Client Background
The client was a glass flower vase dealer and a Danish home decor brand, seeking to introduce a new line of Nordic inspired products.The client wanted a supplier that could convert the designer’s concept into an asymmetric product that could be produced in bulk and produce the same amber colouration.The glass flower vase dealer contacted Mosteb as he was looking for a partner to manufacture the Nordic inspired collection of the vases at commercial scale.
Challenge
During the development phase, the team faced two major challenges:
- Color Matching Accuracy Across Batches: The client wanted that the color of the amber be the same throughout the entire collection in the eyes of the viewer. If there is any difference in the manufacturing process, in melting or colouring the glass, it may result in a noticeable difference between different batches.
- Advanced Shape Complexity: The wave shape profile necessitated proper development and control of the mold. If they are not thinned, the process may cause the smaller parts of the vase to warp or change the desired asymmetric shape.
Cause Analysis
After trying various different methods with the technical team, production trials and analysis, they found two main factors:
- The initial pigment distribution in molten glass was already at a stage where it was very difficult to mix without additional mixing time, as in some areas micro-variations in tint saturation were already noticed.
- The irregular shape caused different areas of the glass to be under different cooling stress, this led to small deformations in the demolding phase.
In order to solve these problems, we worked closely not only with the mold engineers but also the client’s design team, who were equally committed to the perfect technical and visual balance.
Solution
- Advanced Color Calibration System: A digital color inspection method was brought into the production line which permitted the melting and cooling phase to be monitored in real-time and thus could easily be changed to batch consistency within ±1% hue tolerance.
- Mold Optimization: Mould structure was modified to provide better support for the asymmetric profile and achieve a more consistent shape on forming and releasing.
- Longer Annealing Time: The annealing process was modified to enable the glass to cool down more slowly and lower the internal stress.
- Sample Verification Procedure: For each batch of the production color and shape samples were first approved and then shared with the client for their go-ahead before bulk production took place.
| Challenge | Mosteb Solution | Result |
| Amber color variation | Batch color control | More consistent appearance |
| Asymmetric shape deformation | Mold optimization | More stable silhouette |
| Internal glass stress | Adjusted annealing | Improved structural stability |
| Bulk production consistency | Pre-production sample approval | Controlled mass production |
Why the Glass Flower Vase Dealer Chose Mosteb
- Design Translation: Process of converting a design draft into a manufacturable glass product.
- Colour Consistency: Control of colour consistency of amber batches.
- Bulk Production: Stability of sample to bulk.
Result
The last batch production was able to come close to very high levels of uniformity from one vial to the next together with stability of shape. Their Nordic Amber Wave Collection was thus successfully introduced by the brand, quickly becoming very popular concept stores as well as online platforms sales items. Mosteb was able to demonstrate through this project that it is not only a proficient dealer of glass flower vases but also that it can facilitate the aesthetic innovation-technique precision balance.
