Page 17 - Machines Italia Vol. XIII Next Generation Manufacturing

ing” on a marble floor. But your eyes deceive you—these stunning effects are really created with giant ceramic or porcelain tile slabs.
RAK, in the United Arab Emirates, acquired the Continua pro- duction line. Continua is available from The SACMI Group (Imola, Italy, www.sacmi.com). Continua makes these oversize tiles that can adorn walls, floors and surfaces such as work counters. They can also be used as alternatives to granite and stone surfaces in bathrooms and kitchens. The beauty of using such large pieces is that they reduce the need for unsightly joints or grouting.
Founded in 1919, but not focused on ceramic production lines un- til after World War II, SACMI is a leading manufacturer of machine tools and complete plants across many industrial fields. SACMI USA Ltd. (Des Moines, Iowa, USA, www.sacmiusa.com) was established in 1994 and offers not only commercial support for the Italian head- quarters, along with an additional warehouse location in Nashville, Tennessee, USA (established in 2016), the United States locations also carry a full line of spare parts and are the North American ser- vice centers for technical assistance. SACMI is a member of ACIMAC (Modena, Italy, www.acimac.it), the association for Italian manufac- turers of machinery and equipment for ceramics.
“The new Maximus Mega Slab range should more rightfully be described as being individual works of art, not tiling,” Abdallah Mas- saad told Construction Week in 2015. Massaad is RAK’s CEO. Mas- saad’s interview may have been prompted by a ceramic tile measur- ing 1.5 m x 3 m (4 ft 11 in x 9 ft 11 in) from his Maximus line of tiles that was made on a Continua production line. He exhibited the giant tile at a trade show in Spain.
Since then, SACMI has introduced the tile-making Continua+ line, for variable-size, variable-thickness slab and tile manufacturing, that’s con- nected to its Human Expertise for Reactive Engineering (HERE) informa- tion flow organization system. HERE helps anyone from the machine operator to the company CEO by collecting data and providing a com- prehensive overview of plant production processes, with the intent of maximizing the potential of Industry 4.0. The Continua+ line integrates in- novations designed to optimize and maximize the efficiency of the entire tile-making process, from management of raw material loading through recipe dosage all the way to powder storage in the storage silos.
The machine is equipped with computer vision systems that op- timize surface decoration, making on-slab details such as veining in marble look-alikes even sharper. “Better performance is achieved in terms of energy savings, repeatability and process control, as well as product quality and consistency,” according to the company’s web- site. “Additionally, advanced predictive machine maintenance func- tions are available.”
When SACMI hosted a two-session virtual live presentation of the new Continua+ in July 2019, more than 500 people from 51 countries took part in the event. Participants learned about a versa- tile system that can produce up to 21,460 square meters (230,994 square feet) of pressed product per day within a broad thickness range of 3-30 mm (0.12-1.2 in). Guided by the SACMI team, the cus-
tomers who signed up for the event enjoyed an opportunity to get a close look at the SACMI tech, which transforms colored powder mixes into finished, digitally decorated products. The features of Continua+ make it ideal for managing complex product mixes, not just traditional slabs but all sub-sizes as well.
Digital process control, seamless integration with digital and through-body decoration systems and precise control of density and thickness parameters ensure high productivity and smooth manage- ment of diversified products and small batches, according to SACMI.
Prime, a software platform created by System Ceramics, is used by Ceramiche Mariner for its digital manufacturing activities.
In addition, the features of Continua+ make it perfect for inspiring and helping to execute new development opportunities offered by innovative product families (outdoor, furnishing, etc.) and functions (active surfaces with antibacterial, anti-pollution properties, etc.).
‘Love at 1st sight’ for Industry 4.0 software
More than one Italian company is at the leading edge of sensor- driven operations and has embraced Industry 4.0. Another is the ACIMAC member System Ceramics SpA (Modena, Italy, www. systemceramics.com), with North American locations in Atlanta, Dallas and Nashville. System Ceramics’ platform for digitizing en- tire factories is Prime, an integrated manufacturing operations management system that offers visibility into a factory’s production processes, with the aim of improving production performances. Among the Italian ceramic companies adopting digital production is Ceramiche Mariner SpA (Castellarano, Italy, www.cermariner. it/en/), the first completely digitized production plant in Italy, where Prime manages the entire production flow, according to System Ceramics’ website. Giulia Catti, owner of Ceramiche Mariner, re- counts her experience with Prime, highlighting how production has become more flexible and efficient and how the management of the plant is smarter.
“Prime is a simple and clear tool, easy to use and makes anyone in the company who uses it feel perfectly at ease,” said Catti. “It’s a tool that we all use, from the line operator and department manager
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