SPECIAL REPORT: Cutting-Edge Global Technology
Tecnargilla 2006, the 20th International Exhibition of Technology and Supplies for the Ceramic and Brick Industries, will be held September 28-October 2 at the New Expo Center in Rimini, Italy. Billing itself as "the most important information exhibition for suppliers to the ceramic and brick industries," the biennial event offers attendees the chance to network with other market leaders, thus opening the door to new business potential characterized by innovation and global quality.
Looking to build on the 30,000 visitors to Tecnargilla 2004, event organizers Rimini Fiera S.p.A. and the Association of Italian Manufacturers of Machinery and Equipment for Ceramics (ACIMAC) have put together a pair of exhibits showcasing aesthetic trends and technical innovations in the ceramic sector. A third exhibit highlights machinery and design/engineering solutions for the brick and tile industry.
Kromatech
Created in 2002 to underscore the crucial role of the ceramic decoration sector in the field of aesthetic innovation, Kromatech focuses on color, creativity and aesthetic trends in the ceramic industry. Kromatech 2006 has been expanded to four halls devoted to glaze and color producers, graphic design companies, screen printing laboratories, raw materials suppliers and an assortment of companies that supply know-how and technologies for ceramic decoration.Twenty-thousand square meters of exhibition space will provide a comprehensive picture of state-of-the-art technological systems for the production of tile, sanitaryware and tableware, making Kromatech the world's largest exhibition of products, services, design and research for the ceramic sector.
Kromatech will host approximately 100 exhibitors this year, including Colorobbia, Torrecid, Itaca-Esmalglass, Fritta, Assoprint, Johnson Matthey, Newton Serigrafica, Ceramco, Metco, Vidres, Bonet, T.e.m.a., Sicer, Vernis, Wendel, Imerys and WBB Minerals. In addition to glaze and color producers, the exhibition will also feature third fire decoration laboratories; graphic, artistic and design consulting agencies; screen printing workshops; suppliers of products and equipment for screen printing, glazing and decal applications; and producers of raw materials for glazes.
To complement the range of offerings at Kromatech for professionals most directly involved in developing new ceramic products, the European Design Institute of Milan has again organized Ceramic Workshop exhibitions, one of which will focus on future color and materials trends inspired by the world of fashion, furnishing and advertising.
Claytech
Claytech 2006 is the section of Tecnargilla devoted to technologies in the heavy clay industry. The show offers a detailed look at the heavy clay sector and will host more than 80 exhibitors in a floor space of 10,000 square meters.This year's Claytech will feature the technologies of the French group Ceric, as well as Italian firms Bedeschi, Bongioanni, Capaccioli, Cismac, Costruzioni, Meccaniche Isola, Frac, Gonzo, Ipa International, Officina Meccanica Sestese, Morcheluzza Impianti, Piccinini Impianti, Sacs Tecnica and Tecnofiliere. The section will also showcase innovations from German companies Braun, Franz Banke, Haendle, Lingl, Rehart, Rotho and Tecton; Spanish companies Beralmar, Ipiac, Molaris and Talleres Felipe Verdes; Greek firm Sabo Hellas; and Dutch companies DeBoer and Stafier.
Claytech 2006 will also mark Sacmi's Italian debut as a producer of heavy clay technologies. "Our entry into the sector is important because our history and expertise allow us to compete at an outstanding level in the domestic and international markets, where we have already started up major installations," says Alberto Castelfranco, Sacmi sales manager, Heavy Clay. "We are very optimistic about the future, considering that in just a year of activity we have reached a turnover of tens of millions of euros. Tecnargilla is an exhibition we simply couldn't afford to miss. Besides being the largest international showcase, it has always been our key domestic show."
Kermat
Kermat, a section devoted to advanced ceramic products, will make its debut at Tecnargilla 2006. This new specialist section will allow visitors to take stock of technical innovations and new fields of application for ceramic materials, and to meet some of the leading companies carrying out technological research in the sector. The section will host raw materials, components and semi-finished products, special ceramic articles and concrete examples of their applications, as well as technological processes, control instruments and plants for the production of nanoceramic materials.Kermat will also feature a series of international symposia beginning on September 28 with "Ceramic Materials: A Road-Map for the Future," which will include presentations by Stephen Freiman of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and Marta H. Jaskowiak of NASA. In addition, the following four conventions will be held through October 2: "Smart Ceramics and Electronic Applications," September 28; "Ceramics: Energy and Environment," September 29; "Ceramics and Biomedical Applications," September 30; and "Structural Ceramics in the Mechanical Industry and Transport Systems," October 2.
For more information about Tecnargilla 2006, contact Rimini Fiera at (39) 0541-744468, fax (39) 0541-744243 or visit http://www.tecnargilla.it .
SIDEBAR: Tecnargilla 2006: Exhibits at a Glance
Debuting in the Kermat section, Riedhammer and Sama will focus on product offerings for technical ceramics. Shape & Fire offers a delivery scope that ranges from shaping, handling, firing, processing and quality control, up to the packed product ready for delivery. Customers benefit from the know-how offered by several market leaders at the same time. Visit http://www.riedhammer.com and http://www.riedhammer.com .Black Tulip is an advanced one-piece production system co-developed by Sacmi, Niv, Gaiotto and Riedhammer. The plant is totally automated throughout every stage of the production cycle, from casting to the handling of the fired pieces. The automated casting island will incorporate the AOM, the latest single-mold machine for the high-pressure casting of one-piece WC bowls, with an anthropomorphous robot for glue application and de-molding. The production process will continue, with glazing being carried out by a Gaiotto GA2000 robot, and will end with an automatic kiln car loading-unloading island.
Also on display will be a new sanitaryware tunnel kiln, which incorporates the advanced know-how of both Riedhammer and Sacmi Forni. A laser-guided vehicle (LGV) transport system will connect the three islands, providing efficient product handling and allowing for more flexible production flow management.
The Sacmi stand will also display six modules of a new twin-channel kiln. Characterized by innovative design and styling, the kiln offers new technical features, such as higher firing chambers that minimize the possibility of any interference between the burner flame and transiting tiles, a redesigned structure to make maintenance easier and improve the pneumatic seal during firing, and an improved higher-power cooling system. An energy saving system can also be installed that uses the hot air drawn from cooling to feed the burners directly, providing significant savings. Visit http://www.sacmi.com .
Unimin Corp. will introduce an expanded line of SPECTRUM(r) ceramic fluxes engineered for porcelain production. New potassium-dominant SPECTRUM grades complement the sodium-dominant SPECTRUM series to give ceramists greater process and product design options. These highly reactive fluxes produce excellent fired strength, better dimensional control and a consistently lighter colored through bodies at lower kiln temperatures and faster kiln cycles. Visit http://www.unimin.com .
Editor's note: The exhibits profiled in this issue represent information submitted by Ceramic Industry advertisers. A complete list of
Tecnargilla 2006 exhibitors can be found online at http://www.tecnargilla.it .