SPECIAL REPORT/TECNARGILLA PREVIEW: Worldwide Innovations
September 1, 2008
Tecnargilla 2008 will feature a comprehensive range of offerings for the ceramic and heavy clay industries.
Tecnargilla 2008 will be held September
30-October 4 in Rimini, Italy. The biennial show offers
industry professionals a showcase of technology and a preview of the ceramics
of the future. Tecnargilla 2008 will feature a comprehensive range of product
offerings and brings together machinery and plants for the production of
ceramic tile, sanitaryware, heavy clay, glazes and colors, design, and
aesthetic solutions for ceramics of the future, as well as raw materials and
services.
Theme sections will again include Kromatech, which focuses on aesthetics in the ceramic sector, and Claytech for heavy clay technology. Kermat, the advanced ceramic section, will also be back for the second time. In addition to the conferences, which proved popular with visitors at the first edition, Kermat will again have a dedicated exhibition space.
Themes that will be addressed October 1-2 include “International Forum: The New Frontiers of Ceramic Materials,” which will explore the roadmap for the ceramics of the future, including strategies and prospects for companies, ceramic technologies for alternative energy and protection of the environment, and sustainable building. A conference entitled “Innovative Applications of Ceramic Materials” will explore themes such as European priorities for tile innovation, high-value-added functional materials, nanostructured coatings, the reduction of machinery vibrations and noise by means of piezoelectric technology devices, and geopolymers.
This year, Ceramic Workshop will investigate the relationship between ceramics and light. “The choice of this particular theme was based on a number of trends we are currently seeing in the world of materials,” said Paola Tinuper from the Milan-based architectural practice AzzoliniTinuper, which designed the event. “After years of minimalism and total absence of decoration, there is now a strong tendency toward significant use of decorative elements in the home, along with elegant, sophisticated finishes. Today’s materials are increasingly infused with light. And this resonance, this vitality, can be expressed in different ways.”
The marriage between ceramics and light is a dominant trend. Light helps ceramics convey vibrant energy and sensual appeal, and the installation has been conceived as a sort of ethereal, luminous tunnel, closed off at each end by two larger volumes. The graphics and colors also emphasize the theme of light and the resonance of images and materials that are touched by it.
Inside the exhibition, the Color Trends section of Tecnargilla will explore the metaphor of light through the latest color palettes (super-light, super-dark, super-intense), finishes (bright, opalescent, metallic, high-gloss), textures (laser-treated surfaces under oblique lighting, micro- and macro-textures), and patterns (with a presentation of work from several silk screening shops). In addition, an installation will showcase ceramic materials that are used to express the theme of light with photo-luminescent pigments.
This year´s Ceramic Workshop has also drawn on the involvement of students from the IED (Istituto Europeo Design) in Milan and the ISIA in Faenza. The Lab area will present their work, which will include visions of ceramics applications and aesthetics for the kitchen and urban furnishings. The aim is to forge synergetic relationships with businesses that can offer students training and employment opportunities while investing in research and professional skills.
The 2006 edition of Tecnargilla included an exhibition space of 90,000 square meters, more than 30,000 visitors and 750 exhibitors. Similar results are expected for the 2008 event. For more information, contact Rimini Fiera at (39) 0541-744468, fax (39) 0541-744243 or visit www.tecnargilla.com.
Sacmi will also focus on the environment for this edition of Tecnargilla. For example, the high-efficiency resource optimizer (HERO) is a system that allows machine pool energy savings of more than 20% as a result of solutions that ensure recovery of energy that would otherwise go to waste. In addition to heat recovery systems on Sacmi kilns and dryers, HERO also impacts the pressing department. The new De-Air system allows for a single-pressing production cycle with process optimization that enables energy savings of up to 9% while speeding up the press itself during the pressing stage. Also, energy savings of 15% during the milling stage can be achieved as a result of power optimization during the various grinding stages.
Sacmi will also present energy-saving systems for sanitaryware production, including a fast mold changeover solution that increases high-pressure production line flexibility on both single-mold ADM and AVM machines, and on machines with casting sets. Much has been done for sanitaryware firing to reduce consumption in both tunnel kilns and shuttle kilns (savings in the latter exceed 20% due to the introduction of an innovative burner).
In the two years since its introduction at Tecnargilla 2006, Sacmi has installed six Continua plants all over the world. Group-developed pre-compaction technology allows producers to make porcelain slabs and tile of any size and thickness, with on-surface and in-body customization and productivity on par with traditional products. A key plus is the possibility of in-body decoration, which provides aesthetic effects that would be impossible to achieve with traditional glazing. Since the pre-compacted slab can be cut as desired, the attained result can be a different surface every time. Software allows the user to call up the product “recipe” and set its repeatability.
Finally, Sacmi has decided to enter the field of digital decoration with the development of Flat Jet technology. Flat Jet is a machine that can be fed with inks from different color factories. Like the decision to focus on large tiles, Sacmi sees entry into the digital market as a way of expanding and diversifying its product range, responding to and, in many cases, anticipating both customer needs and worldwide trends in ceramics. The company’s website is located at www.sacmi.com.
Many divisions of the Saint-Gobain Group will be represented at Tecnargilla. Representatives will be available for technical discussions on a wide range of topics. Visit www.saint-gobain.com for details regarding specific products.
Unifrax has expanded its Fibermax® high-temperature
insulation blanket line with the introduction of Fibermax 72 Blanket, a
lightweight mullite blanket made of 72% alumina and 28% silica. Fibermax
Blankets are high-temperature, lightweight, flexible products manufactured from
polycrystalline mullite fiber that can be exposed to temperatures up to 1600°C.
Fibermax Blankets contain no organic binders or other additives that cause
outgassing fumes or associated problems.
In addition to exhibiting resistance to most corrosive agents, Fibermax Blankets also resist oxidation and reduction. The unique mineral composition and needling process provide Fibermax Blankets with consistency, handling strength and resiliency at elevated temperatures.
The new Fibermax 72 Blanket is virtually free from shot (unfiberized particles) and is ideal for use in environments where the presence of shot is undesirable. The low-shot property also delivers a product with extremely low thermal conductivity. Fibermax 72 Blanket is ideal for use in the ceramic industry as furnace lining modules and in a variety of applications with temperatures above 1350ºC or with aggressive chemical atmospheres. The company’s website is located at www.unifrax.com.
Editor’s note: The exhibits profiled in this issue represent information submitted by Ceramic Industry advertisers. A complete list of Tecnargilla 2008 exhibitors can be found online at www.tecnargilla.com.
Theme sections will again include Kromatech, which focuses on aesthetics in the ceramic sector, and Claytech for heavy clay technology. Kermat, the advanced ceramic section, will also be back for the second time. In addition to the conferences, which proved popular with visitors at the first edition, Kermat will again have a dedicated exhibition space.
Themes that will be addressed October 1-2 include “International Forum: The New Frontiers of Ceramic Materials,” which will explore the roadmap for the ceramics of the future, including strategies and prospects for companies, ceramic technologies for alternative energy and protection of the environment, and sustainable building. A conference entitled “Innovative Applications of Ceramic Materials” will explore themes such as European priorities for tile innovation, high-value-added functional materials, nanostructured coatings, the reduction of machinery vibrations and noise by means of piezoelectric technology devices, and geopolymers.
Ceramics and Light
Ceramic Workshop, a 1000-square-meter creative space located at the entrance to the exhibit hall, will feature an event called Ceramilights, which will include new trends in ceramic materials expressed through a series of “bright ideas.” First created in 2002, the space presents inspiring ideas about new horizons in ceramic decoration and applications in the homes and cities of the future.This year, Ceramic Workshop will investigate the relationship between ceramics and light. “The choice of this particular theme was based on a number of trends we are currently seeing in the world of materials,” said Paola Tinuper from the Milan-based architectural practice AzzoliniTinuper, which designed the event. “After years of minimalism and total absence of decoration, there is now a strong tendency toward significant use of decorative elements in the home, along with elegant, sophisticated finishes. Today’s materials are increasingly infused with light. And this resonance, this vitality, can be expressed in different ways.”
The marriage between ceramics and light is a dominant trend. Light helps ceramics convey vibrant energy and sensual appeal, and the installation has been conceived as a sort of ethereal, luminous tunnel, closed off at each end by two larger volumes. The graphics and colors also emphasize the theme of light and the resonance of images and materials that are touched by it.
Inside the exhibition, the Color Trends section of Tecnargilla will explore the metaphor of light through the latest color palettes (super-light, super-dark, super-intense), finishes (bright, opalescent, metallic, high-gloss), textures (laser-treated surfaces under oblique lighting, micro- and macro-textures), and patterns (with a presentation of work from several silk screening shops). In addition, an installation will showcase ceramic materials that are used to express the theme of light with photo-luminescent pigments.
This year´s Ceramic Workshop has also drawn on the involvement of students from the IED (Istituto Europeo Design) in Milan and the ISIA in Faenza. The Lab area will present their work, which will include visions of ceramics applications and aesthetics for the kitchen and urban furnishings. The aim is to forge synergetic relationships with businesses that can offer students training and employment opportunities while investing in research and professional skills.
The 2006 edition of Tecnargilla included an exhibition space of 90,000 square meters, more than 30,000 visitors and 750 exhibitors. Similar results are expected for the 2008 event. For more information, contact Rimini Fiera at (39) 0541-744468, fax (39) 0541-744243 or visit www.tecnargilla.com.
Part of the Sacmi exhibit will include energy-saving systems for sanitaryware production.
SIDEBAR: Exhibits at a Glance
In the wake of market trends that see demand for large tiles continue to increase, the Sacmi Group will present innovative machines designed to manage new product ranges while maintaining exacting standards of quality and productivity-essential factors when it comes to meeting the challenge of global markets. Tecnargilla visitors will have the opportunity to get a close look at the new PH 7500 large tile press combined with the widest roller kiln ever made, the FMP 3650, which is equipped with rollers made by Sacmi subsidiary Keratech. The EVA 414 vertical dryer will also be on display.Sacmi will also focus on the environment for this edition of Tecnargilla. For example, the high-efficiency resource optimizer (HERO) is a system that allows machine pool energy savings of more than 20% as a result of solutions that ensure recovery of energy that would otherwise go to waste. In addition to heat recovery systems on Sacmi kilns and dryers, HERO also impacts the pressing department. The new De-Air system allows for a single-pressing production cycle with process optimization that enables energy savings of up to 9% while speeding up the press itself during the pressing stage. Also, energy savings of 15% during the milling stage can be achieved as a result of power optimization during the various grinding stages.
Sacmi will also present energy-saving systems for sanitaryware production, including a fast mold changeover solution that increases high-pressure production line flexibility on both single-mold ADM and AVM machines, and on machines with casting sets. Much has been done for sanitaryware firing to reduce consumption in both tunnel kilns and shuttle kilns (savings in the latter exceed 20% due to the introduction of an innovative burner).
In the two years since its introduction at Tecnargilla 2006, Sacmi has installed six Continua plants all over the world. Group-developed pre-compaction technology allows producers to make porcelain slabs and tile of any size and thickness, with on-surface and in-body customization and productivity on par with traditional products. A key plus is the possibility of in-body decoration, which provides aesthetic effects that would be impossible to achieve with traditional glazing. Since the pre-compacted slab can be cut as desired, the attained result can be a different surface every time. Software allows the user to call up the product “recipe” and set its repeatability.
Finally, Sacmi has decided to enter the field of digital decoration with the development of Flat Jet technology. Flat Jet is a machine that can be fed with inks from different color factories. Like the decision to focus on large tiles, Sacmi sees entry into the digital market as a way of expanding and diversifying its product range, responding to and, in many cases, anticipating both customer needs and worldwide trends in ceramics. The company’s website is located at www.sacmi.com.
Many divisions of the Saint-Gobain Group will be represented at Tecnargilla. Representatives will be available for technical discussions on a wide range of topics. Visit www.saint-gobain.com for details regarding specific products.
Fibermax Blankets contain no organic binders or other additives that cause outgassing fumes or associated problems.
In addition to exhibiting resistance to most corrosive agents, Fibermax Blankets also resist oxidation and reduction. The unique mineral composition and needling process provide Fibermax Blankets with consistency, handling strength and resiliency at elevated temperatures.
The new Fibermax 72 Blanket is virtually free from shot (unfiberized particles) and is ideal for use in environments where the presence of shot is undesirable. The low-shot property also delivers a product with extremely low thermal conductivity. Fibermax 72 Blanket is ideal for use in the ceramic industry as furnace lining modules and in a variety of applications with temperatures above 1350ºC or with aggressive chemical atmospheres. The company’s website is located at www.unifrax.com.
Editor’s note: The exhibits profiled in this issue represent information submitted by Ceramic Industry advertisers. A complete list of Tecnargilla 2008 exhibitors can be found online at www.tecnargilla.com.