Project: National Ceramics World Class Automation
NATIONAL Ceramic Industrie’s manufacturing plant at Rutherford in the NSW Hunter Valley produces up to 8million m² of ceramic tiles a year, equivalent to 720t a day.
The tile company wanted to increase productivity therefore employed Calair’s Australian-made pneumatic reticulation system to help double its capacity and safeguard its extensive automation systems against downtime.
Unlike traditional piping alternatives typically weighing eight times as much, the Calair system can be readily cut and reconfigured by non-specialist labour as production needs change. Installations typically take minutes and hours, not days and weeks, thus safeguarding production and minimising downtime.
As a result of implementing the system, the company now experiences a number of productivity benefits including: over 40% less frictional loss compared to traditional pipe materials; increased energy efficiency due to smooth internal bore than can never corrode to impede airflow or damage production equipment; ehanced ability to cope with elevated temperatures and pressures; permanent colour-coding of contents for safety (Calair product is also used for process water); and OHS benefits in handling the product, which is typically one eighth the weight of traditional pipe materials.
Another chief benefit of using the Calair system is the speed with which it can be brought back into service if anything does go wrong in the pneumatic system or something needs changing quickly.