DRYLAP | DRY LAPping machine for water saving finishing processes in ceramic sector

Summary
Water is used in almost all ceramic processes. The production cycle of porcelain stoneware in particular, as all wet production cycles, uses large quantities of water and generates considerable quantities of sludge. Currently, a line that processes 1.000.000 sq/m of tiles per year requires approximately 113.000.000 litres of water and generates sludge that contains more than 600 tons of abraded dust. It is estimated that the European ceramics industry, to produce approximately 1.300 million sqm of tiles, consumes more than 30.000 million cube meters of water, compared to the 8 million used by a city of approximately 300,000 inhabitants. In addition, the market demand in ceramic sector requires more and more products to have high intrinsic technical characteristics (reduced absorption, high surface hardness, abrasion resistance) that are typical of porcelain stoneware. These features are obtained through mechanical finishing treatment (polishing and lapping) of fired tiles. Unfortunately, there is a negative side to machining surfaces after firing: it implies the use of a considerable amount of water and generates and equally large amount of sludge. This generates waste, which in addition to material removed, also contains process water.
The objective of the overall DRYLAP innovation project is to validate and launch on the market an innovative industrial process for the ceramic industries, that will allow to re virtually zero with respect to traditional production processes, the use of water. The DRYLAP project will focus on the finishing process of ceramic industry and it will aim at validating on the market a totally “dry” lapping machine that can be used to machine porcelain stoneware tiles compact paste ceramic products, that are the most commonly processed products in the European market.
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More information & hyperlinks
Web resources: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/728725
Start date: 01-05-2016
End date: 31-10-2016
Total budget - Public funding: 71 429,00 Euro - 50 000,00 Euro
Cordis data

Original description

Water is used in almost all ceramic processes. The production cycle of porcelain stoneware in particular, as all wet production cycles, uses large quantities of water and generates considerable quantities of sludge. Currently, a line that processes 1.000.000 sq/m of tiles per year requires approximately 113.000.000 litres of water and generates sludge that contains more than 600 tons of abraded dust. It is estimated that the European ceramics industry, to produce approximately 1.300 million sqm of tiles, consumes more than 30.000 million cube meters of water, compared to the 8 million used by a city of approximately 300,000 inhabitants. In addition, the market demand in ceramic sector requires more and more products to have high intrinsic technical characteristics (reduced absorption, high surface hardness, abrasion resistance) that are typical of porcelain stoneware. These features are obtained through mechanical finishing treatment (polishing and lapping) of fired tiles. Unfortunately, there is a negative side to machining surfaces after firing: it implies the use of a considerable amount of water and generates and equally large amount of sludge. This generates waste, which in addition to material removed, also contains process water.
The objective of the overall DRYLAP innovation project is to validate and launch on the market an innovative industrial process for the ceramic industries, that will allow to re virtually zero with respect to traditional production processes, the use of water. The DRYLAP project will focus on the finishing process of ceramic industry and it will aim at validating on the market a totally “dry” lapping machine that can be used to machine porcelain stoneware tiles compact paste ceramic products, that are the most commonly processed products in the European market.

Status

CLOSED

Call topic

SMEInst-11-2016-2017

Update Date

27-10-2022
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Horizon 2020
H2020-EU.2. INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP
H2020-EU.2.3. INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Innovation In SMEs
H2020-EU.2.3.1. Mainstreaming SME support, especially through a dedicated instrument
H2020-SMEINST-1-2016-2017
SMEInst-11-2016-2017 Boosting the potential of small businesses in the areas of climate action, environment, resource efficiency and raw materials
H2020-SMEINST-2-2016-2017
SMEInst-11-2016-2017 Boosting the potential of small businesses in the areas of climate action, environment, resource efficiency and raw materials
H2020-EU.3. SOCIETAL CHALLENGES
H2020-EU.3.5. SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Climate action, Environment, Resource Efficiency and Raw Materials
H2020-EU.3.5.0. Cross-cutting call topics
H2020-SMEINST-1-2016-2017
SMEInst-11-2016-2017 Boosting the potential of small businesses in the areas of climate action, environment, resource efficiency and raw materials
H2020-SMEINST-2-2016-2017
SMEInst-11-2016-2017 Boosting the potential of small businesses in the areas of climate action, environment, resource efficiency and raw materials