Liebherr L 556 - Manual (Page 10)

10 // Quarrying
Wheel loaders are used for loading.
Creaton AG is one of the leading manufacturers of clay tiles in
Europe. The company was formed from the merger of the two
Bavarian tile works Berchthold and Ott. Berchthold was founded
in 1884 in the town of Wertingen near Augsburg, the present-day
location of Creaton’s head office.
In total, Creaton AG has 9 locations with 15 plants and about
1000 employees. Approximately 100 employees work at the
Bavarian locations of Wertingen and Roggden. Small pan tiles
are produced in Wertingen, while beaver tail tiles are made just
1.2 miles away in Roggden. Both products are manufactured in
a range of different styles and colors, with about 50 different
features such as ventilation or apex tiles. They are delivered to
building material wholesalers and larger roofing companies,
primarily in Germany and other European countries. But there are
also customers in other parts of the world who choose Creaton
products. For example, tiles from Wertingen were used to tile the
roof of the Hofbräuhaus brew pub in Las Vegas. “We even have
companies from Singapore and China on our list of customers,”
explains Ferdinand Kanefzky, factory manager at the Wertingen
and Roggden locations.
“80 % of our raw materials is loess, 20 % highly plastic clay. The
clay decides how easy it is to shape the tiles. Of decisive
importance is the exact composition of the different materials
extracted and their mixture,” Ferdinand Kanefzky continues,
explaining the production of roof tiles in Wertingen. Moisture is
another critical parameter. “We go to great lengths to make sure
that we start with perfect raw materials. That begins with the
analysis and treatment of the material in the pit and continues
through to the meticulous examinations in our own laboratories,”
Ferdinand Kanefzky adds, describing each production step.
“Dosage is the first step in preparing the raw materials. The
material is then put into a machine, which smashes and mixes
the components. It is then sent through two rollers and pressed
to about the thickness of a fingernail. After that, it is put into a
vacuum chamber where the air is drawn out of the material. Now
the tiles can be finished in a press with plaster molds. At this
point, it still consists of about 19.5 % moisture. After the next step
– drying – the residual moisture is reduced
to 2 %. The final step before the furnace is
to apply a glazing, also called engobing, that
produces colors for the top layer out of
minutely ground clay.
The tiles are placed in furnace cartridges
and conveyed automatically through the
furnace kiln transporters. The furnace in
Wertingen measures some 394 ft long, 16 ft
5 i wide and 13 ft high. It takes 44 hours to
pass through its 15 furnace chambers.The
maximum furnace temperature is more than
1832 F. The tiles are still at about 176 F when
they leave the furnace. The next step is a
final examination, part automatic and part
manual, before the tiles are sorted into
smaller packages that a roofer can easily
handle.
Every year, many tons of loess and clay are
needed for producing tiles in Wertingen and
Roggden. Roland Kanefzky, head of Machine
Engineering and of the vehicle fleet,
describes the process: “We have to be
flexible according to the weather.
Roland and Ferdinand Kanefzky with the final product.
Feature: Creaton AG