The clay does not last forever and, with limited deposits and high market demands, the best clay is very expensive. What would an endless source of raw material do to the prices of decorative tiles? Let's think about it and ask ourselves, how do the prices on high-quality clay dictate the market? Understanding this, might make us more open to the idea of doing things differently, be less dependent on expensive clay, thus reducing your production costs.

As you know, February is a key month for ceramics in Spain. This year both Cevisama and Qualicer took place and we could foresee what the future of ceramics will look like. Like the previous years, large sizes and high definition printing continue to reign. However we could also see a growing concern towards more sustainable ceramics and the first steps towards the famous Industry 4.0. So, what are the main trends we could see there?

Large, thin tiles have become great trend in the ceramic industry and lately the market has responded with higher demands for those sizes. However, manufacturing these big slabs involves some big challenges. The difficulties tile makers face when producing these sizes are related to the mechanics of the tile, the manufacturing methods and the raw materials. One of the greatest challenges has been the conflicts in Ukraine, where most of the clay to manufacture these types of tiles comes from. This has affected significantly the market pricing.

This month we will focus on the importance of testing and measuring results to optimize production. Both on small and large scale, measuring and analyzing results will definitely help you increase your production efficiency.

Measuring results is key to be able to understand how your production is going and if you should make any changes in your supply chain. In today's ceramic market, new tools to measure different parameters appear every year, making it barely impossible to be able to catch up with all of them. However, we have found several that we think might be relevant and a bit more unknown. So this month is all about tools!

Reducing production costs has always been an important topic for ceramic manufacturers. There are many ways to reduce costs, but it is not always so easy to do so when you want to achieve high quality results. We can give you a few tips to reduce your manufacturing costs without affecting the final product. This month we will go over cost reduction in both decorative tile and brick and roof tile production, so don’t miss our blog posts!

This month we will talk about kilns. From their importance during the manufacturing process of both bricks and tiles, to new kilns and trends we can find nowadays. We have asked some questions to our ceramics experts and here is what they have told us. 

Last week we were lucky enough to visit one of the most important ceramic events in Spain, Cevisama, where we could foresee what the future of ceramics will look like. During 5 days, manufacturers exhibit their products, where large sizes and high definition printing continue to reign. So, what are the main trends we could see there?

In today’s question of the month we talk about bricks and challenges of manufacturing. During last year we wrote several articles on bricks; how to optimize production, how to increase extrusion rates and how to reduce cracking... This month we will talk about brick manufacturing and how to improve the process.

We're getting very close towards the end of the year and inspired by the Christmas lights and the chilly weather we have decided to make a "Question of the Month - Christmas Edition". In this special edition we have gathered all of the questions received during the year to prepare a Top 5 FAQs regarding clay conditioners. Are you curious about clay conditioners? Keep reading!