With the commissioning of the fully modernised Rezon production line in Pöchlarn, Austria, the Vetropack Group has reached another milestone on its path towards series production and has increased its capacity for manufacturing thermally strengthened lightweight glass bottles. The cold end of the line has been automated and rebuilt to ensure more efficient processes and higher line speeds. Vetropack is thus laying the foundation for the start of series production next year.
Over several years, the company has developed an innovative process in Pöchlarn that makes glass bottles particularly resistant through thermal strengthening, while also significantly reducing their weight. The thermally strengthened Rezon lightweight glass bottle is up to 30 percent lighter compared to its conventional counterparts, and stands out for its optimised performance. This has a positive impact on the environmental balance footprint across the entire life cycle as well as on logistics costs.
At the end of October, Vetropack comprehensively modernised and automated the cold end of its existing Rezon production line and overhauled the strengthening plant. Bottles are now de-palletised and unpacked fully automatically. The packaging process has also been optimised and, thanks to the integration of the shrink-wrapping system relocated from St Prex, requires no manual intervention. In addition, quality control has been digitally enhanced: with the aid of a data matrix code, bottles can now be checked directly on the testing machines.
Vetropack is currently preparing to install the new large-scale machine, scheduled to go into operation in 2026. This machine will, for the first time, enable the thermal strengthening of lightweight glass bottles on an industrial scale. The additional automation measures implemented on the existing Rezon production line will increase efficiency and pave the way for the subsequent connection to the new industrial machine.
Teams in Pöchlarn are working closely together to prepare for series production and have taken a significant step towards industrial maturity with the upgrade of the Rezon production line.
“We expect a steadily rising demand for the popular lightweight glass bottles, which are currently produced exclusively in Pöchlarn. In the medium to long term, it is conceivable that we will expand production to other sites using the same technology,” said Guido Stebner, Chief Technology Officer at Vetropack.