News
SAUDI ARABIA
Al Forsan Ceramics sees steady growth Saudi Arabia-based, Forsan Ceramics, which is emerging as a global ceramics manufacturing company in the kingdom is in the process of streamlining its sanitary ware operations. Established in 2011, Al Forsan Global Industrial Complex at King Abdullah Economic City in the kingdom produces ceramic tiles and sanitary ware and is latest entrant in the Saudi Arabian ceramic manufacturing industry ( The production of ceramic tiles commenced in January this year).
With its manufacturing facilities spread over an extensive area of 1.5 sq Km ( The Company has acquired a 1.5-million-sq-m of plot of land on a long-term lease with an option to purchase. The complex allows for a tenfold increase in production to meet future demand according to Forsan Ceramics) , the company has an installed capacity to produce 20 million sqm of ceramic tiles ( 8 million sqm of porcelain and 12 million sqm of ceramic tiles ) and 1.45 million pieces of sanitary wares,
Al Forsan is an investment by KMG (Khater Massaad Group). The company claims that an investment of SR500 million ($133 million) has gone into the facility, which is well equipped with the most sophisticated machinery, all imported from Italy. The company claims that it has installed some of the most modern technology available for sanitary ware production at its plant , which includes innovative solutions for the pressure casting of
sanitary articles using porous resin moulds. The company also has a multi-mould high pressure casting bench for the manufacture of open-rim water closets that has a highly efficient work cycle and is fully automated. By offering modern design and simple yet exclusive lines from its new manufacturing site, the KMG Group aims to improve its positioning in Saudi Arabia and, from there, branch out into new high-end ceramic sanitary ware markets of the region.
SRI LANKA
Roof tile industry gets “shot in the arm” Sri Lanka Ceramics and Glass Council plans to take immediate measures to resurrect the local red clay ceramic products (building bricks and roof tile) industry. Speaking at the 12th Annual General Meeting of Sri Lanka Ceramics and Glass Council President Mahendra Jayasekera said the council has already taken measures to re-open all the closed down factories across the island. There were over 500 brick and roof tile manufacturing factories in the country using red clay for manufacturing in Sri Lanka. Unfortunately, due to lack of
incentives given by the relevant authorities to develop the industry, around 300 factories closed down their operations over the last 20 years. Jayasekera also expressed his satisfaction over the government’s move to ban the use of asbestos roofing sheets in the country by 2018. He said the ban will help revive the red clay roof tile manufacturing industry to a greater level. Jayasekera said the council has been lobbying government policymakers with regard to the issues faced by the ceramic industry.The Centre for Technical Excellence in
UAE
RAK Ceramics, one of the world’s largest sanitary ware producers, which produces 5 million pieces a year in its sanitary ware business has invested in a state of the art tunnel kiln at its RAK based plant in UAE. The company has installed a new tunnel kiln designed to handle up to 2,320 pieces in a day. Equipped with latest-generation burners and designed to optimise heat flows inside the firing chamber, this investment will
asian ceramics
bringing down the cost of production and making the local companies more competitive in the market place. The council is also closely working with Industry and Commerce Ministry and the Agrarian Services Department to solve issues with regard to the mining of raw materials. He said the government support must be given to resolve outstanding issues with regard to the mining of raw materials to take the industry forward as an environmentally friendly and sustainable industry.
SRI LANKA
RAK Ceramics installs new tunnel kiln
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Ceramics (CENTEC) jointly with the Sri Lanka Ceramics and Glass Council is working closely with the Sri Lanka Standards Institution (SLSI) to introduce the SLS mark to the red clay ceramic products such as building bricks and roof tiles. CENTEC has currently singed up with over 20 red clay roof tile and building bricks manufacturing companies to implement Sri Lanka standards with regard to system certifications in their factory. With the implementation of SL standards, the council is intending to improve the productivity, yields while
allow RAK to boost energy efficiency considerably. Supplied by Sacmi, the kiln ensures optimal firing and glazing quality, due to the high number of burners and advanced control systems that ensure progressive, uniform, flexible heating in all kiln sections. A few months back, RAK Sanitary ware had invested in a new robotised glazing station equipped with cuttingedge glaze delivery control systems.
december/january 2016
Flour operation to move ahead? Sri Lanka’s state-owned minerals sands producer wishes to bring a zircon flour operation in a joint venture with a foreign investor, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce said in a statement. Lanka Mineral Sands Ltd (LMSL) made a net profit of 2.4 million US dollars in 2014, with sales up 80 percent to nine million dollars. LMSL now exports in mineral sand products used globally like zircon, rutile
and high-titanium ilmenite, each of which are extracted separately from mineral sand. Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen has asked LMSL to go for higher grade zircon flour production and other value additions to double mineral export revenues. LMSL chairman Mahinda Moragolle said zircon is considered to be a ‘valuable’ mineral sand and one third of present zircon production is used in ceramics.
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