Gral plant in Filo D’Argenta starts production

The GRAL (Gruppo Ravennate Laterizi) plant in Filo d’Argenta (Ferrara) is now operative. The plant was completed jointly by the Heavy Clay Division of UNIECO – a major cooperative-type industrial group founded in 1904 – and IBL – a long-standing company with plants in Cotignola (Ravenna) and Bentivoglio (Bologna) belonging to the Dafin Group, headed by the D’Agostino family.
The entire plant was designed and built by Sacmi’s Heavy Clay Business Unit.
Featuring the most advanced technology in the industry, the plant represents one of the Italian heavy clay sector’s most crucial investments of recent years.
Daily output by weight is, for a single production line, unsurpassed: over 500 tons per shift for a total of 1300 tons/day.
Key plant features include:
- fixed-cone drier with external motor
- internal, speed-adjustable, stirrers
- kiln firing system with modulating adjustment and modifiable flame height
- depuration of kiln fumes and their feedback into the drier to provide energy savings
- quality results have outstripped even the most optimistic expectations, as have consumption results. Heat energy consumption (drying + firing) is just 330 Kcal per kilogram of fired product even where output is 50% of maximum capacity.

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