hydrogen, gases small enough to diffuse easily in and out of the crystalline and glassy structures.

The manufacturing route adopted defines the different grades of silica produced: vitreous silica is not bubble

free and hence is opaque; vitreous quartz refers to a bubble-free transparent glassy product. The purest materials, for optics, are not made by melting but by chemical routes, e.g. combustion of silicon tetrachloride vapour in oxygen to create silica soot, which coats a substrate with a porous layer requiring densification by sintering. Such intensive processes take many hours to complete. Consequently, silica glass is expensive to produce.

A step change occurred in 1934 when Nordberg and Hood at Corning discovered a low temperature manufacturing route.

This gave a slightly less pure form of silica, but most of its desirable properties were retained at a lower cost. Firstly, an alkali borosilicate glass is formed using standard processes but it is then heat treated just above its annealing point.

Phase separation causes the initially homogeneous glass to decompose into a silica-rich matrix containing a finescale, fully interconnected, alkali borate network. Dilute acid can dissolve and remove this borate phase, leaving a porous, siliceous skeleton, which is valuable in its own right, and often termed thirsty glass because of its large internal surface area.

Finally, reheating causes pore collapse; the initial dimensions of any artefact made must compensate for the associated 35% volume shrinkage. The result, termed Vycor, is a transparent, 96% SiO2 glass.

Nature is also adept at manufacturing silica, even from seawater: for example, diatoms and sponges have silica skeletons; and a nettle sting is a silica-rich hollow glass fibre hypodermic. In the lab, sol gel technology uses organic derivatives of silicon and hydrolyses them to a silica gel at room temperature. Drying needs temperatures above the glass annealing point to produce low water content glasses.

The dream of early sol gel technologists was that their methodology would offer a low temperature route to glass production.

In reality, while lower temperatures are possible, costly raw materials are needed and bulk production is difficult because differential shrinkage during drying causes cracking. Nevertheless, siliceous surface coatings, fibres, powders and silica microspheres are significant products created by this approach. But copying nature, at the boundary where chemistry and biology meet, may offer new advantages, e.g. the potential to use much cheaper raw materials while simultaneously producing complex silica morphologies.

The chemical structure of silica explains its many useful properties. A model was proposed by Zachariasen in 1932.

Soon after, Warren and his co-workers were among the first to investigate this amorphous structure using X-ray diffraction. The basic building blocks are tetrahedra with oxygens at the corners and silicon ions at their centre. These tetrahedral units share all four corners creating strong three dimensional networks. Whether these are truly random is still a matter of discussion. The strength of its bonds gives silica its high melting point. Its structure also means that vitreous silica has an exceptionally low thermal expansion coefficient, one twentieth of that for common glasses and invaluable for enhancing thermal shock resistance.

My next article will show how its exceptional properties forged in extreme conditions have given silica its prominent position among speciality glasses. r

Bibliography http://www.lehigh.edu/imi/docs_GP/ papers/Bruckner%20JNCS%20silica.pdf Silica Glass and its Application, I Fanderlik, Elsevier (1991) Glass Technology, Vol 4 on Speciality Glass, H A Schaeffer & M Benz-Zauner, Deutsches Museum

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In the first of a two-part feature on silica, Prof. John Parker discusses the history of its commercial production and its chemical structure.

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British Glass

Glass Technology Services

UK/EU grants for glass innovation Glass Technology Services Ltd (GTS) is urging the glass supply chain to take full advantage of the range of major funding opportunities available to them, thanks to a number of UK and EU grants.

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he independent research and development, consultancy and testing facility has received grant funding in the past two years of more than £3.6 million.

With its grant applications achieving an astounding 100% success rate, Glass Technology Services is keen to develop more projects and partnerships.

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Specialist knowledge “Our extensive experience and specialist knowledge in glass has enabled us to develop some highly successful knowledge and technology transfer partnerships, and we’re continually looking to extend these further with new partners, networks and project opportunities,” said GTS Innovation Director, Dr. Malcolm Glendenning.

“Our specialist experience, extensive supply-chain and academic networks, mean we can offer advice on the variety of funding sources available from commercial organisations, government bodies and institutions, and can assist in the writing of grant proposals.

“We have an excellent track record of securing grant funding for innovation, market studies and other research.

“Our established reputation and global network of academic and commercial partners across a wide range of sectors, enables us to quickly pull together worldclass consortia of experts and commercial partners.”

Funding opportunities The GTS team welcomes any inquiries about research and development partnerships and grant providers, and

z The GTS headquarters in Sheffield, UK. highlighted just a handful of key funding opportunities available: r Innovate UK, the national innovation agency, is offering vouchers to encourage and enable UK-based small and medium sized businesses to look outside their current network for new expertise. It will provide funding awards to cover up to £5,000 of research with approved suppliers they have not worked with before. r Smart Grants: Awarded by Innovate UK they target micro, small and mediumsized businesses, to support research and development projects in science, engineering or technology, which could lead to successful new products, processes or services.

Grants range from £25,000 to £250,000

and businesses can typically receive up to 60% of funding towards project costs. r Horizon 2020, the biggest ever EU Research and Innovation programme, with nearly €80 billion of funding available during 2014-2020. r GTS can also provide advice and consultancy for the glass industry on a range of funding available to improve energy efficiency and competitiveness, including Enhanced Capital Allowances, with tax rebates for energy efficient equipment, the EU Sustainable Industry Low Carbon Initiative, the UK Energy Efficiency Investments Fund, Green Deal for Business and CO2Sense. r

www.glass-ts.com/project-funding www.glass-ts.com

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Abividro

Abividro

Climate change in developing countries

L

ast March, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) declared that impacts of global warming will be ‘severe, pervasive and irreversible’.

The IPCC reported that effects of global warming so far have been more sharply felt by nature, but impacts on mankind will be increasingly strong. Climate change will affect health, housing, food and the safety of the planet’s population.

This is not a new topic: diplomatic debates on how to mitigate this issue started within the United Nations with the Rio-92 summit, which led to the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol in 2005. Since then, the first legal obligations were established for developed countries to reduce their emissions of greenhouse gas (GHG).

More recently, developing countries such as Brazil, China and India began to be questioned over their responsibility on the subject, as they have become big emitters as well. For industries in these countries, opportunities to cut GHG emissions have ceased to be merely an asset that generates revenue, and have become a crucial step in minimising potential liabilities and creating the opportunity for competition within the low-carbon economy. We are taking the first steps of a carbon management system that integrates environmental assets and liabilities under the same view.

Scientists’ overall view is that global warming and its consequences are no longer reversible. Concepts such as vulnerability and adaptation must be embedded into public policies and business strategies, regardless of the need to set a global emission reduction goal.

Another relevant issue is to define who will be charged with the damage and impacts that have already occurred and will continue to occur in the near future. Within this context, during the

annual meeting of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) held in Warsaw in 2013, it was decided that an international agreement must be signed by 2015 to deal with the ‘Loss and Damage’ problem.

The aim is to provide, for the next meeting in 2015 in Paris, a global reduction agreement that integrates all kinds of action from individual countries, groups of countries, and companies, with the establishment of mandatory reduction targets post -2020.

In Brazil, studies on a future carbon market have been narrowed down. The Ministry of Finance is about to conclude the simulation of a local market that could assume one of the three alternatives of operation: 1) cap and trade; 2) carbon fee; or 3) cap and trade + carbon fee.

According to the Ministry, the simulations will allow an understanding of what economic impact such actions would have over the different industries, and so define the most suitable model to adopt. There may be significant impacts as several industrial sectors in Brazil already have a very good relative carbon efficiency (ton of CO2/ton of product produced) when compared to international parameters.

As a result, potential discussion about absolute targets is not feasible; especially if we consider the huge social deficits that we have on a local basis, and the need to recover historical arrears with the local population. Recent data shows that Brazil has faced de-industrialisation while imports have increased rapidly, which is a serious contradiction in terms of carbon. The more de-industrialisation in the country, the more GHG emissions we have, not only because we are importing more carbon-intensive products, but also due to emissions related to transportation.

If we want to reduce GHG global emissions, there is no choice: the carbon

cost of a product must be globally included according to the carbon intensity, and be a competitive differential. This approach must be mandatory in negotiations for Paris 2015.

Local policymakers do not want to create laws that do not communicate with one another, have no dialogue with current environmental legislation and, most importantly, are not realistic and fail to induce good practices towards a lowcarbon economy.

In Brazil, 17 states currently have their own legislation. The states of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro approach their own reduction targets, but in São Paulo this target is not in line with the federal agreement. That said, the private sector must fulfill different criteria and demands from regulatory agents. However, the urgency and complexity of the matter demands a single, integrated and aligned national policy to bring more efficiency to the actions and more effectiveness to tackle climate change in all sectors of the economy, in all regions of the country.

One may notice that we have progressed on many fronts simultaneously, and the industry has contributed in order to build public policies that are consistent with the reality of developing countries. The industry has also contributed to effective solutions that help each country and sector contribute its share in the effort to tackle climate change.

The effects and consequences of climate change will be felt by everyone and nobody can run from his/her share of responsibility.

On the other hand, it is crucial to debate the proportionality and way of assigning this responsibility, in order to maintain a suitable and fair social justice. r

*Environmental and sustainability consultant, Abividro www.abividro.org.br

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Stefan Jacques David* discusses the impact climate change is having on developing nations such as Brazil and the action that government and industry must take to prevent further damage.

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Technical Topics

John Henderson Henderson Technology

Furnaces & Combustion?

In his tenth year as a contributor to Glass International, John Henderson discuses the use of modified zirconia sensors and the advantages they could bring in detecting the products of incomplete combustion.

Oxygen trim Oxygen trim works by adding or reducing the fuel or air to compensate for changes in the combustion variables.

On older systems this would be by direct mechanical linkage, but is almost exclusively now by servo driven valves.

Most systems work by adding or reducing air rather than fuel as this has less effect on power output; decreasing air will

reduce cost while increasing air will add cost. The advent of zirconia-based flue gas oxygen monitoring sensors has allowed oxygen trim to become a closed loop system with all the benefits this brings when under computer control. This has not always been the case!

I can remember as a very young lab assistant carrying a fused silica sampling tube (to survive the temperature in the regenerator) and two water-filled two ft long glass sample tubes (sausages – closed at each end with a stopcock) down to the soda-lime furnace, putting the sampling tube into the top of the regenerator and drawing the flue gas sample into the glass tube by letting the water run out of the stopcock at the other end.

Armed with a sample from each regenerator we went back to the lab to use the Orsat apparatus.

A known volume of sample was introduced into the test chamber and passed through a sodium hydroxide solution several times to remove the carbon dioxide, then it was passed through a solution of alkaline pyrogallol (very smelly stuff) to remove the oxygen.

The changes in volume of the sample flue glass after each absorption were an indication of the volume of constituents and simple arithmetic did the rest. Happy days!

Modified zirconia sensors The new technique in the article I read used specially modified zirconia sensors to detect the products of incomplete combustion such as CO, H2 and CH4 and use these as a measure of the completeness of combustion.

This measure is used to enable the burners to operate with a fuel air mixture on the edge of stoichiometric and remain safe. Control is via a self-adapting algorithm that ‘learns’ through reducing the air to a point where incomplete combustion is detected and then backing off to a safe point. The learning cycle is variable so that the system can ‘re-learn’ if conditions warrant it.

This control could bring significant savings in fuel costs if it could be adapted for use in the glass industry (if anybody is using it now I am sure the Editor would love to hear about your experiences).

I can already hear several readers muttering, and yes I agree, there will be problems, not least is the fact that a lot of the combustion air is via the secondary air system and any air ingress within the flues will affect the results, however, the potential gains are such that it must be worth investigating. r

*John Henderson, Henderson Technology, Sheffield, UK. Email info@hendersontechnology.com Website www.hendersontechnology.com

www.glass-international.com

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t seems amazing to me but I am entering my 10th year as a contributor to Glass International. Some readers may be equally amazed that I have lasted so long without being ‘found out’.

I was looking back for some inspiration (a novelty, I know) and found that my first column was on excess oxygen and the need for good control. That reminded me of an article I had read recently on the use of improved oxygen trim on boiler burners for extra fuel savings.

Oxygen trim is widely used by the glass industry to maintain the most efficient combustion of fuel and air within the furnace. Traditionally this has been somewhere between 1.5% and 2% excess oxygen as measured in the flue gasses to ensure complete and safe combustion of the fuel.

More modern control systems can edge this down towards 1% but generally furnaces are run at a fairly safe margin.

This is not necessarily the most efficient use of fuel.

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53035 MONTERIGGIONI (SI) ITALY - Strada di Gabbricce, 6 Tel +39 0577 304730 ifv@fonderievaldelsane.com

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Batch House Control

Keeping the fires burning

UAS and Zippe proved to be a great team for upgrading the Vetropack works in Saint-Prex, Switzerland. The existing Siemens PCS 7 concept was brought up to date during operations and plant-wide automation was installed that could be used across facilities. Bernhard Saftig reports*. latest standards – including a new feeder controller.

Zippe contributed its expertise in batch house control and integrated its automation solution throughout the entire system. Drawing on the two partners’ know-how, a concept for converting and adapting all plant segments was developed and implemented in a few months.

All these measures were designed to respond to Vetropack’s demand for a future-proof plant that is upgradeable in line with APL standards and equipped with the latest version of the process control system, Simatic PCS 7 (Fig 1).

“This provided the basis for combining all segments in plant-wide automation.

Furthermore, Vetropack is now equipped for the future with a cross-plant concept,” said Peter Höfig, Head of the Project

x Fig 1. The Simatic PCS 7 process control system forms the basis of an end-to-end automation solution incorporating all plant sections at Vetropack.

Department at UAS, who was responsible for planning and coordinating the project.

Another priority for Vetropack was to increase the performance, availability, and user-friendliness of the Saint-Prex plant.

The contract also covered a conversion of the firing system from heavy oil to natural gas. This was achieved through a solution which included an integrated gas chromatograph from Siemens.

The existing oil-firing system now serves as a back-up system.

Greater performance To increase plant performance the batch house and melting furnace, including all ancillary components, were fitted with redundant servers and the network structures were adjusted. This improvement met the operator’s demand for greater availability. Finally, Vetropack’s monitoring and operating systems were adapted to the plant structure and optimised for user-friendliness according to the plant operator’s specifications.

“Thanks to plant-wide automation and the central engineering, Vetropack can now make processes transparent, access central data, and thus react quickly to changes in the plant,” stated Höfig.

“The result is a more efficient plant with greater availability. This is the allimportant cornerstone when it comes to sustainability – particularly as the concept can be used across plants.” he added.

One of the main challenges was to implement the changes during full Continued>>

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V

etropack Group is a European container-glass manufacturer that makes packaging products for the food and drink industry. The group’s seven glassworks, with a total of 17 melting furnaces, have a production capacity of more than 3000 tons of packaging glass per day. Vetropack commissioned UAS Messtechnik and Zippe Industrieanlagen to work together on a project.

The two companies were tasked with designing and implementing an end-toend, coordinated automation solution based on Simatic PCS 7.

As general contractor, UAS was responsible for updating the existing PCS 7 concept for the melting furnace and ancillary components and for converting the firing system from heavy oil to natural gas in compliance with the

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operation, without any production downtime – the engineering equivalent of open-heart surgery. Production ran at 100% capacity during the project: “This was another important piece in the puzzle. And thanks to constructive cooperation and communication from all parties, we were able to fit everything together perfectly,” Höfig reported.

Even the gas system was integrated during ongoing operation.

All work to update the plant was completed in April 2014 to Vetropack’s satisfaction. The operator and their project partners are already considering future moves: The automation concept was installed in the Saint-Prex plant with the aim not only of plant-wide operation,

but also across Vetropack’s other plants. r

*Vice President Glass & Solar, Siemens, Karlsruhe, Germany. www.siemens.com/glass Zippe, Wertheim, Germany www.zippe.de UAS Messtechnik, Viechtach, Germany www.uas.de

Werner Mennig, responsible for batch preparation and furnaces at Vetropack in Saint-Prex, explains why an optimised concept was essential – particularly for the batch house.

Mr. Mennig, plant-wide automation was introduced in your plant in 2008. Why was an update needed so soon?

The batch house provides a good example of why we needed an update.

Before we commissioned Zippe and UAS, the software for visualisation and process control was far from able to meet our needs.

In our view, the batch house and furnace should not run on the one server pair. In the end, the existing programming complicated matters. Plus recipe handling – a central function in batch house control – was simply not workable. Scripts and tools also did not meet PCS 7 standards, so it was practically impossible to upgrade the system.

How was this difficulty resolved?

Zippe developed an optimised concept for batch house control with its own process control, weighing computers, and a supporting hardware manual level as a redundant emergency control.

Were there any other glitches before this upgrade?

Under the old server concept, our problems were unfortunately not limited to the batch house, but in fact concerned the entire production process.

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What made you choose Zippe for upgrading the batch area?

It was a question of trust. Zippe had already upgraded the batch house control in our Gostomel, Nemsova, and Kremsmünster plants to Simatic PCS 7 – and we were thoroughly satisfied with the results.

As a Siemens Solution Partner, Zippe can provide an automation solution that fits perfectly into a plant-wide automation concept. Moreover, only Zippe had the ability to upgrade the installed weighing computers to the latest version of a multicomponent dosing computer.

z Volker Scheurich (left), software engineer at Zippe, shows Werner Mennig from Vetropack the new options for plant operation with PCS7.

How do you feel the overhaul went?

Just a single hour of downtime costs the plant several thousand euros from loss of production. So I am pleased that everything went so smoothly – and with no interruptions.

What do the operators think about the solution?

The new system is self-explanatory and can be operated intuitively. The operators are delighted with the user-friendliness.

Communication between Zippe and the staff was perfect; all texts were in French and easy to understand and there was always a contact person available.

How has the upgrade affected the batch plant in terms of cycle time and energy costs?

Previously, the cycle time was 19 hours per day; now it is down to 14 hours at most. That is a very positive outcome.

The shorter cycle time in the batch house has resulted in lower energy costs.

In addition, maintenance intervals for individual aggregates have been extended, which provides further cost savings.

With its integrated software modules, the new system helps us to detect any preventative maintenance required and to plan ahead. This enables us to reduce the risk of unexpected downtime in individual aggregates.

Production is therefore more robust, and we expect to see an improvement in the quality of our products.

Do you have any last comments for our readers?

I have outlined how the upgrade helped improve operations in the batch house.

However, I must also express our gratitude to Zippe and to UAS as general contractor for overhauling the existing PCS 7 concept not only in the batch house, but also for the melting furnace and the ancillary components.

The team also provided impressive service in converting the firing system from heavy oil to natural gas, in line with the latest standards, including new feeder control. r

Continued>>

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How does Zippe position itself to remain a preferred supplier for its customers? Dr. Bernd-Holger Zippe, President of Zippe, answers.

ENGINEERED SOLUTIONS FOR GLASS CONDITIONING PROBLEMS

What are the greatest challenges you face as a supplier?

We have to reduce costs while maintaining the same quality.

Our customers expect the highest quality when it comes to plant equipment, installation, commissioning, and service – and that is how it should be.

What changes do you anticipate in the future?

One of the main strategic issues in the glass industry over the past 25 years has been the global growth in the flat-glass and, in particular, the float-glass industry. These have been important areas for Zippe’s range of solutions and services.

However, we are currently noticing a decline in the number of new and planned float glass plants worldwide. In the short term at least, there will be a greater focus on renovating, modernising, and increasing the efficiency of existing floatglass lines.

PSR System 500 Forehearths and Distributors.

GUARANTEED* performance where the glassmaker needs it most.

What does that mean for your strategic positioning?

We will have to concentrate on other areas of the glass industry in the future: on hollow glass, glass fibre and the special-glass industry, and glass recycling.

How can companies like Siemens help you achieve your goals?

Siemens has been one of our preferred suppliers for decades.

We have been strategic partners for many years, particularly as suppliers for the glass industry. Siemens offers the technology components and approaches we need to develop control and weighing solutions for our customers.

What are the main concerns for your customers in the industry?

What helps you win contracts?

Our experience is a decisive advantage. When it comes to large investments in the glass industry, no customer can afford risky decisions or anything less than the perfect solution and service.

We also offer creative approaches, reliable solutions, competitive pricing and considerable technical expertise in implementation.

Does being in a position to provide plant-wide automation play a role?

Plant-wide automation is a premium solution, and one that has been in greater demand among our customers in recent years. Customers are increasingly aware of the added value such solutions can bring, and interest is growing. r

*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?

PARKINSON-SPENCER REFRACTORIES LTD Holmfield, Halifax, West Yorkshire, UK. HX3 6SX Tel: (44) (0) 1422 254472 • Fax: (44) (0) 1422 254473 Email: admin@parkinson-spencer.co.uk • www.parkinson-spencer.co.uk

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All customers wish to increase their plant efficiency and availability. We are ideally positioned to respond to this, particularly given our collaboration with partners worldwide.

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Lubrication

Lubrication: an eco sustainable use The recent recession has imposed a radical change in how companies rationalise costs and organise production. Susanna Dede* discusses how this has affected the equipment used in the lubrication industry in terms of energy efficiency and economic value.

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he ‘new production efficiency’ that manufacturers now adhere to is based on an increase in production speed, the reduction of waste of materials (whether they are mechanical components, raw materials or products of various kinds) and the reduction of energy consumption.

In this context, great attention is paid to a more rational (in monetary terms) and ecological use of lubrication oils and lubrication systems. In the past, little attention was given to the use of oils; lubrication systems were not designed for a rational and sustainable use, and this led to a lack of interest in both monetary and ecological issues.

It is also important to note the common use of servomechanisms, with a specific reference to the machines for the production of hollow glass. These servomechanisms increasingly require high performance oils which, for some applications, are used in large quantities compared to the past.

In this situation, importance is given to the research and development that Luben Glass has been carrying out for years, through the design and production of systems for the control of oil consumption. Luben Glass has 30 years’ experience in the development of systems specifically designed and manufactured for the mixing and distribution of oils.

The experience gained in the glass sector has enabled Luben Glass to develop systems aimed at energy savings and minimal oil consumption.

recovery of the emulsion used to lubricate the blades allows for savings in the quantities of oil and water used for lubricating cutting tools.

The SMD lubricating unit allows precise dosages, close to 0.002%, and ensures an effective mixing when used with specially designed satellite units.

It is particularly suitable when using emulsifiable oils, based on biodegradable synthetic esters that do not affect

aluminium or steel alloys.

The energy saving function, activated by a PLC with touch screen display, allows the operator to set the control and operation parameters of the mixing process, in order to monitor both the process itself and the oil consumption through appropriate on site and remote alarms such as e-mail.

Continued>>

x Luben’s Shear Blade lubrication system.

Available technology Among its products is the Shear Blades Lubrication System, designed for the recovery of emulsion. The system provides a practical response to the question of oil recovery, which is important for saving money and the environment.

The use of storage tanks for the

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requirements dictated by IS machine manufacturers, which increasingly demand specific and different oils (e.g. mineral, synthetic). Moreover, each oil has its own pumps group. The patented system allows you to decide at any time which oil to use for each single line, thus providing flexibility and improved performance.

The ILS unit allows independent lubrication of multiple zones using the same oil by means of a single pump. z Luben’s ILS lubrication unit.

The adjustment of the time runs independently for each line, providing The ILS System allows operators to work the correct lubrication frequency at with multiple independent lubrication several points (IS machine, plunger lines, managing them separately and mechanism, mechanisms, conveyor, autonomously by a single pump. In this cross conveyor, transfer, feeder, gob way, it is possible to supply the necessary distributor, revolving tube). quantity of oil, only when it is needed, In case of failure, the system is able thus saving both product and electricity. to perform a self-diagnosis to detect The control unit is equipped with a the fault line and put it in safety until Glass twosecond horizontal half that pages_Glss + two quarters 08:06 without Page 1 inhibiting the pump forms half a back-up unit 01/07/2014 its restoration, in case of an emergency. proper functioning of the remaining The ILS unit manages up to two oils for lines. each module and up to three oils with The CHCS Cushioning Unit is an a multi-module system, thus allowing advanced system for saving oil in the the customer to constantly adapt to the cushioning of inverts and take-outs.

The units currently on the market are manufactured with gear pumps with higher flow rates (about five times higher) than those actually required by the IS machine; the excess oil is thus discharged into the tank of the control unit through an adjustable pressure relief valve. In so doing, the oil is constantly ‘stressed out’ and quickly loses its peculiarities.

The efficiency of the CHCS control unit, which is also designed to minimise energy consumption, is improved by a servo hydraulic pump designed to work at low pressures. In this way, it is possible to have the right pressure required by the IS machine without producing in excess and without constantly discharging oil in the tank, thus obtaining a 40% reduction in the costs of energy.

This ‘intelligent’ use of pressure reduces the oil temperature because the oil is less ‘stressed’ and allows control of the flow rate and of possible faults in the system. r

* Sales Manager Italy and South America, Luben Glass, Offanengo, Italy www.lubenglass.com

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 conductivity: 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: office@lubisol.com

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High Temperature Insulation LUBISOL #2-SL 1600

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Industry profile

Key industry executives discuss future glass trends

z The panel discussion was held at the Classic Remise in Dusseldorf, a vintage car musuem.

The opening to last year’s glasstec brought five key players together from the most prominent glass manufacturing companies. Senior executives from Owens-Illinois (O-I), Schott, AGC, Saint-Gobain and Chinese solar glass group CSG Holding discussed current and future trends within their respective sectors, and how they see the glass industry evolving between now and 2020.

T www.glass-international.com

he opening event took place at the Classic Remise vintage car museum in Dusseldorf on the evening before the first day of the exhibition. About 250 glass industry executives attended and were treated to canapés, dinner and the opportunity to look at some classic cars.

First to tackle the subject of current and future trends was Dr. Frank Heinricht, Chairman of the Board at Schott. Citing automotive as a sector with great potential for development, he also referenced the electronic industry as an area where glass will play an increasingly important role: “I would mention automotive – we are talking about glass seals, for example, we are talking about ultra-thin glass for interior design.

Lastly, it is the electronic industry, where glass will play a more important role when it comes to substrate material, when it comes to an ultra-thin material for touch-cover applications.”

Jean-Francois Heris, President and CEO of AGC Europe, concurred with Dr. Heinricht, “especially in terms of automotive. I believe the automotive glass industry will be involved with and trigger some near changes – especially when we speak about digitisation and information technology.” Citing the use of ultra-thin glass as a specific area of interest he continued: “Glass is a flexible material, not just to cover but to use in a different way – in automotive, certainly, this is an application.”

Aggressive Asked for his thoughts on ‘game changers in the glass industry’, Michael Lonsway, Vice President of Global Product Innovation for Owens Illinois (O-I), was particularly focused on innovation Continued>>

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Industry profile

“In general, the glass packaging industry is becoming a lot more aggressive with innovation.

”

 From left to right: Dr. Frank Heinricht, Chairman of the Board, Schott AG; Jean-Francois Heris, President & CEO, AGC Glass Europe; Michael J. Lonsway, Vice President Global Product Innovation, Owens-Illinois; the panel discussion chairwoman; Houchan Shoeibi, CEO of Saint-Gobain Glass;

to their stakeholders. They would then bring them to us and occasionally we would say, “those aren’t functional”, or, “that’s going to triple your cost”, and it put us as the bad guy in some situations.

“Essentially, our designers know what you can do with glass, so it saves our customers time and money.”

Zhang Fan, CEO of Flat Glass Division, CSG Holding; and Mr. Fan’s translator.

The end consumer As for how the end-consumer is driving the industry, Mr. Lonsway was optimistic that continuing innovation will ensure glass remains a popular choice.

“I think the advantage we have is that consumers do prefer glass as packaging for taste and health benefits; they want to use glass, they like the touch of glass in their hands. We’re ready to use innovation to try and create more value in that package, provide more benefit to the consumer, and make that product scream out to the consumer: ‘Pick me up from the market shelf!’”

Dr. Heinricht seconded this notion: “This is also a movement I recognise in the industry. In the 1990s we saw many applications replacing glass with polymers, now I see the opposite effect.

Customers are used to having this texture, the feeling of touching nice glass, and they are asking ‘can you replace this [other material] with glass’?”

z Michael Lonsway of O-I speaking at the event.

Houchan Shoeibi, CEO Saint-Gobain Glass, also touched on the impact of consumer preference in the flat glass business: “In the architectural business, one main driver that remains is the thermal insulation of houses, which has economic logic both in cold and hot climates.

“But we see more ‘comfort’ – comfort is a complex thing to define, it is related to natural light inside, and the quality of the air and so on, and is a real driver in terms of our innovation...

As for aesthetics, all cultures and countries don’t like the same kind of glazings, so aesthetics is also [a trend] that we have to integrate in our innovations.”

Sustainability Sustainability was also a key topic at the event, in terms of both energy efficiency and the long-term appeal of glass over its competitor materials, with most speakers commenting on the symbiotic relationship between the two.

Mr. Lonsway of O-I noted: “Competitive packaging has been aggressive in innovating its processes, and it is using product innovation to move into markets that have traditionally been owned by glass. “They’re also using process innovation to continue to evolve how they provide their packages to customers. Recently, with PET, they’ve started to do the first stage of their process at the converters, and then ship these little injector preforms to the customers.

There are some supply chain benefits with that.

“I think the advantage we have is that consumers do prefer glass as packaging, and they prefer it for taste and health benefits.

“We always have the sustainability position that we can fall back on too. Glass is recyclable, so we’re always looking for ways to increase the amount of recycled material in our glass products. Our global average today is around 37%, but generally we’re limited by the availability of recycled content: so those markets where recycling rates are very good, like Europe, where it’s as high as 70%, our average for that region is around 47%.

“For every 10% of recycled material we use in that glass package, not only do we save raw materials but we save up to 3% in energy and 10% in emissions.”

Mr. Heris of AGC Europe underlined the importance of emissions reductions for the glass industry in the lead up to 2020: “The EU commitment to reduce CO2 by 300 million tonnes by 2020 will continue to trigger innovation and to lead our business.”

Zhang Fan, CEO of Flat Glass Division, CSG Holding, also commented on the importance of sustainability in an environmental sense: “As regards the solar industry, the Chinese government has recently made a commitment with the world climate organisation, so I think Continued>>

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across all areas of business to keep glass as the best choice for both O-I’s customers and end consumers.

“In general, the glass packaging industry is becoming a lot more aggressive with innovation”, he stated, noting how competitive packaging has eaten into parts of the glass market share, for example with ‘bag in the box’ wine and canned packaging for the beer industry.”

He continued: “For process innovation, we have next generation melting and forming technologies. As for branding innovation, we’ve recently launched the ‘glass is life’ campaign.

We’re even looking at service innovation”. O-I has introduced a design service that it offers to its customers, to ensure they don’t waste money on unachievable or costly designs from agencies that aren’t used to working with glass.

“Customers were spending a lot of time and money working with expensive design agencies in New York and Milan, coming up with some beautiful packages that they would sell internally

37 Glass International December/January 2015

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Industry profile FIC 1/2 page advert

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z Attendees gathered for welcome drinks ahead of the panel discussion. this industry may have a very bright future – but it might not be very profitable.”

The future Reflecting the mood present at glasstec itself, the speakers were all optimistic about the future of the glass industry between now and 2020.

When asked about the future of the Chinese industry, Mr. Fan spoke of his belief that Chinese production will reach the same quality level as European and American standards in the near future.

“The Chinese product level will reach the same level as European and American, due to globalisation.

“The Chinese government has imposed regulations to control the quality of products. So I do believe that in terms of the government controlling and the manufacturers’ production, that our progress has reached a new level. But generally speaking, of course, we have a lot to learn from our other competitors and companies.”

Also picking up on the possibilities within the glass industry in terms of learning and discovery, Dr. Heinricht highlighted a couple of Schott’s current projects in speciality glass and his expectations for the future: “We are developing a material, which is a glass ceramic that can be used to store a high amount of energy for electric cars for example. So this opens up the eyes for applications for glass. Rather than being a transparent material, it can be used for those applications.”

Dr. Heinricht noted: “I am very new to this business, just 18 months, and I am absolutely amazed at how many opportunities we can detect”.

Mr. Heris concluded: “There is a lot of opportunity and these opportunities continue to be triggered by global trends. With that regard, there is still a lot of innovation to go.” r

www.glasstec.de

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Process control

Automated process control with FlexIS closed loops Bucher Emhart Glass is looking into ways to automate the glass-forming process by closing the loop between temperature and plunger process readouts and the adjustments required.

Blank mould temperature Suppose a glass plant has a currentgeneration AIS or BIS machine from Bucher Emhart Glass, producing in 12-section triple gob. In this setup, no fewer than 72 mould-half temperatures and related cooling valves can be adjusted.

As production data confirms, it’s already a major challenge for an operator to keep all these temperatures within

z Fig 1. PPC Plunger, On/Off.

±15°C over a 24-hour period. Moulds have a naturally long reaction time to cooling inputs, therefore it’s easy to overcompensate – so this is a job for an experienced and disciplined operator.

This is where BEG’s FlexIS Blank Cooling Control is helpful. With this technology fitted, blank mould temperatures are automatically maintained within a narrow range (typically ±8°C) around their setpoint, day and night. Following a new production startup, cooling is also adjusted to match the new desired mould temperatures.

The result is that it’s easier to maintain good product quality, because the variation of critical parameters is reduced.

The operator has more time to focus on other tasks and can focus on improving quality or efficiency in other ways.

Plunger control

press-and-blow forming – particularly when multiple-pressure pressing is being used. That’s where FlexIS Plunger Up Control comes in. (Fig 1) The closed-loop system obtains the characteristic timing values from the PPC system for every plunger stroke, then adjusts initial pressure levels to achieve the desired setpoint for the plunger rise time/dwell time.

FlexIS Plunger Up Control uses four pressure levels (including zero bar). The first and second are adjusted by the closed loop, while the third is applied during the dwell time and is defined by the operator.

With multi-pressure pressing, the operator can control the initial up motion and the distribution of the glass independently from the applied pressure during dwell time. This is an advantage in terms of controlling the characteristics of the parison and preventing defects.

Another demanding task is controlling the pressing in press-and-blow or narrow-neck

Continued>>

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F

or several years measurement systems such as Plunger Process Control (PPC) and Temperature Control System (TCS) have been giving glass container manufacturers valuable insights into their production processes.

However, for machine operators, systematically monitoring all the parameters involved and making manual adjustments is a demanding job. To achieve consistent production and higher efficiency, the next logical step is to automate this process with closed loops.

z Fig 2. Blank Cooling, On/Off.

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India’s Premier Exhibition for the Glass Industry.

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Process control

Choosing the right time to switch pressure levels is key – but FlexIS Plunger Up Control takes care of this too, determining the correct moment for each cavity based on the last few press curves.

Full integration Both these closed loops are fully integrated into BEG’s FlexIS control system, allowing the machine operator to set up and adjust all the necessary parameters on the FlexIS User Console (UC). Settings for each job can be saved and reloaded instantly following a job change.

During operation, operators receive feedback via the UC, so they can see if a particular cavity is operating at the adjustment limit and which settings are being automatically adjusted by the closed loop. These user-interface features help operators get up to speed quickly with the new technology and get the best from it.

Feedback FlexIS Plunger Up and Blank Cooling Control are both commercially available and installed at glass plants in Europe and South Africa (Fig 2). The technology is also making inroads into South American markets. Some installations were carried out during the development process and customers’ early feedback was used to refine the equipment before its commercial release.

In general, the response from the market has been positive.

“The TCS gives us finer control over the heat exchange on the blank side,” stated Carlos Barranha of Vidrala. “Mounted on an AIS machine, the Blank Cooling Control closed loop can take advantage of separate valves for each mould half in the section, compensating for any imbalances in the cooling process. This contributes, for example, to greater stability of the vertical glass distribution and the mitigation of the settle blow wave.

“Furthermore, the option to automatically and systematically measure neckring and plunger temperatures allows us to detect problems more quickly and thus prevent or minimise defects from broken plunger cooling tubes, for example.”

“We’ve been using the Plunger Up Control for over a year now,” added Karl-Heinz Mann of Wiegand-Glas. “Through the use of constantly adjusted multi-pressure pressing, we can avoid blank seams and achieve reasonable dwell times more effectively – even for plungers with more friction. The fact that the dwell time is kept so constant also reduces sugary finish.

Also, we’ve been able to stretch the intervals for changing the moulds and starting up after job changes is smoother and faster.”

Process control is a priority area of development for BEG. At the moment, a closed loop for controlling plunger temperature is under test and another to achieve equalised bottle spacing on the conveyor is scheduled to be installed in a glass plant for hte first time.

Finally, a forthcoming iteration of the TCS software will give users more flexibility in terms of defining the measurement sequence; the FlexIS should also be able to use this flexibility to support the section start-up sequence.r

Bucher Emhart Glass, Cham, Switzerland www.emhartglass.com

www.glass-international.com

The future

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Forming

Modernisation for IS-Machines When making investment decisions, it often comes to the point where the question ‘new machine or overhaul of an existing one?’ has to be answered.

Wilfried Seidensticker * discusses how Heye has responded to this with two solution packages.

W

hen it comes to deciding on whether to invest in a new machine or overhaul an existing one, there are arguments on both sides.

On the one hand, new sensors and stateof-the-art safety or servo equipment can only be installed on new machines to its full extent. But, on the other hand, an overhaul can still be a good solution when the overall machine quality is still good.

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Critical defects Critical defects can always occur, especially when machines or pneumatic mechanisms become older.

One solution is a self-optimising cushioning, especially for the pneumatic inverts but also for other mechanisms like blow-head or take-out.

The Heye Ecomotion provides the glassmaker with reliable, self regulating end-position cushioning. Ecomotion is designed to upgrade many existing IS-machines, replacing their safetycritical oil-cushioning. The installation or refitting is easy and does not require excessive costs. Key advantages consist of: r Easy retrofit at a reasonable budget. r Self regulating control logic (able to respond on container weight or compressed air pressure changes). r High quality sealing system for low consumption of compressed air. r Decreasing fire risk due to replacement of hydraulic CC-cushioning infrastructure.

An optional visualisation tool shows the cushioning performance with the help of a speed and time graph.

By setting the ideal graph as standard, deviations can be detected and a smooth

and reliable performance of the control system is ensured.

Higher speed A high output is the core requirement for the plant manager. It’s not always possible, however, to replace all ISmachines during a furnace overhaul.

For many IS-Machines, Heye offers new section-boxes with clear interfaces

r Reduction of downtimes.

An IS-machine modernisation is handled as a project. Basic procedures include drawing-up a budget range, assessing the actual machine condition, and scope recommendation. Following on from this, a quotation can be drawn up that includes definition of interfaces, and a project plan can be set up.

 The Ecomotion equipment from Heye, designed to upgrade existing IS-machines.

as well as high-quality mechanisms. In addition, Heye production experts can check the status of a feeder and ware handling equipment.

It is often possible to increase the production speed, to reduce job change times and to improve product quality.

Briefly, advantages of a section box exchange : r Reduced project costs through clearly defined interfaces. r Increased production speed and quality. r Re-use of most of the variables.

The Manufacture of section boxes in the Heye workshops, supply of the equipment, dismantling of the existing boxes and mechanisms under the supervision of Heye experts, and installation of new equipment can then be undertaken.

A high output is the core requirement for the plant manager. Now there are two options: investing in new machines or modernisation of existing ones. r

*Product Manager, Heye International www.heye-international.com

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Batch plant

Everything starts with raw materials Egbert Wenninger* gives an overview of batch plants, focusing on EME’s role and describing the two batch plant concepts available to the industry.

Turnkey or key components The needs and expectations of each customer in order to realise their specific glass production line requirements are diverse. Some customers provide civil and

z Fig 1. An EME batch house for an 800t/16h for container glass. structural parts, with EME supplying the overall engineering, the key components for the raw material transport, dosing weighing and mixing, equipment for the cullet return and finally, the integral part - the control system. Other customers prefer to have a turnkey supply for a

batch plant and cullet return system. In such cases EME delivers everything above the foundations, which includes all steel works, building with infrastructure and, naturally, the technological equipment.

Continued>>

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B

atch plants and cullet return systems are required for the vast majority of glass types and compositions, starting with small installations, with a melting capacity of just 10t/d and ending with giant batch plants of up to 2400t/d (Fig. 1). These plants are capable of serving a single furnace or even several furnaces, all of which can be supplied by EME. In terms of installed production lines and tonnage per year the container glass segment is the dominat sector in the industry. The second largest market is the flat glass sector, where typically the melting capacity of a single furnace is at least twice as big as a standard container glass factory. In past years there was a strong demand for thin and ultra-clear glass for which EME has developed special technologies to meet the special requirements for the raw material quality.

The annually produced tonnage of flat glass is, however, still lower than in the container glass sector.

Fibre glass represents a growing part of the glass manufacturing industry.

The main product types are glass fibres for insulation purposes and composite materials.

There are many more glass applications that require batch plants, including tableware, cosmetics, pharmaceutical, special and optical glasses. EME and its sister company Shanghai Precision serve all of these markets.

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Batch plant

z Fig 2. A schematic of a tower concept batch plant.

This approach reduces the number of interfaces and minimises the risk for the customer. When Sorg supplies the furnace, then joint project management is possible and it also eliminates the interface between the batch plant and the melter.

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Tower vs inline concept There are two concepts for batch plants, both of which are common in the industry and feature certain pros and cons. Fig. 2 shows a typical arrangement of a tower batch plant. The raw material transport is mainly done using gravity and the scales and the mixer(s) are more or less directly underneath the silos.

This avoids a belt transport system, which is more challenging in terms of dust prevention. The cycle time of such a system is lower than in an inline batch plant. The footprint is also smaller, however, the buildings need to be taller and the number of raw materials can be more limited than with the inline approach. An extension at a later stage is also more difficult with tower plants.

The silo plant can accommodate round or square silos that are made from steel and/or from concrete.

For medium sized glass production lines and for lines serving just one furnace a tower batch plant is a common and widely used design.

The inline concept (Fig. 3) features a series of silos along a collecting belt conveyor, which is located underneath the scales. The scales discharge on

z Fig 3. Depicting an inline concept batch plant. this belt conveyor and from there the raw materials are transported into the mixer(s). Due to the transport time on the collecting conveyor, such systems are slightly slower than a tower system.

Slightly more space is required but the building height requirements are much lower. The number of raw materials is almost unlimited, and each material may have a dedicated scale or multiple materials can be weighed in a common scale. Also, various configurations of silo plants can be realised, as it doesn’t matter if they are round or square silos, steel and/or concrete or any combination of the aforementioned.

The extension of such batch plants at a later stage is simpler and less costly, since additional silos may be added and the raw materials can be added to an extended collecting belt conveyor.

This concept is mainly used for bigger batch plants serving several furnaces or where accommodating a large amount of raw materials is critical.

The key to success EME has developed, in-house and over decades, a sophisticated control system.

The standard system is based on a 100% compliant PCS7 solution. Unlike other suppliers, EME does not transfer the critical functions – the dosing and weighing – to external weighing processors, which are not integrated into the PLC and PCS7 systems.

EME can also deliver S7 systems and other controllers like Rockwell,

Mitsubishi and Schneider to meet customer specific needs. WinCC, IFix and similar HMI and SCADA systems are also part of the product range.

It is essential that any application software is fully tested prior to installation in the field.

EME has recognised this and developed its own simulation software that allows verification and validation of all features included in the software. This helps to reduce the commissioning time and mitigate the possibility of software bugs.

The system includes recipe management, a central alarming and operational logging system, as well as different statistics and reports.

EME has also developed modular redundancy, which basically allows customers to choose what level of redundancy they wish to have in their plant.

EME Maschinenfabrik Clasen was founded in 1920, and later joined the Sorg Group in 1987. The Sorg Group of companies, comprising of EME, Nikolaus Sorg and Sorg Keramik Services (SKS), supplies all the necessary equipment and technologies required for the complete batch and melting process, from the delivery of the raw materials through to the transfer of the conditioned glass to the forming process. r

*Managing Director, EME Maschinenfabrik Erkelenz www.eme.de

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Events world

75th Conference on Glass Problems Last year’s 75th Conference on Glass Problems welcomed 438 attendees and grew in attendance for the fifth year in a row. It was held at the Greater Columbus Convention Centre in Columbus, Ohio and was organised by the Glass Manufacturing Industry Council (GMIC) in collaboration with Alfred University, an American glass teaching and research institute.

ensure systems such as lighting, compressed air and motors were fully optimal in terms of energy efficiency.

The following two days were packed with 20 presentations, including sessions on glass melting, forming, energy and the environment, refractories, sensors and control, and modelling.

These sessions ran between 9am and 4pm, and were interspersed with breaks that allowed the visitors to browse the 59 exhibitors present at the event.

Exhibitors predominantly came from the US and Europe, and included companies such as Bucher Emhart Glass, American Glass Research, Fives Stein, FIC, Poco Graphite, Lahti Precision and Nikolaus Sorg.

z Delegates attending the conference.

z A tabletop exhibition was held at the event.

Current projects Many of the presentations focused on projects that are currently being trialled in real-life conditions, discussing their

findings so far and, in some cases, the errors made along the way.

Fred Aker, Marketing Manager for Sorg, delivered a talk entitled ‘Feeder expert control system for improved containers’.

Mr. Aker presented results from ongoing trials that aim to improve and automate critical forehearth processes, in terms of achieving better control and improving production efficiency.

Steven Brown, Principal Mechanical Engineer at Bucher Emhart Glass, led a talk on ‘Hard glass – commercial progress of thermally strengthened container glass’. This examined a joint project between Bucher Emhart Glas and Vetropack Austria, where a new strengthening machine has been installed in Vetropack’s glass plant located in Poechlarn.

The paper presented results from Continued>>

z A variety of presentations were held over the four day event.

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T

he first day of the event started with three concurrent symposiums, the ‘Fundamentals of batch and furnace operations’; the ‘Glass furnace designs and furnace operation’; and the joint GMIC and EPA Energy Star symposium on ‘Energy efficiency’. There was also the opportunity for students to visit the nearby Owens Corning plant in Ohio, reputedly the world’s largest glass fibre insulation plant in the world.

The joint EPA Energy Star and GMIC symposium focused on energy management as a competitive edge in glass manufacturing. The aim of the workshop was to advise companies on how to ensure their energy programmes are as efficient as possible, with speakers such as Patrick Jackson, Manager, Global Energy at Corning Inc., who delivered a talk titled ‘Make sure obvious systems are addressed’.

He explained how companies could

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Events world

initial filling line tests on a lightweighted version (200g) of an existing returnable beer bottle (300g), and also discussed the results of a study performed by Stazione Sperimentale del Vetro, which demonstrated the differences between annealed and heat strengthened glass in terms of how it reacts to impact and handling-induced defects.

Environmental concerns Many of the presentations focused on the environmental issues facing manufacturers and the need to reduce NOx, CO2 and SOx emissions.

Richard Pont, of Global Combustion Systems, delivered a paper prepared along with N. Fricker of the University of South Wales, Y. Agniel of Owens Illinois Manufacturing (O-I) and L. Kaya of Turkiye Sisecam, titled ‘New combustion technique for reducing NOx and CO2 emissions from a glass furnace’.

The European glass industry must reduce emissions from its primary regenerative melting furnaces, and so a patented firing technique (auxiliary firing) has been developed, which reduces NOx formation at source while simultaneously reducing fuel

consumption and CO2 emissions.

The hope for this project, which is to be confirmed with long-term testing on cross-fired furnaces, is that the European glass industry will be able to meet the upcoming NOx emission limits by reducing the NOx formation at source, without needing to install energy-hungry post furnace clean-up techniques.

The paper also outlined the initial results obtained when the technology was applied to industrial scale furnaces at O-I France and Sisecam Turkey.

Continuing the environmental theme, Liming Shi, Udaya Vempati and Sutapa Bhaduri, all of O-I, delivered a paper on ‘Energy analysis for preheating and modelling of heat transfer from flue gas to a granule’. This discussed how to reduce the energy consumption of an oxy-fired glass furnace by minimising the energy lost via the flue gas and furnace walls, which accounts for approximately 40% of energy usage.

One way to do this is by preheating the raw batch or cullet, and the paper explored the most efficient way of doing this in terms of preheating temperature, and batch form: granules, for example, can be preheated in a more reliable way

than loose batch.

The results demonstrated that granule diameter and gas velocity have a significant impact on the rate of granule heating.

Next time The four-day conference ended with the Hot Sensors symposium, which had ‘Instrumentation and control innovation in glass manufacturing’ as its theme.

Focused on the latest technologies within the industry that can help overcome current challenges, the aim of the forum was to provide technical knowledge to its audience.

Each of the sessions throughout the week was well attended, with many discussions and questions raised as a result. Providing a great opportunity for industry members to share knowledge and network, the organisers of the event will be hoping for the same success next year. The next Conference on Glass Problems will be held from the 2nd-5th November 2015, at the same venue in Columbus, Ohio. 

www.glassproblemsconference.org

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Leaders In Hot End Ware Handling

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Events world

China Glass 2015 in Beijing With China’s economy benefiting from sound development and the rest of the world gradually recovering from the economic recession, China International Glass Industrial Technical Exhibition has actively started to prepare for its 26th event, China Glass 2015, which will take place in Beijing on 20-23 May 2015.

G

lobal and influential glass companies are expressing interest in the upcoming glass show, with many potential exhibitors already contacting the organiser to book stands.

International presence International glass companies seem to be in high spirits, with the German, Italian and American exhibition groups getting in touch to arrange their booth reservations. The German pavilion will most likely expand their exhibition area compared with previous events.

The four-day China Glass 2014 staged in Shanghai last April had an exhibition area of 80,000 square metres and attracted 821 exhibitors, including 190 international companies from 27 countries.

They went there to showcase the most up-to-date technologies, machinery and products, as well as exchange ideas and forge relationships during the event. Over 23,000 professional visitors came from nearly 80 countries, including visiting groups from the industrial, trading and press sectors of India, Japan, Malaysia,South Korea and Vietnam.

sustain its steady economic growth and stable industrial development. Its glass industry is continuing to expand and strengthen its energy conservation and emissions reduction. This promotes the progress of China’s glass and building material industries and creates both challenges and opportunities for the China Glass Exhibition.

The organiser expects China Glass 2015 to be bigger than ever with regards to the number of exhibitors, IT applications and international attendees.

It will provide a good business opportunity and platform for exhibitors and visitors to conduct trade talks and exchange technical knowledge.

www.chinaglass-expo.com

Bigger than ever At present, the economic situation and development of the world’s glass industry is still undergoing various difficulties.

China is trying to

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Evolution range is more performant than ever, thanks to its new PC, bigger HD touch screen (21.5'), new HD cameras and the innovating software.

Fast, powerful, easy to use, Evolution offers an enhanced and precise inspection of glass containers.

Of course, retrofit kit is available for all existing machines.