Roca Brasil Cerámica doubles its SuperSize line

The second complete Continua+ line supplied by Sacmi will be started up in May at the Incepa plant and will manufacture the new 160x160 cm and 160x320 cm SuperSize formats with 7 mm thickness.

Roca Brasil Cerámica, a pioneering Brazilian company operating in the large-size porcelain tile and slab segment, has produced numerous collections of extra-large surfaces in recent years under the Incepa and Roca Cerámica brand names.

In 2015 it became the first Brazilian company to install Sacmi’s Continua+ line at its Campo Largo plant, then after joining the Mexican Lamosa group in 2021 is now set to increase its output volumes and expand its product range as part of a major investment due for completion by early May this year.

This will include the start-up of a second complete Continua+ line at the Incepa facility, which could reach a production capacity of 250,000 sqm/month considering an average mix of sizes and product types. The aim of the investment is to introduce the new 160x160 cm and 160x320 cm SuperSize formats with 7 mm thickness and gain a bigger share of the Brazilian large-format tile and slab market, a segment in which Roca Brasil Cerámica is already a major player.

For its latest investment in the slab segment Incepa has once again adopted cutting-edge technology from Sacmi. The second complete Continua+ line has already been installed and consists of a PCR2000 Smart compactor together with all the other key machines on the production line. These range from the Sacmi MMC92 modular mill and the ATM110 spray dryer for the body preparation stage through to the thermal machines: the 7-tier E7P 285 dryer and the 210-metre FMA Maestro kiln, the modulated air-gas solution that is now the market standard in terms of efficiency, quality and low consumption. To complete the production process, Incepa once again opted for Sacmi Deep Digital machines to create stunning material effects and sense of depth. At the same time, the unique versatility of the Continua+ line enables it to produce slabs of different sizes and thicknesses with lower levels of consumption and smaller space requirements, while avoiding the inflexibility that is typical of the traditional pressing process.

According to Managing Director Sergio Wuaden, “Given the expected increase in production of SuperSize slabs resulting from the upcoming start-up of the second line, we are very optimistic for 2023. We are expecting a 14% increase in sales volumes and 30% growth in revenues compared to last year”.

Read the complete interview with Sérgio Wuaden published in Ceramic World Review 150