Vetropack has commissioned a fully modernised Rezon production line at its glass manufacturing facility in Pöchlarn, Austria, marking a major milestone in the industrial development of thermally strengthened lightweight glass bottles.

The modernisation focused on the cold end of the line, which has been automated and rebuilt to enable higher line speeds, improved process stability, and greater operational efficiency ahead of the start of industrial production of Rezon bottles next year.

Developed over several years at the Pöchlarn site, Vetropack’s Rezon technology combines thermal strengthening with significant weight reduction. The resulting bottle is around 30% lighter than conventional glass bottles while maintaining high mechanical resistance and optimised performance. This makes Rezon a strong response to growing market demand for resource-efficient and sustainable glass packaging.

At the end of October, Vetropack completed the automation of the cold end and overhauled the strengthening plant. Bottles are now depalletised and unpacked fully automatically, reducing manual handling and ensuring more consistent production flows. The packaging process has also been optimised; thanks to the integration of a shrink-wrapping system relocated from the St-Prex site, packaging now operates without manual intervention.

Quality control has been further enhanced through digital integration. Using data matrix codes, bottles can now be checked directly on testing machines, improving traceability and inspection accuracy throughout the production process.

In parallel, Vetropack is preparing to install a new large-scale industrial machine, scheduled to go into operation in 2026. This equipment will, for the first time, enable the thermal strengthening of lightweight glass bottles on an industrial scale. The current automation measures are designed to ensure a smooth future connection to this machine.

According to Guido Stebner, Chief Technology Officer at Vetropack, demand for lightweight glass bottles is expected to continue rising. While production is currently exclusive to Pöchlarn, the company sees potential to expand the technology to other sites in the medium to long term.