Empakglass started back in 2012, in order to provide technical assistance to glass plants, fillers and distributers from bottle concept, mould equipment up to onsite assistance and troubleshooting.
The goal has been since then, to reduce the time to market between a bottle concept stage up until its first production. To do so, the company’s philosphy is to use a scientific approach, backed up by the internal developed software tools.
Easy Engineering: What are the main areas of activity of the company?
EMPAKGLASS: Empakglass’s business evolves in five main pillars:
- Technical support (either onsite or remotely), covering all the production line;
- FEM and CFD simulations;
- Training (either onsite, remotely or at our installations);
- Software development (for glass container packaging);
- Filling line and transport analysis correlated with the FEM and CFD simulations;
The core of the business runs around Product Development, feasibility simulation and filling line analysis.
Then there is a very close interaction in between Product Development & Mould Design Project, with the onsite teams, namely QC and Hot End Production.
Also, the fact that the range of clients varies in a wide spectrum, from fillers up to glass plants passing by IS machine manufacturers, allows Empakglass to be in a position to bridge gaps inside the glass container supply chain.
E.E: What’s the news for 2021 about new products?
EMPAKGLASS: In 2021, we have launched ENNIONSTUDIO, the sister company of Empakglass.
Its goal is to provide a true conceptual and out-of-the-bottle vision for a new product development or rebranding, working from the actual container, labelling, up to secondary and tertiary packaging.
The advantage is to have under one single entity, the full stack development, conceptual and technical.
E.E: What are the ranges of products?
EMPAKGLASS: In fact, what Empakglass provides are services. They range from:
- Batch & Furnace operation analysis and optimization;
- Color change support and optimization;
- Glass container development with forming simulation, using the client’s glass properties, IS settings and delivery system;
- Mould Equipment project;
- IS production onsite support;
- Cold End & Quality support;
- Filling lines assessment;
E.E: At what stage is the market where you are currently active?
EMPAKGLASS: It is still a market governed with a slight conservative approach, due to the investments involved, but as Empakglass has got clients in 5 continents, directly or indirectly as part of our partnership with some fillers, that allow us to say that we in a very steady market, with a slight growing trend, with clients that are mostly focused on process improvement and cost optimization, but other clients are really pushing the boundaries in terms of what is feasibility.
E.E: What can you tell us about market trends?
EMPAKGLASS: In 2021 we started to see requests to reduce glass weight in a dramatic way, and pushing the boundaries of what is Sustainable vs Design.
E.E: What are the most innovative products marketed?
EMPAKGLASS: Besides the fact that Empakglass interlinks in a very horizontal type of structure – all the know-how of what would be different departments inside a container glass plant – our most acquainted service is the Forming simulation. It is coupled with the filling lines and transport conditions, mimicking how well a certain glass container will perform from the glass plant up until the supermarket shelf.
E.E: What estimations do you have for 2021?
EMPAKGLASS: So far, YTD of 2021, is 2.82% above the best year ever, which was 2019.
Also, the start of Empak Bulgaria’s Office, has been very encouraging, so that after 5 months in operation, have gained already two Process Support Aggreements, making that office already self-sustainable.
So, we feel quite confident on what the near future will bring to us, and we hope to continue to be challenged by our clients.
