 |
 |
||||||
[March 2003]
Ceramitec Points Up Tile Technology as Major Show Area
Messe München GmbH, the organiser of Ceramitec 2003 (16-20 September 2003, Munich, Germany), says that once again the presentation of the latest machines, plant and raw materials for the manufacturing and processing of ceramic tiles will occupy a large area of this international exhibition for the industry.The tile industry has been in many respects the pioneer of new technologies, says the company. New techniques adopted have included continuous milling, rapid dryers, roller kilns and automatic sorting and packaging lines - all which have now been taken up by other ceramic manufacturing sectors.
Just two hours are now needed to convert the granulate into the fired tiles: 30 years ago it was ten days. In powder shaping, the transition from friction to hydraulic presses has brought enormous advantages. The hydraulic press can operate with very high pressures over a large area, compacting tiles with an area of up to 2 square metres with a single stroke - and this area can also be divided into a corresponding number of individual tiles.
An additional factor is the enormous progress in areas specifically adapted to tiles, such as surface decoration. Here, above all, rotary screen printing and more recently rotary glazing for glazed tiles and individually adjustable colour mixing of the moulding powder for unglazed tiles, have had the result that ceramic tiles have not only caught up with natural stone - frequently preferred from the aesthetic standpoint - but, with regard to versatility and reproducibility, have even overtaken it.
The ceramic component in floor coverings has risen irresistibly in Germany and now stands at 18%, as against 12% in 1991.
Messe München added: "Today we can look forward to the new variants of plant for decorative product which will be presented at Ceramitec 2003 and will offer producers even greater possibilities".
Exhibition web site: http://www.ceramitec.de
ENDS