Glass Melting Technology: A Technical and Economic ... - OSTI

The percentage used for batch melting and refining combined increases 45 to 71 percent of the
total fossil fuel and electric energy when average batch preparation energy is added. Only 7 to
15 percent of the manufacturing cost can be attributed to energy use in the melting and refining
process stages. These process stages are rarely the highest priority for cost reduction by an
individual glass producer or a specific glass plant. The use of energy by process stage shown in
Table II.3 illustrates the difficulty in targeting a single area for cost reduction.
Table II.3. Energy by Process Stage
Flat Container Fiber Pressed/blown
Process Stage mmBtu/ton % mmBtu/t % mmBtu/t % mmBtu/ton %
on
on
Batch preparation 0.68 5.2 0.68 5.6 0.68 3.4 0.68 4.2
Melting/refining 8.60 66.3 5.50 45.7 8.40 41.6 7.30 44.8
Subtotal 9.28 71.5 6.18 51.3 9.08 45.0 7.98 49.0
Forming 1.50 11.6 4.00 33.2 7.20 35.7 5.30 32.6
Post-forming 2.20 16.9 1.86 15.5 3.90 19.3 3.00 18.4
Total 12.98 100.0 12.04 100.0 20.18 100.0 16.28 100.0
Source: “Energy and Environmental Profile of the U.S. Glass Industry,” Table 1.2 prepared for the U.S. Department
of Energy by Energetics, April 2002.
II.4. Economic stimuli for innovations in melting
The three strongest stimuli for technical innovation in glass melting are the need for increased
capital productivity, greater energy efficiency, and environmental regulation compliance. Interest
in advancing technology for heat recovery and reuse to preheat batch and cullet was strong in the
early 1980s, following the energy crisis of the 1970s. However, these projects were curtailed by
limited R& D funds and relatively long payback periods for the investments.
Aversion to risk has created an environment in which glassmakers prefer incremental,
evolutionary improvements to bold, revolutionary technology. The capital costs of building and
rebuilding plants are high and margin for error is low. The economies of scale for the container,
fiber, and flat glass sectors dictate very large melters that demand large capital investments.
Manufacturers recognize that the consequences of failure of new melting technology would be
severe and the cost of correcting problems would be a financial liability. Technology failures
would impact not only immediate production and sales but also the reputation of a company.
Managers make decisions about glass melting furnace technology very conservatively in an
economic climate where perceived risks outweigh potential rewards.
Industrial leaders are also skeptical of vendors’ claims for the advantages of new melting
technologies. As many new technologies are proposed by suppliers to the industry, only a few
have lived up to their sales claims, which reinforces this attitude. However, in truth
unfortunately, much of the real innovation within the industry is actually coming from the
vendor community. The reductions in R&D investments within the container, flat, and fiber
segments of the industry have made major technical improvements very difficult to implement
due to cost constraints. The prevailing business philosophy has been to exploit the “cash cow”
businesses to fund more lucrative business opportunities in other than commodity products.
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