About 3M/tonnes of glass containers are manufactured annually in Italy, which are required to withstand mechanical stress since the forming stage. The stress distribution during production and its service life first taken into account when designing a container - so as to detect weak points and correct them by modifying the containers geometry. In different steps of the production cycle, stress analyses will identify weak points caused by defects, so that appropriate action can be taken. Glass strength issues are briefly reviewed in this paper, and detail is given on the different analyses and tests that can be performed on glass containers, with reference to specific standards. Relevant simplified equations are illustrated, and possible causes of weakening are suggested.
