Ceramic Sanitaryware – 4 Problems Our Shuttle Kilns Will Help You Solve

Renowned globally, NUTEC Bickley continues to innovate in combustion and control systems within the sanitaryware industry.

Over time, we've developed new technologies that significantly benefit all industrial kilns. Here, we highlight the advantages our shuttle kilns can bring to your sanitary ceramics business operation.

1. Filling the Gap for a Unique Kiln for each Process

A common problem faced by sanitaryware manufacturers is the lack of flexibility their kilns offer. Usually, their production plants are set up to process simple, high-volume parts in tunnel kilns and more complex pieces in shuttle kilns.

On visiting our clients' plants, we commonly find that the ceramics kiln used for the first fire cycle is unsuitable for the second firing. Within this context,

The IMPS™ combustion and control system offers a versatile kiln capable of running cycles for both first and second firing — fully controlled slow and fast heating curves as required by the type of sanitary ceramics to be processed.

NUTEC Bickley shuttle kiln for the sanitaryware Industry

2. Adapting Customer Processes to Fit Provided Kilns

The product mix, manufacturing space, and loading/unloading equipment vary according to different sanitary ceramics manufacturers' locations and operating philosophies.

Typically, the customer must adapt and select from the kiln supplier's available models. This often prevents the opportunity for process optimization, which can be achieved when a kiln is specifically designed for the customer’s application.

At NUTEC Bickley, our design philosophy caters to each company's unique needs, proposing solutions that facilitate maximum efficiency for each process.

3. High Fuel Consumption

Fuel consumption in the sanitary ceramics manufacturing process significantly affects competitiveness. Our sanitaryware shuttle kilns are highly efficient and promise fuel consumption below 1,400 Kcal/kg.

This is possible thanks to our IMPS™ combustion and control system, which allows you to configure the kiln's actions in each segment of the firing curve. The air-gas ratio in the burners can vary during the cycle, keeping excess air to a minimum, depending on the process requirements.

Other elements that affect fuel consumption are the kiln insulation and the design of the refractory load, which must be considered when designing the kiln.

Our engineers have extensive experience designing sanitaryware kilns and can offer different designs that allow each client to achieve their objectives, minimizing energy consumption.

4. Metal Contamination and the Use of Cordierite Cover Tiles

Metal contamination is a problem that sanitaryware manufacturers face constantly. If they are poorly designed, shuttle kiln roofs and gas outlet ports are common sources of such contamination. Our proprietary Jointless™ insulation system eliminates the problem of metal contamination in shuttle kilns.

Some of our customers eliminate the problem of contamination by using cordierite cover tiles to cover roof insulation and gas outlets. Although these batts help reduce the contamination in the kiln, they bring the additional expense of increased fuel consumption and maintenance requirements.

We have kilns that have operated continuously for over 20 years fitted with our Jointless™ insulation system.

Great Benefits for your Operation

In addition to helping you with these problems, our secondary cooling systems allow large volumes of air to enter the kiln’s cooling section, allowing up to 21 more cycles per year to be completed—equivalent to almost one month of additional production.

At NUTEC Bickley, we are specialists in the provision of customized systems. Contact our expert advice team to learn more about the solutions we offer.