SCIENCE FOR GLASS PRODUCTION
UDC 666.1
CURRENT TRENDS IN PRODUCTION OF GLASS CONTAINERS
V. Ya. Dzyuzer
1
Translated from Steklo i Keramika, No. 4, pp.3–8,April, 2004.
Contemporary development of glass container production is analyzed. The advisability of an integrated ap
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proach to equipping the process with imported and domestic machinery is demonstrated. The directions for
improving the quality of glass-melting furnace designs and refractory materials used in these furnaces are
identified.
The production of glass containers in Russia is a dynami
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cally growing sector of industry. Whereas in 2002 the total
volume of glass containers produced was 6.2 billion pieces,
by 2007 it is expected to reach 12 billion per year. The pro-
duction of glass articles consumes 7.9% of fuel, 13% of elec-
tricity, and 21% of mineral materials consumed in all sectors
of industry. The major part of these resources is consumed in
glass container production. At the same time, it should be ad-
mitted that the domestic glass product is not competitive on
the world market. Only 30% of technological schemes used
in the industry meet the up-to-date world level and 28% are
outdated and cannot be modernized. The insufficiently high
technological level is responsible for the backward position
of this industrial sector regarding its essential engineering
and economic parameters. The consumption of fuel and
power in glass melting is 20 – 30% above the world level.
The gap in operating efficiency is even greater, as it is 1.5 – 2
times lower in Russia. A serious problem is combatting nega
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tive effects on the environment. The level of emissions in the
domestic glass industry is 2 time higher than in the leading
glass companies abroad [1].
The current development of the glass container industry
is characterized by intense investment activity. Large-scale
financial investments are currently made not only in upgrad
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ing the existent production facilities, but also in setting up
new up-to-date glass factories. The recent growth of produc
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tion facilities for the first time has brought the volumes of
production and consumption of glass containers to near equi
-
librium.
At the same time, the quality problems are becoming
more evident. It can be stated that the domestic market, re
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gretfully, experiences an acute shortage of high-quality inex
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pensive glass products. Elementary analysis shows that even
one defective article in a lot of 100 glass containers makes it
impossible to use the contemporary filling lines for drinks of
capacity 36 – 60 thousand units per year. If products of such
quality are used, the filling line efficiency is only about 20%.
The foreign experience indicates that such machinery can be
efficiently operated only using high-quality containers, per-
mitting one defective article per 50 thousands containers.
Evidence of the acuteness of the problem of glass container
quality is the fact that drink manufacturers are taking the
leading place among investors in the glass industry. The need
to protect the business and make it competitive forces one to
invest substantial funds in the construction of his own glass
factories. The poor quality of glass containers is one of the
reasons why polyethylene packaging is extensively used
even for drinks than have been traditionally packaged in
glass containers: natural mineral water, beer, etc.
The development of the glass-container sector is also af
-
fected by external factors that are beyond the scope of direct
relationships between glass container manufactures and con
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sumers. Such factors primarily include the dynamics of
changes in the cost of fuel and power resources, materials,
and transportation tariffs. These trends are very significant
for the glass industry, where the cost of materials and re
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sources reaches 50%. Historically an increase in production
cost caused by external factors was offset by an increase in
selling prices. However, this method has little promise in the
current conditions. First, the prices are sufficiently close to
the world prices. Second, considering that the international
market is oversaturated with similar products, it is easy to
imagine the future awaiting some domestic manufacturers
with obsolete machines and technologies competing with
powerful Western companies. Although the price aspect of
Glass and Ceramics Vol.61, Nos.3–4, 2004
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0361-7610/04/0304-0101 © 2004 Plenum Publishing Corporation
1
Ural State Technical University, Ekaterinburg, Russia.