Producing better, consuming less. And, above all, allowing a personalized approach to innovation, based on the market, the product and socio-environmental considerations. This is the added value offered by modern SACMI-Riedhammer sanitaryware tunnel kilns, the development of which has, in recent years, been driven by the demand for versatility, the need to reduce consumption and a general evolution of the factory towards higher levels of automation.
In terms of versatility, these kilns can now run using just part of their installed capacity, paving the way for flexible load control that responds to real production needs, without any repercussions on overall process efficiency.
New technological features have seen kilns evolve to match customers’ real needs. For example, new kilns are designed to minimize the downtimes that stem from unexpected events such as a power outages or natural disasters. In the former case, the design lets producers avoid the kiln purge phase that usually follows an unanticipated stoppage. In the latter, optional devices such as gas leak detectors (leaks are a major risk in earthquakes), special ceramic fiber coatings and fire prevention systems avoid any harm to workers or the environment. That same attentiveness to health and safety means these kilns are made with materials certified according to international EN, JIS, OSHA and FM standards etc. Moreover, they have no exposed volatile fibers, produce no harmful dust and are made with minimum quantities of VOCs (volatile organic compounds).
Design focuses on energy management. This involves both recovery of heat from the kiln for reuse on the same machine to lower consumption (EMS systems) and the installation of recovery units; the latter are co-designed with SACMI’s Filtering, Energy & Environment Division, providing further, drastic improvements – as much as 25%, depending on the specific installation – to the factory’s energy balance.
Furthermore, with its latest TWS Neo tunnel kiln range, Riedhammer has set new quality and sustainability standards for sanitaryware kilns. It has done so thanks to accurate control of the atmosphere over the entire length of the kiln and the EMS system which, in this configuration, lowers fuel consumption and emissions by up to 30%.
From an alternative fuels perspective, the Riedhammer kiln is the first Hydrogen-ready solution on the market: the standard machine can run on a hydrogen-gas mix containing up to 20% hydrogen. Suitable modifications can boost that figure to 80%. Cutting-edge R&D into a new hybrid kiln, capable of using electricity from renewable sources, is also under way. SACMI-Riedhammer's talent for calibrating these technical developments to match the actual availability of these new energy sources should also be underlined.
On the emissions front, today’s kilns feature SACMI filtration systems. These let manufacturers keep a vast range of substances under control, from inorganic compounds such as acid gases to volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Note also that different plant types can be combined to maximize production outcomes.
Last but not least, alternative designs (e.g. such as the multilayer kiln) are undergoing development. In this configuration it’s possible to boost machine efficiency, thus reducing specific consumption: an approach that’s highly suited to the efficient management of complex, diversified production mixes. Like all SACMI Sanitaryware solutions, Riedhammer tunnel kilns are taking the industry closer to the fully automatic factory, thanks, for example, to the latest RobotLoad systems that automate loading and unloading.