In this issue
Keep Things Personal
In this electronic age, everything is constantly
available faster, more efficiently, cheaper and better
than before. This, of course, is a wonderful
thing.
Or is it?
Unavoidably, there are occasions when the most
valuable commodity is time. How fast can this be done?
Who can meet the deadline? But we also have to ask
ourselves whether there is really any substitute for
that personal touch. Is there anything that truly
compares to looking a valued colleague – with whom you
have built a personal, as well as professional,
relationship – in the eye and shake their hand as you
close a contract?
We do not judge. We merely ask the question. And we
certainly see the benefits of both.
But, here at Heye International, we would be lying if
we said we wouldn’t prefer, in all ways, to keep things
personal…
Imprint
Heye International GmbH
Lohplatz 1
31683
Obernkirchen
Germany
T: +49 5724 26-452
F: +49
5724 12 88
management@heye-international.com
www.heye-international.com
Ust-Ident-NR DE 220504231 |
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Introduction
So, the “Future of Glass” has been explored and
everything is looking good!
I am talking, of course, about our 2011
Symposium held last month. We welcomed Glass Experts
from all over the world to see firsthand where we, in
the container glass industry, have come from, to
appreciate where we are, and to think about where we are
going. The feedback from the delegates has been
excellent and, as a result, we have already committed to
repeating the event on a regular basis for the
foreseeable future.
More than that, it has already been a hugely
positive year for Heye International! Physically we have
renewed and expanded; technologically we have advanced;
and personally we have welcomed new friends, both as
employees and business partners.
Yours,
Dirk Pörtner
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Glass
Elite meets at Heye International “Future of Glass”
Symposium 2011
The motto for 5 and 6 September
was "The Future of Glass". More than 50 experts from the
glass industry came together at the Heye International
Symposium. The guest list consisted of representatives
from leading glass container manufacturers throughout
the world, including the United States, Mexico, China,
India, Thailand, Russia and, of course, Germany and
Europe.
On the first day, the topic of
future trends was on the agenda. Futurologist Patrick W.
Jordan gave a preview of Super Trends for the 21st
Century, which was followed by a quantitative forecast
of the global glass market by Euromonitor. This led to a
wider discussion between the speakers and the audience
about strategies and opportunities for the container
glass industry. After this look into the future of glass
manufacturing, the evening was a journey into the past,
at the “Gernheim Glassworks” industrial museum. A
traditional glass maker hand-blew an historic storage
jar, as used in the 19th Century for preserving food,
before the very eyes of the fascinated visitors.
The second day was marked with
customers’ success stories and discussions on technical
solutions for the production process, the underlying
objective being to find ways to produce container glass
even more efficiently and more sustainably. Solutions
for assortment production and the new press duration
control system were discussed, as well as innovative
camera-based inspection systems.
The programme was rounded off by
a visit to the city of Hamelin, home of the famous Pied
Piper of Hamelin. The symposium guests appreciated the
balanced programme and talked of it as one of the best
industry-related events in recent years.
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Ancient and
Modern
One of the most wonderful parts of our recent
Symposium was a visit to and tour of the Gernheim
Glassworks & Museum (Glashütte Gernheim).
These days, we take for granted the ease with which
machines produce exactly what we want at speeds and
qualities that humans could never match
cost-effectively. Modern IS-Machines, with multiple
sections and computer-controlled operation can produce
hundreds or thousands of perfect articles faster than a
man could produce ten.
On paper, there is no competition. The machines are
better for business and profits. But, here at Heye
International, we believe that we should never lose
sight of our origins and our heritage. Where we came
from is an integral part of what we are; and we will
never forget it.
And, in any case, there are still things that a
machine cannot do… Working glass as an art form, as with
painting or sculpting, is something that no machine can
truly do because the skills and inspirations of the
artist cannot be artificially recreated.
So, we at Heye International embrace the reality that
sees technology gradually replacing man in many mundane
tasks and therefore leaves true artisans with the
freedom to express themselves.
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Heye Goes Dutch in
Wide-Mouth Containers
Here at Heye, we think of ourselves as, well,
International – unrestrained by international borders or
prejudices.
So, we have been delighted to be instrumental in the
upgrading of a glass factory and fellow member of the
Ardagh Group in Dongen, Netherlands. The target for
machine speed was CR 25 and has been proved in tests
prior to installing. The two IS-Machines comprise
several innovations recently launched by Heye
International.
By installing our flagship Process Control system to
oversee two of our new 10-section IS-Machines (which
were equipped with the Heye Press Duration Control
technology), we not only achieved the desired
performance, production and quality targets well ahead
of schedule, but proved that Press Duration Control is
effective in the production of wide-mouth as well as
narrow-neck containers.
Indeed, Edwin de Heer, the Ardagh Group Project
leader on the job, was delighted with the mutual
cooperation engendered and the outstanding immediate
performance of the facility.
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