Marazzi Group's ceramic intelligence in the new Casiglie facility

Marazzi Group's new production facility in Casiglie (MO) was officially opened on Tuesday 20 April in the presence of the President of Regione Emilia-Romagna Vasco Errani and numerous political, civil, institutional and business figures.

"We are responding to the difficult market situation by making new investments and focusing on the Sassuolo district, which has always been a driver of innovation," declared the Group's Chairman Filippo Marazzi in his welcome address. "Only here is it possible to find true ceramic intelligence that combines the best technologies with ceramic culture and creativity."

The project involved a 35 million euro outlay and is part of a broader investment programme (more than 90 million euro) that the Group plans to carry through in the Sassuolo ceramic district in the first half of 2010. The new production facility adopts the most innovative technologies for ceramic production processes, including large-scale production of innovative porcelain sheets using Continua technology from Sacmi, which allows for the maximum flexibility and precision. It will be possible to switch from one kind of tile to another uninterruptedly, changing size (up to 150x150 cm), thickness, colours and decorations according to market requirements. Over the next few months the facility will also be equipped with two digital printing machines supplied by Durst.

When fully operational, the two lines will have a production capacity of around 4 million sq.m/year, allowing for considerable energy savings. They are equipped with a cogeneration system that will allow for self-production of around 75% of electrical energy requirements as well as latest-generation heat recovery systems.

The facility is also equipped with a centralised data management system that allows for remote monitoring of particularly delicate stages via video cameras and real-time processing of production data, efficiency and alarm management.