Ibstock Group renews Production Plant in Throckley, GB
[November 2007] In November 2007, a new plant for the production of common bricks in Throckley near Newcastle-on-Tyne was handed over from KELLER HCW to the Ibstock Group. With this plant, KELLER HCW replaced the existing installation with a modern, fully-automatic plant with a direct setting system. An essential condition for the success of the project was a rather short downtime to minimise the loss in production and the implementation of a trendsetting technology with regard to the energy consumption.
Introduction
Before the modernisation, the site in Throckley manufactured a total number of 27 different facing bricks from 5 different clay materials with a wide range of surface treatments and had a total plant capacity of 50 million bricks per year. As the existing plant no longer met the present-day requirements, it was decided to build a new plant with the same production range but with a considerably increased capacity.
Production site
Next to the existing production plant there were a number of unoccupied areas in the factory building which were intended to be used for the new plant. KELLER HCW developed a complete layout where the empty space was optimally used and it was only necessary to build a few extensions for the new plant and to use some areas of the old plant. Therefore the dryer, the kiln and the unloading and packing installations could be erected with the existing plant still running at full production. This approach not only minimised the transition and downtime but reduced the investment value at the same time.
Brick production
The capacity of the existing preparation plant was of sufficient size and was connected without any modifications to the relocated extruder via a double shaft mixer used to remix the returned waste clay material. The extruder is followed by a number of transversally movable surface treatment centres, which, depending on their use and combination, allow for the manufacture of a large variety of different bricks. The enhanced lift through cutter is installed after the slug cutter. This lift through cutter is equipped with pre-cutting rollers for all four sides and comprises a refined wire suspension device and a new system that allows a faster change of the cutting wires. The cut products are then prepared for the setting procedure and are set on the kiln car by two robots. The combination of the modules for the setting preparation allows for edge and flat setting, and single cross-bonded, double crossbonded and faced setting.
Dryer
The operation of the newly installed tunnel dryer is based on a well-known drying concept which was implemented according to the latest state of the art. Radial fans without housings are mounted on an intermediate ceiling, with their drive mechanisms located on the dryer roof, and they carry out the air circulation in the individual zones. Furthermore, the size of the injection slots is variable and can be adjusted to provide an optimum effect. This circulation system together with the improved heat recuperation system from the kiln makes this dryer a very efficient and product protecting dryer.
Kiln
The new kiln is designed with an inner steel skin in accordance with the reliable KELLER HCW technology. Preheated combustion air, which is used for the kiln, and an elaborate circulation system in the cooling zone, just to name a few, provide optimised energy consumption features. A burner plant with pulse control system guarantees an ideal firing result. The highly-flexible KELLER HCW kiln control system ensures the best firing results for each of the many products fired in the kiln. The kiln is laid out for oxidising and reducing firing processes.
Unloading and packing station
After firing, the automatic kiln car transport system moves the kiln cars to the unloading position where complete packs are taken from the car and set on a bar chain conveyor. The packs are then conveyed to 2 robots which take off the packs in layers. Each robot sets layer after layer as 4 separated and individual rows on the corresponding conveying belt. The setting patterns can then be easily reset and this allows a number of workers to visually check the bricks if required and sort out defective bricks. The bricks are then counted again and one robot each per line stacks the bricks in layers to form a pack without pallets. The stacking robot also inserts paper and veneer strips into the pack. From every line, the stacked packs are pushed from their stacking positions onto a transport carriage that moves the packs in front of the central strapping station. After indexing through the strappers, the strapped packs are covered with a stretch film and are transported outside the building on a magazine chain conveyor, where a fork-lift truck picks them up.
Summary
The professional close cooperation between the two parties was a key factor to make this important project for the Ibstock Group and for KELLER HCW a real success. KELLER HCW was able to cope with the challenges such as the short downtimes and the agreed low energy consumptions and even exceeded expectations in some fields. The Ibstock Group now has a state-of-the-art plant that ensures their successful operation in the market within the coming years. For KELLER HCW, this new plant is another reference which accounts for KELLER HCW’s reputation as a reliable partner for high-quality plants.
Further information can be found under the following link:
Brochure 08/2008 »
Project data of the plant »
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