Glass international may 2014

Glass International M

ay 2014

COUNTRY FOCUS: RUSSIAIPGR: HOT END COATING

FORMING

www.glass-international.com

EXCLUSIVE TO GLASS INTERNATIONAL:ARDAGH CEO NIALL WALL

O-I GLOBAL CEO AL STROUCKEN

HIGH SPEED AT HIGH QUALITYHIGH SPEED AT HIGH QUALITYFOR MANY YEARS TO COMEFOR MANY YEARS TO COME

www.heye-international.com

High safety and high usability to protect staff and equipment Clear interfaces for fast installation and exchange of parts Clean design to fulfil HACCP requirements Flexibility through modular design Same core – same variables

WE ARE GLASS PEOPLE

EVOLUTION IN IS-MACHINES HEYE SPEEDLINE

RZ_HEY_HiP_Speedline_GlassInternational.indd 1 22.01.14 16:44

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Contents

May 2014 Vol. 37 No.5

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Glass International May 2014

Front cover image courtesy of

Sorg

www.sorg.de

3 International News

16 Technical topics

18 History

Interview with Niall Wall8 Ardagh CEO:

Verallia takeover is a good deal for customers

Glassworks profile: O-I Alloa10 O-I celebrates €30 million Alloa investment

2 Editor’s Comment

08


On the web:www.glass-international.com/features

Plus find us on Linked-In and Twitter.

@Glass_Int

FormingHeye International: Evolution in IS Machines

Energy EfficiencyInternational Innovative Technologies (IIT):Low energy grinding technology

10

34

20

Forming30 Nampak glass puts its faith in BIS34 SpeedLine ware handling for efficient

production37 Forming solutions for the Narrow Neck Press

and Blow process

Hot end coating13 Hot-end coating:

Strengths, risks and alternatives

Environmental protection40 Eco-friendly benefits of digital ceramic

printed glass

Flat glass42 Triple glazing: A hot debate43 PVD coater for the latest energy challenges

Country focus: Russia20 Russia records upwards growth22 Russian industry reaps the benefits of

modernisation

Energy efficiency25 A fair exchange28 Cash from hot air

Glass machinery39 Smart monitoring tools

COUNTRY FOCUS: RUSSIAIPGR: HOT END COATING

FORMING


EXCLUSIVE TO GLASS INTERNATIONAL:ARDAGH CEO NIALL WALL

O-I GLOBAL CEO AL STROUCKEN

2


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Editor: Greg MorrisTel: +44 (0)1737 855132

Email: [email protected]

Editorial Assistant: Sally RobertsTel: +44 (0)1737 855154


Designer: Annie BakerTel: +44 (0)1737 855130


Sales Director: Ken ClarkTel: +44 (0)1737 855117


Sales Manager: Jeremy FordreyTel: +44 (0)1737 855133


Production Executive: Martin Lawrence

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


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

Official publication of Abividro - the BrazilianTechnical Association of Automatic Glass

Industries

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

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

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

© Quartz Business Media Ltd, 2014

ISSN 0143-7838


Quartz Glass Portfolio

I’ve been told plenty of times sincejoining the glass industry that it is afairly slow moving and conservative

business to be in. Outside of the industry, it is an area

that would not necessarily feature onmost people’s radars.

However, on a couple of occasions inthe past month all that changed and glasswas well and truly put in the public eye.

While I was sitting in a small bed andbreakfast in Alloa, Scotland and listeningto the morning news on the radio, overthe airwaves came the sound of ErikBouts, Owens-Illinois (O-I’s) EuropeanPresident, announcing the news of a €30million upgrade at the O-I plant in thesmall Scottish town.

It was one of the lead stories of the dayand was met with enthusiasm by thetownspeople. The talk among hotel staffat breakfast was all about the investmentand the implications it will have on thetown. Everyone knows someone whoworks at the plant I was told.

For the bed and breakfast, it meantpotentially more business visitors andtherefore more revenue. For the town, itis a lifeline. Later that day Mr Boutsstood alongside O-I’s global CEO, AlStroucken to formally announce theinvestment, at which Glass

International was present.Later in the month came the next

announcement, one of a truly globalscale, that of Ardagh’s $1.69 bilion bidfor Verallia North America beingapproved by the US Federal TradeCommission (FTC). Again, the newsmade headlines in the mainstreammedia and again got people talking.

To ally FTC concerns Ardagh hasagreed to sell six of the former AnchorGlass sites it only acquired in 2012.

Once the deal has been completedArdagh’s glass division will operate from16 plants across the USA and employsome 5000 people – a huge company inglass industry terms.

This month, Glass International isprivileged to include discussions from theglobal CEOs of both Ardargh and O-I.

First, Niall Wall, Ardagh CEO explainshow the VNA acquisition will be a gooddeal for customers. He also explains whyhe is optimistic about the future of glasspackaging.

Mr Stroucken is similarly positiveabout the future of the Alloa plant,confirming its role as the heart of spiritspackaging in Europe.�Greg [email protected]

Greg Morris

Monthly journal for the

industry worldwide

Glassman specialist exhibitions rotate

between America, Asia and Europe

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

Member of British GlassManufacturers’ Confederation

Glass grabs the global mediaheadlines

Annual international reference source

Directory 2013


China National Associationfor Glass Industry

Glaston in €2m sale toAsian processorGlaston has agreed a deal to

sell €2 million worth of

equipment to a glass

processor in Asia.

The deal includes a

special model of the Glaston

RC350 toughening line,

originally launched in 2012.

The line is equipped with

the Vortex Pro convection

control system, which is

designed with the aim of

providing accurate heating

control. The line will be

delivered to the customer

towards the end of 2014.

World cup bottleFrigoglass and Coca-Cola’s

Dubai office have designed a

limited edition football bottle

ready for the 2014 world cup.

The bottle will be

distributed by Coca-Cola in

the UAE, Kuwait, Iraq and

Jordan. The Contour bottle

reflects the shape of a

football on one of the most

distinguished bottles ever

produced.

Tiama partnershipStoelzle Czestochowa, which

is part of Austria’s Stoelzle

Glass Group, has formed a

partnership with Tiama MSC

& SGCC for the installation of

four inspection machines

dedicated to the inspection of

premium spirit containers,

such as the famous French

Vodka Ciroc.

The new equipment was

approved by Stoelzle after

several months of on-line

benchmarks, allowing the

Polish Glassworks to test

new quality inspection

systems from various

manufacturers in the field of

sidewall, base, finish and

mould number reader.

The concept that

combines MULTI4, Kompass

& MCAL4 allows a perfect

control of special shapes,

while orientating the

containers with the help of

software tools.

3

International news

NEWS IN BRIEF

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


The Czech Republic’s GlassService Inc has acquired FIC(UK) Limited, based inPenzance, UK from itsprevious owner CNUD EFCOInternational.

FIC will continue tooperate as an independentsupplier of electric glassmelting equipment servingthe worldwide glass industry

from its UK plant.FIC designs and supplies

electrical boosting systemsfor all glass types andmanufacturing processesincluding TFT, LCD, float,fibre, holloware andborosilicate.

FIC also supplies all-electricfurnaces and forehearths,offering glass conditioning

options with the Isothermalunit to improve side tomiddle and top to bottomtemperature gradients.

Glass Service is aconsultant in the field ofglass melting, furnacemodeling, advanced furnacecontrol and operation,troubleshooting, andoptimising furnace designs.

Saint-Gobain has completedits sale of Verallia NorthAmerica (VNA) to Ardagh forUS$1.69 billion (€1.27billion).

The proposed deal was firstannounced in January 2013,but was delayed due tocompetition concerns raisedby the US Federal TradeCommission (FTC).

The originally proposedagreement would haveresulted in the newlycombined Ardagh/Saint-Gobain and O-I controlling amajority share of the US glassbeverage market.

To satisfy the concerns ofthe FTC, Ardagh will sell sixformer Anchor Glass plantsto an affiliate of KPS CapitalPartners, a private equityfund manager. The six plantsare its Anchor Glass’ formerheadquarters in Tampa,

Florida and plants located inElmira, NY, Jacksonville, Fla.,Warner Robins, Ga.,Henryetta, Okla.,Lawrenceburg, Ind. andShakopee, Minn., accordingto the consent agreement.

Ardagh previously acquiredAnchor Glass in 2012 for€720 million.

Once Ardagh hascompleted its acquisition ofVNA and the sale of the six

former Anchor plants, itsNorth America glass divisionwill generate estimatedannual revenues of US$2billion (€1.4bn).

The division will operatefrom 16 glass manufacturingfacilities across the US,employing 5000 people.

The transaction is set toreduce Saint-Gobain's netdebt by €925 million(US$1.28 billion).

Glass Service acquires FIC UK

AGC restarts Teplice float line AGC Glass Europe hasrestarted one of itsautomotive glass float linesafter a two-year upgrade.

The upgrade at its Teplice,Czech Republic site wasintroduced due to a sustained

increase in demand forautomotive glass.

The new line will createaround 80 jobs to serve theCentral European automotivemarket.

First production of glass is

expected in the second halfof April 2014.

The Teplice plant has threefloat lines: One dedicated tobuilding applications andtwo for automotiveapplications.

Ardagh completes VeralliaNorth America acquisition

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NEWS IN BRIEF

Sigma Italy becomesSigma GroupSigma Italy has acquired an

investment in Plovdiv,

Bulgaria, and become Sigma

Group.

Sigma has more than 25

years of experience in the

glass industry and specialises

in the production of

refractories for glass

container manufacturers.

Production of its new

factory is oriented towards the

Eastern Europe, Russia, CIS,

Middle East, Asian and African

markets.

Website tools Glass Technology Services

(GTS) has launched two online

calculators to help

professionals across the flat

glass supply chain work out

the energy balance value – or

‘Effective U Value’ – and

weight of their products.

Designed to aid with

specifications and highlight

some of the important factors

that should be taken into

account when considering the

options and benefits for

different types of glazing

products, the tools have been

provided by GTS amidst

growing debate over double

and triple glazing.

Available from www.glass-

ts.com/

Turkish printing centre Dip-Tech’s official

representative in Turkey, KH

Tasarim, has opened a Digital

Glass Printing Center of

Excellence.

The site in Sancaktepe,

Istanbul, is a professional

centre for digital ceramic in-

glass printing and is the first

of its kind worldwide.

The centre offers a glass

printing service solution to

glass processors and provides

consulting services to

architects and designers.

The centre is equipped with

a fully automatic conveyer

line, a washer and tilting

table, Dip-Tech’s AR4000

Digital Ceramic In-Glass

Printer with an inline dryer,

and an unloading table – all

necessary to secure a high-

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


International news

EME Maschinenfabrik Clasenand its sister companyShanghai Precision Dosing &Weighing System will jointlydeliver a turnkey batch plantand cullet return system forIVN in Estancia, Brazil.

Industria Vidreira doNordeste (IVN) is a jointventure of local investors

(Grupo Ipiaram) and Verallia. The supply of the line is a

milestone for EME andShanghai Precision in theSouth American market.

The batch plant is designedfor two melting furnaces witha combined melting capacityof 740t/d in the final stage.

In the first phase one tank

will be utilised, and at a laterstage the line may beupgraded to the fullperformance.

The installation andcommissioning of alltechnological equipment andthe control system is to besolely performed by EME andShanghai Precision.

EME receives order from Brazil

Zippe has received an orderfor a cullet house and cullettransport system fromWiegand Glas.

The order, which wasreceived at the beginning ofthe year, is for the turnkeydelivery of a cullet house andcullet transport system tosupply all four furnaces atWiegand Glas’s location inSteinbach am Wald,

Germany. The scope of supply

comprises the complete planttechnology as well as thecomplete control systemincluding software-programming, steelworks,installation andcommissioning.

The cullet house serves asstorage facility for factorycullet, intermediate cullet,

special cullet and fine grain. Three independent

transport systems guarantee ahigh flexibility, able to feedall four furnaces with cullet.

Since Wiegand Glasoperates with a very highcullet ratio, this plant sectionwill be a crucial element inensuring the meltingmaterial supply in Steinbach.

Euro beer sales boosts O-I Q1 resultsStrong beer sales in Europehelped boost Owens-Illinois(O-I’s) first quarter profits.

Global volumes were up2% year over year withEuropean volumes up by 6%driven by strong beerperformance as well as wine.

Net sales in the first quarterof 2014 were $1.6 billion, onpar with the prior year firstquarter, although segment

operating profit was $218million, down $8 millioncompared with the prior yearfirst quarter.

In South America, O-I’sBrazil operations alsoreported higher salesvolumes, though those wereoffset by a weakness in salesin the Andean countries.

Chairman and ChiefExecutive Officer Al

Stroucken said: “In Europe,we were especially pleased tosee a positive volume impactcoupled with the clearbenefits from ourrestructuring efforts.

“Record-setting snow andcold in North Americadampened profitability in thequarter, despite modestvolume growth.”

Wiegand places Zippe order

SORG Forehearth Division

Over 2000 systems installed.+

Operating on five continents+

SORG 340S 190 forehearths sold since 2006+

88 Boosting Systems+

117 All Electric Forehearths, also for special glasses=

35 Years Global Leadership

www.sorg.de

At Home in the World of Glass

S56

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EME to build the world’s largestcontainer glass batch plantEME Maschinenfabrik Clasenis undertaking a complexproject to deliver the world´slargest container glass batchplant for production within atight timeframe.

The Modesto-basedcompany, Gallo Glass, iscontinuously planning forthe future.

These plans not onlyinclude a Batch Plantupgrade but also includefurnaces from Nikolaus Sorg.

This has resulted in theneed for building strategicpartnerships with experiencedand reliable suppliers.

EME has embraced thisposition of Gallo Glass andwill deliver greater batchingcapacity and capabilities whileensuring that operationalcosts are reduced and plantavailability is optimised.

The first phase of theproject will be commissionedin late 2014 with the finalphases being operational inthe Q2 2015.

The scope of supplyincludes all key componentsfor dosing, weighing andmixing to provide a preciseand reliable solution.

The control system for the

complete batch plant will bea PCS7 system featuringamong others, redundantfailsafe control systems,parallel batching andmaintenance notifications.

NEWS IN BRIEF

Owens-Illinois choosesBDF recovery plantOwens-Illinois (O-I) has

chosen BDF Industries as the

supplier of a heat recovery

plant for the production of

electricity via an Organic

Rankine Cycle (ORC) turbine,

at its Villota, Italy plant.

The recovery of thermal

energy via an ORC turbine

allows efficient use of exhaust

gases produced by the glass-

melting furnace, with the aim

of maximising energy

recovery without affecting the

glass production process.

BDF Industries has been

investing in the field of energy

recovery since 1990 with the

introduction of the Active

Front End system (AFE),

successfully applied to the

controls of IS machines servo

motors.

glasstec 2014 on trackExhibitor registration

numbers for glasstec are on

par with the previous event in

2012, despite the economic

situation in the sector.

Last time, 1,175

companies representing

glass engineering,

manufacturing and crafts

participated, 66% of which

came to Düsseldorf from

outside Germany.

“We’re delighted by the

great response to glasstec

2014, especially with the

economic situation in the flat-

glass sector and partially in

the mechanical-engineering

sector,” said Hans Werner

Reinhard, Deputy Managing

Director of Messe Düsseldorf.

Redwave Austria formsUS subsidiaryRedwave Austia has opened a

subsidiary in the USA.

Redwave Solutions US is

based in New York. Both sales

activities and after-sales

service form the core

business of the subsidiary.

The ability to respond more

quickly to sales inquiries,

provision of services and

supply of spare parts, as a

result of being closer to the

customer, should lead to

increased sales and improved

customer loyalty.

Stölzle installs 3D printersStölzle Glass Group hasinvested in 3D Printer kits attwo of its production sites.

After months of research,two different systems wereacquired and installed in theAustrian headquartersStölzle-Oberglas as well as inthe British plant StölzleFlaconnage.

The UK site invested in akit which can be customisedto suit special needs. It printsby heating and extruding

plastic filament (ABS/PLA orT-glass) through a 0.5mm indiameter nozzle on a heatedbase, and builds layers onitself to create any shaperequired.

The printer has a buildplatform of 280mm indiameter by 368mm inheight. The Austrianheadquarters invested in amore sophisticated type of3D printer which is able toproduce translucent UV

cured acrylate sample bottles. The 3D models are built in

subtle layers (32μ) of acrylatearound wax, which after theprinting process will bemelted away easily to achievea sample bottle which can befilled and used for testing ofclosures by the customer.

The 3D printer can createobjects with a maximum sizeof 185mm in height byapproximately 200mm indiameter.

AGC Europe chooses Air ProductsAir Products has recentlyinstalled an air separationunit (ASU) for AGC GlassEurope, the world’s largestproducer of flat glass.

The cryogenic PRISMON300 plant, now operatingat AGC’s Teplice factory inthe Czech Republic, producespure oxygen and nitrogenand represents a significantpart of AGC’s rebuilt floatglass production line.

This is the first time in

Europe that the float glassproduction line has beenequipped with a stand-aloneASU. The delivery is theresult of a long-term gassupply contract between AirProducts and AGC GlassEurope. The contract furtherstrengthens the relationshipbetween companies, whichbegan almost 20 years ago inthe Czech Republic.

Pavel Kolouch, AirProducts’ business manager,

said: “It is a greatachievement for both partiesand an opportunity tocontinue our growth withAGC. This is one of thelargest investments of itskind in Europe.”

The custom-built PRISMON300 plant uses airseparation technology bycryogenic distillation. Theplant is capable of producing300 tons of oxygen and 170tons of nitrogen per day.

StekloSouz of Russia andExpocentre have signed anagreement to merge theGlassExpo and Mir Steklaexhibitions.

It means Russia will hostone international eventunder the name Mir Stekla in2014.

The decision was made toenhance the credibility andsuccessful development ofthe Russian glass industry.

The National Joint Councilof Russia’s glass industrycreated StekloSouz in 1999,the same year the first MirStekla exhibition was held.

One of the key tasks ofStekloSouz is thedevelopment of the glassmarket, and the coordinationof information, marketingand educational programmesto address the challengesfacing the industry.

Mir Stekla, organised byExpocentre, is a platform forthe presentation of thescientific achievements anddevelopments of Russian

players in the industry, aswell as a springboard forinternational companies thathave decided to enter theRussian market.

StekloSouz and Expocentrehave decided to join forces towork on the developmentand strengthening of the Mir

Stekla brand, which has beenwell received bothdomestically andinternationally.

Glass International will beat this year’s Mir Stekla,which takes place in Moscowbetween 4th – 6th June.

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International News

GlassExpo and Mir Steklacombine forces

EU glass recycling rate passes 70% Latest glass recycling figuresfor the EU show there is farmore glass recycled than everbefore in Europe, increasingby 131% since the 1990s.

Latest industry dataconfirms that average glassrecycling rates in theEuropean Union have passedthe 70% mark.

This means more than 25

billion bottles and jars werecollected throughout the EUin 2012 to make new bottles.

The savings in virginresources could build twoEgyptian pyramids.

Recycling means that lessvirgin materials are neededdespite market growth.

Between 1990 and 2012,EU consumption of products

packed in glass increased by39% in Europe. Glassrecycling increased by 131%.

As a result there is a largereduction of raw materials,CO2, and energy used toproduce new bottles.

See national statisticsavailable on www.feve.org

Caspian exports to AzerbaijanCaspian’s float glass plant hassigned a letter of intent toprovide provide 100,000 tonsof glass per year toAzerbaijan. Caspian’s plant inDagestan, Russia, became

operational in 2013 andproduces 600 tons of glass perday. Azerbaijan is a prioritypartner for the companybecause it is a transit base,

through which products cango to Georgia and Turkey.Plant specialists are alsostudying the possibility ofsupplying flat glass toKazakhstan and Georgia.

Tiamaseals Thai

dealSiam Glass Thailand hasselected Tiama as its supplierfor the upgrade of its coldend inspection machine in itsSamutprakarn factory.

Dedicated to theproduction of its M-150health drink bottle, the fiveproduction lines will beequipped with Tiama McalSidewall Inspection andTiama Multi Top and BottomInspection.

The Thailand energy drinkcompany, along with its owncontainer supplier, chose theinspection, which enhancesits capacity to inspect mouthdefects without anycompromise. The contractawarded to Tiama includesthe upgrade of several Mmachines with multi-headthickness measurement.

After-sales support will beprovided by Tiama’sBangkok-based customersupport team. Tiama iscurrently installing andcommissioning the 15inspection machines of AsiaPacific Glass’ three newproduction lines inChacheongsao district.

Summerschool

The InternationalCommission on Glass’ (ICG)6th Workshop For NewResearchers In Glass Scienceand Technology takes placein Montpellier, Francebetween 7th-11th July, 2014.

This year the MontpellierSummer School has beenextended to include twostreams, one following thetraditional glass scienceformat while the secondstrand is on the Technologyof Glass Melting.

Chairman of the Russian GlassUnion Association Mr Victor Osipov (left) and

deputy General Director of the Expocenter Mr. Michail Tolkachev sign the

agreement.

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continued »

Interview: Niall Wall

Ardagh CEO:

As Ardagh expands its globalpresence with its recenttakeover of Verallia NorthAmerica, Greg Morris caughtup with Niall Wall, CEO ofArdagh Group, to discuss thislatest development and thecompany’s plans for the future.

Veralliatakeover is agood deal forcustomers


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financial crisis started in 2008, but are nowlittered with disaster.

“Whilst we are very open to entering allmarkets, we remain to be convinced by the BRICcountries. We have no bias against these regions,but unless the criteria are right we will not investin them. I’m not saying we will never do it but asyet a viable investment opportunity has notpresented itself.”

When asked whether China presented achallenge or an opportunity to Ardagh, Mr Wallsaid that China currently has too much capacity,has not consolidated, and has structural issues.

“There is so much embedded capacity in everyindustry in China. If industry grew further theentire economy would suffer from unsustainableovercapacity. Under our business model wesupport our customers’ strategic requirements,but we would not put speculative capacity intoany market, no matter how attractive it looked”.

Future of glassUnsurprisingly, Mr Wall is very optimistic aboutthe future of glass packaging, which has manyintrinsic benefits to withstand the challenge fromcompeting materials.

“The reality is that glass is still very relevantbecause it continues to be loved and trusted byconsumers. We have seen a switch from PET intoglass for some products, particularly in the healthfood and beverage categories. These sectors reallyunderstand the benefits as well as the inertness ofglass.

“Go into any bar, look at the spirits display, andyou cannot fail to notice the innovation andcreativity in bottle designs. This demonstrates theenormous flexibility of glass in terms of colourand shape. Glass packaging protects products,enhances brand equity and distinguishes a widevariety of products, yet it is not exclusive toluxury brands. For example, the wine and beersectors, where many brands are packaged in glass,cover the whole spectrum of drinking occasionsfrom special celebrations to socialising withfamily and friends.”

Mr Wall had also championed glass’senvironmental benefits: “Glass prevents waste, sobenefits the planet. It preserves food so plays apositive role in the reduction of food waste. It isalso a permanent material that can be recycledand reused infinitely.” �

Interview: Niall Wall

The Ardagh Group has won US antitrustapproval from the US Federal TradeCommission to buy Verallia North

America, after agreeing to sell six of its nine glasscontainer manufacturing plants to KPS CapitalPartners.

Following the US$1.7 billion acquisition andthe divestment of these assets to KPS, Ardagh’sNorth American Glass Division will generateannual revenues of approximately $2 billionfrom 16 glass manufacturing facilities with aworkforce of 5000.

The Ardagh Group now has global sales ofUS$6.5 billion, (€4.8 billion), operating frommore than 100 locations in 24 countriesemploying 20,000 people.

Heading the new division as President ofArdagh Glass North America will be JohnRiordan, who has been Finance Director of theArdagh Group since 1999.

AcquisitionsMr Wall said: “Our business model is essentiallyto acquire businesses in relatively mature marketsand then create value with the extraction ofsynergies, a model which has worked well for us.We have completed 17 transactions since 1999and have grown over a hundredfold by revenuein an industry which is relatively flat from anorganic growth standpoint.”

He believes that this latest acquisition is a gooddeal for US customers: “We already have strongrelationships in North America with a number ofour global customers and this acquisition meanswe will be much more relevant to them.”

It also enables Ardagh to expand its R&D focus.Mr Wall explains: “R&D is a huge focus of ours.We work closely with our customers and wecontinue to invest in R&D, which we regard as acompetitive advantage.

“One of the benefits of this deal is for our HeyeInternational business, (a global leader in glassmaking technology), to join forces with GPSAmerica to become a strategically critical asset forthe future development of our business”.

He also commented on the appointment ofJohn Riordan as President of Ardagh Glass NorthAmerica: “John’s appointment reflects theimportance of this market to the future growth ofthe Group. His replacement as Group CFO, DavidMatthews, brings considerable experience fromhis time at DS Smith plc and Bunzl plc to Ardagh,as we move to the next stage of ourdevelopment.”

BRIC countriesWhile much of the glass industry’s growth is inthe developing BRIC countries, Mr Wall saidArdagh currently has no plans to invest in thosecountries.

He said areas including Russia and EasternEurope were regarded as a gold mine before the

“Glass prevents waste so benefits the planet. It preserves food so plays apositive role in the reduction of food waste. It is also a permanent material that can

be recycled and reused infinitely”

9

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omGlassworks profile: O-I Alloa

O-I celebrates €30 million Alloa investment

Greg Morris attended Owens-Illinois’s (O-I) official celebration of its €30 millioninvestment programme at its Alloa, UK plant.

Owens-Illinois (O-I) unveiled its €30million investment in its Alloa, Scotlandplant – and promised more is to come.

Senior management including global CEO AlStroucken and European President Erik Boutsattended the official celebration during aceremony at the plant.

They were joined by Scottish GovernmentMinisters, who had helped secure a £3.9 milliongrant from Scottish Enterprise to assist in theupgrade.

Mr Stroucken and Mr Bouts said the €30million modernisation was part of a €140 millioninvestment in its European plants that will takeplace throughout 2014.

The investment will take place in the Alloafacility over three years and include upgrades ofits product design and development capabilities.

The result will be that it can create morepackaging solutions to meet the drinks industryneeds for segmentation, differentiation andpremiumisation.

The upgrade comprises new decoration andbottle printing facilities with increased capacity;on-site mould milling and a new ComputerAided Design (CAD) design suite for fasterprototyping and quicker speed to market for NPDprojects; more colours for premium productswith a greater capacity to make black glassbottles; and facilities to produce extra flint bottlesin more sizes and quantities.

The spend also includes improved inspectionequipment and inline, automatic inspection forblack glass containers.

Further investments in the next few monthswill see an upgrade to its 85 Furnace shop continued »

“We would like tothank Scottish

Enterprise for itssupport in strengtheningour ability to service thedeveloping needs of the

spirits industry inScotland.”

ensuring it can produce a higher volume ofcontainers.

Heart and soulChairman and CEO Al Stroucken told GlassInternational that the investment in Alloareflected what O-I is doing around the world.

He said: “The challenge that we faced last yearspurred us to step up our plans and to upgradethe plant, to add capabilities and attract newcustomers and to modernise in a way thatdemonstrates our commitment to quality andinnovation.”

He added: “This investment confirms thisplant’s role as the heart and soul of spiritspackaging in Europe. On a global basis we areinvesting in innovation and R&D to strengthenour capabilities and suite of services offered toour customers.”

An example of this, he said, is its recently-opened $35 million innovation centre near itsheadquarters in Ohio.

The centre is at the same time a pilot plantwhere it runs sample bottles and sample bottledesigns for its customers, as well as trying toimplement new ideas and concepts with regardsto the manufacturing of glass. More than 100scientists and engineers from many disciplineswork at the site investigating new ways to melt,process and form glass.

European operationsO-I’s European operations account for 40% of itsglobal business. It is the largest glass container

O-I is investing €30 million at Alloa to support the Scottish drinks industries.

producer in the world with 77 plants in 21countries, employing 22,500 people. The Alloaplant is 260 years old and is the oldest glassworksin Europe still operating on its original site. It wasestablished in 1750 by Lady Erskine of Mar.

Today it produces more than 2 million bottles aday for the spirits, beer, wine and non-alchoholicbeverages (NAB) segments and can produce whiteflint, extra flint, amber, black and green glasscolours. Approximately 95% of its production issupplied and filled within Scotland.

Mr Bouts said: “We have upgraded Alloa'sdesign, new product development, glass colourand decoration facilities.

”We would like to thank Scottish Enterprise forits support in strengthening our ability to servicethe developing needs of the spirits industry inScotland.”

Mr Bouts said the plant was uniquelypositioned to support its customers and thespirits industry in Scotland.

“O-I has a strong commitment to Scotland, itsthriving spirits industry and of course the manyiconic global brands, which are created here.

“We have a strong heritage in this country andwe play an important role in the Scottish whiskeyindustry – an industry that generates £4 billion ayear.”

11


Glassworks profile: O-I Alloa

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“With the €30 million investment in Alloa wehave installed cutting edge technologies toprovide customers with best in plant glasspackaging solutions.”

“Europe is a critical region to our globalbusiness, the goal in Europe is to become thepreferred strategic glass packaging partner for ourcustomers for every country and every segment.”

He added: “We are entirely focused on glass,there is no ambiguity on where the investmentsshould go, it’s glass and glass only.”

Its European division has recentlyimplemented a new segment-specificorganisational structure to better serve themarket. The new structure allows it to be closer toits customers with increased speed and flexibility.It now has dedicated teams building specificstrategies for the wine, food, beer soft drinks andspirits. Its new organisational structure isexplained in more detail in the March 2014edition of Glass International in an interview withMr Bouts (Page 10).

DecorationJim Rankine, O-I Operations Leader, said a newCAD design suite allows the company to designbottles alongside customers and their agencies.“We can now bring a new product to the marketplace in a shorter space of time. Before it waseight weeks, now it is 10 to 14 days.”

A new Kamman silk screen printer has allowedthe plant to produce new colours and newtechniques. There is a market for different shapesnow and in the past few months O-I has put 150new products on-line, allowing it to attract newcustomers. “Even current customers are comingto us with new ideas because we have this newtechnology that we can deliver with now,” saidMr Rankine. �

Al Stroucken, Erik Boutsand Fergus Ewing,Minister for Enterprise, atO-I Alloa investmentlaunch

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Scottish customers and their

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13


Hot end coating

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Hot-end coating:Strengths, risks and alternatives

Recent investigations in the field of hot end coatings (HEC) for container glasshave produced alternatives to traditional coatings, and a way of overcoming thepresent drawbacks of HEC. An alternative coating has been developed whichcan be used instead of tin-based coatings. Dr. Christian Roos*, Andreas Rosin**,Dr. Zahra Negahdari** and Dr. Thomas Struppert*** explain.

Hot end coating (HEC) of glasscontainers is a standard processat every container glass

manufacturer. Juvenile, hot containersare coated in a CVD-process withmonobutyl-tin trichloride (MBTC,C4H9SnCl3) or in less frequent cases withtin tetrachloride (SnCl4) or titaniumtetrachloride (TiCl4), possibly withadditions of other additives.

The coating process for MBTC itself isrelatively simple and is capable ofcoating 40,000 or more containers perhour. MBTC is suitable for this type ofprocess as it has a tendency todecompose on the hot glass surfacecausing a thin, but not fully closed, layerof SnO2 on the glass.

HEC effectThe effect of the HEC is firstly, and mostimportantly, it saturates the surfacebonds on the juvenile glass and providesa certain roughness on the surface whichenables a good adhesion of thesubsequent cold-end coating (CEC).

Secondly, it is said to increase thesurface strength of the containers priorto the CEC application. Although thiseffect might be questionable (because ofthe thin and not fully closed layer that isdeposited), undoubtedly the HEC haspositive effects on the fresh surface ofthe hot container.

The coating is deposited (dependingon plant philosophy and customerrequirements) in a thickness of 20 to 60CTU (Coating Thickness Units, 1 CTU =0.25nm for SnO2).

Deposition efficiency is certainly a bigissue in large-scale industrial processes.MBTC usually has a depositionefficiency of 20-25%, hence this processin general yields room for improvement.

Furthermore, the process inevitablyleads to the formation of HCl. HCl isfirst and foremost corrosive and can be ahealth issue to operation personnel. HClcan also react with uncoated containersand also (through the thin SnO2 surfacecoating) with the glass, causing surfacedefects due to sodium leaching andsodium-chloride formation. Hence, it isdesirable to reduce or even avoid thegeneration of HCl in this process.

Finally, besides health and efficiency,another important aspect remains: Tin,as the main functional component, isless abundant than one might think.The occurrence of tin in the earth’s crustis far less abundant than, for example,titanium. This relatively low abundanceof tin, its need and use in many otherapplications such as sheet metal willcertainly contribute to a cost-increase forMBTC.

So, the logical aim of a research task isto find a metal-(organic) precursor,halogen-free and 100% REACHcompatible, which is suitable in anindustrial CVD-based in-line HECprocess at atmospheric pressure underair. Cost and efficiency at least needs tobe comparable to the present MBTCprocess. Furthermore, the material andprocess performance has to be capable ofcoating up to 40,000 containers per hourand needs to withstand the harshenvironment in a container glassproduction.

A very robust process is necessary forthat. Additionally, the processconditions, especially in terms oftemperature are not always constant.The thermal load brought into such a

continued »

1.60

1.13

0.73

0.79

1.051.081.111.18

1.25

1.42

1.471.52

1.11

1.030.96

0.89

0.74

0.73

0.43

0.36

0.15

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1.40

No

rma

lise

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oa

tin

g e

ffic

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cy 1.20

1.00

0.80

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0.40

0.20

0.00

480

TOT AA-105 EHTAA

DBU-Sn-DL DBu-Sn-DA DBu-Sn-DA

DBu-Ti-AA

Bu-Sn-3EH

9000 TPT TNBT

DC

550

Glass temperature

620

� Fig 1. Coating efficiency of different precursors as a function of temperature in [°C].

coating process differs with the type ofcontainer to be coated.

A 1-litre sparkling wine blow & blowcontainer, for instance, brings a muchhigher thermal input into the processthan a 0.2-litre fruit juice container,produced by narrow-neck press & blow.And at a given container, thetemperature loads on the process varybetween, for example, a containercoming from section 1 (hotter) andcontainers coming from section 12(colder) of an IS machine.

The surface temperature differencebetween containers from these sectionscan be 70K or more within the same job.

Having these challenges in mind, theUniversity of Bayreuth, Germany andIPGR, Switzerland had started to searchfor alternative materials that can be usedas an HEC precursor in the container-glass industry.

With an external partner (AgrInternational, USA), IPGR screenedseveral substances that could have beenpromising candidates.

Tin-containing precursors could onlysolve the problems if they could work ata high deposition efficiency, hencecompensating a potential price increaseof tin as raw-material.

It was quickly understood that everytin-containing precursor would onlypartly solve the problem, even at highefficiency. Fig 1 shows several closelyinvestigated precursors and their coatingefficiency depending on temperature.

The coating efficiency should notstrongly vary over the temperatures thatcan occur on the surface of freshlyproduced glass-containers. Only a fewmaterials can cope with the temperaturedifferences encountered in the formingprocess, and therefore ensure a robustcoating process. Coating efficienciesdepending 30% or more on a narrowtemperature window are undesirable.

TeamworkAt this point, the University of Bayreuth

and IPGR teamed up after realising thatthey were working in similar fields withsimilar intentions. After initial screeningtests, in which also the spraying of theprecursor was considered, it was decidedto keep the process as close to theexisting MBTC process as possible toavoid predominantly strong changes inthe way the process is carried out. AnAP-CVD process (atmospheric-pressurechemical vapour deposition) wastherefore targeted.

The selected Ti-precursor was closelyinvestigated and special adaptions madeto avoid several obstacles. The selectedprecursor shows a high coatingefficiency with low temperaturedependence. However, secondaryreactions can take place which limit thedeposition rate on the container (Fig 2).

The reaction path R3 describes thedesired decomposition of the precursoron the container. Starting withabsorption of the precursor and thesubsequent heterogeneous thermolysisof the precursor, resulting in a layer ofTiO2 on the glass surface and non-toxicby-products plus water.

An unwanted reaction path is thehomogeneous thermolysis R1 whichtakes place when the precursor

decomposes homogeneously in theatmosphere. This path – if it occurs –certainly limits the coating efficiency.

Finally, if the precursor comes intocontact with water a homogeneoushydrolysis R2 can occur. In both casesairborne Titanium-oxide particles areformed which are no longer available forthe coating of containers.

Several measures have to be made toavoid the above-mentioned unwantedreactions. With step-by-stepimprovements of an existing MBTChood and aided by 2-D CFD modellingof the flow structures in coating hoods,the process was improved until it wascapable of performing a long-term trialin a production line.

TestingThe coating process was tested in-linewith a several hour trial at Wiegand-Glas. The achieved coating thicknessdistribution was comparable to MBTCcoatings, giving thicknesses of ca.25CTU, depending on the processparameters. Fig 3 shows the averagecoating distribution of a typicalcontainer in that process (green area:MBTC standard).

As a special condition, titanium-basedcoatings are prone to iridescentappearance if the coating thickness getsabove a certain value. Under unstableprocess conditions (Fig 4) the coatingthickness in the investigated processvaries, leading to values of 50 CTU andmore. If the value reaches above 60 CTU,an iridescent appearance on thecontainers occurs which renders theproduct unsellable. The trial at Wiegand-Glas proved the principal feasibility ofthis process being stable over a longperiod, producing sellable containers.

Furthermore, containers coated withthe alternative Ti-based precursorshowed no differences in strength, cold-end coating performance or labeladhesion compared to standard MBTCcoated containers.

Also important to this trial was thecoating efficiency. It can be consideredas a good result that with a ‘just-optimised’, standard MBTC hood thecoating efficiency was estimated to be11%. Considering the potential of acoating hood especially designed andbuilt for the respective precursor, acoating efficiency similar to MBTC oreven better seems achievable.

14


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continued »

Coating thickness [CTU]

Height 30mm 80mm

0

20

40

60

80

R1

R2

R3Absorption/desorption

Precursor (g)

Particulate

deposition?

Hom.

thermolysis

Precursor (ad)

Hydrolysis

TiO2

(p) TiO2

(s)

H2

O(g)

Heterogeneous thermolysis

= wanted path

= unwanted path

CoatingAirborneparticles

� Fig 2. Reaction paths at precursor deposition.

�Fig 3. Average coating distribution of a typical

container.


Hot end coating

After having filed patents in the respective field, theconsortium will now identify further hood improvements andthe best suitable hood design with the help of 3-D transientCFD modelling.

Via this, flow conditions, deposition rates, temperatures andmaterial concentrations can be calculated and hoodimprovements and their effects can be tested.

In parallel, IPGR aims to team-up with an industrial hoodsupplier for an improved hood concept and commercial hooddevelopment. This is necessary as the next steps involve astrong commercial path. As we believe a pro-active approach isneeded to drive the next step of HEC development,cooperation between RTD, industry and supplier should betargeted to enable commercialisation of the concept.

The focus of this cooperation will be:� a) Improving the process control (as Ti-based precursors

need a precise process adjustment to avoid iridescentappearance);

� b) Improving the coating efficiency and homogeneityfurther due to optimised hood design;

� c) Improving the controllability of the process andmaking it robust for the harsh conditions in glass containersmanufacturing; and

� d) Utilising the cost benefit of the base material.

In summary, this development shows that alternativematerials to MBTC are available, which can – if adapted andimproved to industrial conditions – substitute MBTC in thenear future.

The next necessary development steps need to be carried outin a partnership of R&D partners, container glass producersand HEC hood and material suppliers. This is also vital for thesuppliers of HEC material and equipment as, for example,REACH restrictions might require further actions and effort inthe search for alternative HEC materials.

If you are interested in joining us, then please use thecontact information detailed below. �

*Dr. Christian Roos, International Partners in Glass Research,Bülach, [email protected]**Andreas Rosin and Dr. Zahra Negahdari, University Bayreuth,Germany***Dr. Thomas Struppert, Wiegand-Glas, Germany

60

Risk of iridescent appearance due to too thick coatings

50

40

30

20

10

0

0 60 120 180 240 300

Height

30mm

80mm

Time [min]

Co

ati

ng

s t

hic

kn

ess [

CT

U]

� Fig 4. Average coating distribution under unstable conditions over time.

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16Glass International May 2014

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John HendersonHenderson Technology

It’s not ‘just’ glass!Although I try to vary the topics in these

columns the glass that predominates,whether the subject is quality, compressed

air, toughening or another practical theme, is soda-lime-silica glass.

Some might not consider this unreasonable as,in one form or another, about 90% or more of theworld’s glass (certainly by volume) is soda-lime.Most consumers’ interaction with glass is via acontainer or window and what are they made of?Soda-lime-glass, of course. However, no matterhow important this glass is technically andeconomically it is only one part of one type in ahuge array of different glasses that impact on ourlives. Borosilicate glasses are a hugely importantgroup that many do not recognise as beingdifferent. At the basic level most people’sinteraction with borosilicates is in the form ofovenware, generally regarded as ‘Pyrex’ but howmany of them would recognise that the glassscreen on their smart phone or tablet was aborosilicate or even an alumino-silicate as themanufacturers of these thin flat glasses makeastounding advances in glass technology to satisfythe demand for these products.

Borosilicates also play a role in thepharmaceutical industry satisfying a demand forbetter durability than soda-lime can offer.Borosilicates are generally lower in expansion thansoda-lime glasses and some will seal directly ontometals without intermediary steps. Much of thescientific instrumentation used both on earth andin space to study the cosmos contains acomponent that relies on a piece of borosilicateglass. I can well remember our team being asked todevelop a high durability 47 expansion glass thatwould seal directly to ‘kovar’ type alloys and havea very low natural radioactive backgroundsignature. At first glance this might not sound toohard to a seasoned glass technologist but not manyrealise that potassium is naturally radioactive.

All sources of potassium (carbonate, nitrate etc.)available to the glassmaker have potassium 39 asthe dominant species, however, tiny amounts ofpotassium 40 are also found in these compoundsand potassium 40 is radioactive. Now this is not asbad as it sounds because the amount ofradioactivity is tiny compared to that normallyexperienced in everyday life, however it was

enough to mean that any glass formulated had tobe potassium free. Not as easy as it sounds asseveral components used in glassmaking includingsoda ash and sand have traces of potassium as animpurity. The glass was made, was successful and isstill in production as you read this column (albeitat a different manufacturer).

Lead crystal for decorative purposes is still inproduction despite the negative press it has had(unjustly, many glassmakers would say) and thereare many high lead glasses made for opticalpurposes where shielding from radioactivity is alsoa requirement. Many optical glasses are now basedon lanthanum as a substitute for lead in giving theglass a high refractive index.

I am sure I have mentioned before that allglasses are not silicates. Phosphates and borateshave a part to play, the former predominantly inbioactive glasses as noted above and the later inspecialised protective fields such as preservation ofwood and alkali metal vapour barriers. Anotherabiding memory is of trying to melt a mixture ofsodium borate and boric oxide and form it intorods. The melting was reasonably straightforwardbecause it was relatively low temperature (inglassmaking terms) at 800oC. It was the fashioninginto rods that was the problem as the viscosity ofthe melt was not much more than if we wereworking with water. We did get some pieces (itwould be over generous to call them rods) whichwere sent for trials and the product was modestlysuccessful as it did appear commercially in DIYoutlets as a wood preservative.

In a short column like this it is impossible to dojustice to all the different types of glass that impacton our lives but just consider calcium phosphatebased glasses for reconstructive surgery implants,calcium fluoride based glasses for dentistry, highsilica glasses for optical communication fibres,lithium silicate based glasses for cooker tops andthe many others that we may be unaware of.

Not exactly a ‘technical topic’, I know, but glassis such a wonderful material we should celebrate itsdiversity and promote its understanding to as widean audience as possible. We should encourageeveryone to think ‘It’s glass! not ‘It’s just glass’. �John Henderson, Henderson Technology UK, Email [email protected] www.hendersontechnology.com

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18Glass International May 2014

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Prof. John ParkerTurner Museum of Glass

Prof Parker writes: Uncovering thefacts behind glass history meansdelving into a fascinating world

where art, museums, theatre, literature,and archaeology can all provide pieces ofthe jigsaw. Generating a picture, even alittle at a time and probably imperfectly,will be a challenge and privilege. So I haveaccepted this commission to create aseries of brief cameos on Glass History.Some of you will certainly know morethan me; if so, do send me yourcomments and help shape future articles.

Reflections on mirrorsThe phrase seeing in a glass darkly comesfrom St Paul’s first letter to theCorinthians (13:12). But were glassmirrors really around so long ago? Paulwas a Roman citizen and the Romanscertainly used mirrors, but made frompolished metal e.g. bronze or speculummetal. Corinth was allegedly amanufacturing centre for these luxuryitems, whose origins date to 4000BC.Polishing imperfections and susceptibilityto scratches fit with poor image qualityand Paul’s glass, the 1611 Bible translatorsinterpretation of a Greek word for mirror,was probably metal, his comment a‘dislike’ on a consumer preference form.

Renaissance artists were also paintingmirrors, often centrally, into theirpictures. Art historians often explore thescientific, social and even psychologicalimplications of the reflected images butthat is not today’s topic. An early example(1434) is by Van Eyck. A rich merchantand his wife stand in front of a convexmirror. Carola Hicks in the Mail Online(2011) describes this as the only shapethen available, the mirror having been cutfrom a blown glass sphere. Mirror makershad realised very early that a metal-coatedflat glass sheet potentially offered reducedoptical distortion and would suffer lessdamage. The earliest examples reportedare from Sidon (modern-day Lebanon) in

the 1st century AD. The Roman author Pliny in 77AD

mentions glass mirrors backed with goldleaf. In the 6th century the Chinese beganmaking mirrors using silver-mercuryamalgams, perhaps based on a similartechnology for gilding metal objects usinggold amalgams. By the 11th century,similar mirrors were being produced inMoorish Spain. European mirrordevelopment was slower, hampered partlyby superstition. One Pope banned priestsfrom owning mirrors because the devilcan conceal himself in the mirror.

VeniceBy the 13th century Venice had become akey centre for glass manufacture whichallowed an evolution if not revolution inprocessing. They developed high quality,transparent Cristallo Glass (1450-1460),improved the crown and cylindermethods for making sheet glass, createdcast glass, used grinding and polishing toachieve flat, accurately parallel surfacesand refined the tin/mercury amalgamprocess. Finally, the quality of theirlooking-glasses far exceeded those of theirpolished metal counterparts, but thelabour-intensive processing and thedangers of mercury ensured that theyremained expensive luxuries. They weregiven as gifts between the Royal Houses ofEurope: Henry VIII’s 1547 inventory listsseveral looking-glasses, and the value of aVenetian mirror was said to equal that ofa naval ship or an aristocrats’ countryhouse; intricate, gilded frames were cheapin comparison and helped concealimperfections in the glass.

Their mirrors’ though were restricted toa maximum dimension of a metre. Frenchroyal ambitions demanded solutions,particularly for the Palace of Versailles.Within this architectural jewel is the Hallof Mirrors, 357 in total, built for Louis XIVin 1678-1684. He expected the best andwanted a waiting room for important

foreign guests that properly demonstratedhis country’s technological prowess. It isno coincidence that the company set upby the French Minister of Finance tosupply the palace, and which later was tobecome the firm Saint-Gobain, reportedin 1687/88 its invention of a method forcasting glass blocks suitable for largermirrors than Venice could supply, theirmaximum dimension being 1.5m.

The recruitment of emigrant workersfrom Venice by the French assisted thediffusion of mirror-making technology,and is underpinned by dark stories ofassassins dispatched by the Venetians toprotect their expertise and income. Butsuch know-how had already spread. Forexample, the Duke of Buckingham’s(1628-1687) collection of glass-makingpatents gave him a near monopoly in UKmirror making.

In the 1700s France displaced Venice asthe European mirror centre.

Subsequently, Bohemian, German andBelgian (Walloon) glass gainedprominence. German chemist von Liebiginvented a much safer silvering processfor glass in 1835, allowing massmanufacture; ultimately the framebecame the defining design and costelement. Earlier, I argued that St Paulwould not have mentioned a glass mirror.Interestingly, polished obsidian, a naturalvolcanic glass, was used from 6000BC,predating metal mirrors. Its poorreflectivity though would have required‘very’ before ‘darkly’. �

ReferencesThe Grove Encyclopedia of Decorative Arts,

Gordon Campbell (2006), p110

Wikipedia on Mirrors.

http://glassofvenice.com/murano_glass_history.p

hp

Professor Emeritus John Parker, Curator ofthe Turner Museum of Glass at SheffieldUniversity, [email protected]

In the first of a new series on the history of glass, Prof. John Parker, of both theInternational Commission on Glass (ICG) and the University of Sheffield, UK, discussesthe evolution of mirrors, from their origin in 4000BC to the 19th century.

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20

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Russia records upward growth

continued »

Site of this year’s winter Olympics and star of recent political debate, Russia hascertainly got people talking lately. Sally Roberts looks at Russia’s glass marketahead of this year’s Mir Stekla exhibition.

rate in 2006 was 126%, in 2007 it was118%, and in 2008 it grew by 113%. In2009, however, growth stalled, reflectingRussia’s own slowing economy and itseffect on the production of products inglass packaging. In 2010-2011 there wasan increase in the consumption of glassby 12% and 1% respectively, but themarket has still not returned to pre-2009levels.

One of the primary reasons for foreigninvestment into Russia is the country’sgrowing consumer demand for glass.

Putin recently announced that by2020 Russia will need to haveconstructed 140 million m2 of housing,which will result in approximately 500million m2 of flat glass needed for theproject. The aim is that from2016 Russia will produce 300

million m2 of flat glass The 2020 plan alsodecrees that by 2019 the

production of medicalglass will also have

doubled its currentrate.

Whatever the west currentlythinks of Putin it isundeniable that he has done

an incredible task with Russia’seconomy. After the collapse of theSoviet Union in 1991, the nation’s firstattempt at introducing a market state hitan all-time low with Russia’s financialcrisis of 1998. However, followingPutin’s ascension to power in 2000 thecountry’s economic reform has beenastonishing, and its finances haverocketed.

By 2007 real GDP had increased by thehighest percentage since the fall of theUSSR (8.1%), the World Bank haddeclared the Russian economy to haveachieved “unprecedented macroe-conomic stability”, and Russia hadovertaken China in terms of capitalinvestment. From 2009 the economyslowed, reflecting both the effect of theexternal global recession in countriesthat trade with Russia, and lower levelsof domestic investment.

In 2013 GDP growth slipped to 1.4%,an enviable figure to some countriesbut which, according to Russia’sEconomic Development MinisterAlexei Ulyukayev, “Cannot

under any circumstance be consideredsatisfactory”. This is expected, perhapssubject to international relations, toincrease to 2.6% in 2014 due tothe effect of the SochiOlympics, lower inflation,higher oil prices, increasedresidential construction,and improvements in theUS and EU economiesamong other things.

All this has, of course,affected the country’s glassindustry – both containerand flat.

Pre-2009, thedevelopment of the glassfood and beveragepackaging market wasconsistently movingupwards. The growth



Country focus: Russia

Flat glassThe Russian flat glass market has increased exponentially overthe past few years. In 2000, Russian glass factories produced 86million m2 of flat glass, a figure which more than doubled to195 million m2 by 2010, and as of 2013 the amount of flatglass produced in Russia stood at 225 million m2.

The entire volume of the Russian flat glass market stood at250 million m2, meaning that the majority of the market canbe satisfied using domestic produce. As for imported glass,approximately 12 million m2 came from Belarus, 10-12 millionm2 was imported from China and Iran, with small amountscoming from the CIS countries.

Russia’s major players in the flat glass sector tend to consistof international companies, for example AGC and Guardianare the largest producers on the Russian market. AGC has twofactories, in Klin (near Moscow) and in Borisov (Belarus).Guardian also has two plants in Ryazan (approx. 120km southeast of Moscow) and Rostov (200km north east of Moscow).

Pilkington is also prominent in the Russian market, whileSaint-Gobain produces much of Russia’s automotive glass.

In 2013, Saint-Gobain entered into a joint venture withSisecam’s Trakya Cam for an automotive glass manufacturingfacility in the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia. In 2011, NSGGroup merged with STiS Group of Companies to expand floatproduction in Ramenskoye, Russia.

DomesticDomestically, the largest Russian company in the clear floatglass market is JSC Salavatsteklo, which also owns 100% sharesof JSC Saratovstroysteklo, another large float glassmanufacturer. Between them, these two companies produceabout 70 million m2 of glass each year.

Each company has two furnaces for float-glass production, 4lines in total, including flat float-glass, low-E glass, solar glass,multifunctional glass, automotive glass, structural temperedand laminated glass, double glass panes, glassware, solublesodium silicate and liquid sodium glass.

The recently opened Caspian Flat Glass plant is anotherdomestic producer. Caspian’s plant, located in Dagestan,Russia, became operational in 2013.

The glass plant produces 600 tons of energy-saving glass perday, and has recently signed a letter of intent which providesfor the delivery of approximately 100,000 tons of glass per yearto the South Caucasus republic of Azerbaijan.

According to Abakar Mudunov, the Executive Director,plant specialists are also studying the possibility of supplyingflat glass to Kazakhstan and Georgia, as well as Iran and SouthRussia. �

L

TEMPERING

LINES

On Belt & Spindles

CoContntaact u :usctv dd ooomecacaniccaca@vidd oorrdvii@niierrddriivviwwwww. idd oomecacan ccaca.caniiaemorrdiivvviww.Tel: +3+3511 444 5555555 0060604422355leTTeTe

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22


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Russian industry reaps thebenefits of modernisation

� The GUM shopping centre located in Red Square, Moscow.

The British Glass library holds acollection of informationconcerning all sectors of the glass

industry spanning some 100 years ofhistory. It’s an Aladdin’s Cave for anyonelooking for glass-related information –from technological achievements inglass making, physics and chemistry,compositions, art work, recycling,company histories, mergers/acquisitionsand much more. Members of BritishGlass can take advantage of theinformation in two ways – either a datasearch can be carried out electronically,with the results provided in a matter ofminutes – or, the library can be bookedby appointment.

This article aims to provide you withan example of the kind of informationthat can be found in the library,focussing on a recent data search thatwas conducted using just two key words:‘Russian markets.’ Industry statistics areimportant and, among other things, canhelp companies to stay ahead of theircompetitors. The information can be

rather sketchy, due simply to the factthat there are so many (conflicting)reports in circulation. However, for thepurposes of this article I have roundedup the data in order to provide a bestguess as to the situation today.

Russian glass industryThe Russian glass industry began tomodernise during the last 20 years asglobalisation, climate change,demographic change and newtechnologies emerged. These trendshave altered customer needs – withdemand for flat and container glassincreasing. However, this has led tochallenges for glass manufacturers asthey modernise production equipmentin order to home in on market trends.The growth of the Russian glass industryhas been above expectations both interms of value and volume in the pastfive years. The latest market reportsindicate that the glass industry in Russiais set to grow enormously, having hit aUS$10 billion-revenue mark in 2013.

Theresa Green* delves through the British Glass library to summarise recentdevelopments in the Russian glass market.

Between 2000 and 2011, the annualgrowth of domestic glass production (allsectors) was 11%.

Flat glassDemand trends in the flat glass marketare shaped by the pace of economicdevelopment as well as the legislativeand regulatory landscape. Bringing theRussian flat glass manufacturing sectorinto the modern world has led tochallenges for some manufac-turers –the industry really did need tomodernise in order to produce highquality float glass to enable itto adapt to markettrends. Flat glass isproduced using twom a n u f a c t u r i n gmethods – floatand rolled glasstechniques.

Float glassaccounts for

continued »


Country focus: Russia

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23

the predominant share of overall demand. In contrast, rolledglass accounted for only around 8% flat glass demand during2012.

Library records indicate there are currently 24 float glassmanufacturing facilities operating in Russia. We estimate thatthese 24 manufacturers produce some 4 million tonnes/pa.However, seven of these sites have been built since 2007 andare new, state-of-the-art factories, providing capacity ofapproximately 2 million tonnes.

In addition, automotive glass demand is booming as Russia’scar sales increased by 11% to 2.9 million vehicles in 2012.Sales of value-added flat glass products, including solar controland coated glasses are also growing at a much faster rate thanstandard float glass products. The latest float glass factories allfeature new coating plants.

Container GlassCompared to its flat glass counterpart, the Russian glasscontainer industry is growing faster due to the rise in disposableincomes and increased consumption of beers and packagedfoods.

The container glass sector in Russia is a relatively modernindustry. Many glass makers have successfully invested in newtechnology such as lightweighting and can providesophisticated decoration techniques. Since 2007, 18 newfactories have been built.

The industry today comprises around 40 manufacturers intotal, dominated by Ruscam (Anadolu Cam Sanayii parent)and Rusglass with ten sites between them. Total production iscurrently estimated to be around 8 million tonnes/pa, but thisis expected to increase as new plants come on-stream.

The latest newcomer to the industry is pharmaceutical glassmanufacturer Voronezhmedsteklo. This project – which is stillin the construction phase – is one of the largest pharma-glassenterprises to enter the market in the last few years.

When complete, it is thought that it will top a massive 17.5million tonnes per annum of vials, ampoules and bottles withan investment of 3,500 million rubles. Although return on thisinvestment will take almost five years, the possibility forexponential growth beyond that is substantial, as long assensible market pricing policies are adhered to. With theadditional investment from JSC International PotashCompany, it hopes to move to its own raw materials baseeventually.

However, although this looks like a recipe for success – well-funded, and well-thought through - some partners at theInstitute of Experimental Economics and Finance (MSU)believe that although the investors have chosen a ‘promisingline of business,’ it is the scale of the investment that is ofconcern. Time will tell.

SummaryI hope you have gained an insight into the unique collectionof material that is available from UK trade federation British

Glass. Glass industry information can be notoriouslydifficult to find.

Our Library and Information Service is open formembers to use freely, however, we welcomeenquiries from anyone searching for that piece ofglass-related information that is particularlydifficult to find. �

•[email protected]

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25


Energy efficiency

A fair exchange

Steffen Seehausen, Group Sustainability Manager for the Ardagh Group,describes how one of its plants is helping to heat neighbouring homes, and howthis project forms part of the company’s ongoing sustainability programme.

Residents of the small town ofFensmark (population 4,200) inthe centre of the east Danish

island of Zealand have more than onereason to feel proud of their largestemployer, Ardagh Glass.

In addition to providing jobs andcreating wealth for its local community,our Holmegaard plant, which produces160,000 tonnes of container glass eachyear, equivalent to nearly 700 millionbottles and jars primarily for the beerspirit, wine, non- alcoholic beverage andfood sectors, is contributing to reducedprice heating for more than 1000 localhomes.

In a scheme run jointly with Danishenergy provider SE Blue, surplus heatfrom our glass production is piped fromthe factory to an accumulation tank,able to store 100MWh of heat fromwhere it is piped into the local districtheating plant’s system and on to homesin Fensmark (Fig 1).

It is one of a number of districtheating projects that Ardagh Glass hasengineered over the past few years. Thefirst one was installed in the early 1990sat the company’s factory in Lünen innorthwest Germany, where steamgenerated from the plant’s waste heat isstill being used to produce heat for themunicipality. A similar scheme has beenrunning from 2010 at the company’sLimmared plant in Sweden.

� Ardagh’s glass unit in Limmared.

� Steffen Seehausen, Group Sustainability

Manager for the Ardagh Group.

Winning all over EuropeAll these local authorities are tappinginto a valuable source of waste heat inwhat can only be described as a classic‘win win’ opportunity. In Europe as awhole, with almost 50% of the finalenergy consumption being used for theheating needs of buildings and fordomestic hot water production, thesearch has intensified to findalternatives to fossil fuels.

Alongside energy efficiencies, such asincreased insulation and improvedbuilding design, renewable heatingsources are becoming an ever moreuseful means to enable countries tobecome less dependent on importedenergy and contribute to the EU’sclimate change objectives.

The fundamental idea behindmodern district heating is torecycle this surplus heatwhich otherwise would bewasted into an energysource for space heatingand warm tap water. Insituations such as glassmanufacturing, theenergy used to fire thefurnaces is set free in theform of surplus heat.

continued »

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District heating means a systemsupplying heat produced centrally inone or several locations to a non-restricted number of customers.

It is distributed on a commercial basisby means of a distribution networkusing hot water or steam as a medium.District heating systems can varysubstantially in size, from systemssupported by local manufacturingoperations supplying a few hundred orthousand buildings to systems thatsupply entire capital cities.

In Europe, there are now more than5,000 district heating systems, and themarket share of district heat is about10% of the heating market. More than50% of the European district heatingmarket can be found in the Northern &Eastern part of Europe (Germany,Denmark, Poland, Czech Republic,Finland, Russia and Romania).

HolmegaardAlthough the use of recycled glass(cullet) in our furnaces has reduced theamount of energy required by themanufacturing process, the glass meltingoperation still generates a lot of heatthat is discharged through the chimney.

For some time Holmegaard’smanagement, as part of its corporatesocial responsibility target, has beenconsidering how to put this heat toproductive secondary use through arenewable energy programme.

Now, thanks to an arrangement with

SE Big Blue, part of Danish energy groupSE, a substantial part of this heat can becaptured and used to heat homes in theneighbouring district.

The waste heat, which is captured byindirect thermal energy exchange fromour furnace flue gas, produces steamfrom water, which is then utilised in ourinternal process as well as beingtransferred to the local neighbourhood.New flue gas ducts were installed withbypass capabilities. The boiler and heatexchanger, placed after the E-filter, heatexchangers, pumps and pipelineinstalled between the Holmegaard plantand the heat district company, producewaste heat from the flue gasses that isconverted into district heat (Fig 2).

The heat-exchanger will be able toproduce 18,000MWh/year. Approxi-mately 14,000MWh of this energy willbe sold to the heat district company,which constitutes 65% of the districtheat requirements of Fensmark’s 5000residents. The new system will alsoreduce CO2 emissions by 3300ton/year,due to a reduced use of gas fortraditional gas boilers.

Ardagh’s Henrik Bonné, Plant Directorat Ardagh Glass Holmegaard, said: “Thedistrict will receive a secure supply ofcheaper energy from one of its largestemployers, a case of neighbour helpingneighbours. It is good for theenvironment, as, against a traditionalgas boiler heating process, it saves atleast 3300 tonnes of CO2 a year, the

equivalent of taking 400 cars off theroad.

“In addition, the money we earn fromthe 18,000MWh we sell, helps to offsetthe cost of our investment.

“Our aim with these energy-efficiencymeasures and utilisation of surplus heatinternally and externally via FensmarkFjernvarme (district heating provider) isan improved bottom line from the18,000MWh we have to sell.

“But we are also the biggest companyin the area, with roots that go way backin time. That’s why it’s also a matter ofprotecting Danish jobs. SE Big Blue hasreally delivered the goods – not just inthe form of consultancy, but also bytaking responsibility for the totalcontract. The result is absolutely whatwe expected, and the future holds evenmore potential for further measures.”

Dongen and LimmaredHolmegaard is the latest of a number ofenvironmental projects and trials withinArdagh. Our facility in Dongen, TheNetherlands, together with Coca-ColaEnterprises, recently launched a newheat exchange pilot programme.Residual heat from Ardagh’s glassfurnaces is being captured and used tosupply heat-driven processes at Coca-Cola’s neighbouring factory.

The initiative is expected to provide a

continued »

� Fig. 3. Quality cullet

� Fig 2. Fensmark.

� Fig 1. The heat exchange installation at the

Ardagh Glass plant in Holmegaard.

“Sustainability is a journey rather than a destination,and it is one that Ardagh Group has been following for some time.”

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sizeable proportion of the energyrequired for Coca-Cola’s processes andthus reduces overall carbon emissions.

This pilot project is currently on-going, and on completion, the resultswill be analysed to give an accuratemeasure of the amount of energy andassociated carbon emissions that can besaved on an annual basis.

A small community of around 5,000people in the municipality of Tranemoin Västra Götaland County in westernSweden, are benefitting from the wasteheat generated by the furnaces atArdagh’s Limmared facility as a result ofanother innovative energy-exchangeinstallation on site.

Since 2010, homes, businesses andschools now receive up to 100% of theirhot water and heating requirements viathe exchange, at a reduced price ofapproximately 50% (compared withalternative supplier E-ON).

The heat exchanger also provides allthe building heat requirements and hotwater to the Limmared facility.

SustainableThe projects described above form partof Ardagh’s integrated and ongoingsustainability programme.

In an introduction to Ardagh’s latestSustainability Report, which coversongoing initiatives from all parts of thecompany’s worldwide glass and metalpackaging operations, the approach wasdescribed as: “Sustainability is a journeyrather than a destination, and it is onethat Ardagh Group has been followingfor some time”.

Ardagh Group, which has a turnoverof €4.2 billion and employs more than18,000 people, defines sustainability as“not only delivering a reducedenvironmental impact but alsoachieving sound economic performanceand making a positive socialcontribution.” The emphasis has alwaysbeen on “taking a proactive approach toidentify and minimise any economic,environmental and social risks that mayaffect the business.”

The company’s aim to be the leadingsupplier of inherently sustainablepackaging is exemplified in the casestudies that feature in the 2013 Report.The installation of heat exchangetechnology for district heating is one ofseveral important projects that form partof this programme, which also includesimproved cullet separation and improvingthe quality of recycled glass and recycling

education in schools (Fig 3). Another key measure that the

company has taken to emphasise theimportance of environmentalsustainability from a business strategypoint of view, includes theimplementation of an environmentalindicator – the GoGreen Index (GGI).

“We use sustainability targets in ourlong term strategic planning to ensurethat we reduce any negativeenvironmental impact whilst remainingeconomically sustainable and sociallyresponsible,” says Ardagh Glass EuropeCEO Johan Gorter.

He adds: “The manufacturing ofproducts and creation of value to satisfyglobal demands are inherently linkedwith social and ethical as well asenvironmental impacts and challengesand will increase further unless wesignificantly change our culture andmindset.”

The projects described in this articleform part of a systematic and plannedjourney that is gradually changing boththe culture and practices within theorganisation as it strives to meet thesechallenges. �

Ardagh Group, www.ardaghgroup.com/

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Michael Terhorst*discusses methods ofutilising waste heat inthe glass productionindustry.

Astaggering amount of energy isrequired for the production ofglass. Although the industry

has now become relatively efficient in itsprimary production processes, there isstill a great energy potential being lostthrough the chimney. Much better usecould be made of this energy.

“As an energy efficiency manager, thevery thought of this is painful to me,”Michael Terhorst states, referring to hisview on factory flue dischargingunexploited waste heat into theatmosphere.

The Key Account Manager from SpieEnergy Solutions is responsible forhelping glass industry clients around theglobe save cash. His approach: “We takea huge volume of waste heat whichleaves the factory virtually unused andturn it into usable energy.” The priorityis always to reduce the client's existingnatural gas or electricity consumption,while also making their energyrequirement and energy costs morecalculable.

The technical principle behind all thisis relatively simple. “We install wasteheat recovery boilers before and after theexhaust gas purification systems. In

these boilers, the hot air is convertedinto usable energy such as hot water,steam or thermal oil”, Mr. Terhorstcontinues.

To ensure that the pressure in the glassmelting furnace remains constant,special components are installed, so thatthe production process is not adverselyaffected.

Public relations The top priority for utilisation of wasteheat is to guarantee that the glassproduction process continues to runsmoothly. The use of heat from theexhaust gases is of secondaryimportance.

From countless discussions and visitswith glass producers, Mr. Terhorst knowsthat: “In the primary processes, thebranch already makes sophisticated useof the energy consumed. However, thesecondary processes still pose a giganticand generally untapped potential.”

His experience from previous projectsgives an air of optimism. Clients aregenerally open for technical innovationand, as a particularly energy-hungrysector, the glass industry is highlyinterested in employing sustainable

technology to limit its energyrequirement. As Mr. Terhorst explains,“This not only saves money but has alsobecome a key factor in public relations.”

Hot exhaust gasIn principle, there are a wide range ofuses for this hot exhaust gas: Powergeneration, feeding into heatingsystems, or the generation of chilledwater. “These are individual moduleswhich can be used alone or combined,”the energy expert explains. The variantwhich is most suitable for his clientdepends on a range of factors: “Eachcompany has different requirements butthere are two decisive questions: Can Iuse the energy acquired usefully, and isthe investment worth it?”

Profitability is the key to everything,and this depends not only on the size ofthe production site or on the directenvironment. The profitability ofinvestments such as these can also differwidely between countries.

Before installation of the technicalequipment to improve the energy-

continued »

Cash from hot air

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efficiency, Michael Terhorst and his team perform a detailedanalysis, checking the processes and ambient productionconditions for any untapped potential. The most importantthing: “We guarantee our clients fixed energy savings.” Theonly question is in which area of the company these will befound, and how high they will be.

Huge savingsThe most logical source of potential savings and the cheapestis to feed the energy discharged by the waste heat boiler intothe heating network of the company. “A neighbouring officeblock or adjacent production hall can be easily heated withthe heat available.” As Mr. Terhorst explains, the exhaust gasesare cooled so that condensation in the chimney can be stillfurther excluded.

This simple waste heat recovery model can of course bedeveloped even further. One example of this is the integrationof an absorption chiller for the production of chilled water.“In this case, we expect – assuming an average size of the glassmelting furnace – that two to four megawatts of refrigeratingcapacity can be generated from the waste heat,” Mr. Terhorstcalculates.

“We can even feed the excess heat into a nearby districtheating network,” Mr. Terhorst continues. With payment atnormal market prices, the energy supplier receiving thisservice becomes another customer. The energy present couldsupply more than 250 households with heat: “If a housingestate is situated or planned locally, this provides a greatopportunity for using the energy.”

However, the hot air from the exhaust gases can also be usedto generate power with the help of steam or thermal oil. AsMr. Terhorst explains, “This electricity can then be used on aratio of 1:1 in the production process, and you can save theexpensive procurement of this power on the market.”

The outcome of this enhanced efficiency: Depending ontheir underlying conditions, companies can expect to savearound €600,000 (US$827,000) a year in energy costs, andapproximately 6,000 tonnes of CO2 per annum. “We also offerinteresting financing models which, like the technicalspecifications, are tailored to the specific requirements of ourclients”. �

*Key Account Manager Glass Industry, SPIE Energy Solutions Email: [email protected]

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30


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Nampak Glass puts its faith in BIS South African glass manufacturer Nampak Glass recently invested in a second BIS

machine from Bucher Emhart Glass. We find out why BIS is making so manywaves in the container glass industry.

continued »

Container glass manufacturing isa fantastic industry to be in, butmost would agree that it’s also a

fairly conservative one. New technologies don’t come along

every day – and when they do, glassproducers can be slow to adopt them,often preferring to stick with what theyknow. On top of that, the presenteconomic conditions are hardlyconducive to bold capital expenditureoutlays.

So when a leading glass plant buys twomachines from a new line in quicksuccession, it’s time to sit up and takenotice. And that’s exactly what hashappened at Nampak Glass ofRoodekop, Guateng, South Africa, wherethe second of two Bucher Emhart GlassBIS machines recently beganproduction.

Quality demands Nampak Glass was founded in 1984 andproduces glass for industries includingbeverages and food, serving customersthroughout South Africa and Africa.

“We’ve recorded growth over the lastfew years, despite a challengingeconomy and pressure from alternativepackaging such as PET and aluminiumcans,” stated Stoney Steenkamp,Nampak Glass’ Managing Director.

“As a growing business in a toughmarket, also dealing with an ever-declining skills base, we needed amachine that could meet our customers’increasing requirements in terms ofquality, while still remaining flexible.We’re a diversified firm, and we need toproduce a range of glass containersacross the industry.”

Enter BISAs Nampak reviewed the market, BISsoon emerged as the front-runner thatcould put a tick in all those boxes. It’sthe latest addition to Bucher EmhartGlass’ range of IS machines, and the firstnew machine type since NIS wasintroduced in 2000.

Like NIS, it offers the precision of afully servo-controlled machine, but isdesigned to handle many containerdesigns, sizes and weights, in smallerquantities and with quicker job changes.BIS is ideal for manufacturing containersfor every industry, from beverages andbaby food through to pharmaceuticals.

BIS was originally announced in 2010and successfully prototyped in 2011. Ituses the parallel mould open/closetechnology pioneered on Bucher EmhartGlass’ AIS machines and is available insix-, eight-, 10- and 12-sectionconfigurations. The first machines

handled double- and triple-gobproduction is now available. Goingforward, a quad-gob version will follow.

Built for the modern worldThroughout its long history, BucherEmhart Glass has made it a priority tounderstand the needs of glassmakers,then create the machines andtechnologies that can meet them. BIS isno different – it’s a machine developedspecifically for the demands of today’sindustry and the economic climate inwhich it operates.

The decision to invest in a newforming machine is one of the biggestand most difficult that a glass-plantmanager will face. Internally, they needto be sure that the new machine will fitin the available floor space and interfacewith their existing furnace andinspection lines. The skills of theworkforce are another factor.

The key question is how to invest,based on the specific business case inorder to deliver the maximum benefit.For glass-forming machines, the timehorizon of that decision is as long as tenor even 15 years, making considerationsof whole-life cost particularly important.

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Decisions taken now will have tosustain the business, both operationallyand commercially, through whateverhappens over the next decade or more.

Meanwhile, the external pressures onplant managers continue to mount inevery area: Cost, performance, flexibility,quality and safety. Brand owners wantgreater differentiation in terms of thepackaging for their product, and theywant their new products to reach themarket more quickly than ever.

But they’re naturally unwilling tocompromise on quality – and are alwayslooking for the most competitive costper container too.

Best way forwardFor Nampak Glass, BIS was the only wayto solve this challenging equation. “Wechose BIS not just because it coulddeliver everything we wanted, but alsobecause the initial capital investmentrequired was relatively affordable,”explained Stoney.

“In fact, it’s not an exaggeration to saythat BIS represents a revolution for us.Previously, this level of technologywould have been beyond our reachbecause of the high capital cost, as wellas the inflexibility in terms of optionsavailable. BIS has changed everything.”

Having instantly seen the benefits ofthe new technology, Nampak was thefirst company in the world to purchase aBIS machine, and began operating its 0-batch line in May 2013.

“The installation went really well,with relatively few problems and a verysmooth startup,” recalls Stoney. “Thatwas the result of the careful planningcarried out by Bucher Emhart Glass, aswell as their detailed reviews prior toinstallation. The support from bothoperational and senior personnel wasoutstanding, and the training providedfor our local people was fantastic too.”

The machine was unveiled at an openhouse event last October, attended bymore than 20 Bucher Emhart Glasscustomers interested in seeing themachine in production, inspectmanufactured wares first-hand and hearfrom Nampak’s staff about their positiveexperiences with the technology so far.

For those involved directly inproduction, the benefits include higherperformance, a more stable production,faster and easier job changes, easiercleaning, ergonomic operation,improved operator safety and reducednoise. Owners and managers,meanwhile, are likely to appreciate BIS’

improved speed and reliability, superiorprecision and process control, reducedenergy intake and overall lower cost ofownership.

For example, BIS’ faster job changesand workouts alone could deliver asaving of around €70,000 per year ascompared with a similar IS line, whileincreased mould lifetime could save asmuch as €200,000 per year.

Real benefitsStoney is clear about the benefitsdelivered by Nampak’s new BISmachine. “It has brought us improvedflexibility alongside a new level ofproduct quality,” he stated.

“It is now much easier for us tooptimise our production process, andwe’ve also reduced our energyconsumption. Mould lifetime hasimproved substantially, and we’ve beenable to de-skill our bottle-making tosome degree too.”

In March 2014, Stoney made the tripnorth to Bucher Emhart Glass’ Sundvallmanufacturing plant, where the firmwas hosting a ‘BIS Day’ dedicated togiving current and future customersmore information about the youngtechnology. The event was attended by atotal of 41 guests, including delegatesfrom leading names in the glass-container world such as Gerresheimer,O-I, Allied and Verallia.

Guests were welcomed by WernerGessner, Bucher Emhart Glass’s VP Sales,before Site Manager Catrin Forsbergintroduced the Sundvall operation.Stoney then gave a presentation sharinghis thoughts on Nampak’s first tenmonths of production using BIS.

Over the rest of the day, delegatesenjoyed a range of demonstrations aswell as additional presentations on BISand its benefits from Bucher EmhartGlass staff. The complete BIS 12 sectionDG 140mm running at 20 cycles, andthe fully equipped prototype section inTG 95mm working at 24 cycles,demonstrated the impressive BIScapabilities.

The time has come“We feel very strongly that BIS is atechnology whose time has come,”stated Leo Diehm, Director of ProductManagement.

“If we look at the history of ISmachines since 1925, development fallsinto three clear phases. First we hadpneumatic motion controlled by atiming drum, which lasted a long time

but finally faded out, and was succeededby electrically controlled pneumaticmotion, which originated around 1980.The new servo IS standard has started toreplace pneumatic IS machines, ashappened in the past with the good oldtiming drum. Within a few years, servoIS machines will become the standard.”

Servo control opens up levels ofaccuracy that couldn’t be achievedbefore. With pneumatic motion, eachindividual IS section was a ‘personality’that had to be coaxed to peakperformance by a skilled operator.

With servo mechanisms controlled bymodern technologies such as BucherEmhart Glass’s FlexIS system, themotion of the IS line is repeatable,precise and controlled – and the benefitsare clear. “BIS easily outperformspneumatic IS machines built on 5”section frames,” stated Leo.

“It allows glass-container

manufacturers to cut container costwithout compromising on quality orware range.”

Based on the success of its first BISpurchase, Nampak quickly decided topurchase a second machine, which wasdelivered this Spring.

As Stoney Steenkamp explains, thedecision wasn’t difficult once the resultsof the first installation were clear.

“BIS fully delivered on the originalbrief we gave Bucher Emhart Glass. Ontop of that, the ongoing support hasbeen of a high standard. Even one yearafter installation, the after-sales supportis still excellent. Overall, it was an easydecision to make!” �

*Bucher Emhart Glass, Cham,Switzerlandwww.emhartglass.comNampak Glass, Gauteng, South Africawww.nampak.com/glass

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�BIS Technology

The FMT24S is a state of the art distributed machine control system. It consists of modules networked with industrial bus systems.Highlights:

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For more information: futronic GmbH · Tolnauer Strasse 3-4 · D-88069 Tettnang Tel: +49 7542-5307-0 · Fax: +49 7542-5307-70 · www. futronic.de · info@ futronic.de

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Wilfried Seidensticker*describes theimportance of warehandling for ambitiousproductivity and qualityresults.

To obtain high results inproduction you need goodforming techniques, as well as a

modern ware handling system to meetincreasing speed and precision demands.Ware handling itself begins with thepusher system, which transportscontainers from the dead plate to theconveyor belt.

The transport of hot containersbenefits from an improved motionprofile, which is one of the benefits ofHeye International’s high-speed pushertype 2158. The optimised motion profileresults in a parallel pusher movement tothe conveyor belt.

The new pusher type, replaces theformer version 2155 and combines highspeed with long-lifetime and less parts.Many parts are also used in the 2157series with 2-axis for standardapplications. The servo-direct drivesreduce maintenance efforts, and forlarge plants with many production linesthe modular design renders a quickconversion from right-hand to left-handoperations.

A further advantage of the high-speedpusher is easy job change. Mechanicalsetting is no longer necessary, forexample for the manual adjustment ofcylinder stroke. Thus, a large part ofpossible disturbances and inaccuraciesin the production process are essentiallyexcluded. Conversant and approvedparameters can be reproduced whenrunning a job again which, in turn,ensures a smooth start-up after a jobchange.

The geometry of the pushermechanisms can be considered a‘constant’. By setting defined parameters

controlling the motion profile, thesystem set-up almost becomes aconstant when running a job again.Thus, incorrect settings can be excludedafter a job has been successfully runonce. The high-speed pusher can beimplemented on machines with a largenumber of sections, in double, triple orquad gob operations.

High performance waretransferThe accurate ongoing transport ofcontainers is assured once the high-speed pusher has precisely positionedthem on the machine conveyor. HeyeInternational’s high performance waretransfer type 4220 (with two parallelrunning conveyors) makes use of asimple but important principle that isalso well known by motor sport racingdrivers: Reduce speed when turning(direction change) and then speed upagain.

Centrifugal forces that also affectcontainers in ware handling processesand make them unstable are reduced.The containers perform directionchanges in a smooth and even motionsequence.

By reducing centrifugal forcesand implementing a moderndrive system (Simotion) withconstant and reproducibleparameters, the transport ofcontainers at this criticalpoint is managedsuccessfully.

Accurate lehrloadingOnce containers reachthe cross conveyor, it iscritical to avoid negatingthe advantages achievedwhen pushing ware intothe annealing lehr. Heretoo, lehr loaders drivenby servo motors andequipped with up to threeindependently driven axesoperate high-speedproduction lines. Themodern and reliable Simotion

drive system provides parameters thatcan be reproduced precisely for eachproduction run, once properlydetermined.

In addition to these technicalaccomplishments, the question of howto pay off investments remains. Thisquestion can certainly be answered bymodel calculations. However, it makesno sense to implement the latesttechnologies from batch house toproduction machinery, before increasingrejects due to poor ware handling. Everyhigh-class article produced properly butrejected during the ware handlingprocess reduces turnover and profit. �

*Hot End Product Manager, HeyeInternational, Obernkirchen, GermanyTel: +49 5724 26 452Email: [email protected]: www.heye-international.com

SpeedLine ware handling for efficient production

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

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37


Forming

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Forming solutions for the NarrowNeck Press and Blow process

Adam Neupert* outlines a number ofsolutions to overcome the problemsassociated with the NNPB process.

continued »

The Narrow Neck Press and Blow(NNPB) process was introduced tosolve uneven glass distribution

problems that are created using othermethods of production.

The NNPB process provides thegreatest possibility for lightweightingnarrow neck containers. Bymechanically forming the parison, glassdistribution is controlled and the resultis a finished container with a more evenwall thicknesses. Compared to theconventional Blow and Blow Process,manufacturers can achieve a finalproduct that is around 30% lighter.Reducing container weight, while stillkeeping a high level of mechanicalstrength, offers incentives includinghigher energy efficiencies, raw materialsavings, and a decrease in logistics costs.

There are many benefits to adoptingthe NNPB process, but there are alsochallenges associated with operatingsuccessful NNPB production. Whenrunning NNPB, a manufacturer mustachieve tighter tolerances in all phasesof operation.

The word ‘narrow’ is used to refer tothe finish dimensions of the containersbeing produced, but narrow may also beused to describe the required parametersof the NNPB process itself.

From proper dosing and mixing of thebatch, all the way to palletising,perfecting the NNPB process requires

determination, patience, and the rightpeople and tools.

Overcoming the blank side formingproblems of the NNPB process is one ofthe foremost goals of QuantumEngineered Products, Inc. Its FormingSystem is innovative, proven, andreliable for producing NNPB containers.

The forming equipment andtechniques supplied by the company,remove the inconsistencies from NNPBblank side forming. The features of thesystem are designed to counteract thechallenges production staff will beconfronted with when operating theNarrow Neck Press and Blow Process.

Automatic gob weight control An important requirement ofsuccessfully producing NNPB containersis gob weight consistency.

To achieve peak productionefficiencies the glass temperature mustbe homogeneous and the gob weightaccurate and consistent. An automaticgob weight control system should beconsidered for all production linesoperating the NNPB process.

Quantum meets this demand with itsTotal Forming Analysis (TFA). Thesystem automatically controls gobweight through adjustments to thefeeder tubes or individual needles by anincrement dependent on the finalposition of the forming plunger. This

� Fig 1. Quantum’s gob mechanism.

creates an accurate gob weight. The TFA holds average weights of +/-

0.5 grams on Narrow Neck containers. Inmany instances the TFA performs evenmore accurately. For example, it iscurrently achieving +/- 0.3 grams on apharmaceutical production line inEurope. Although the performance ofthe TFA depends upon the final positionof the plunger, it has the ability tovisually display the entire stroke of theforming plunger.

Currently, the user can see up to 8 ¼”(209.55mm) of the piston rod stroke.This opens up the possibility of blankside process control. The TFA can displaymany common NNPB productionproblems including required air pressure

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adjustments, machine alignment issuesand forming equipment damage.

Increased cooling efficienciesOnce gob weight consistency and glasstemperature homogeneity are achieved,the manufacturer can then focus onother criteria for a successful NNPBoperation. There is a common featurewithin all Quantum cylinders thatproves its value in all processes; Blowand Blow, Press and Blow, and especiallyNarrow Neck Press and Blow.

That feature is an increased cylindercooling capacity. One of the mainprinciples in making container glass is‘the controlled removal of heat from theglass.’ The NNPB plunger has a largesurface area that contacts the glass.Keeping the plunger cool is important inmaintaining high quality containers.

A plunger that is not properly cooledbecomes hot and disrupts the heatremoval process, which causes containerdefects. Quantum’s individual cylindersare equipped with multiple designfeatures that solve overheating issues.

The cylinders have an air pathwaythat is free flowing, and it generates auniform turbulence free air deliverysystem for plunger cooling. The pathwayprovides cooling air that has a highervelocity and volume compared tocompetitive systems.

By increasing the plunger cooling airefficiencies, NNPB producers caneliminate overheated plungers whichcan directly cause ware defects such assplit finishes, hollow necks and blisters.

Improving plunger cooling can alsoextend the life of the mould equipmentitself. Running hot plungers can causethe overlay material to chip anddelaminate from the base material.

These chips can be transferred to theparison which can create low burstingstrengths in the finished ware. Hotplungers can also experiencedimensional growth causing poor guidering clearance that leads to stuckplungers and machine downtime.

To take full advantage of an increasedcooling capacity there becomes a needto also improve the exhaust system. It isimportant to exhaust the heated airfrom the cylinders as quickly andefficiently as possible.

The faster the exhaust air is removedfrom the NNPB process the easier it is forthe cylinder to ‘breathe’ and continueperforming at a high level. The problemfor some forming systems is that theexhaust systems are not optimised for

the best possible airflow. All ofQuantum’s individual cylinders areequipped with dual upward exhaust.

The exhaust system is designedaround a chimney effect where theheated process air is evacuated out of thetop the cylinders. This system isbeneficial because the exhaust pathway isshorter and the heated air never contactsthe critical parts of the lower cylinder.

Multistage coolingQuantum’s plunger mechanisms andprocess equipment rely on a principle ofa completely sealed operating system.

The cylinders are equipped with Tube-Within-A-Tube (TWT) technology andsealing features that enable plungercooling to operate throughout the entireforming cycle. In traditional Press andBlow production the plunger cooling airoperates in an On/Off sequence. Thecooling air is stopped during gob loadingand pressing to avoid problemsassociated with ‘blow-by’ reaching the

glass. The sealing technology ofQuantum Forming eliminates blow byand facilitates the ability to run 360degree low pressure cooling. The plungercan be cooled during the maximumglass contact times of loading andpressing. The benefits of shifting fromtraditional cooling to multi stagecooling are numerous. For example,production obstacles of thermal shock tothe plunger and cooler, increased airpressures and plunger sticking can be alleliminated.

Proper machine alignmentProper machine alignment is critical forproducing quality containers in theNNPB process. Many common waredefects can be attributed to simplealignment issues. The QuantumForming System provides operationalalignment by design, not by installationor set up. From the plunger foot up tothe blanks the Quantum alignmentprocedure ensures accurate alignment

with the other mechanisms on themachine. The plunger foot, base plateand alignment plate are all designed tohave float while aligning themechanism. This float along with itsalignment procedure gives the ISoperator comfort in knowing that theblank side forming equipment isperfectly centred.

It should also be mentioned that theQuantum Plunger Mechanism does notrequire realignment when changingjobs. The permanent alignment plateand base plate design ensures themechanisms alignment stays true evenwhen converting gob configurations.

There is also a small amount of float inthe preceding sleeve of Quantum’sNarrow Neck Positioner. This floatcompensates for any neck ringmovement during revert.

The sleeve extends over the top of theplunger positioner and it fits inside theneck ring making sure that a precisealignment of the blank/neck ring and

plunger mechanism is provided duringevery cycle. During the pressing strokethe plunger runs entirely inside thesleeve and allows for a smooth ‘jerk’ freepressing action. Correct alignment ofthe plunger mechanism with the blankis essential for good operation.

The list of challenges and obstaclesthat will confront NNPB producers islong. Perfecting the process takes time,hard work and dedication.

In the future it will be up to a globalcoalition of researchers, suppliers andmanufacturers to continue to advancethe process. Quantum EngineeredProducts will focus its efforts on defininga reliable NNPB blank side formingsystem. Its success will be driven by theneeds of the customer and its vision is toremove the challenges that hinder asuccessful NNPB production. �

*Sales and Marketing Coordinator,Quantum Engineered Products, Inc. www.quantumforming.com

� Fig 2. The Total Forming

Analysis display screen.


Glass technology

Smart monitoring tools Mobile technologies are re-shaping the way people track information and makedecisions. While many of us already use this technology daily for things such astravel bookings, banking and car rental, this article argues that the same mobile,web-based technology can re-shape the way the glass industry conducts its dailybusiness, tracks productivity, quality and service performance.

The trend towards ever greatermobility is unmistakable:Demand for mobile applications

and mobile devices is exploding,outpacing demand for traditional IT-solutions.

The trend is best demonstrated by therapid rise of Google, Cisco, Apple andSamsung, outpacing traditional IT-leaders such as Microsoft and Dell. Be itindividuals, corporations orgovernments, all seek greater flexibilityand efficiency in going about dailydecisions, and decision making comeseasier with access to the rightinformation.

LTE gateways enable every consumerelectronic device with embedded WiFicapability to broadly access the internet.The rapid increase in internet densityand access is expected to have majorimpact on industrial productivity.

OpportunityHere at Tiama, we believe that IT-mobility offers a number ofopportunities for the glass industry.

Smart monitoring is already commonplace in the travel, logistics, learningand media sectors where order entry,order tracking, performancebenchmarking and payments are trackedon-line, reducing layers ofadministration and delays.

Similar practices, may apply to theglass industry.

A good analogy is real-timeinformation on free spaces in city carparks. With such information availableon navigation dashboards, car driversneed less time to find a parking space,less fuel wasted on ‘driving around’ andless time wasted searching for a parkingspace.

Similarly, information available oncapacity and the performance of a plantor a certain job can help optimise order

planning with ever less downtime andadministrative iterations. A managermay decide to access his factory’s dataahead of an important client meeting,for capacity availability or theassessment of latest service levels.

SolutionTiama supports access to decisionalinformation through Tiama IQ Track. Asa web-based, mobile software solution,Tiama IQ Track unlocks access to keyperformance metrics in a focused andtimely manner – anywhere, anytime –the goal being to facilitate decisions thatare fact-based and aligned with thecompany’s goals.

Faster decision making is everimportant in an industrywhere a few percentagesof efficiency (Pack-to-melt) make thedifference betweenprofit and loss. Becauseof scarce resources,costlier raw materials,fewer defects and idletime permitted, TiamaIQ Track visualises andhighlights performanceby the minute,instantly.

Instant visibility ofmetrics from the batchplant to the warehouse,including utilities,provides acomprehensive view ofthe opportunities andissues at hand.

With over 50 years ofexperience in qualityassurance, Tiamawitnesses timeand again thechallenges facedby managers who

go about daily decision making. Bytracking the company’s key metrics,Tiama IQ Track serves to focus and easefact-based decision making.

ConclusionManagement is about getting thingsdone. Only what gets measured getsdone. Access to key performance metricsfacilitates decision making, making iteasier, fact-based and focused. Tiama IQTrack is a solution that serves such apurpose. As a web-based, secureapplication, Tiama IQ Track appliesmobile, internet communicationtowards leaner management i.e. betterand faster decisions. Physical distancefrom clients and suppliers will always

present challenges,however internet basedmobility will helpmitigate its effectssubstantially. �

�� The Tiama IQ Track as

displayed on a tablet and

smart phone.

39

* Tiama msc & sgccwww.tiama-inspection.com/

In the face of global warming andrising costs, architects, developers,and consultants are increasingly

seeking sustainable and green materials.Digital ceramic printed glass is a materialthat is eco-friendly and also providesfunctionality and endless designpossibilities, making it an ideal materialto support sustainable architecture.

Optimised energyrequirements Opacity, translucency and ink layerthickness can be precisely manipulatedwhen digitally printing on glass. Thisprovides an ability to control theshading coefficient, which controls flow

of natural light and heat.With this information in hand, and

with the help of the latest software, it ispossible to measure and predict thetemperature of the interior of a buildingwhile still in the planning stages.

This data allows architects,contractors, and developers to minimisethe costs and size of air conditioningand lighting systems also reducing dailyoperating electrical costs.

Replication of naturalmaterialsStone, marble, wood and other naturalmaterials are easily replicated throughdigital printing. The final result is glass

that has the appearance of the originalmaterial without exploiting the earth’slimited natural resources. The ‘printednatural materials’ do not face the samerisks of deterioration as the actualnatural materials as the ceramic inks arebaked into the glass, making the designextremely durable and resistant toscratching, chemicals and weathering.

Reduced externaltemperatures of buildingsIncreasing temperature in our cities is aform of pollution that urbanpopulations face. Sun reflection frombuildings is a contributing factor to therise in temperatures. Digital ceramicglass reduces this phenomenon with theoption of printing on the external sideof the glass. The images or patterns thatare printed on face one reduce reflectionof the light from the building into thesurrounding environment, therebyreducing its contribution to ambienttemperatures in cities.

Reduced bird collisionAn estimated 100 million birds die eachyear in North America alone due tocollisions with glass. Digital ceramicglass printing can help our wingedfriends stay safe while still achievingaesthetically pleasing scalable andcolourful designs. Printed patterns andimages on glass make the glass visible tothe birds, reducing the risk that they willbe confused by the reflection of trees oropen skies.

Recyclable building material Digital ceramic glass is treated like anyother glass. The digital ceramic printedglass is handled and disposed of throughstandard recycling methods with nospecial considerations or arrangements.

Free of toxic heavy metalsDigital ceramic glass can be printedusing inks that are free of toxic heavymetals, eliminating the hazardsassociated with these elements. Forexample, Dip-Tech Digital Ceramic Inksare free of cadmium and lead, providinga safer and more eco-friendly option fordecorated glass.

Support for urban renewal Printing a design on glass panels issuited to urban renewal projects whereredesigning only part of a building ispreferable to demolition and complete

40


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continued »

� French Consulate in London.

Environmental protection

Eco-friendly benefitsof digital ceramic

printed glassArchitect Dan Schechter* shares the top eight ways

that working with digital ceramic printed glasshelps the environment.

41


Environmental protection

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� Columbia College.

� Origami Building,

France

� Mansueto Library, USA.

rebuilding. Digital ceramic glass can be designed to match thesurrounding buildings, restore the look of the originalstructure, or create something new and exciting.

Environmental certification requirements The demand for environmental certification for buildingstrategies and practices is increasing. Leadership in Energy &Environmental Design (LEED) and Building ResearchEstablishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM)are two well-known green building certification andassessment methods. Each programme evaluates a number ofvariables, such as energy requirements, water consumption,materials and resources, health and indoor environmentalquality, and pollution, providing scores for each, and anoverall achievement rating.

As both the functionality and design of building glass touchimpact many of the variables under consideration, digitalceramic glass can contribute significantly to a positiveevaluation of a building’s environmental standing. �

*Business Development Manager, Phoenicia Flat GlassIndustries. Web www.phoenicia-ltd.com

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There seems to be confusionamongst consumers regarding theWindow Energy Rating (WER)

scheme. We have discussed the need forimportant factors such as propertylocation, aspect, heating and shading tobe separately assessed in a number ofarticles and features in relevant tradepress – this is not something a typicalconsumer can do, or would be aware ofwhen looking at a WER Label.

There are usually great benefits inreplacing old windows with new, air-tight, well-insulated, modern frames inany material. These benefits can maskthe performance change derived fromimproving the glass alone.

Two properties are key whenconsidering the thermal performance ofglazing: The thermal transmittance (Uvalue), and the solar factor (g value),which define the amount of heat lossand the amount of energy gained bysolar heating respectively.

A little-used comparison tool iscontained within the standard EN ISO14438, ‘Glass in building -Determination of energy balance value -Calculation method’. This methodcombines the effect of solar factor, gvalue and thermal transmittance (Uvalue) and takes into account theinstallation region and orientation ofthe glazing.

The calculation allows any U and gvalues to be entered in order to calculateeffective U values, or energy balancevalues, for Scotland, North UK andLondon, Thames Valley and theMidlands. The orientation options are,unsurprisingly, north, south and

east/west. The calculation applies to theperiod where heating is most used in thehome and for the UK this is based on themonths September through to May.

As an example, we have taken north-facing glazing in Scotland and in thesouth of England. If we compare atypical unit that might be used in an Arated DGU (U=1.2, g =0.75 based oncentre pane values) and a triple glazedunit (U=0.53, g =0.47) then thefollowing results are obtained:

ExampleEffective U Values calculated for a Northorientation, in Scotland (Table 1).

Effective U Values calculated for anorth orientation in London, Thamesvalley and Midlands (Table 2). Anegative value means that the glass iscalculated to let in more heat than itloses. In this example (Table 2) tripleglazing is the best performer - providingthat you can ventilate any excess heatout of the room.

These figures are only based uponspecific products variants used in thiscalculation, and different products,coatings or pane configurations willresult in different results. The method

enables producers to compare theperformance of their glazing products.The energy balance value should not beused for energy use or heating capacitycalculations in buildings.

Where windows do not naturally getthe sun, due to aspect or shading, thenproducts with a low U value will providethe greatest benefit, and in theselocations this is typically a triple glazingconfiguration. The values of thecalculation vary with location andorientation and you may find that amixture of glass types in one buildinggives the best overall performance –therefore correct assessment andconfiguration of each installation isessential to provide optimal benefit andreturn on investment for the customer.

Glass Technology Services has made afree ‘Effective U Value’ calculatoravailable on their recently launchedwebsite, which can help specify theoptimal glass depending on the locationand aspect of each insulating glass unit.www.glass-ts.com/effective-u-value-calculator �*Garry Smith, Principal Consultant, GlassTechnology Serviceswww.glass-ts.com

Triple glazing:A hot debate

A number of recent articles and debate around tripleglazing have highlighted the need for simplecomparisons between the alternative glazing productsand configurations possible for a site or location. Here,Garry Smith* discusses effective U values.

Example energy saving Effective U value (EN ISO 14438)

A rated 0.38

Triple 0.01

� Table 1. North Orientation in Scotland.

Example energy saving Effective U value (EN ISO 14438)

A rated 0.09

Triple -0.17

� Table 2. North Orientation in London, Thames Valley and Midlands.

43

Flat glass

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PVD coater for latest energychallenges

Dr. Jens Ellrich discusses Grenzebach’s latest offerings for theflat glass market.

Worldwide energy legislationsand their enforcements aswell as challenging

architectural demands are driving morewindow and facade manufacturers to useglass which has been processed in a smartway to fulfil the requested performancedata accordingly.

As a result, the majority of today’sarchitectural glass used for commercialand residential buildings needs to becoated with thin film layers which finallycontrol the energy flow through thefinished window or facade element.

Such thin film coatings are appliedonto the raw glass surface between thefloat process and other successiveprocesses (e.g. toughening, laminating,IG-unit assembly).

Today, offline coatings (also known assoft coatings) are replacing the traditionalonline coatings (pyrolytic coatings) dueto their outstanding performancecharacteristics, which are limitedregarding the above mentioned criteria.

Grenzebach, a supplier of cold endequipment for the flat glass industry,decided to add Physical VapourDeposition (PVD) glass coatingequipment to its product offering.

Such completion of the overallportfolio enables the glass industry topurchase a complete coating system,from loading of the raw substratestowards unloading of the coated glass.

System interfaces and spare partinventories are reduced to a minimum,and a common HMI surface for thecoating plant not only raises the comfortlevel but also helps optimise operationcosts and minimises downtime.

The PVD coater is ready to producethin film layer stacks according to latestenergy conservation standards and isready to be adapted for upcomingchallenges. Grenzebach’s planar androtary sputtering cathodes, incombination with process control andauxiliary equipment, guarantee a highaccuracy when the materials are

disposed on the glass surface. The capacity of a typical coating

system may reach up to 15 million m²per year, depending on individualproduct mix figures and the layout ofthe overall system.

A lab coating system started operationin January 2014 at Grenzebach tounderline its PVD coating activities.

This coater, located at theheadquarters in Hamlar, is ready to coatglass with sizes up to 2,600mm x2,200mm and is currently equippedwith five coating tools (sputtercathodes).

The machine is designed for in-houselayer stack development, as well as forindividual client demands, trainingpurposes and qualification of newhardware components. �

*Grenzebach Maschinenbau, Germanywww.grenzebach.com

� The lab coating machine at the

Grenzebach headquarters in Hamlar,

Germany.

GlobalCombustion

SystemsTotal Support

Unit 43, Evans Business Centre, Easter

Inch, Bathgate EH48 2EH, Scotland, UK.

Tel +44 (0) 1506 657310,

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Web www.globalcombustion.com

contact us [email protected] www.vidromecanica.com

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GLASS LEVELMEASUREMENT

HEAT-UP SERVICES

RAW MATERIALS

CONTACTESME HORN+44 (0) 1737

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Website: www.tiama.eu

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS

COMBUSTIONSYSTEMS/BURNERS

ANNEALINGLEHRS FURNACES

Glass InternationalDirectory 2014

contact: Esme Horn toreceive your copy

On-line Process & Quality Control

INSPECTION

COMBUSTION EQUIPMENT

GLASSMAN EVENTS VISIT:

www.glassman-events.com

INDUSTRIAL GAS ENGINEERSUNIT D2, BROOKSIDE BUSINESS PARK, GREENGATE,

CHADDERTON, M24 1GS, UKTEL +44 (0) 161 654 7700 FAX +44 (0) 161 655 3812

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

Manufacturers and suppliers of selassquare port gas & air valves GASAIR

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

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

DECORATING MACHINES

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

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

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

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