Keeping up with times and with the aim to increase efficiency and reduce time to market, Stölzle Glass Group has invested in two 3D Printer kits. After months of research comparing various 3D Printers and speaking to several manufacturers, two different systems were acquired and installed in the Austrian headquarters Stölzle-Oberglas as well as in the British plant Stölzle Flaconnage.
Stölzle Flaconnage decided to invest in a kit which can be easily customised to suit the special needs. It prints by heating and extruding plastic filament (ABS/PLA or T-glass) through a 0.5mm in diameter nozzle on a heated base and builds layers on itself to create any shape required. This printer has a build platform of 280mm in diameter by 368mm in height.
The Austrian headquarter invested in a more sophisticated type of 3D printer which is able to produce translucent UV cured acrylate sample bottles. The 3D models are built in subtle layers (32μ) of acrylate around wax which after the printing process will be melted away easily in order to achieve a sample bottle which can be filled and even used for testing of closures by the customer. The 3D printer can create objects with a maximum size of 185mm in height by approximately 200mm in diameter. Due to the utmost thin layers of acrylate, the sample bottles do not require further processing like polishing or the removal of fix supporting materials.
With the 3D printers up and running, the Stölzle Glass Group is now able to increase efficiency by trouble shooting and answering questions by producing 3D models at a low cost in hours instead of weeks. Many of STO's customers already appreciate the benefit of the new service.
Stölzle Glass Group has five European production sites across Europe and is a leader in both custom design and standard glass containers for Perfumery & Cosmetics, Prestige Spirits as well as Healthcare & Consumer markets. A variety of in-house decoration techniques like hot foil blocking and multi-colour spraying are offered to make STO's products unique.
