Energy-efficient solutions for heavy clay and fine ceramics
Given the strained state of the overall economy, all segments of the fine and heavy clay ceramics industry are under renewed pressure to cut costs. As a result, the topics of material and energy efficiency—where process-integrated environmental protection measures can make a valuable contribution—are more important than ever in all sectors.
Plant and machinery manufacturers are making energy efficiency the focus of their development activities. Since the object is to save thermal, electrical and pneumatic energy, both individual machines and entire plants have an enormous amount of potential to offer.
Reorganising processes is necessary to install competence centres in the production process that can minimise costs by concentrating tasks. When it comes to the internal distribution of tasks and logistics, planning engineers face the challenge of simplifying processes while maintaining or even increasing their flexibility to make them more cost-effective and efficient. The approach of process intensification through comprehensive process development that includes entirely new process concepts beginning with processing equipment is forward-looking. Online measuring of control-related ceramic processing parameters throughout the entire manufacturing process is a complex topic. The general objective is to reduce fixed costs and variable costs to achieve new or even improved product characteristics in the process.
When it comes to customising material properties and processing capabilities, raw-material suppliers are contributing valuable information based on actual experience, which is helping to make considerable progress in the important area of process reliability.
For their part, ceramics manufacturers must meet their end consumers' demands with regard to things like cost-benefit ratio, technical performance, aesthetics and service life, all of which can differ greatly, depending on the product. Given the difficult state of the economy, they are being called upon to provide a more diverse range of higher-performance products and must, above all, rethink their distribution channels and product concepts to continue meeting market requirements.
Ideas and solutions for these topics will be available from exhibitors at Ceramitec in Munich from 20 to 23 October, who will be showcasing the entire range of machines, equipment, plants, processes and raw materials for heavy clay and fine ceramics.
That the sector for heavy clay ceramics will be very strongly represented at Ceramitec 2009 is demonstrated by the fact that exhibitors in this sector declared Ceramitec 2009 their industry gathering before the fair began and by the fact that, for the first time ever, the National Association of the German Brick Making Industry is holding its annual conference in Munich at the same time as Ceramitec. With that in mind, the supporting programme for this year's Ceramitec will include the "Heavy Clay Day" on 22 October, where several participants from the annual conference are expected to participate as speakers and discussion partners.
Messe München GmbH
Messegelände I 81823 München I Germany
T +49 (0) 89 94 91 13 78I Fax: +49 (0) 89 94 91 13 79
info@ceramitec.de I www.ceramitec.de
