Industry delegates from across Europe took part in JBT Belgium’s Glass Filling Technology Day, a two part event consisting of an interactive tour of a JBT manufacturing site and it’s Processing Technology Center and a seminar where they heard expert opinions and predictions from some of the leading manufacturers in the sector, which took place on January 21 2020 at JBT Sint Niklaas, Belgium.
“We had about 20 participants from all over Europe, from the juice industry to baby foods to co-packers,” said Ben Verbeeck, JBT’s Marketing Coordinator for the site, and Global CRM Coordinator for Liquid Foods. “The seminar featured presentations covering technological solutions for the glass industry and the challenges it faces, which were very well received, and in the afternoon delegates were given an interactive tour of our factory and Processing Technology Center at Sint Niklaas.
Industry trends
A key element of the Glass Filling Technology Day was the presence of two external speakers of note: Wouter Blom from major glass manufacturer, Ardagh Group, who examined glass market trends and predictions for the industry looking forward; while the second was delivered by Alfredo Ziliotti from WAB srl, a container and cap rinser and sterilizer manufacturer. “Wouter Blom looked at consumer trends based on market research and what glass manufacturers will have to do to follow their customers,” said Verbeeck. “Alfredo Ziliotti from WAB SRL on the other hand looked at how his company’s technology can complement JBT solutions to form a complete bottle filling and capping line.”
Interactive tour
Among the JBT solutions highlighted during the factory tour was a High Speed Rotary Filler Rinser line. Designed and built for a customer in Thailand looking to fill soy milk into glass bottles, delegates were shown how the system can handle 500 bottles per minute. “To demonstrate the filling process at real speeds, we had people at the end of the line gathering and emptying bottles and placing them back on the in-feed conveyor,” recalls Verbeeck.
“The feedback we received from delegates was that there was a very good balance between the academic content and the walk on the factory floor. It was also a very good event for networking, while we had a professional cameraman filming both the presentations and the facility visit.”