Günter Lubitz, Vetropack Bülach, Switzerland Beer Strategy Conference 2012, Copenhagen, Denmark

Transcription

1 Hardglass An New Technology in Beer Bottle Production Günter Lubitz, Vetropack Bülach, Switzerland Beer Strategy Conference 2012, Copenhagen, Denmark

2 Agenda 1. Vetropack Group 2. What is Hardglass? 3. How is Hardglass produced? 3.1. Process Limitations 3.2. Test in 2010 and Typical Results 3.3. Potential for Weight Reduction 4. Benefits for Bottlers and End Customers 5. Next Steps, Realization and Commercialization 6. Summary VETROCONSULT Slide 2

3 1. Vetropack Group 7 plants 4.2 bn unit sales 589 m CHF gross revenue 59 m CHF annual profit 85 m CHF investments 2,971 employees Bülach, Vetropack Holding Ltd Production Plants CH: St-Prex, Vetropack Ltd AT: Pöchlarn, Vetropack Austria GmbH Kremsmünster, Vetropack Austria GmbH CZ: Kyjov, Vetropack Moravia Glass, a.s. SK: Nemšová, Vetropack Nemšová, s.r.o. HR: Hum Na Sutli, Vetropack Straža d.d. UA: Gostomel, JSC Vetropack Gostomel VETROCONSULT Slide 3

4 2. What is Hardglass? Hardglass = a process to thermally strengthen glass containers Glass hardness remains unaffected Glass surface compression stress is generated inside and outside Internal tensile stress is generated within the glass Hardglass sample sample VETROCONSULT Slide 4

5 2.1. Goal for Hardglass Process and Objectives The goal is to produce a stronger bottle, or a bottle of comparable strength but lighter weight Achieve an average compressive stress of -50 to -60 MPa which results in an internal tensile stress of MPa Tempered glass remarks - Used in buildings and automobiles - In use since about More than 30 years in tableware VETROCONSULT Slide 5

6 3. How is Hardglass Produced? De-palletizer Bottle Spacer Stacker Lehr Hard Glass Machine Cooling Conveyors Cold End Coating Hard Glass Inspection FlexInspect Post process Room temperature bottles are stacked in a tempering lehr Bottles are heated to 615 C 650 C Bottles are lifted from the lehr belt and placed into cooling shrouds Air enters the shrouds to cool the external surface Air enters through a tube to cool the internal surface Bottles are placed onto a dead-plate and swept onto a cooling conveyor VETROCONSULT Slide 6

7 Hardglass Process VETROCONSULT Slide 7

8 3.1. Process Limitations I Thickness <1.2mm difficult to treat thermally 1.2mm Finish I dimension I dimension limits internal cooling mass flow rate Decorations - Label locating lugs - Heavily recessed label panels - Highly-decorated engravings and sharp corners VETROCONSULT Slide 8

9 3.2. Tests in 2010 Emhart Glass approaches glass producers Looks for partner for first commercial installation Tests range of ware from three glass producers Concludes agreement to partner with Vetropack Tests Vetropack beer, wine, juice and jar containers VETROCONSULT Slide 9

10 What Does It All Mean? Improvement of mechanical and thermal properties of glass containers Typical test results 31% increase in average internal pressure resistance significant improvement in line simulation 35% increase in average impact strength significant improvement in drop test significant improvement in vertical load significant improvement in thermal shock VETROCONSULT Slide 10

11 Internal Pressure Test Results 70 Internal Pressure Results 200ml 130gm / 32 = 31% Avg. Improvement / 21 = 33% Min. Improvement Heat St rengt hened VETROCONSULT Slide 11 S t a nda r d De v i a t i on

12 g Beer Line Simulation Test Results Burst Comparison - vs (Line Simulated) 700 Heat Strengthened Burst (psi) Time (min) VETROCONSULT Slide 12

13 Impact Test Results 200ml 130gm 40/25 = 60% Min. Improvement 54/40 = 35% Avg. Improvement VETROCONSULT Slide 13

14 Drop Test (1) VETROCONSULT Slide 14

15 Drop Test (2) VETROCONSULT Slide 15

16 Drop Test Results Long Neck Beer Bottle Filled Drop Results Gram Beer made on 11/17/ Number of Survivors (out of 40 samples per height) Pass Tempered Pass VETROCONSULT Slide Pass Tempered Pass Drop Height (m)

17 3.3. Potential for Weight Reduction Gewicht in g Light Weight Standard Weight Ultra Light Weight Est. Min. Weight '000 1'100 Inhalt in ml VETROCONSULT Slide 17

18 Weight Reduction Tests Reduce weight and Hardglass strength of regular weight annealed gram gram Strengthened gram Strengthened grams Burst Pressure (psi) VETROCONSULT Slide Standard Deviation

19 4. Benefits for Bottlers Enhanced filling line performance due to less breakages Optimization of packaging, e.g. no cardboard box dividers Weight reduction of returnable and non-returnable packaging glass at higher strength Carbon footprint reduction More safer and advanced packaging glass VETROCONSULT Slide 19

20 4.1. Benefits for End Consumers More safer packaging glass because of - more robust bottles due to higher strength - broken pieces from Hardglass bottles are smaller and blunter than annealed ones Lighter packaging glass, especially returnable VETROCONSULT Slide 20

21 4.2. Potential Applications Opportunities - light-weighting returnables - light-weighting non-returnables Perhaps non-returnable could be used as returnable bottles (?) Leveraging the Drop Test results - vending machines?, stadiums?, bars and restaurants? VETROCONSULT Slide 21

22 5. Next Steps, Realization and Commercialization Installation of most flexible Hardglass post process 48 bottle-per-minute line will be installed at Pöchlarn, Austria million/month in million/month in 2014 Ware range to 1,000ml - 50 to 95mm diameter to 320mm height under finish Production start early 2013 Strong interest from Vetropack s key accounts Market launch as joint project between and VETROCONSULT Slide 22

23 5.1. Schedule post & Design and build higher-capacity version ( 250 bpm) for in-process production (after forming machine) 2015 Installation and startup VETROCONSULT Slide 23 Design interpretation

24 6. Summary Hardglass is an innovative method for increasing glass strength Hardglass offers significant weight reductions Weight-reduced bottles have a more favorable carbon footprint The Hardglass process has some initial limitations Hardglass offers significant benefits to bottlers and consumers There is serious interest from national and international key accounts Hardglass will be commercially available beginning 2013 VETROCONSULT Slide 24