Brick plant modernisation in India

The Indian branch of Verdés (Verdés Clay and Minerals Equipment) was set up in 2011 and the offices and production site built the following year in Hosur, near Bangalore. The technical and executive staff was trained in India and abroad and has gained extensive knowledge of the local market and its needs by visiting the sites of around a hundred local brick makers.

The first extruders built by Verdés entirely in India came out in mid 2013, after which the range of machinery was rapidly expanded. A dozen different models of feeding, mixing, grinding and shaping machines have been manufactured and delivered to date. With these models and sizes, Verdés can design complete preparation lines for local companies, and these can be complemented as required with bigger or different machines imported from other Verdés manufacturing units.

From 2011 to 2014, a dozen customers were selected in 5 states in North, Central and South India to install and run the first units. Some of these customers were producing specialities like floor tiles, ceiling tiles and facing bricks, but the majority of them were producing only standard-sized bricks. However, by their own prospective market studies and with the support of Verdés, several of them are moving towards more attractive and higher added value products, mainly thin-walled hollow blocks, while continuing to produce standard bricks with better appearance and higher performance.

There are two reasons why Indian industrialists chose Verdés instead of local or imported European or Chinese technology. The first is the technical quality of machines designed in Europe and built in India and the second is the level of service provided, an aspect it has taken local brick makers a couple of years to appreciate. This involves on-site study of the brick maker’s needs by highly trained engineers, then supplying suitable preparation and extrusion equipment based on an analysis of the clay characteristics and his present and future products, and if necessary proposing a step-by-step plant modernization.

But after-sales service is equally if not more important and requires the availability of local trained service mechanics and a parts warehouse, as well as the planning of spare parts supply along with the customer to avoid plant stoppages. Prospective Indian customers did not initially value these services as they had never previously been available. The constant technical support provided by Verdés has proved very popular during this initial period and has led to new orders from existing customers as well as growing interest amongst other brick makers after positive experiences of Verdés customer service spread by word of mouth.

In spite of the frequent problems relating to new clay mining licenses, pollution inspections and environmental permissions, the Indian heavy clay sector is finally starting to move up from a cottage-industry level to more efficient industrial operations in which greater emphasis is placed on worker safety and care for the environment.

The same path must be followed by construction companies, which are attracted to higher-quality and resource-efficient building materials but at the same time are very cautious towards new and little-known products.

Verdés Clay and Minerals Equipment will do the utmost to help the Indian brick and tile industry fulfil its growth potential.