Sacmi supplies Continua+ technology to the STN Cerámica Group for its new production facility

The plant will begin operation at the Nules facility in spring and will produce ceramic tiles in sizes up to 3200x1600 mm. Sacmi has also supplied the drying and firing equipment.

STN Cerámica’s new large-format tile production site currently under construction in Nules (Castellón) is set to begin operation in the second quarter of this year.

The Spanish group’s new facility, which will operate under the Venux brand name, will be equipped with state-of-the-art technology from Sacmi for the production of large ceramic surfaces. The centrepiece of the new plant will be the Continua+ line (due to be installed and started up in the spring), equipped with a PCR2000 compactor and a TPV on-the-fly cutting machine, together with an APB feed device and DDD digital dry decoration machine. New top-of-the-range sizes will be added to the portfolio, including the 1600x3200 mm and 1200x2800 mm, together with the most popular sub-sizes on the market.

“Our Group’s rapid expansion in recent years has been driven by continuous investment in the best available ceramic production and process technology,” comments Juan Carlos Barberà, General Manager of the STN Cerámica Group. “We considered Continua+ to be the best solution on the market. It offers exceptional versatility in terms of its ability to handle different sizes and thicknesses, enabling us to consistently meet market demand by developing and launching new products.”

For this project, Sacmi also supplied the firing and drying machines, which are designed to optimise quality and sustainability in every step of the process. Specifically, STN chose the new FMA Maestro kiln, Sacmi’s market-leading extra-long modulated air-gas model, together with the E7P 7-tier dryer and EUP pre-kiln dryer.

The drying and firing department uses the latest Sacmi heat recovery solutions, such as the RVE system which recovers hot air from the kiln and channels it to the dryer. This significantly reduces levels of consumption, emissions and costs.

Founded in the 1970s under the name Cerámica Nulense, the STN Cerámica Group now operates on an industrial site extending over an area of more than 1,000,000 sqm. With a production capacity of 100 million sqm/year, it is the second largest ceramic tile producer in Europe and the seventh largest in the world. It exports its products to more than 140 countries worldwide.