Demand is still growing globally for glass containers, stated Bucher Emhart Glass.

The Swiss supplier of forming and inspection machinery for the glass manufacturing industry said demand for glass containers has outstripped capacity.

This has led container glassmakers to invest, expand and modernise their capacities, it said.

“Bucher Emhart Glass benefited from this very positive environment. Its order intake for glass-forming and inspection machinery increased significantly over the prior-year period,” it stated in its latest financial report.

It added that sales had again rose considerably from an already high level. Contributing factors were its collaboration with O-I and sales growth in China.

“Despite the expansion in capacities through the optimisation of production processes, the division's order book is now well above the already high level of the prior-year period,” it said.

The company has recently sold its refractory division to the Rath Group and acquired Symplex, a specialist in inspection equipment and cameras for gob forming.

Emhart’s order intake between January and September this year increased by 15.4% compared to the year before period, from CHF357 million ($360.4 million) to CHF412 million ($415.9 million).