New contracts for Equipceramic in Russia and Algeria

Briqueterie Souakri Frères has entrusted Equipceramic with the restructuring of its facilities in Eftah, Algeria. The main problem at this plant, which produces hollow bricks, is the dryer, although this was only built in 2005. Serious design problems prevent homogenous drying of the bricks. The whole dryer will be adapted in line with rapid dryer principles. The dryer modifications include:

› Dryer height reduction to ensure more homogeneous drying

› Replacement of current turning platforms in the dryer with transfer cars

› Modification of the design of dryer cars to allow setting of the bricks in a vertical position. Their height will be reduced by about 50 cm and only two rows of units in depth per deck will be loaded (three rows are loaded currently). The existing trays will be replaced with fixed decks, facilitating the loading and unloading process

› Addition of a fan in the return area (according to the Barna dryer principle)

› Addition of a burner in the return area in order to ­increase the productivity of the dryer

On account of the new vertical arrangement of the dryer load, extrusion must also be vertical. Another significant aim of the project is to obtain the highest automation level all over the process in order to minimize manual handling of the product. For this purpose, cutting, loading, unloading, setting and dehacking mechanisms will be replaced. At the same time, several interventions have been scheduled in the firing area to guarantee the high quality of the final product and to absorb the increased production of the dryer:

› Replacement of refractory bricks of kiln cars

› Addition of side burners in the kiln to increase the production rate and improve product quality

The project will be completed with the installation of a new dehacking system working on a layer basis. This is followed by a station for making packs, with two gaps being left so that the packs can be handled by the forklift, horizontally and vertically strapped.

Thanks to these upgrades Souakri will be able to secure its success in the market for the years to come.

› ZAO Stroyservice

Equipceramic recently signed a new contract with the ­Russian company ZAO Stroyservice, which was set up in 1963 as a legacy of the Soviet construction industry, for the installation of a new brickworks in Mamadysh, next to the existing plant. The contract was signed at the Ministry of Construction, Architecture and Housing in the Republic of Tatarstan, in the presence of Mr Irek Faisullin – Chief of the Ministry of Construction. This new production unit is aimed at solving local supply problems since there is a shortage of high-quality products in the region. Apart from solid bricks and perforated bricks with chamfered edges, Stroyservice will also manufacture different size blocks.

Start-up of this new plant is scheduled for autumn 2013.