Center is one component
of O-I’s plans to invest in process and product innovation efforts.
A research and development
center capable of melting and forming glass in a small-scale manufacturing
environment will be the centerpiece of a new facility at theOwens-Illinois,
Inc.(www.o-i.com), global headquarters in Perrysburg, Ohio. This new R&D center will
help advance new concepts and qualify emerging technologies that could
revolutionize glass melting and forming.
“By significantly changing the way glass is made, we can deliver even more
innovative and brand-building products for our customers, increase the
efficiency of our operations and further enhance the sustainability of glass,”
says Giancarlo Currarino, vice president and chief technology officer.
In the future, the center will include the ability to prototype product innovations,
like the company’s recently launched -VersaFlow™ jar – part of the Versa™
platform of functional food packages – and the game changing Vortex™ bottle.
This announcement reflects a three-year, $35 million investment. Since 2008,
investments exceeding $30 million have yielded more than 25,000 square feet of
the finest research and development training laboratories in the glass
container industry, and spurred the release of next generation manufacturing
and inspection equipment.
In addition to capital investment, dozens of new research scientists, engineers
and technicians have laid the groundwork for significant advancements in glass
R&D.
“Providing our scientists and engineers a real-world environment for research
and development helps us target our efforts on the concepts with the greatest
potential for impact,” says Kim Houchens, Ph.D., vice president of research and
development. “With this center, we can realistically test breakthrough ideas
for implementation into our manufacturing environment, smoothing the transition
from patent to plant.”
O-I plans to break ground on the 18,000 square-foot facility in the fourth
quarter of 2012, and targets completion in late 2013. The facility will be
funded, in part, by a $3 million grant offer from the Ohio Third Frontier
Commission, which O-I announced in June 2012. The center will result in the
creation of 45 jobs in basic sciences, engineering and technical disciplines
over several years.
