Until recently, there has been little real incentive to develop the technology of stirring. However, the current climate of the glass industry in general has resulted in powerful drives towards cost reduction and improved operational efficiency, recently with particular attention to platinum inventories. The challenging operational environment of most stirrer applications has necessitated robust engineering of the stirring devices, often involving large quantities of platinum or platinum alloys. As a result, the amount of platinum required can often be a significant portion of the total platinum alloy inventory of a glass company. In response to the desire to reduce platinum inventories, new developments have been able to reduce the platinum requirement, (in some cases by >90%) without jeopardising the stirring effectiveness or longevity.
