Tecna 2022, the leading players give their views: Luca Bazzani, CEO of System Ceramics

What technology solutions have you been working on over recent years that you will be presenting at the fair?

In these exceptional years, which no one could ever have predicted, System Ceramics has developed its growth strategies putting the customer at the center of its activities, accelerating technological innovation, working on the quality of its products, focusing its efforts on sustainability and service.

At Tecna 2022 we will be presenting a summary of these activities seen in a series of highly innovative products.

Technological excellence is the driver of all the achievements of System Ceramics, which confirms its position as the undisputed global leader for all the technologies it offers.

With regards to digital decoration, Creadigit Infinity is the quintessence of its corporate spirit, this year offered as 'water base ready', that is, ready for the use of water-based inks that allow for a fall in emissions of over 40%, improving the quality of the air and the wok environment at the same time. Machine performances of the highest level are boosted by the possibility of integration with the evolved Creavision e-view vision set-up, and with the new Eye-tron which, dialoguing in real time with Creadigit, permits a perfect synchronization of the surface graphics with the full-body effects. Digiglaze, the digital technology for the glazing of ceramic substrates designed and patented by Tecno Italia, the company operating since 1994 and which was acquired at the beginning of the year, allows for the complete digitalization of the glazing line, a reduction in the use of semi-finished products and the almost total elimination of pollutants emitted into the atmosphere. In addition, the integrated use of Digiglaze and Creadigit permits the construction of structures perfectly superimposed on the decoration graphics.

In addition to this particular innovation, there are also the advantages brought by Genya, the device for tracking pieces which makes it possible to optimize production and overall process times while, at the same time, avoid wasting raw material, allowing for the centralized control of all the applications of the decoration line.  

A maximum expression of digitalization, Hypermate powered by Prime is the software packages platform developed to organize the information flows of entire factories in a highly integrated and connected way, generating, at the same time, significant advantages in terms of reduction in the waste of energy and of raw materials, control of production and improvement in qualitative performances.  

Superfast is the most important consolidated technology in the pressing context, thanks to the production flexibility obtained with the moldless pressing process with zero waste and in which energy consumption is one of the lowest in the category, with the significant advantage of the use of standard bodies both in terms of formulation and of humidity.

This flexibility is enhanced thanks to Fastcut with a module for unfired cutting, which adapts to the shrinkage characteristics of the atomized material, for a significant saving of raw material and energy.

Fastdry is the first System Ceramics-branded horizontal multichannel dryer that we will be presenting for the first time at the trade fair. This confirms the great importance of technical excellence and environmental sustainability to System Ceramics; it is hydrogen ready and ready to accept input heat recovery.

The new end-of-line developments will also be characterized by being green:  with Falconslab, the new compact palletization machine for handling large ceramic slabs; with Multistore, the innovative machine for the automatic handling of fired material ; with Cartonstrap, which replaces the plastic strapping machine using only cardboard, for a saving of around 2M meters of plastic strapping/year per production line, making System Ceramics sorting and packaging machines the first in the world to be aligned with the most recent international standards.

Also introduced into this logic is the brand new Sidewrap, the evolved compact size frame wrap-packaging device, which makes it possible to significantly lower the quantity of cardboard used and which can be integrated into existing lines.

Tecna will be for us also an opportunity to present to the public the Genesis project, the technology for the production of large ceramic slabs with three-dimensional graphics, which makes it possible to obtain full-body effects of an extremely high aesthetic level, faithfully reproducing the natural materials.

Genesis makes it possible to take ceramic production beyond the current technological frontier, expanding the contestable market in the direction of products with very high added value.

What do you see in the market in the coming months?

In the wake of the positive trend triggered by the drive to invest with which 2021 opened for the sector, we are approaching the next few months with a cautious optimism.  The instability of international relations and the consequences that this generates as a result, added to procurement difficulties and the increase in the costs of raw materials are a cause of concern. In particular, the increase in energy costs which is hitting Europe will have very heavy repercussions from the point of view of the industrial fabric if it is not tackled in a very short time.

Nonetheless, we are facing this historic moment with a strong sense of responsibility: our objective is to understand and match the productive needs of our customers with environmental needs, in order to reformulate even more performing and sustainable products and services. We have to guarantee technological solutions that can resolve with immediacy and flexibility the limited availability of raw materials and energy resources. The circular economy is no longer a choice; it’s a necessity.

What are your expectations for Tecna 2022?

Tecna is the reference global trade fair for this sector and will continue to be so also in the future. This year presents an opportunity for direct exchange between all the areas of the sector four years after the last edition. To be able to interact personally with our customers has a great value; technological evolution in ceramics arose historically from this symbiosis between tile producer and technology designer.      

Being able to meet in person, moreover, will give us an opportunity to reaffirm the value of Italian technology, built on the expertise of our industrial districts and respect for the environment and for our employees and associates. We are certain that it will be a really intensive week, full of new stimuli on which to continue to invest in terms of resources, ingenuity and quality.

What countries are you focusing on in the run-up to the fair?

System Ceramics is increasingly the reference supplier for the global ceramic market.

The machines that it produces establish the technological standards of the sector at global level.

With its 28 branches present in all the global ceramic districts has a widespread coverage and in recent years has continued to increase investments in the service provided to its customers.  

Today a customer that wishes to introduce the best technologies into its plant entrusts System Ceramics with the design of the entire factory and with the supply of all the main machines, with the guarantee of obtaining the best productive and quality results regarding the finished product.

Every one of our machines is designed to be the most performing in terms of sustainability; we were the first to offer die-cut packaging, then frame packaging. Today we offer plastic-free strapping.

In addition to all this, System adds disruptive innovations which have characterized its history, starting from the production of ceramic slabs, and arriving at today’s technology for the production of large slabs with three-dimensional graphics: Genesis which makes it possible to reproduce natural materials in a practically perfect way, extending the scope of uses of ceramic materials.

Those looking for excellence have no alternative; they find it in System Ceramics.