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Trip to Verallia in Bad Wurzach
Our group of 16 students and Professor Stefan Junge were on an exciting journey into the world of glass packaging for the food and beer industry at Verallia, a leading global manufacturer. The company operates a modern production facility in Bad Wurzach, Germany, which specializes in the production of high-quality glass containers. This plant is part of Verallia’s extensive European network, which focuses on innovation, sustainability and customer-oriented solutions.
At the factory, our group was warmly welcomed by Verallia representatives and given a short course of presentations covering various aspects of the company, from its global structure to the technical details of the glass furnace. We also learned about their innovations in lightweight packaging, including cans weighing only 250 grams and bottles weighing 300 grams – excellent examples of modern engineering and design. The Bad Wurzach plant is distinguished by its cutting-edge technology and commitment to environmentally friendly practices, including initiatives in energy efficiency and glass recycling.
A visit to a glass recycling plant was very curious and interesting. We saw the process of glass grinding, cleaning it from impurities and preparing it for reuse. It turned out that glass is a unique material that can be recycled an infinite number of times without losing quality. This process helps to significantly reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills and reduce the need for the extraction of primary raw materials such as sand, soda and limestone. It is also important that glass recycling plays a key role in preserving natural resources and protecting the environment.
It was also very interesting to see the entire life cycle of glass packaging. One of the most striking moments was watching the molten glass mass, which enters the moulding form, where it is divided into portions – drops. Each drop is then placed in a special form and, using air or a press method, it is given the initial shape of the blank (preform). Then the blank goes into the final form, where it acquires the final dimensions and contours of the bottle. Most of the processes at the enterprise are automated and are carried out with high speed, precision and efficiency.We also watched as the finished bottles passed through an annealing oven, where they were gradually cooled. Each bottle undergoes strict quality control. We visited the company’s laboratory and saw the various methods used to check the geometry, strength, transparency and absence of defects of the products.
We also saw examples of coated and uncoated bottles, noting that uncoated bottles were much more susceptible to scratches. We got an idea of how the equipment worked and had all our questions answered. In addition to all the stages of the manufacturing process, Verallia representatives also talked about the design and development of glass packaging. We listened to a very interesting lecture and also learned about how the company adapts packaging design to meet customer needs while adhering to modern environmental standards. Verallia plays an important role in meeting the needs of various industries, including winemaking, brewing, spirits production and food packaging.
In conclusion, the trip to Verallia was an invaluable opportunity to see advanced technologies in action and learn about the glass industry in detail. We returned to Berlin with a wealth of knowledge and great gratitude for the hospitality of Verallia.
longer video from German television:
