Service packages
Delamination screening (short term aggressive screening)
We provide an aggressive delamination test protocol to encourage surface changes and make a direct comparison between different glass manufacturing processes, glass formulations, batch variations and post-forming processing and treatment conditions.
Packaging suitability testing (long term study)
We provide long-term studies to determine the suitability of a glass packaging system for a specific product.
Glass container design
We have partnered with Rockfield and developed a range of glass container design packages to help brand owners and glass manufacturers reduce risk in the container design process.
All services
Environmental services
We work with companies throughout the glass supply chain on environmental projects such as recycling schemes, glass re-use and specialist raw material recovery, lightweighting of glass products, and environmental impacts.
Recycled content and sustainability
We offer a unique perspective of glass as a material within the context of recycling, sustainability and the circular economy. Our experts provide advice about environmental and sustainability issues, and undertake large consultancy projects involving multiple partners, such as universities, funding agencies and companies. The work we undertake in this area includes audits of new and existing processes, reviews of the availability and demand of materials, and studies of process and energy efficiencies.
Glass property measurement
Our team are experts in the chemical and physical properties of glass materials. We work with manufacturers to optimise production, troubleshoot issues and support the development of novel glasses. We offer analysis of glass colour, dilatometry and thermal expansion, electrical properties, density, light transmission and absorbance, littleton softening point, refractive index, refractory corrosion and stability, temperature-viscosity, and thermal and solar properties.
Glass production, processing, and packing line audits
Our glass production and processing experts provide manufacturers, suppliers, brand owners and customers with line and process audits to optimise glass production, processing, and food and drink operations. We work with companies involved in all stages of glass supply, from raw materials through to the end product. In emergencies, we can undertake site visits at short notice to identify issues quickly, allowing production to resume and minimising financial losses.
Glass defects and contamination analysis
Our technical experts analyse glass composition and causes of defective glass to quickly resolve your production issues. We undertake composition analysis of glass inclusion defects, stone, cord, knot, bubbles and blisters, and we examine surface contamination, delamination, misting and blooms. We also assess forming defects in glass manufacturing and quality concerns in finished products.
Glass composition analysis
We provide ISO/IEC 17025-accredited composition analysis, enabling glass manufacturers to confirm that glass has been made as intended, and potentially determine the cause of a problem. Our methods are created specifically for glass, so they’re accurate and reproducible.
Bespoke glass design, development and manufacture
Our experts provide a series of small-scale melting trials to confirm the suitability of new raw materials in glass production. We use comparative melting trials to establish differences between compositions or refining systems. The normal trial we offer is based on melting four glasses. The melts are all made to produce 250g of glass. We study the melting and refining of each formulation for 30, 60, 90 and 120 minutes, at a temperature comparable with the customer’s melting temperature.
