The glass industry’s need for high energy is the elephant in the room that simply cannot be ignored. Brand owners are looking at alternative materials, glassmakers are trialling alternative fuels and several industry bodies have combined forces to build trial plants.

In the last few decades, forward thinking companies have introduced innovations in glass production processes to reduce energy consumption and emissions, as well as boost efficiency.

In order to achieve high energy efficiency in buildings, Low-E glass is used for windows and facade components.

The low emissivity poses a major challenge for infrared devices which are traditionally measuring the glass temperature from above when the panes move out of the furnace.

The new Bottom up GIS solves this problem with a new approach.

Monofrax has been bought by Saint-Gobain in order to accelerate the growth of the company’s Ceramics business unit in the refractory industry.

The acquisition will add to the range of fused and sintered refractories solutions sold under the SEFPRO brand for the glass industry and under the PCR brand for other markets such as steel, copper and aluminium.

With nearly 100 years of experience in producing hollow glass containers for the manufacturing, distribution and sale of beer in Mexico, Grupo Modelo boasts 17 famous beer brands, including the popular Corona Extra beer in transparent glass.

Following the latest moulding trends with IS machines to achieve higher precision, minimal waste and high-speed productivity, Modelo decided to invest in vacuum.

F.I.C. has entered into an agreement with SSRC to supply the refractories for a small all-electric furnace to melt a very special glass composition.

SSRC (Special Shapes Refractory Co.) based in Bessemer, Alabama, USA and is well-known in the glass market for providing special solutions to the entire glass market.

F.I.C. (UK) Ltd and their German based subsidiary F.I.C. Germany GmbH supply the world market with all kinds of boosting systems up to 12MW for superboost systems and also for both small and special all-electric melter and hybrid melters.

PaneraTech announces a new member of their sales team, Pedro Signorelli.

This expansion of PaneraTech’s team is to support the company’s growth with the introduction of Digital Furnace Monitoring solution, a comprehensive suite of technology that includes online sensors for continuous monitoring.

Before joining PaneraTech, Pedro worked for RHI Magnesita for nine years, where he started as an intern and progressed in his career.

Most recently, he was the Head of Sales for Middle East and Key Account Manager in Europe for the glass industry.

Tiama is a trusted expert and global provider of real-time data and quality controls for the glass packaging industry.

Somex is an Irish company created in 2000 which has developed a strong portfolio of testing instruments for manufacturers of glass containers with a complementarity with Tiama range of products.

Both companies’ technologies when combined will offer a comprehensive portfolio of testing instruments to customers and a more valuable partner in growing the container sector.

Saint-Gobain ISOVER has once again turned to Forglass to develop a complex engineering solution aimed at modernising the glass wool plant in Orange, France.

The crux of the project is the replacement of the current batch transport system and this is where the complexity and the challenge of the project really begins.

The building that houses the glassworks is over four decades old and has undergone many modernisations in its lifetime, so accurate documentation is scarce and sometimes non-existent.

Bottero and Tiama have announced the creation of an independent company called GlassFORM.ai based in Rovereto, Trento, Italy, with the goal to develop solutions for process automation.

This joint venture is the next step of the strategic plan of the two companies which have been cooperating for several years, combining Bottero’s process knowledge and Tiama’s sensor expertise.

Today’s glass market is increasingly driven by the need of higher production efficiency, reduced environmental impact and increased overall safety for operators.

An agreement has been signed between GMM, controlled by the Consilium SGR private equity fund, and Bavelloni SpA. GMM has acquired 52% of Bavelloni shares to create one of the largest groups in the processing of stone and glass materials worldwide, exceeding €100 million in turnover.

Bavelloni provides glass processing technology and services for the architectural, furniture and domestic appliance and solar industries.

Over 70 years of operation, the company has delivered more than 25,000 glass processing machines to more than 100 countries.

The UN’s International Year of Glass has secured sponsorship of its Opening Conference in Geneva on 9 and 10 February from inspection specialist IRIS.

Jean-Luc Logel, CEO of IRIS says, “We are proud to support this landmark event which celebrates the essential role glass plays in the health of humanity and the environment and coincides with the 20th anniversary of IRIS’s foundation.”

The International Year of Glass (IYOG) will see thousands of activities dedicated to glass, from conferences and seminars to educational work and public information campaigns.

Glass Service (GS) Vice President Erik Muijsenberg has been involved as an ICG Steering Committee member supporting Prof. Alicia Duran and several ICG members in getting the UN IYOG.

Logically GS became one of the first companies to sponsor the Opening Ceremony in Geneva.

“We are honoured to have designed for this event the Lanyards that we believe will become a unique collector’s item with the once in a lifetime opportunity in this glass age,” said Mr Muijsenberg, “We are proud to be an ICG-IYOG Official Sponsor.”

The 16th International Seminar on Furnace Design – Operation and Process Simulation is now scheduled for 21–22 June 2023.

The venue will be the beautiful and relaxing Hotel Horal mountain resort in Velke Karlovice, Czech Republic.

The event takes place every two years and brings together 150+ glass experts from around the world to discuss the use of simulation and control tools, with the goal of optimizing the glass melting and forming process.

Robert Bürkle GmbH held a glass webinar on autoclave-free glass lamination in November 2021.

The online event reached over 70 people in Germany, Austria and Switzerland and gave viewers an in-depth insight into flatbed lamination of flat and safety glass.

In addition to an exciting round of talks with experts Robert A. Gaiser, Sales Director Technical Glass, and Daniel Klaus, Process Development, the easy-LAM IFL laminating system was presented live at the Freudenstadt plant.

Over the past two years, Bovone has continued to develop the automation content of its straight-line edging machines.

The company is always very careful to tune its technological offer to the real needs of the various reference markets.

The new Fully Automatic series of grinders meets the needs of the glass industry that requires high productivity rates while maintaining constant the quality of the finished product.

At Vitrum 2021, Bovone previewed the new ELB 11/45 FA, which features:

Glaston Group has received an order for two Thermo Plastic Spacer (TPS) insulating glass lines to French window manufacturer TRYBA. The order will be delivered in the third quarter of 2022.

The French glass manufacturer TRYBA, specialising in windows, doors, verandas and pergolas, the company already operates Glaston tempering, flat laminating, and insulating glass lines equipped with the latest glass processing technology.

As the company is expanding its operations, TRYBA was looking for an automated and flexible solution for the manufacturing of insulating glass units.

Both Parkinson Spencer Refractories and Rondot have recently launched new, updated websites.

www.parkinson-spencer.co.uk

www.rondot-glass.com

A year ago, Forglass introduced an “intelligent” scraping conveyor, named SmartScraper.

Equipped with an innovative Overload Protection System (OPS), the conveyor uses electronic sensors to continually monitor the working conditions, diagnose problems and react instantly to changes in operation.

The machine’s built-in intelligence allows it to slow down or stop before its elements are damaged, including the protection system itself.

Forglass invites you to visit its new website, created to offer maximum value for both existing clients, as well as new visitors.

Learn about the new technologies developed by the elite team of engineers and peek into the future of glass production.

What’s more, the first 100 visitors, who leave their contact information will receive a promo code for a free download of ForglassBox, a mobile application for complex batch calculations!

www.forglass.eu

A supplier of industrial weighing and dosing systems for the glass industry, Lahti Glass Technology Oy has developed solutions for batch plants to improve the cleaning of the return belt with belt conveyors, along with an inexpensive way to replace obsolete control system components.

Belt cleaning package supplied by Lahti Glass combines the company’s know-how with the high-quality cleaning devices. In conjunction with correct engineering the devices will prevent leakages caused by the return belt.

Yorkshire-based supplier of plungers and coolers to the glass container industry Hunprenco has promoted Ben Henry to fulfil the role of Production Manager, following the retirement of Dennis Langfield as Production Director in July this year.

A former mechanical engineer, Mr Henry has worked at Hunprenco for 23 years, 17 of which were in his previous role as Shop Foreman for the company’s cooler division.

According to the company, Hunprenco strives to always implement personnel changes to maintain expertise and knowledge whilst minimising any impact on its business.

The latest REDWAVE sorting technology has been installed at Ruhrglas Recycling’s Lünen plant following an investment of almost four million euros by German recycling company Reiling.

The recently commissioned CSP glass (ceramic, stone, porcelain waste after non-ferrous/white glass sorting) processing plant was planned as a completely independent system.

The glass stream passes from the feed hopper to the drum dryer, where the material is dried and freed from labels by heating in combination with agitation.

Silent Chain manufacturer Ramsey Products has appointed Stacey Heafner as Customer Service/Inside Sales Representative. Ms Heafner’s duties at Ramsey will include responding to customer inquiries and assisting them in determining the best silent chain product for their needs. In addition, Ms Heafner will be responsible for generating quotes, processing orders, and setting up shipments. Her duties include co-ordinating with the manufacturing plant to assure timely product availability.

Machine and system manufacturer BÜRKLE launched easy-LAM IFL for inline lamination of flat glass in 2018.

The three-stage laminating concept, comprising heating, vacuum and cold press, enables flat and laminated safety glass manufacturers to replace the cost- and energy-intensive autoclave in their production with an efficient lamination process that can be fully integrated into new or existing production lines.

A member of the Antares Vision Group and a leading provider of machine vision inspection systems for rigid containers, Applied Vision Corporation has opened a parts and service centre in Alseno, northern Italy.

Coating materials specialist Emisshield Inc. produces heat-protective/high emissivity coatings created originally for use in spaceflight, now sold worldwide for applications in the glass industry.

The company’s technology has been applied to furnace linings in over 150 glass plants.

During the Space Foundation’s 36th Space Symposium held in August in Colorado, USA, Emisshield Inc.’s President, Dr. John Olver, was inducted into the Space Foundation Hall of Fame for contributions to worldwide technology derived from space technology.

In order to be able to offer solutions and fresh ideas to the market, Italian supplier of equipment for decoration of glass objects Fermac has implemented a new strategy for its marketing and communications.

Dedicated personnel at the firm will have responsibility for activities such as updating the website to present the latest technological innovations, identifying reference targets according to customers’ needs and updating the company’s environmental protection objectives.

At the beginning of September Netherlands-based glass melting specialist CelSian appointed Sjoerd Stelwagen as Senior Project Manager Glass Technology & Equipment. Mr Stelwagen will support CelSian Academy courses, CO+ sensor installations throughout the world and will lead the company’s customer projects.

A Dutch national, Mr Stelwagen obtained a Master’s in Chemical Engineering from Eindhoven Technology University.

For more than 16 years he has worked at Ardagh Glass in several engineering and managerial roles.

This summer furnace specialist Furnotherm began the challenge of rebuilding a 450tpd glass furnace designed by SORG for AGI glaspac in a limited time period.

The job required the erection of 4500MT refractories in Bhongir, Telengana, India within 43 days. Furnotherm started the project on 13 August, completing it within just 36 days with assistance from the SORG engineers whose guidelines helped make the endeavour a speedy success.

On 16 September AGI glaspac successfully lit its rebuilt furnace.

Software provider for the glass industry Vertech’ has upgraded its SIL supervision system with a pallet blocking mode.

By running SIL, which provides glassmakers with very precise, real time KPIs on the performance of the whole plant, quality acceptance levels are defined in line with international standards and pallets are accepted or blocked accordingly.

This reliable process can be used for any kind of glass production.

The new pallet-blocking feature is flexible and can be enabled to suit glassmakers’ needs, production orders and/or management style.

In response to increasing demand from the marketplace to deliver the highest degree of glass quality and minimise glass defect rejects, Glass Service has installed a second advanced electron microprobe at its facility in Vsetin, Czech Republic.

The new machine will allow the company to study solid defects, such as stones, cords and knots with the highest degree of accuracy. GS has expanded its highly trained laboratory team to improve its response times for customers.

The company runs the world’s largest independent laboratory for glass defects.

Manufacturer of building systems and green building materials Knauf Insulation commissioned Shanghai Precision to supply the whole batch plant and cullet return system for its glass wool furnace in Johor, Malaysia.

As a general contractor for the batch plant, Shanghai Precision took responsibility for engineering design, equipment assembly and supply, as well as equipment installation, on-site testing, commissioning and training.

The company also supplied the steel structure and silos of the batch plant.

Netherlands-based coating technology specialist Imaca BV has recently undergone a change in leadership. Former General Manager Christian Ibarra has taken the helm and full ownership of the business following the retirement of former MD John van Dockum. At the same time, the firm has moved to new premises.

HWI has promoted Melissa Bihary to Vice President, People and Organizational Effectiveness (POE). As the Chief Human Resource leader, she is responsible for developing and executing the company’s human resource strategy to support its overall business plan and strategic direction.

Ms Bihary also leads all aspects of global People Management and Operational Excellence functions, including all Human Resources business partners, talent acquisition, organisational development, and training, continuous improvement business system, and enterprise-wide project management.

At the beginning of 2021, the GKT Group from Brakel in Germany geared up for the future by expanding its production technology and implementing a new software system.

For even greater flexibility, automation and further growth, the company invested in a double edging and drilling machine, a highly automated float glass cutting system with a breakout system and an insulated glass line.

RATH, specialised in refractory technology, has recently built a new state-of-the-art pre-assembly area at its production site in Budapest, Hungary.

“The refurbishment of this area allows professional pre-assembly to be carried out to international standards, so that requirements of glass industry customers can be met even more perfectly in the future”, says Robert Nusszer, Managing Director of the global Sales Unit Glass, RATH Group.

In addition to the high product quality, absolute fitting accuracy is a top priority for RATH refractory products.

Stacey Heafner has joined Ramsey Products as a Customer Service/Inside Sales Representative.

Her duties will include responding to customer inquiries and assisting them in determining the best silent chain product for their needs.

In addition, she will be responsible for generating quotes, processing orders, setting up shipments and coordinating with the manufacturing plant to assure timely product availability.

HFT have announced the appointment of Mr Walter Gray as Director of Power Solutions.

Bringing over 20 years of power industry experience to the HFT team, having worked for E.ON, EcoSecurities and Centrica, his knowledge has driven successful energy projects across the globe, developing both onsite energy solutions and utility scale renewable projects.

Mr Gray’s expertise expands HFT’s presence in CHP, waste heat recovery, resiliency, and hybrid microgrids.

Italian refractory supplier SIGMA has announced a new campaign of investments in both its plants in Italy and Bulgaria.

The goal is to increase both flexibility and production capacity to offer better services to its Italian and worldwide customers.

The site in Plovdiv, Bulgaria has been recently expanded by 6000sqm.

Two new controlled atmosphere shuttle kilns and dryers have been installed to fire refractory materials up to 1600°C.

Demonstrating its desire to be close to global customers, Olivotto Glass Technologies exhibited at the 31st China Glass exhibition in Shanghai on 6-9 May.

Organisational and travel challenges brought on by the global pandemic were overcome and the company’s President and CEO, Sarvia Sergio, was able to personally represent the company, a leader in engineering, manufacture, installation and commissioning of hollow glass forming plants, systems and machines.

Mr Sarvia reported a successful exhibition with a large number of visitors and positive project meetings.

Polish glass-melting technology supplier Forglass has been commissioned to carry out the hot overcoating of two float glass furnaces for Saint-Gobain Glass, renowned manufacturer of energy-efficient coated glass and insulated glazing.

The repairs will take place at plants in Pisa, Italy and Dąbrowa Górnicza, Poland.

A key factor in Saint-Gobain Glass’s decision to award the hot overcoating contracts to Forglass was the company’s business strategy, which combines engineering prowess and contract fulfilment under one roof.

German glass processing company Nowak Glas has installed a horizontal Viprotron ECO Scanner System at its factory in Wattenscheid, Bochum to optimise laminated glass production and maintain high standards of quality.

At the plant, which has a strong focus on insulation and safety glass, the compact scanner system with two camera heads covering a width of 2.80m was retrofitted into an existing Benteler line.

The new system was put into operation in summer 2020, producing “great results from the beginning”.

Supplier of conveying systems Vetromeccanica, a historical Italian company based in the Parma area known as Italian Packaging Valley, has announced some of its upcoming projects for the glass industry.

Among these are a cold end installation for a new furnace including inspection lines, decoration area and palletisers at a plant dedicated to producing different types of beer bottles.

Vetromeccanica will supply the feasibility study, design, manufacturing and installation of the cold end lines and related accessories as well as the palletisers and the shuttle car.

Float glass technology specialist Stewart Engineers has added four new engineers to its team.

The recruits include recent graduates from North Carolina State University and East Carolina University with degrees in Mechanical, Electrical and Computer Engineering. In addition Stewart has hired an intern from NC State double majoring in Computer and Electrical Engineering.

The fresh graduates stand to learn the ins and outs of the glass industry from Stewart Engineers’ veteran glass experts.

For its first investment in glass tube production in China, Schott selected Shanghai Precision Dosing & Weighing System Co., Ltd. – a company that focuses on design and supply of batch plant – and its German partner EME GmbH to design and supply a batch plant for a medical borosilicate glass production line.

A new rotating base combined with a CVB series of loaders/unloaders reinforces Schiatti Angelo’s commitment to Industry 4.0 automation for its glass processing machines.

The trolley allows glass sheets to be loaded and unloaded in a continuous cycle, reducing unproductive technical lead times.

The structure consists of a fixed ring base, on which rotates a slewing resting on rollers which, in turn, slide on the circumference of the base.

International refractories manufacturer RATH believes that high-quality refractory materials are the basis for superior production and crystal-clear results in all areas of glass manufacture.

From its eight production sites in Europe and America the company produces a wide range of glass melting crucibles as well as day furnaces in a variety of compositions, shapes and sizes. RATH’s portfolio includes standard compositions, sizes and shapes, and customer-specific requests are also available on request.

Products include:

Manufacturer of infrared measurement devices Optris GmbH has developed a system for temperature monitoring during thermal tempering that is compatible with glass that has a very low emissivity coating.

Used to produce products such as single-pane safety glass (SPSG), thermal tempering is the process of influencing the physical properties of flat glass with targeted heat treatment.

Measuring systems specialist nokra is to release its laser-based ‘alpha.glassWS’ measurement system for the measurement of automotive glass bending curvatures early in the second half of the year.

The system comes in a revised design layout with high sensitivity sensors and a faster lateral adjustment of the sensor positions to allow for shorter cycle times.

The new system benefits from new ‘easy.glass’ software, which will also be available as a field upgrade to the installed base by July 2021.

Supplier of industrial weighing and dosing systems for the glass industry, Lahti Glass Technology Oy has developed a new batch controller for the dosing and weighing control of raw material components for glass batch. The new instrument offers an inexpensive way to upgrade dosing controls. It is designed to replace and fit into the space occupied by the old (Raute) Lahti WB-950 and WB-951 dosing controllers – users can keep the existing control system mainly as is; there is no need to modify the PLC program or HMI but the communication protocol must be changed to Profinet.

Wear protection specialist Kalenborn has reached its 100 year milestone in making plant components resistant to abrasion.

Co-founded by Dr Kurt Mauritz and based in Vettelschoss, Germany, the business entity that began in 1921 as Schmelzbasalt AG has evolved over 100 years to become a successful family-run firm with 600 employees, 12 companies and 25 distributors on five continents.

Glass mould specialist Changshu Jianhua Mould Technology Co.’s tungsten carbide plunger project was successfully approved and officially put into production in 2020.

Traditionally, the surface of a plunger is spray-clad with nickel-based powder giving it a hardness of about 40HRC and enabling the equipment to be used to press molten glass at a temperature of about 1000°C into a mould.

Coated with tungsten carbide powder, Jianhua Mould’s NNPB plunger has a hardness that can reach more than 60HRC.

Designer and manufacturer of machines for packaging decoration Isimat has adapted the patented InLINE FOILING process it developed with Leonhard Kurz for tapered glass bottles and conical glass drinkware.

The inLINE FOILING multicolour metallisation process uses only one foil, which can be overprinted immediately with a clear varnish or a tinted varnish; multi-colour metallised images can be achieved by over-varnishing with tinted varnishes of two or more colours.

A new burner bracket from HORN offers several advantages for customers.

Accurate and rapid adjustment of the burner angle after burner replacement or cleaning is of utmost importance given the strong influence the burner angle can have on the melting process, furnace life and emission values during glass making; the burner also facilitates lower energy consumption.

HORN’s H-RAB Rapid Adjust Bracket offers simplified adjustment of the correct burner angle to get replicable values.

Manufacturer of industrial chains from China, Hengjiu Group is expanding its production capacity for flat top conveyor chain through investment in Jixi Hengjiu Special Chain Co., Ltd., its subsidiary located in Anhui Province, China. The Hengjiu Group has been working with well-known international companies and dealers (including private labelling products) for decades and is established in seven locations with an annual turnover of €180 million.

Manufacturer of lubrication and engineering systems Graphoidal Developments Ltd is preparing for the retirement of Mark Johnston, Managing Director of the Rondot Group company. Mr Johnston will be succeeded by Simon Holmes, a Rondot Group Board Member and Managing Director of Sheppee International and Rondot GB Limited.

Following successful completion of a project to modernise one of PT Mulia Glass’s production lines, automation specialist futronic has been tasked with retrofitting another of the Indonesian company’s lines.

Early in 2019, futronic received an order from glass manufacturer PT Mulia Glass to modernise one of the production lines at a plant south-east of Jakarta.

As part of its FUCHS 2025 strategy and the inception of its Global Business Segment dedicated to servicing the glass industry, lubricant manufacturer FUCHS has embarked on an ambitious strategy of expanding the global manufacturing landscape for its FUCHS LUBRITECH VITROLIS range of glass lubricants.

To support the full line of VITROLIS products coming out of the company’s UK plant in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, these products will now also be manufactured in other FUCHS facilities around the world as part of its ‘Act Global’ strategy.

Since its acquisition of Diegel Creative Coatings in 2018, coatings and colour solutions provider Ferro has continued to align its glass decoration products with many of the world’s iconic drinks and perfumery brands.

Ferro’s connections to these brands have been forged through its close relationships with glass manufacturers and specialist glass decorators such as Dekorglass S.A., based in Dzialdowo, Poland, which has become a longstanding partner for Diegel’s eco-friendly water-based organic coatings.

In addition to operations in the United States, Europe and China, ink manufacturer Encres DUBUIT is expanding its Asia manufacturing footprint by opening a new plant in Vietnam.

The company opened its first factory in Asia, China (Shanghai) in 2003 and then extended it in 2011. DUBUIT Shanghai is currently a R&D, production, sales and technical support centre for China and all of Southeast Asia.

Producer of batch and cullet treatment systems EME has applied intelligent control to its cullet scrapers to reduce wear and to save energy and labour.

Via interfaces with a customer’s IS machines, whether gobs or continuous trickle, EME’s control system intelligently determines the quantity of glass fed into the scraper conveyor and automatically adjusts running times and running speeds to optimise the system performance. In this way, changes in glass production are compensated for independently and without the intervention of an operator.

Manufacturer of metal moulds for the glass and crystal industry and conveyors for the hollow glass industry, Diverre is using its technical know-how to produce moulds for pharmaceutical vials that will contain vaccines to fight the Covid-19 coronavirus. Additionally the company’s conveying equipment is employed to transport glass vials before they are filled. To assist with extra measures of hygiene required during the pandemic Diverre is also offering its own hydroalcoholic gel dispenser that can be personalised by customers.

Two new models have been added to Bristol Instruments’ line of non-contact optical thickness gauges. The 157XLS (Extra Long Scan) and 137XLS systems are the latest additions, both of which extend the maximum measurement limit to 80mm. The longer scan measurement capability was added primarily to accommodate thicker, multi-element optical components and assemblies, as well as large diameter medical devices.

Electrical melting specialist Bock Energietechnik has developed a new risk-free process to install bottom electrode holders up to three inches in size.

The company’s service team has already employed this new method “with great success” on a 600 ton melting tank during ongoing operations (see photo).

Inserting or exchanging side electrodes is part of daily business for the team. Bock has a ‘tried and tested’ procedure for side electrodes and its equipment, which was developed in-house, is also unique in the glass industry.

Understanding the cost and limitations rotary carousel machines place on manufacturers has been the key driver of Applied Vision Corporation’s mission to provide a non-contact, non-rotate empty glass container inspection.

The manufacturer of machine vision systems for the food and beverage industry is keen to reduce extra inspection legs necessary in cold end material handling, warehousing of container tooling, and complex and difficult job changes.

The Impac IN 6/78-L by Advanced Energy is a new pyrometer specially developed to address the challenges posed by using infrared temperature measurement on ultra-thin glass.

Requiring high-quality display glass with a low-defect rate, products such as smart phones and tablets typically tend to use to thinner glass (<1mm) due to weight and energy reasons.

Originally scheduled to take place in Velke Karlovice in September 2021, the 16th International Seminar on Furnace Design – Operation and Process Simulation has been postponed due to the pandemic. New dates for the seminar will be announced in the second half of 2021.

The event takes place every two years and brings together over 150 glass experts from around the world to discuss the use of simulation and control tools with the goal of optimising the glass melting and forming process.

www.gsl.cz

Global Inkjet Systems (GIS), a leading strategic partner for OEMs and system builders, announces the launch of its next generation Atlas Image Quality (IQ) toolset, offering print quality enhancement for industrial digital printing.

The Atlas IQ toolset is a range of Image Quality tools – intelligent software to provide a superior level of image management and compensation for inkjet printheads, drawing on GIS’ wealth of expertise in the market.

Manufacturer of equipment for industrial non-contact temperature measurement, combustion efficiency and environmental monitoring AMETEK Land has appointed FLW Southeast Instrumentation Solutions (FLW Southeast) as its exclusive representative in the Southeastern region of the USA.

AMETEK Land has added further features to its IMAGEPro software for use with the NIR-Borescope-2K Glass thermal imaging solution in glass melt tank applications.

The NIR-B-2K provides a thermal image with an outstanding definition of nearly three megapixels (1968 x 1472). It is not affected by the hot atmosphere or gases of the furnace and allows operators to measure from any of its three million fully radiometric-calibrated pixels, providing data to optimise furnace temperature.

CutPRO Cut Resistant Clothing has reported its most successful year since its creation in 2017. It is also on target for further sustained growth during 2021, in spite of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

The protective clothing brand has launched a series of garment designs, after consulting health and safety professionals of leading flat glass, sheet metal and air conditioning companies from around the world.

Bristol Instruments has added two models to its line of non-contact optical thickness gauges. The 157XLS (Extra Long Scan) and 137XLS systems are the latest additions, both of which extend the maximum measurement limit to 80mm.

These models maintain industry leading accuracy as high as ± 0.1 μm for the 157XLS models and long-term repeatability of up to ± 0.02 μm.

For less exacting requirements, the 137XLS measures accuracy as high as ± 1.0 μm and features a long-term repeatability of ± 0.05 μm.

To make it even easier to optimise its refractory products and services in the field, HarbisonWalker International has enhanced its mobile refractory tools app, based on customer input.

The free app for iOS and android devices is available with basic functionalities for all users. HWI customers and members of HWI's Contractor/Installer (C/I) network can log in on the app for more features and updates to existing functions.

Italy’s Falorni Tech has confirmed its commitment to ensuring business continuity while protecting its workforce during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

The epidemic is described as a testing ground for the company’s IT infrastructure and latest work organisation methods, as a proven and safe video conferencing infrastructure further allows the business to organise meetings and keep daily contacts with customers.

For field service workers, however, who cannot work from home, the ‘office’ is the glass factory, in different locations throughout each day.

Leading glass melting technology supplier Forglass is involved in a campaign organised by the Business Centre Club (BCC) of Poland, the aim of which is to show respect and appreciate people for their efforts to fight the economic crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

As part of this initiative, employees of BCC member companies take photographs with a card bearing the hashtag #RatujeBoPracuje (Helping because I’m working) and share them on a specially created Facebook event, fan pages of the companies they work for and on their personal profiles.

Glaston Corp has initiated co-operation negotiations concerning measures to adapt its operations to lower than expected demand.

The negotiations cover all companies in Finland and concern both temporary lay-offs and termination of employment contracts.

Glaston estimates that the negotiations could lead to the termination of up to 20 employment contracts.

The short-time work in Glaston’s Automotive business in Switzerland, implemented in the autumn 2019, continues until further notice and the organisation continues to monitor the situation closely.

Italy’s Falorni Tech is participating at glasstec VIRTUAL with an interactive web presentation on 21 October at 15:00 CET.

Anyone interested in attending is invited to register for free to discover the company’s solutions for the glass container industry, with a focus on the FLEX-COND glass conditioning system for NNPB production.

The live session will be hosted by Commercial Director Andrea Zucconi, who will offer an overview of Falorni Tech glass melting technology, including 3D visuals.

With energy regulations and climate policy targets establishing strict requirements for the construction of future buildings, selecting the most effective and a compatible system for controlling the presence of water, water vapour and achieving airtight transition seals in ventilated facades, curtain walls and window perimeter systems, can be a complex decision.

FM Global, a leading multi-national commercial insurance company, updated data sheet 7-26, loss prevention guidelines for the glass industry, in July 2020.

These updated guidelines include radar-based technology among a list of minimum activities recommended for an asset integrity programme, found in section 2.5.13-D. PaneraTech reports that SmartMelter is currently the only technology that provides inspections that meet this action.

Penico Gauges have completed its development of gauges to help in the inspection of plungers used in the moulding process for glass containers.

The UK company now offers two gauges that are of benefit to mould shops. Both are fully adjustable.

The plunger diameter gauge has an interchangeable diameter feature for different plungers and height blocks for setting the varying heights that occur on the gauging point of plungers.

Separately, Penico’s plunger straightness gauge is also fully adjustable to accommodate the many different types of plunger.

Hunprenco Precision Engineers Ltd has appointed Ivan McNeill as Managing Director. Mr McNeill has worked for the company for 17 years, joining initially as Maintenance Engineer and applying his knowledge and experience gained within other industries (precision engineering, industrial gases/cryogenics South Africa, plastics, rubber and chemicals).

This, coupled with his dedication, hard work and willingness to learn has enabled Mr McNeill to advance to his current position.

He will be assisted by Chris Houghton and Dennis Langfield, who are both named as Directors.

Franklin Bronze Precision Components has introduced the next generation of automation upgrades for its shell room.

The investment casting company has been at the forefront of automation since introducing robots to its manufacturing processes in early 2005 and continues to stay ahead via its latest introduction of robotic technologies.

This year, Franklin Bronze has upgraded the robotic arm and supervisory system in Shell Room 2. Installed by Shell-O-Matic Inc, the robot arm was replaced with a state-of-the-art system.

BASF has launched a website for EXACTUS optical temperature sensors, featuring downloadable software and documentation. The site also includes access to product drawings, user guides and BASF TemperaSure. This graphical software gives the user the ability configure instrument settings and to log temperature readings obtained from EXACTUS pyrometers.

Linde’s US subsidiary, Praxair Inc will begin operating under the Linde name from 1 September 2020. This name change reflects the company’s evolution following the merger of Praxair Inc and Linde AG. Operating under the Linde brand, the company has established a vision to be the best performing global industrial gases and engineering company.

Sun Chemical has organised a Corporate Sustainability Committee to further strengthen its approach to addressing the sustainability needs of the packaging industry.

Vidromecanica, Portugal, has recently completed the expansion of its premises, the company’s third significant expansion in recent years, providing additional space for the design and manufacture of equipment for the glass container and tableware sectors.

Based in the glassmaking hub of Marinha Grande, Vidromecanica employs approximately 60 production staff.

Quantum Engineered Products is now present in more than 50 different countries, having shipped mechanisms to hollow glassmakers in three continents in recent weeks alone.

This includes configurations for 6-section 2 1/8in triple gob, 8-section 3in triple gob, 8-section 3 5/16in triple gob, 8-section 5in double gob and 10-section 6 1/4in double gob.

Available from RHI Magnesita, the INNOREG concept of customised regenerators for glass furnaces optimises energy efficiency and reduces the clogging risk for individual regenerators.

The increase in energy efficiency was realised mainly with the TLW chimney block design. Increased energy efficiency means lower fuel cost and at the same time, lower CO2 emissions.

The reduction of clogging risk was achieved with the LCP shape, allowing a larger channel width in the lower area of the regenerators.

The Bavelloni VE series is the latest evolution of flat glass edging machinery, regarded as a benchmark in the field for its reliability, user-friendliness and for the quality of end product.

VE straight-line edgers are available in various configurations for every need and for any glass fabricator.

VE 350 6D is a vertical edger, equipped with six diamond wheels, suitable for customers who need to grind flat edge with arrises at high speed (up to 8m/min).

A spin-off from the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser and Production Technology (ILT/IPT), nokra has almost 30 years’ experience in designing and integrating state-of-the-art, laser-based geometry measuring systems for 100% inline inspection in fully automated production lines.

The first glass measuring system was installed in 2006 on a Saint-Gobain windscreen production line. Today, more than 30 systems are used worldwide, operated by Saint-Gobain, KAC, AGC and AGP.

When a UK glass container customer of Standard Industrie International encountered a problem of material spillages during the conveying of in-house cullet, it was decided to modify the existing strip and install 32m of LIFTUBE.

During a short production stoppage, the LIFTUBE was installed on a conveyor running in a tunnel of approximately 1500mm sides.

All original rollers and skirts were removed and taken out of the tunnel in turn.

The LIFTUBE parts were then transported by hand and installed on the original conveyor frame.

Capitalising on the success of previous advanced designs, BASF has recently developed enhanced thermocouple designs that utilise 20%-40% less precious metal than their traditional equivalents.

These designs use advanced high strength materials that allow for the use of less precious metal without sacrificing, form, fit or function of the thermocouple.

The designs can be used in forehearth, crown and bottom applications. The biggest benefit is a significant cost saving, without sacrificing longevity, quality and overall performance.

Proell's core business lies in the development of custom-made chemical products for coating/decorating glass, metals, plastics and other materials, as well as innovative ink systems for IMD/FIM technology and screen and pad printing inks.

Among the company’s latest innovations is NoriGlass OR, a glossy, silicone-free, two-component glass screen printing enamel ink.

This outdoor-resistant ink has been developed for the second surface decoration of glass, particularly for backlit displays of vending or ticket machines.

Fuchs Lubricants has recently launched the first in a series of manual swabbing compounds for application in the glass container industry.

Part of the company’s comprehensive glass lubricants product range covering the container industry, flat glass and pharmaceutical/medicinal ware, Vitrolis MM premium is targeted at extended swabbing cycles and improving efficiency.

Available in 18kg sample pails, as well as 200kg drums and 1000kg IBC, the product is commercially available from Fuchs facilities throughout the world, together with local technical and commercial support.

Dow is offering architectural designers and specifiers the opportunity to realise an aesthetically pleasing ‘one colour edge’ for insulating glass, which is a key design element in modern glass facades.

This colour matched edge sealant system comprises a DOWSIL primary and secondary sealant which when combined, offers high performance in gas-filled insulating glass for a homogenous appearance and improved aesthetics at the glass edge.

Cefla’s MITO Glass automated spray solution for flat glass decoration increases production output while simultaneously ensuring application uniformity, process quality and reduced rejects.

The speed and ease of use of the patented JIT system allows for extreme flexibility in colour change. A wide range of configurations allows for spray system customisation and increased variety in production output possibilities.

The contactless reading bar accurately scans the size of each glass sheet as it passes through the machine, ensuring reduced paint usage.

Since signing a licensing and co-operation agreement with Verallia in May 2019, manufactIS GmbH has been supplying original spare parts, mechanism and assemblies for all GPS brand IS machines on an exclusive basis.

The development and installation of innovative technologies and safety solutions, as well as modernisations are part of the service and product portfolio provided.

India’s Shamvik Glasstech is undergoing rapid transformation via the involvement of third generation family members.

The company’s IS machinery expertise optimises cutting edge automation technologies to deliver end-to-end solutions with enhanced safety features. Vikram Munshi, Managing Director has created a global footprint in his 27 years at the helm. “To continue the legacy of the founding father, we will always try to provide up-to-date technology solutions to all customers who wish to establish a glass bottle plant” Mr Munshi confirms.

Portugal’s Meta Global Lda reports growing sales to such countries as Greece, Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, Italy and the UK, in addition to its traditional business in support of glassmaking customers in Portugal and Spain.

Since its creation in 2006, Meta Global has maintained its focus on supplying the glass packaging, tableware and mould industries with quality products and services in close co-operation with customers. Technical, commercial, logistics and after sales support are conducted from locations in Lisbon and Leiria.

HyGear, a supplier of industrial gases via on-site generation, will host a webinar on 7 July 2020 at 14:00 CET, discussing how companies can recover the mixed hydrogen and nitrogen gas streams that are usually vented, in an economical and environmentally-beneficial way.

Speakers at this webinar are Dr Ellart de Wit, Chief Technology Officer and Niels Lanser, Chief Commercial Officer. They will discuss the technology and its functions and cost savings respectively.

Poland’s leading batch plant and furnace technology supplier is at the forefront of factory operating changes, where machines are able to make decisions by themselves or at least make the decision-making process easier for humans by seamlessly communicating with them.

The Forglass R&D department, in collaboration with The Main Mining Institute in Katowice, AGH University of Science and Technology in Krakow and other prestigious technical universities, has developed an array of innovative technological solutions for both batch plants and furnaces.

Turkish glass container specialist Gurallar Cam Ambalaj has selected Applied Vision’s

Volcano glass inspection systems for its second furnace project later this year in Kutahya. USA-based Applied Vision has continued its strategic growth into the glass container market due to its advancements in glass inspection technology and global support network.

Glaston President and CEO, Arto Metsänen is to retire on 1 January 2021 and has agreed to step down as CEO next month. The Board of Directors has nominated his current deputy, Sasu Koivumäki as acting CEO, with the recruitment process for a new CEO already underway.

VPInstruments, manufacturer of flow metering equipment for easy insights to energy flows, has provided a major update to its VP Academy online e-learning platform. The update contains the addition of the VPFlowScope DP, VPFlowScope Probe and the VPFlowScope in-line product range.  

For a second year in succession, Forglass has been selected as a finalist in the prestigious Gazelles of Business ranking of the most dynamically growing businesses in the small-to-medium enterprise sector in Poland.

According to the company, this recognition reflects its positive reputation and credibility which, thanks to its dynamic development, can cope well even with much larger competitors.

www.forglass.eu

Tobias Wachtmann is to take over as Head of Vertical Glass & Solar at Siemens in Karlsruhe, Germany on 1 June, succeeding Bernhard Saftig, who retires in early July.

Mr Saftig has served glass industry customers at Siemens in positions of responsibility for more than three decades and leaves a strong foundation on which his successor can build. 

Glaston’s first quarter 2020 results confirm a stable order book value of €45.6 million, driven by the insulating glass sector, where orders have grown by more than 70% year-on-year. Heat treatment equipment orders were also positive. Net sales grew by 6% to €46.9 million.

A recent statement from Glaston confirms that production facilities in Finland, Germany, Switzerland and China have successfully maintained operations throughout the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

From the outset, the focus has been on securing the operations, the safety of employees and on continuous support for customers. This means that machines and lines for processing architectural, automotive, solar and appliance glass continue to be delivered to customers throughout the world.

The Combined Coating Measurement System (CCMS) from Agr International provides operators with a one-stop, single operation testing station for measuring and managing the container coating process.

This system utilises Agr’s proven reflective coating measurement technology, features a fully automated measurement approach and incorporates a number of technological advances.

It provides a 33% improvement in testing throughput and a 70% improvement in precision over previous Agr coating measurement systems.

Poland’s Forglass has recently completed a batch plant expansion project on behalf of glass wool production specialist, Saint-Gobain Isover.

The Chemillé plant in France was constructed some 10 years ago and recently the company decided to expand its glass wool production by constructing a second furnace. Calculations showed that the capacity of the batch plant was sufficient to supply both furnaces.

What was needed was an additional line for transporting the mixed batch to the new furnace, fully integrated with the client’s existing control system.

Czech Republic-based Glass Service is celebrating 30 years’ service in support of the international glassmaking industry.

Together with affiliated companies FlammaTec spol s r o, FlammaTec Germany GmbH, FIC (UK) Ltd, FIC Germany GmbH, Augmented Sensors and Systems d o o (A-SENS), Glass Service provides extensive consulting and engineering services to customers.

An investment group led by the owner of a worldwide construction company has acquired Henry F Teichmann Inc, the global process engineering and contracting firm dedicated to serving the glass industry.

Stephen F D’Angelo, owner and Chief Executive Officer of Pittsburgh-based dck worldwide, completed the transaction in mid-February, positioning Teichmann as an affiliate and strategic partner of the construction firm that has completed building projects in 125 countries.

Vibratory batch chargers with two pusher paddles and either servo- or frequency-controlled drives from HORN Glass Industries AG are increasingly specified in the glass market.

The reliability of this equipment has been reconfirmed by Wiegand-Glas in Steinbach, Germany in recent months. In 2018, HORN delivered a melting furnace together with an HRV 700S-2P batch charger, equipped with servo drive.

The servo drive allows the improved adjustment of the movement of the pusher paddles. Thus, the batch layer on the glass surface can be influenced more precisely.

In response to the international glass container industry’s growing acceptance and adoption of ‘smart’ manufacturing practises, IRIS Inspection machines has expanded its NEO range of smart inspection solutions.

Created in close consultation with key customers, the latest NEO technology goes beyond the conventional boundaries associated with specialist inspection machines, delivering a more comprehensive offering to face the challenges presented by the smart factory.

Germany’s NOGRID GmbH, leading supplier of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) has relocated its headquarters to Mainz. Larger office space and training rooms (pictured) will help the company to prepare for further growth.

Separately, NOGRID has also announced its latest pointsBlow 3.2.5 software release (software especially for the simulation of the glass container forming process in full 3D) and NOGRID points 6.7.3, a general-purpose simulation software. Both releases provide a series of innovative features, with faster computation time ensuring reliable solutions.

According to PaneraTech CEO Yakup Bayram (pictured with Fred Aker, Vice President of Sales and Marketing), self-service SmartMelter inspections will be available to new customers for initial inspections effective immediately. This service, previously extended only to repeat customers, will help glass manufacturers ensure safe and reliable furnace operations as they are forced to adjust maintenance and repair schedules.

Following the departure of Miikkael Niemi, Jukka Manner (pictured) has been appointed CEO at Sparklike Oy, Finland’s leading supplier of non-destructive insulating gas analysers. Mr Manner has been Sparklike’s Sales and Marketing Director since early 2019, a position he will continue to perform in parallel.

Working alongside him is Iiro Jantunen, Chief Technology Officer, who has been responsible for product development, production maintenance and quality assurance since joining the business last November.

www.sparklike.com

Glaston Group has been awarded a contract for an FC Series tempering line with Dutch company Steinfort Glas, an expert in glass processing serving the construction, furniture, interior design and automotive industries. The order was received in early February 2020 and the line will be delivered during the last quarter of 2020. In addition, the deal includes a co-operation agreement sharing resources and linking companies core knowhows to a common learning curve.