Mar 11 2008
Twenty years ago, On-Site Systems, a glass etching company, designed and built the 24-foot Coke bottle for the original World of Coke. Now, they've helped Coca-Cola add a two-story logo for the new World of Coke.
"In the past, we helped Coca-Cola create a Georgia landmark with the original giant Coke bottle," said Derek Lindeborg, vice president of On-Site Systems. "This time, we were able to help them by etching a stainless steel and glass Coca-Cola logo on the face of the building."
The new World of Coke just opened in the last quarter of 2007, with their brand-new logo emblazoned on the building.
"The design involved a basket weave work with wide strips of stainless steel hovering over glass windows," Lindeborg said. "The logo had to flow seamlessly from the stainless steel strips to the glass and back again."
On-Site had to build a blasting tower on the side of their tower with electric platforms in order to get their workmen to the top of the project. It was over two stories tall, and their men could only work on one section at a time.
The job involved very specific dimensions from the field contractor, but according to Lindeborg, On-Site is no stranger to difficult dimensions. When they built the first giant Coca-Cola bottle twenty years ago, every single curve in the bottle adhered to exact proportions.
"The shape of their bottle is very carefully protected," Lindeborg said. "It's just like their logo. Everything has to be shaped a specific way or it's not the Coca-Cola bottle."
For the original project, On-Site Systems took radius points given them by Coca-Cola engineering and designed an exact replica of the original Coca-Cola bottle. According to Lindeborg, they were "dumbfounded" when he returned the proof and the CAD files.
"When I sent it to them, they immediately said, 'It looks right, but how do we KNOW it's right?'," Lindeborg said. "They couldn't tell by looking at the drawing how I did it, till I turned on all the layers and printed out the specifications for them to check."
For the Coca-Cola bottle, Lindeborg said, On-Site Systems handled the CAD design, the template production, and the glass production, everything except the neon illumination for the 24-foot Coca-Cola bottle.
Though back then they contracted with another glass company for the installation and had somebody else handle the electrical portion, Lindeborg said that now they can handle pretty much everything.
"We're very dedicated to complying with specifications," Lindeborg said. "We always complete our jobs within the budgets and deadlines we're given."
This dedication and skill led On-Site to projects for the Georgia Aquarium and Arlington National Cemetery in addition to their work for Coca-Cola.
For more information about glass etching and the work that On-Site Systems has done, visit them online at http://www.on-sitesystems.com.