Marcheluzzo Supplies Automatic Brick Production Line to Romanian Company
Leader in the production of complete plants for the brick industry, Marcheluzzo S.p.A./IT has developed the second fully automatic production line for the company EURO POROTON S.A. in Romania 16 years after the first construction, which took place in 2005. The total production of the two lines now reaches 1000 t/d with the possibility of producing various types of products simultaneously. The very good relationship between customer and supplier established from the beginning, has led to the development of a new flexible line with low environmental impact while maintaining very low levels of energy consumption. The latter topic is also fundamental for a better sales strategy on the local market. The supply has touched all sectors of production.
Raw materials preparation
The preparation of raw materials has been improved by adding a roughing mill and a two-shaft mixer to better homogenize the clay mixture before maturation inside the storage silo which, due to its previous size, has not been the subject of supply, since it has the ability to feed both plants at the same time. The recovery from the silo takes place through a new automatic excavator that allows feeding through a bypass of the two internal containers to ensure a constant presence of clay for each plant. From here onwards, the entire production plant was supplied including a new finisher roller and a newly revised morning with a 550 mm propeller diameter. A series of clay conveyor belts completes the supply for the production department.
Cutting, drying, handling
The core business of Marcheluzzo starts from here, thanks to the experience gained over almost 50 years of work carried out throughout the world. A cutting line was supplied with columns cutter, launcher belt, 90″ belt-belt deviator – all made with rubber belt for better treatment of the material. The main cutter harp with vertical/diagonal cut has been designed to be flexible and fast at the same time because it can be changed in a few minutes if production requires a different cut of the material. The cut product is then moved and enlarged on a rubber belt bench that creates the spacing between the pieces, which is essential for a better drying of the material. Once the number of pieces is programmed on the line, the module is transferred to the green platform loader and via the loading shelf, the product is placed in the dryer trolley. Once the dryer car is filled, it is transferred inside the dryer.
Once dried, the material comes out and an unloading elevator takes back the platforms loaded with dry material and transports them to the stacking line of the kiln cars. Once the platforms are unloaded, they return to the green area to start again with the drying cycle. In the middle between loading and unloading, Marchheluzzo supplied a stoke of empty pallets capable of storing a quantity of pieces that allows a production flexibility going from 11 pallets when producing the blocks to 18 pallets when producing other products. All steps are managed automatically by a single operator who controls the production from the cutting area.
The drying department has been developed following the latest technologies of internal ventilation and automatic management of the production cycle. The increase in production, in this new second line compared to the first built in 2005, led to the decision to ventilate the trolleys loaded with material to be dried on both sides of the same. Five rows of cones with high efficiency and low electricity consumption meet the drying cycle that allows a production of about 600 t/d of dry product on two work shifts. The management of the drying phases is guaranteed by a fully automatic management thanks to Siemens PC that regulates all the primary air flow rates of the moisture supply and extraction fans, controlling and managing the inlet and extraction shutters which, being all motorized, perfectly follow the cycle set in the recipe.
Loading on kiln cars, firing, unloading kiln cars and packaging
Once the material is dried, it can be manipulated directly for its stacking on baked wagons. The experience gained over almost 50 years of work, carried out all over the world, has allowed to develop a very simple and flexible line capable of stacking all the production of 600 t/d with a single Fanuc robot. The two programming lines have been designed to minimize maintenance to the same, in fact all the critical parts have been put in such a way as to facilitate human intervention.
Marcheluzzo chose a traditional structure for the masonry made of refractory bricks with different levels of alumina bricks for the various firing zones. The insulation of walls and roof allows quick changes of management according to the product to be fired. The firing system is based entirely on side burners that allow flexibility and power in any condition of use. A classic high and low temperature suction group allows a heat recovery from the kiln to the dryer. A side pre-kiln with its own air intake and evacuation system accompanies the material by heating it before entering the kiln.
The unloading line of the fired material and consequent packaging reveals very simple and practical since, together with the customer, Marcheluzzo wanted to perform the final package already during loading of the material onto the kiln cars – a good choice for a significant cost reduction at the time of supply.