While we wait

Dear readers,

A difficult year for brick makers in Germany is slowly coming to an end. Little has changed in the ongoing slump in residential construction and all related economic sectors. Nevertheless, the early federal elections are fuelling hopes that housing construction could be revived already in 2025. After all, whoever forms the government will no longer be able to avoid this topic.

While we wait for that, however, there is a very nice event coming up that combines the pleasant with the useful: the Würzburg brickmaking course on 2 and 3 December. The programme promises two very interesting days, focussing among other topics on electrification and clay construction.

If you want to shorten the waiting time in another way, you can find out about new research and developments from and for the brick and tile industry in this issue.

The first technical article continues the excerpt from the new book “Optimum drying and firing of bricks” by Dr Stefan Vogt, which began in issue 5/2024. While the first part dealt with a general discussion of possible ways to save energy in the production process as well as specific plant modifications such as clean gas burners, heat pumps and exhaust gas heat exchangers, the second part discusses efficiency increases with rapid dryers.

In the second article, two researchers from Ukraine, Professor Rasul Akhmednabiev and Professor Anatoly Kolienko, present the results of research on tunnel kilns developed in the USSR in the ceramic industry and which are still in operation in Ukraine.

The report presents a new technical development. In Lanklaar, Belgium, Vandersanden has opened a production facility for facade bricks that absorb more CO₂ than they emit during the manufacturing process. The company Rekers has developed a new block press and the company Rotho a special drying chamber for these CO₂-negative blocks called Pirrouet.

Finally, reports inform about the project meeting “Ammonia (NH₃) as a fuel in the brick and tile industry” on 23 September in Essen and the Eurosymposium on 11 and 12 September in Meissen.

I wish you an entertaining and informative read.

Yours

Victor Kapr