Dr Guido Stebner, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Vetropack Group, assumed the role of Chairman of the International Partners in Glass Research (IPGR) at the beginning of the year. Dr Stebner succeeds Vetropack CEO Johann Reiter in the IPGR. The research organisation, based in Aachen since 2016, is dedicated to enhancing the competitiveness of glass in the packaging industry through research and development programs and individual collaboration among its members.
“As an international research organisation, we consolidate the pre-competitive research and development activities of our members, addressing the pressing issues facing our industry, such as reducing CO2 emissions in the manufacture of our products,” said Dr Stebner. “To this end, we work closely with academic institutions like RWTH Aachen University or the Montanuniversität in Leoben, as well as public authorities such as the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Action and other globally active glass manufacturers.”
The proximity to the research organisation’s production plants is advantageous when implementing results on a larger scale that were obtained in the laboratory or during computer modelling. For instance, at the end of their service life, the melting furnaces at the Vetropack plant in Trezzano sul Naviglio (Italy) were used in a test programme known as the “No Soda Trial.” During the ten-day large-scale industrial trial, the raw material mix was modified so it was no longer necessary to add sodium carbonate, which is one of the main sources of CO2 emissions. The researchers investigated the melting behaviour of the mixture and demonstrated the formability of bottles made from the soda-free melt.
At Vetropack’s Innovation Centre in Pöchlarn, Austria, an industrial system for coating moulds has been established. The aim of the “Dry Glass Forming” project is to prevent glass from sticking to the mould surface by selecting suitable coatings, thereby eliminating the need for manual or automated lubrication of the moulds. This approach would save mineral oil-based lubricants, offering advantages from both an ecological and an economic standpoint. The first coated moulds have already been used in the plants of IPGR members – with promising results.