New technologies

Bucher Emhart Glass (BEG) is the market leader in glass manufacturing technology. Almost 100 years ago, the company then known as Hartford-Empire patented the IS (‘individual section’) machine for automatic glass container manufacturing. This machine soon displaced competing technologies to become an industry standard, and the technology was continuously developed and refined over the following decades. Emhart Glass became part of Bucher Industries in the late 1990s and soon afterwards, the company introduced NIS – the world's first completely servo-electric glassmaking technology.

Our first servo-driven glass manufacturing machine – which BEG calls “the ultimate servo forming solution” – is now starting operation in Kyjov. Vetropack has clearly passed a milestone this year by acquiring one of the world’s most advanced glass container technologies for the technical upgrade of one of this plant’s two melting furnaces. As well as being the most flexible high-performance machine available on today’s market, the NIS substantially reduces energy consumption because its servo motors use electricity directly – without the intermediate stage of a compressor. Thanks to this feature, the NIS can cut energy consumption.

Further advantages of the NIS include higher precision and faster set-up times. Servo-electric driven forming technology delivers precise and repeatable motions that ensure extremely accurate control of the glass-forming process, so both efficiency and throughput are improved. Furthermore, servo-controlled motions are not influenced by ambient temperatures, and the technology also makes it easy to adjust machine parameters such as speed, force, and position – leading to enhanced flexibility.

Throughout its lifespan of at least 12 years, the machine can be adapted to changing seasonal or market conditions. Operator safety is enhanced because the NIS requires less human interaction than pneumatic equipment, and the new machine improves the working environment by reducing the noise level to about 95 decibels. “The advantages of servo-driven technology are many, and we are proud to inaugurate this machine in Kyjov,” says Boris Sluka, Managing Director of Vetropack’s Business Unit Czech Republic and Slovakia. “The technology is an excellent fit for our product portfolio in Kyjov. The highly experienced engineering and production team at our site has all the skills needed to make a superb job of this technological upgrade.”

Playing a key part in Vetropack Italia’s manufacturing capabilities

BEG is also a significant contributor to “Project Future” in Boffalora. In 2022, the company manufactured six AIS machines and two IS machines at its production facility in Malaysia. Following their installation last September, these machines allow Vetropack Italia to continue its tradition of producing intricate container designs that enable smaller brands to stand out from their market competitors. And thanks to a special mould design – also developed by BEG – existing moulds from the old plant can be reused, making it easier to relocate production.

“The NIS is an efficient, high-precision machine that is a good solution for large-scale production. But at the same time, Vetropack is continuing to invest in cutting-edge semi-servo glass forming machines that are equally well suited to plants offering a wide range of products for multiple customers. We need both of these technologies,” CTO Guido Stebner explains.