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[August 2006]
Powered Up for Casting Solutions – Unimak Makes Its Mark
In deciding to participate in the 20th Tecnargilla exhibition, Unimak Machine Industry Co Ltd will be announcing itself with its largest ever international exhibition stand and exciting new systems for the world’s ceramic sanitaryware makers.Turkey’s leading innovator in the sector has announced that it will show a representative range of machines on its impressive stand at this year’s show (28 September to 2 October) in Rimini, occupying on this occasion just under 130 sq.m.
Not only will top management and the export sales team attend, but also the company’s engineering team who will be available to take interested visitors through the finer points of each of the machines on view.
Heading the presentation will be Unimak’s latest design for the sanitaryware industry – a brand new casting machine with rotating manipulator and featuring an automatic demoulding manipulator. This development, to be seen for the very first time on open view, is regarded as a welcome addition to (typically) low pressure casting operations and has been conceived for rapid, effective yet careful demoulding and ware handling sequences. The new manipulator will be powered up for working display during the show.
Alongside this and also functioning will be two new Unimak prototype systems. The first of these is its Universal Casting Plant which will be shown with a back-to-wall WC fixed on one bench and one-piece (monoblock) WC fixed on the other.
The second prototype is the new casting and handling system developed for the industry’s fireclay operations and which pays particular attention to automatic handling of these heavy pieces as well as product improvement. The company believes that there is bound to be plenty of interest here, especially on the back of the news that both systems have found favour with major manufacturers and have been the subject of new contracts.
To demonstrate some of the company’s other fabrication capabilities, it will show on its stand a chamber rapid dryer section, WC trap glazing machine and a filter press slip pump, again all in operation.
The variety of manufacturing solutions, both on show and illustrated via graphics and video, typifies the company’s overall approach to what it encounters in terms of different set-ups and requirements. "At Unimak, we do detailed analysis work for our customers to decide the best production methods for their individual situation," explains Burak Selamet, Unimak’s Chairman since 2001. "Automation for automation’s sake is not the best solution in every case. The decision depends on the balance of different labour rates and the availability of trained operatives."
Testament to the success of this flexible approach is a trend for the broad-based adoption of Unimak systems in the world’s growth areas for ceramic sanitaryware production – North Africa, the Middle East and Gulf areas, the Indian subcontinent and, of course, Turkey itself. Amongst other things, the management’s progressive ideas have seen Unimak grow its export business from a marginal activity in the late 1990s to around 70% of turnover today.
As confidence in the company’s ability has grown, so has the factory in Bursa in north-western Turkey. Over 120 people are now employed there and the expertise – design, engineering and construction – built up to a level where a large range of machines can be manufactured at this 24,000 sq.m. site.
A fine example of this capability was the recently contracted turnkey sanitaryware project in Sri Lanka, which will be commissioned in 2007. This will this be notable for helping that country in its pursuit of the production of export-quality sanitaryware.
Trialling this type of machinery, as well as assessing different materials, has become easier since Unimak set up its own pilot-scale sanitaryware plant on the Bursa site. Having recently come on-stream, this facility can now be used to develop slip and glaze recipes and test them in a further move towards maximum optimisation for customer benefit.
Thus, says the company, solid background work, attention to detail and a straight approach has come to sum up Unimak’s philosophy. "Our feasibility studies are compiled by people with a background in production who are well aware of production needs," says Burak Selamet. "We analyse each customer’s actual requirements and offer them what they need.
"Our philosophy is not to sell equipment just once to a customer with unnecessarily high investment costs, but to build up long-term relationships with them by being honest in meeting their requirements."
www.unimak.com
ENDS