Consol’s latest expansion announcement is set against a backdrop of an already high level of activity in the commissioning of new and replacement of existing furnaces and machines, all of which is assisting Consol in meeting the diverse and complex demands of the glass industry.
Glass is becoming increasingly more popular in the packaging stakes and the demand for glass is escalating annually by between four and five percent. As its attractiveness as a packaging medium has and continues to climb, so Consol has been required to invest heavily in capacity through the development of a bigger infrastructure and manufacturing footprint. The Consol Bellville expansion is directly linked to the increased demand for product in the Southern and Cape regions.
According to Consol group managing director, Mike Arnold, the investment will include both the upgrade, as well as the purchase and installation of new glass forming machines, which will replace older smaller equipment and allow Consol to utilise fully the existing furnace glass melting capacity.
“The new machines are triple gob and NNPB (Narrow Neck Press and Blow) equipped which will provide significant opportunity for us to improve our output and aid our operational and technical ability. The technology which is already deployed across the group’s facilities offers significant process benefits. The expansion project also provides us with greater flexibility to optimise our colour campaigns to support growth in the wine and other beverage and food industries,” says Arnold.
The upgrade is expected to begin in January 2009 and will be complete by end April 2009.