Alfa de Oro 2011 awards go to Azulejos Plaza, Esmalglass-Itaca and Sierragres

At the end of the opening day of Cevisama, the Spanish ceramics and glass society SECV presented the 34th Alfa de Oro awards, which this year went to the companies Azulejos Plaza, Esmlaglass-Itaca Grupo and Sierragres. The Alfa de Plata awards were won by Ceracasa, Ferro Spain and Keros Cerámica.
 
The Alfa de Oro awards are presented in recognition not only of new uses of ceramic but also of processes and technologies that contribute to improving the competitiveness of industry.
 
Azulejos Plaza was recognised for its Eco-Logik series, a product that contains a high percentage of recycled waste from ceramic and glass production processes and incorporates a new boracic compound that cuts emissions and brings significant energy savings. Esmalglass-Itaca Grupo received the award for having developed a new family of glazes that allows tiles to be decorated using exclusively digital technology. Last but not least, Sierragres was honoured for Sierravent, a loadbearing wall built with extruded stoneware tiles to which cladding tiles are fixed without the need for complicated metallic structures while allowing adequate aeration to qualify as a ventilated facade.
 
As for the Alfa de Plata awards, past Alfa de Oro winner Ceracasa received a mention for Ecom4Tile, a tile with high thermal inertia that allows for considerable energy saving through the use of nano-accumulators capable of collecting and then gradually releasing energy.
Ferro Spain was chosen for its collection of colours for digital decoration which can be applied to three-dimensional objects and extremely fine films to protect the digital decoration.
Keros Cerámica won the award for the product Drytile, which demonstrates that it is technically possible to manufacture porcelain tile using a dry production process with low environmental impact and energy consumption.