Ceramics Industry
UPCOMING ECTS CERAMICS SYMPOSIUM IN MONTERREY (MEXICO)

Corporate
BERALMAR HOLIDAY SCHEDULE

News and Accomplishments
COMMISSIONING OF A NEW PLANT IN KAZAKHSTAN

One of the objectives of the ECTS (European Ceramic Technology Suppliers) is the promotion of ceramic building materials around the world, which is why for several years now the ECTS has held one or two ceramic symposiums every year.

This year, after the one held in Hyderabad (India) back in March, a second symposium will be held, this time in Monterrey (Nuevo León, Mexico), from 8 to 10 October.

With a population of more than a million but with a metropolitan area of nearly five million, Monterrey is one of the most developed and prosperous cities in Mexico.

Although the symposium is being held in Monterrey it is open to ceramists from all over the country, so attendance is expected to be high.

The ECTS will be represented by a large number of group members.

Monterrey is well known to BERALMAR, since in 2008 we supplied a complete production plant producing 650 tonnes/day of ceiling blocks for LADRILLERA SANTA CLARA. Going back to 2000, BERALMAR also supplied another complete plant near Mexico City for NOVOCERAMIC.

We therefore encourage all our Mexican friends, as well as those in neighbouring countries, to register for the symposium by contacting the organizers:

Ms Ruth Meier
Ruth.Meier@DEinternational.com.mx

See you this autumn Monterrey!

As is customary in Southern Europe, BERALMAR's workforce will take most of their holidays in August. For this reason, we wish to inform our customers, suppliers and friends that during the months of July and August, activity at the BERALMAR facilities in Terrassa will follow this schedule:

• Week 31 (30 July - 3 August) → Low activity: approximately 40% of the workforce.
• Week 32 and 33 (6-17 August) → Minimal activity: customer service hotline and supply of urgent spares.
• Week 34 (20-24 August) → Low activity: approximately 40% of the workforce.

BERALMAR has just commissioned a new plant in Kazakhstan. The new ASTANA CERAMIC, in the outskirts of Astana.

Astana literally means "capital city" in Kazakh, and indeed it has been the new capital of the country since 1997. Since then the city has experienced huge demographic growth and undergone urban planning that has promoted the development of several unique architectural projects that have given the city a futuristic air.

The new factory supplied by BERALMAR produces 350 tonnes/day (30,000,000 NF/year) of solid, hollow and thermoclay bricks. BERALMAR provided a LLEVANT direct kiln car stacking dryer and a PRESTHERMIC airtight tunnel kiln, in addition to all the mechanisms of the factory, from cutting to packaging.

The three tunnels (two for drying and one for firing) are designed with the following dimensions: 106 m in length, useful width of 4.70 m and a useful height of only 1.54 m, which is a moderate height as fits direct kiln car setting facilities.

In terms of thermal consumption, the entire factory works exclusively with coal: from the kiln featuring a PROMATIC grinding and coal injection installation, to the dryer, which is fed by heat recovered from the kiln and from heat produced by an exchanger using coal combustion.

The result is a very competitive factory: versatile production of a large family of products (solid, hollow, thermoclay bricks, etc.), a simple and easy-to-manage production line which is fully automated, very few staff, low thermal consumption and low energy consumption, since it only uses coal.

The commissioning, as is usual in direct kiln car setting plants, has been a success.

We would like to take the opportunity to thank the owners for the trust placed in BERALMAR and wish them every success with the new factory.