Success Stories
CASE STUDY XIV: EARTHQUAKE PROOF FACTORY

Corporate
NEW BERALMAR EMPLOYEES
BERALMAR AT THE 2019 INDIAN CERAMICS FAIR
BERALMAR AT THE 2019 UZBUILD FAIR

Project Background

In 2000 the owner of CELO-BLOCK brick in San Salvador (El Salvador) agreed the construction of a new automated production line with Beralmar, which would substitute production with the Hoffmann kiln.

The project in question comprised a semi-continuous dryer and a tunnel kiln, with a maximum daily production of 150 t/day including all types of ceramic products: blocks, roof tiles, paving stones, special pieces etc.

In summary, an attractive project for the country’s main manufacturer, with one special requirement: the civil engineering works had to be designed to be earthquake proof.

Execution of the project

The project was implemented without any problems and the factory has been functioning since it started operating in 2001 right up to today.

A couple of years after the factory started operating an event took place that put to the test this special requirement: a 6.3 Richter scale magnitude earthquake, with its epicentre not far from San Salvador, found Mr. Ramón Vidri, owner of the ceramics factory, right on top of the tunnel kiln at the time. In his own words: “the kiln roof transformed into a wave that was advancing towards me”. Once the wave had passed and the kiln had recovered its original position (and shape!), and once the shock was over, a damage evaluation was performed: the foundations defined by the head of the BERALMAR Technical Office, Artur Massaguer, had served their purpose during the earthquake and the kiln was intact.

Entrance to the pre-kiln with the old BERALMAR logo, in 2001.

Current state of the kiln, January 2019.

BERALMAR technicians have had the opportunity to inspect the condition of the kiln over the last few weeks during the installation of a new MICROBER-1 model firing process control, and have been able to verify the impeccable condition of the expansion points and other details.

Conclusions

Many conclusions may be reached from this experience, but we would like to highlight the following: BERALMAR’s proven rigour and know-how even when defining aspects not strictly related to ceramics technology. Without the correct calculations, the investment carried out by CELO-BLOCK would have become a large mountain of rubble within seconds.

Mr. Ramón Vidri, who we are sure would agree with this conclusion, talked about this experience on a recent visit to BERALMAR. Aside from this being an unforgettable event, the performance of the foundations and other engineering aspects of the CELO-BLOCK kiln are a clear example of success.

The next case study will be published in Newsletter no. 135 in March 2019.

BERALMAR welcomed a new professional to its technical team in January: Josep Codina Viaplana (57).

Josep lives in l’Ametlla del Vallès and has extensive experience in the ceramics industry. He has worked over 30 years in the sector in a range of functions, always in the area of production management.

After over 25 years in the Anglada group (CERÀMIQUES ESTRUCTURALS of Llinars, Manresanes and Penedès) and 8 years as plant manager at a brick plant in Algeria, Josep joins BERALMAR as a technician specializing in the regulation of kilns and dryers, as well as plant commissioner.

We hope this new addition to our company will further enrich BERALMAR’s technical team.

Josep Codina, in the BERALMAR new employee photo.

BERALMAR will once again participate in the INDIAN CERAMICS fair, to be held at the Ghandinagar Exhibition Centre (Gujarat, India), from 27th February to 1 March.

Starting with this edition, the fair will be called INDIAN CERAMICS ASIA, thus combining INDIAN CERAMICS and CERAMICS ASIA in a single event with the aim of becoming a regional platform beyond India. This is an interesting collaboration between both organizers, Messe München and Unifair.

INDIAN CERAMICS has improved the quality of its organization and the number of visitors every year. We hope that this year it will go a step further in its success.

Visitors will find a BERALMAR delegation at stand B283 in Hall 2, where you they may learn first hand about the latest BERALMAR projects in the region.

See you in Ghandinagar!

Coinciding exactly with the dates of the INDIAN CERAMICS fair (27 February to 1 March), the 20th edition of the 2019 UZBUILD fair will be held at the NEC Uzexpocentre of Tashkent (Uzbekistan), also with the participation of BERALMAR as an exhibitor.

Visitors will find the BERALMAR delegation at stand C32 in Hall 2.

BERALMAR knows well the reality and the needs of the Uzbek market, as well as its neighbouring countries, where it has recently developed several important projects.

In the case of Uzbekistan, BERALMAR is about to put into operation a full plant with features especially designed for the country’s needs, a project we will talk about soon. Visitors may learn more about our project first hand.

See you in Tashkent!