Cerbras installs a new Sacmi line equipped with a record-breaking kiln

This investment consolidates Cerbras’ technological switch towards glazed/polished porcelain tiles made with spray-dried powder. The new line includes the largest Sacmi kiln ever installed in Brazil.

Cerbras, a leading Brazilian tile manufacturer, has invested in a new Sacmi line for the production of spray-dried glazed/polished porcelain tiles. Based in Maracanaú, Ceará State, in the North-East of the country, the company has entrusted Sacmi with further improvements to technological quality as a follow-on from the 2018 installation of the spray-dried powder preparation unit. At the heart of the department lies the MMC240 continuous modular mill. This state-of-the-art continuous wet grinding mill offers high efficiency, energy savings, consistency and process control and operates in synch with the ATM180 spray dryer, which features continuous automatic quality control. Meticulous monitoring of moisture content and particle size distribution at this stage, plus elimination of impurities with automatic iron removers, ensures the spray dried powder leaving the body preparation department is always of the highest quality, with positive knock-on effects throughout the process.

The new line is the third glazed/polished tile line in function at Cerbras’ site, and joins the previously supplied dry grinding solutions. It includes PH 8200 high-tonnage presses and all the mold parts.

Last but not least comes the new Sacmi Maestro FMA 355/243.6 m kiln, which sees Cerbras set a new record as this is the widest Sacmi kiln (3550 mm) of any installed in Brazil. In addition to ‘smart’ modulating air/gas control, high-efficiency burners and the exclusive Sacmi RGA air blow system used during rapid cooling, it features kiln-burner and kiln-dryer heat recovery devices that significantly improve the factory energy balance.

With this investment, Cerbras aims to boost its penetration capacity both in Brazil and abroad by focusing on best-selling products such as the 94.5x94.5 cm (23,000 m² per day expected when fully operational) and 120x120 cm (17,000 m² per day) formats. The bulk of output will be in the 70x70 cm size, with 27,000 m²/day of glazed, polished and unpolished porcelain tiles.