The Problem

Owens-Brockway Glass Containers produces flint and green glass in 3 regenerative furnaces, each of which has four chargers. Operators had to constantly adjust the feed rate of each charger so that all four cans would empty at the same time. As production increased, it became more and more difficult to maintain a constant delivery of batch to the furnaces. To avoid production problems, the bins had to be kept at least 50% full, and operators attempted to keep the bins topped off to maximize the available surge capacity.

Jenike & Johanson's Solution

Jenike & Johanson recommended a BINSERT® hopper system because it offered excellent velocity control—a key element in eliminating problems due to sifting segregation—and allows a shallower outer hopper to be used.

We constructed and tested a quarter-scale model in our laboratory to verify the design. The model was tested with samples and a full scale model of the inlet chute and top of the bin was also tested to refine the design of the inlet distributor.

The Result

We provided a performance warranty, which guaranteed non-segregated discharge from the bins, as part of the equipment supply contract. According to Jim Phillips, Batch and Furnace Supervisor, "the performance of the bins has been excellent. Glass quality problems attributed to batch segregation have been virtually eliminated."

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