diamorph hob certec continues its investments

The investment programme initiated in 2016 by diamorph hob certec, a leading producer of ceramic rollers based in Horni Briza (Czech Rep.), will be completed by the end of the year. This is the biggest investment made by the Czech company in its 22 years of history and is aimed at maintaining its leading international position over the coming years.

The investment is divided into two stages with the aim of significantly increasing production capacity of Hyperoll XXL rollers in response to the recent sharp growth in demand, in turn driven by the growing popularity of large-size tiles and panels and the consequent development of wider kilns requiring stronger rollers. The biggest user of Hyperoll XXL rollers is Siti B&T Group, which adopts rollers up 5 metres in length on its high-efficiency Titanium kilns.

The first investment stage, which was concluded in June this year, involved building an entirely new facility for machining and quality control of the ceramic rollers, two of the most crucial aspects of the hob certec production process. The company has in fact long been renowned for the precise machining operations and strict quality control, which ensure that all rollers leaving the factory are of first quality class.

The second stage is currently underway and involves the construction of an exceptionally large latest-generation kiln (useful volume 150 cubic metres) which will have a capacity of up to 400,000 rollers/year. The kiln will operate at extremely high temperatures to ensure a high level of uniformity in terms of modulus of elasticity, breaking strength and density over the entire length of the roller, as well as very small diameter and rotation tolerances.

In this unique kiln design, the rollers are suspended semi-mechanically inside the kiln, ensuring the highest possible firing performance and preventing product breakages. Looking to the future, the new kiln is the only one in the world capable of firing rollers up to 8 metres in length, guaranteeing the highest levels of quality of the entire Hyperroll XXL range (Hyperroll-X, Hyperroll-Dense, Hyperroll-NG, RCZ and Correctorroll).