Frequently Asked Questions
What is glass made of?
Glass consists of quartz sand (70%), soda (14%), dolomite (14%) and refining agents (2%).
What colours do Vetropack's glass containers come in?
Our standard colours are white, green and brown. As special colours, we offer primeur, vetrogreen, olive, feuille-morte and cuvée. Of course, individual shades are also possible. Using feeder colorants, we can create cobalt blue, light blue, light green and black.
Where does Vetropack make its glass containers?
We have glass factories in Switzerland (St-Prex), Austria (Kremsmünster, Pöchlarn), the Czech Republic (Kyjov), Slovakia (Nemšovà), Croatia (Hum na Sutli), the Ukraine (Gostomel), Italy (Boffalora sopra Ticino) and the Republic of Moldova (Chişinău).
What is the difference between standard and bespoke moulds?
Standard moulds can be used by any bottling company. The cost of the mould is included as a proportion of the cost per item. We produce bespoke moulds exclusively for one customer. The cost of the mould is a one-off cost or can be included as a proportion of the cost per item.
How long does the project development process take for a bespoke mould?
From the initial idea to the finished technical drawing, it usually takes about 3 to 4 weeks.
What is the delivery time for a bespoke mould?
From the time the customer approves the drawing to delivery usually takes about 10 to 12 weeks.
Does Vetropack produce any enhanced or decorated glass packaging? What is the minimum batch size?
Embossed glass reliefs underline the individuality of the product. They are a popular way of enhancing glass packaging. We also work with professional partners to produce glass packaging with decoration (screen-printing, lacquering, frosting, etc.). Such enhancements are possible from small batch sizes through to large-scale production.
From a production technology aspect, what is the difference between non-returnable and returnable glass packaging?
Returnable glass packaging is subjected to greater stress due to repeated refilling and washing. So it is made heavier, with thicker walls. Non-returnable glass packaging, on the other hand, requires thinner walls and is more lightweight.
What is special about lightweight glass packaging?
Lightweight glass containers are made using the narrow-neck-press-and-blow process. This technology allows containers to be made with especially thin walls. When making the containers, we first use the finite element method to identify those points which are subject to particular pressure. Often only minor adjustments to the geometry of the container are required to eliminate those stresses. Lightweight glass containers are as strong and stable as their heavier predecessors.
How does Vetropack monitor the quality of its glass packaging?
We put our glass packaging through the following quality tests:
- measuring tests (weight, content, dimensions, etc.)
- destructive testing (internal pressure, pendulum swing impact, thermal shock, etc.)
- 100% inline testing by inspection machines (wall thickness, crack testing, impurity testing, etc.)
Why is surface tempering necessary and what does it consist of?
Glass packaging is tempered at the hot end with a coating of zinc oxide. At the cold end, it is normally given a coating of polyethylene; it means that the glass containers slide more easily past one another. Where wet glue labels are used, the glue has to be matched to the cold end coating.
What happens if I have a complaint?
If you have a complaint, please always retain the damaged glass packaging and the pallet number and give them to your customer adviser or to our technical customer services. These documents enable our specialists to quickly identify the cause of the complaint.