Success Stories
CASE STUDY XVI: CERÁMICAS ALONSO: 2 -METRE SUB-ROOF BRICKS DRIED ON KILN CARS

Ceramics Industry
ECTS MEETS IN GALICIA

Corporate
BERALMAR AT THE SOUTH AFRICAN CERAMISTS MEETING

Origin of the project

In 2006, BERALMAR began the construction of a kiln and dryer for CERÁMICAS ALONSO in Valencia (Spain). This factory had a production line with a direct kiln car setting dryer, and like all those who work with this type of facility, they asked BERALMAR for a dryer of the same type.

There weren’t actually many alternatives, since CERÁMICAS ALONSO specializes in the manufacture of large-formats, and the project had to contemplate the production of sub-roof bricks up to 1,500 mm long, 30 mm thick and between 200 and 300 mm wide. Using any other type of dryer to dry these formats without warping the brick is practically impossible and would cause lots of problems and breakages during the handling of the dry material. Using a direct kiln car setting dryer was the only viable option.

Execution of the project

The factory was commissioned in 2007 and it has been operating intermittently as a result of the construction crisis in Spain. Despite this, CERÁMICAS ALONSO is one of the approximately 25% of factories that survived this crisis and this is largely due to its product specialization and the good work of its management and production teams.

But another reason to mention this case is that a couple of years ago, ALONSO set out to manufacture 2-metre sub-roof bricks. BERALMAR’s experts got involved and one out of every two rows of burners had to be eliminated to allow for a new form of setting, which because of the size of the bricks, was not adapted to the type of kiln.

Conclusions

The relevant modifications were a success and BERALMAR has one of these 2-metre sub-roof bricks on display in one if its meeting rooms which is always the subject of comments from friends and customers who visit us.

This achievement of the kiln car drying system is an example of the versatility of this type of dryer, which can be used for such exceptionally large formats as well as for all types of rectangular material (facing bricks, honeycomb blocks, etc.), and as such it clearly constitutes a success story.

This edition is the last of the 16 success stories. We hope that they have been of interest to our readers and that they have helped to demonstrate the technical capabilities and strengths of BERALMAR.

On 25 and 26 May, ECTS (European Ceramic Technology Suppliers) met at the invitation of FORGESTAL.

FORGESTAL, supplier of refractory material, among other things, based near Barcelona, has its production facilities in Sanxenxo (Galicia) through its partnership with REFRACTARIOS CAMPO.

The REFRACTARIOS CAMPO factory, whose equipment comes from different suppliers, has a tunnel kiln supplied by BERALMAR in 2012.

As usual, the meeting on the 25th began with an interesting and detailed visit to REFRACTARIOS CAMPO, followed by a cultural visit and a celebratory dinner. The ECTS meeting took place the next morning covering many issues including the fate of the next ECTS symposiums and the commissioning of a study on the situation of the ceramists markets in sub-Saharan Africa. The meeting also highlighted the growing importance of European markets due in part to the current high value of the euro against many currencies. The next meeting will take place on 24 and 25 October in Italy at the invitation of BONGIOANNI MACCHINE.

Location of REFRACTARIOS CAMPO, in northwest Spain.

Image of the meeting (photo: VDMA)

The annual meeting of the CBA (Clay Brick Association) of South Africa took place on 17 and 18 May in the province of Mpumalanga, in the east of the country.

The format of the meeting was different to previous years in that each of the suppliers who attended had an area where they could meet ceramists and their families in a relaxed atmosphere. The second day of the meeting featured a series of technical presentations, many of them addressing the imminent "carbon tax", the tax on CO2 emissions that will apply from this year and which is of great concern to the sector.

BERALMAR, as usual, participated in the meeting as a sponsor.

We would like to congratulate the CBA for their excellent organization of the event. We will definitely be back next year.

Miquel Moix meeting some of the visitors

Colin Meyer (Makana Brick) delivering an award to BERALMAR in recognition of its sponsorship of the meeting.

Images courtesy of the CBA.