At the recent drinktec trade show in Munich, Germany, Bill Slusser, AGR Director of Research, conducted a free Impact Seminar on understanding and establishing impact criteria for filling lines. The highlight of the seminar was an illustration that indicated that utilizing actual impact values obtained through a filling line audit, has the potential to produce annual cost savings in the millions when properly applied to a Lightweighting campaign. Want to learn more? Read the AGR’s Q4 e-Newsletter that was just distributed today.

Last week AGR conducted the final F2: Advanced Fracture Diagnosis Training Seminar of the year on our Butler, PA campus. This four day seminar teaches participants the fracture diagnosis techniques required to solve complex glass breakage and other performance related problems.  The Seminar provides a basic review of concepts and then extends into more complex areas including hands-on workshop sessions that provide experience in solving actual breakage problems. The next F2 seminar will be offered in Munich, Germany March 6-9, 2018.  Click HERE to learn more or to register.

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our friend and colleague Michael Kovac following a valiant battle with cancer. Mike joined American Glass Research in 1969. Over the course of his 42 year career he became a world renowned expert in fracture diagnosis and container testing. He had a unique talent for recognizing the underlying cause of the most difficult problems by taking fresh views of the situation, being creative in his thinking and considering all the details of the issue.  He authored multiple papers relating to glass container performance and failure analysis. He taught fracture and design seminars in more than 30 different countries and despite retirement in 2011 he remains, to this day, one of the most recognizable and beloved figures in the industry.

Coming very soon to Europe is AGR’s new testing laboratory in Delft, Netherlands.  AGR Director of Research, Bill Slusser, AGR Senior Scientist Peter de Haan, manager of the new test laboratory and Office Manager- Research Europe Jennifer Hu-a-ng, met with European Beverage Fillers at the drinktec Trade Show in Munich Sept 11-16 and shared the wide range of services available at the testing new lab and recapped the benefits to European fillers including reduced turnaround times on projects, lower shipping costs and AGR’s unmatched expertise.  This office is intended to be fully operational by Mid-October.  Contact Us to discuss your glass bottle breakage issues, auditing or training needs in Europe or around the world.

AGR issued the Q3 e-Newsletter announcing the opening of a new testing laboratory in Delft, Netherlands. The laboratory is slated to open and be fully operational in October, 2017.
 
The creation of this facility is a demonstration of AGR’s commitment to its customers, and particularly intended to provide European glass manufacturers and fillers with better access to American Glass Research services.  The new location will offer flexibility and reduced turnaround times on projects, lower shipping cost with relation to samples and the availability of American Glass Research expertise within the local time zones.
 

The Chinese Glass Expert Committee invited AGR to conduct two training seminars to its' members. AGR Director of Research Bill Slusser and Senior Scientist Dr. Wenke Hu conducted "Evaluation and Lightweighting of Glass Containers" and "Fracture 1: Testing and Breakage Diagnosis of Glass Containers" the week of July 10.  This marks the second consecutive year that AGR has been invited to Beijing to present open enrollment seminars. The participants represented Chinese Glass Manufacturers, brewers as well as other beverage fillers.

Dr. Wenke Hu conducted the entire “Evaluation and Lightweighting” Seminar in Chinese.  This was the first time an AGR seminar was presented in a language other than English without a translation.