NG Kütahya inaugurates new large-size tile and slab production line

The new line, built by Sacmi in record time, is equipped with a new PCR 2180 Continua+ line, DHD and DDG decorating machines, a Maestro kiln, a BMR finishing line and EKO Sort.

NG Kütahya, a leading Turkish ceramic tile manufacturer with decades of experience in the industry, has started up a new production line at its facility in the city of Kütahya in the eponymous region in the centre of the Anatolian peninsula.

The line, devoted to the production of technical and glazed porcelain slabs, was designed and built by Sacmi in the record quick time of under three months and inaugurated on 28 February this year. This latest investment marks a further step forward for the ceramic group led by Erkan Güral and is part of a business project aimed at establishing the group as one of the leading players in the Turkish ceramic industry. It has a production capacity of more than 54 million square metres of tiles and slabs and plans to develop top-of-the-range products for export to the European and American markets.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who emphasised the exceptional value of the investment in Italian technology and its capacity to boost high-end Turkish tile exports and employment at the NG Kütahya Group.

The plant

The new line came into full-scale operation at the end of February and has an annual production capacity of 4.5 million sqm of tiles and slabs. It was built using top-of-the-range Sacmi technology, which supplied equipment for all departments, from forming through to finished product sorting. One of the key machines in the plant layout is a model PCR 2180 Continua+, an ideal solution due to its very high productivity of large size tiles and slabs.

Downstream, the line features a 7-tier E7P 285 dryer, equipped with state-of-the-art systems for maintaining optimal slab temperature, and a glazing line incorporating Sacmi’s most advanced digital decoration technology (DHD and DDG printers) for coordinated graphic effects with unparalleled texture and definition.

Sacmi also supplied the handling and storage solutions as well as a new 200-metre FMA 295 Maestro kiln, which allows for customised control of all the key firing parameters (air/gas, etc.) and optimises consumption.

The finishing department is equipped with an ultra-modern BMR line, which includes a squaring machine, a polishing machine and a Supershine unit to ensure outstanding finished product aesthetics. For the sorting line, NG Kütahya opted for an ultra-modern hybrid EKO SORT Dinamica - EKO WRAP line.

Thanks to integration with H.E.R.E. software, the new plant achieves high levels of automation throughout all stages of the process, allowing for a significant reduction in manpower and optimised production flows.

NG Kütahya’s new slab line is an important result for Sacmi in the strategic and steadily growing Turkish market, where it has completed numerous projects and has others in progress, including sales of several Continua+ lines.

NG Kütahya has also signed up for the new Sacmi Smart Service maintenance plan for four PH 8200 presses that have been in operation for several years at the NG Kütahya Seramik facility. The new plan, which includes four years of guaranteed support, preventive spare parts kits and scheduled maintenance by Sacmi technicians, will be trialled by NG Kütahya Seramik on the presses ahead of potential new investments.