Document vBLaZKJREm4maQoQwgp5evLd9

FILE NAME: RT Vanderbilt (RTV) DATE: 1962 Nov DOC#: RTV258 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Trade Journal Article - Automation Upgrades Production Facilities g ^ ELA,N E N A M E L - G LA SS W H IT E W A R E E LE C TR O N IC C E R A M IC S N O R T H JW *$ S T A T E N W R S tT T L IB R A R * iic .M ii O N , IL A A S 0 V J n c h i s t r y CERAMIC JOURNAL A CAHNERS PUBLICATION NOVEMBER 1962/SO c exhibitstickercom ^ O K I D A T I L E I N D U S T R I E S : C O L O R A N D G R O W T H |ir 62 COVKK AKTICLL ,|S At Florida Tile A utom ation upgrades production facilities Overhead and production costs are cut by using automated equipment in batching, mixing and batch handling. Mechanical handling from press to kiln provides processing flexibilty Ht! C to . L. Vini k m . Managing hditm . CERAMIC INDUS'! Ri H onda 1 tie Irtduslnes slap s that tIs management pliilosophii mi oh cs simplified product hues, with lower manufaciutmg costs achieved hy design and u.si of imix' (iHlomotie equipment Lower o u n h ia d rusts achierul hy automation m e }>rott cti d hy guarding against escessire lop Inecl management >osis in Ihe fmm of non-productive exe< olives and ext.cssire salary sir art tins. Incentives for company executives (is well a.s all employe<s, in the form of profit sharing is used to insure continued high profit ratios Automation is used only win rc it h justified by economics and where manufacturing flexibility is not jeopardized. 2o ilhistuile the FTI approach to automation. The company has retained to fork lift truck handling of palletized ragged iuu materials, after investigating a number of automated raw material handling and storage systems All faded to meet the economic reiparcments and thr need for processing flexibility conimcn sarnie with the plans fur future processing changes E v kh y c k h y a i k .m a m . f , n . n r . n subscribes to the doctrine of low in' overhead and ic d n u 'd pi eduction costs, much as even ted blooded Ameuean boy belies cs m m other and country. But at the Florida Tile Indus tries' plant at Lakeland. Florida the philosophy is translated into action through a numbei of unique manufac turing methods and various m anage ment piaeticos. For instant e, over the years, FT1 has boon veiy siiccesslul m (lie pur chase arid use of Svrindell-Du'sslei Uniiab tunnel kilns. Then method ol purchasing and upgrading their tun nel kiln firing setup is inleiestm g. The company stinted out w ith the smallest 62 Unifab. In an ensuing seven veal period they puiehased eight new tu n nel kilns, seveial oi the smaller sizes fust and then five of the larger sides, which me now m production. D uiing this same period thee sold lour earlier models m the upgiadm g process. The method of kiln purchasing lias guaranteed the company up-to-date firing equipment with minimum main terimiee and has permitted some re turn on the original investm ent through the process of used kiln sales Automated piocessiug of coiamie wall tile has brought a num ber ol ciectrical-nieehaineal devices horn the Florida Tile Industries' engineering staff. Outstanding among tlie.se is an mtegiafed piixhu iioa lint* m \y] tom automatic (.rosslov piesses.f tile into .i sti,light hi- lonieyor langenieut. At the othet end g! tile is placed m scttcis and put position on tunnel kiln eats for dift mg and filing Along the length oi the line ihff*is modified fettling and cleaaisjj equipment, an indc'cmg-fcedmg vice whn.li takes six row-, of the tfly as supplied norm the piesses 1 feeds them w a single fine LI# continuous glaze spoiling operation. The process , Current matei nils handling invoke8g the shipm ent of flagged law mateiifjL,1 (pnm arily takri which me hanawuj by fork lilt tiuck fiom tail cais *** trucks into law material .sio<agt affi' (Fig. 1.) As w ith am eompam aggressivi itnpiovm g its handling methods,'' company has already expeii witli and discarded one bulk n,a handling system. At pieseut, 3,000 lb. bodv b at* :ire made up by bag conni and died on pallets by lift buck'ate loosed to a Hooi level hop f* . shown in Fig. 2 where bag5 u em ptied into the hopper. The iTiat*1 is then lilted by screw eoiiuw'Ot continued on |fdl C FRAM iC IriDUSI Rf ' riOVFs kn !!hn^. hrmiitr 'Itfh awl L a m h u m pailoyed <i hoi lotted HOOO, a lot of hard u'oik. plus (timi/ insist) < gieat deal 01 y fulfil anil personal fnrnds into a sn Iuntici kiln mall tilt: nimiufuetui trig opetalion ctiticnlh/ pmdw'm g at a roar ............ i; 7 Cuneut m u ta ud handling m f t shipini tifi, of palletized, bagged >niatmiah. Futuie plans tall for the tng of cpnw) hneil, endowed, bulk Merlai jr-ipht c ais m suffu lent numheis Win'll rail siding siouige of a 2 # 4 supplii of hulk mutatali ehminatSpdlo storage Plant utilizes a Paugboin l conimi sijsfi in designed by Ohio v Pipe Dust (Dilation hopper is in mckgnniiul b in S Operalo/ charges a watei feed tank which contains the watei plus ad ditine fni a 3 000 lb Ijoch/ hatch in he mixed in a Simpson mullet mixer m 81 aH ifW mm '* W M m Fig. 5 Bochj hutth morstuu checks au mudi' on each balrh tihth- tin hatch is in pun ess Basi moistiuc detri ininafton equipment speeds (he /oh Armane deter mination lakes 2 minutes and can b*' ntn while batch is held n nnxei '.r t\ T1 3 KI *vi 'h ,^ 00 lb bodtf bate hes e made 1 ? J Ja^ 1()unh dared on pallets (left) e' to tlhhon blondin*. opmation INDUSTRY' NOVEMBER iW. hip, d Simpson mixed bodq batch is disc hai get! into a surge bin haung an nnch r-helt feed to the gnndei Vip. ti Finished bodq batches cue handled tu closed contornai s Hem a foik truck delneis- a jiesh bochf bat- h 83 Fi<{. 7 Trim is unused fot thukiwss (it the i>K\ss by fattici s thus1insinuiti ('oiitnmou^ hm- piodiu lion liti H Haifa y of fow automatic Cwsslcy #.3 presses which an integrtju>t an automated pioduction line Xcofnenc belt romeifot anus Ule /om to infia-ied dn/uia, funnel \cenici hackunnnnl> Florida tile continued a stbbon blender ioi the piim aiy boch blending opeiation, Blended both composition (Fig 3) is emptied into a surge hopper hom which it is fed via a veituu] lilt screw into a Simpson-Mullei mixei Ioi a total mixing exele ol 10 minutes l'lie Simpson-Mullei mixed boch batch is discharged into a suige bin (Fig 4) having an nndeibelt con veyor feed vxhieh dehveis the mixed in.itenal to a special gnnding opeiution developed by H on d a Tile Industiies engmeeis O peiation consists of a modified liainmei mill opeiation plus additional pioeessmg to provide a giemulation and paiticle disfnbutioii which fias pi oxen to be hexst suited to the automatic piesxmg leqimemeuts of the plant. Special care is taken dining body piep.uation to maintain mmstme lim its to within plus 01 minus two tenths ot one peicent as shown m Fig. 5, Finished tile boch batches aie lain died m closed galvanized metal tontmneis which permits eas\ handling In toik litt tiinks. (Fig. 6 ) lu addition to its regnlai line ol wall tile, done in 21 colois, the com pany also m am tiactm es a line ol as sociated turn tile as sliowm m Fig 0 Tile foimirig operations In setting up its automated pioduotion line Ioi manufaetuimg wall tile, 1 Tl l hi F Tl Sales Divinati consisis of one u ve presidimi and tu'o salesmen. Thunigh the extensive m e of leased aircraft and long-hind trucking equipment, these three men handled &3.17J ,000 wm th of sales in 1061 tin migli 30 independent wholesale dislnhutms. located throughout fourteen southeastern states. The Finance DivisUm utilizes three full-time C.P A s to provide all dnisions with a m e n t up-to-date east inhumation tlnough the extensive use of automatic l?f>okkf cp m ^ ci'uiprm-til lit e compilili/ is a ptiblicltj-ou ned ( in potation whose stock is Haded in ei t/u (ountei Thine aie .310.9H0 skates of stock outstanding, owned inj hppioximntehj (iOO .shineholders The tompuntj has utihzed /nivale, got eminent SBA and public financing to make possible its te n / uipid growth 64 selected (Tossli \ piesses to burning job. Fom Cros.sley Models'^ 5 presses whic 11 have, been me b \ companv engmeeis, feature matie thickness eimtiol devices Jiti Iced the tile output into a emitimicjB conveyoi belt ioi fuithei process#!; opeiat'ous ( 1 ig 8 ) Blessed tile ate tnuistened hoffl * u eo piene belt at the presses on t i l l metal mesh to m e y o i belt which i#* nes them foi 4 0' nuclei i") banks,-if loin infia ted heateis m a paiti^ opened diving opeiation This tln`iS!( operation lemoxes a total of *h* lo ur peicen t inoisime oi about f* peieenl pen innuite dining th3 f0*r minutes that the tde lem.r'i m cliymg opeiation (Fig. 1 0 ' Tj T he six lines of puitudh dik'd h as showm m Fig. 10 come out o*sV dixiug opeiation and pass senes of automatic fettling and C`I' mg operations Immediately following the e and fettling operations, Flmida i Industnes' engmeeis have dc\iSe Hi nitegiatrd leeding dm lie 'F 'f winch takes these six lines ol tde*1, ieeds them into a single Inis' h 1 " sage' through the gla/e spec '"0 ( meni. ! Olitomeli on tvl us'd E E R /H Z D s S l R Y M O V E ', JPUS7RY NOVf-MiJtR 1962 Fig. U A feeding dei ice designed by Fla, Tile engineers feeds and aequencis the mx hue>of fettled tile into a stngh line ('iiteung the shaight line automatic glaze sjiKUjmg machines Fig 12 Glaze)1 aiv butt had and milled m a modern glaze facility Here a glaze hatch is toeighed m a batch bin ke,t 65 Florida Lile I O I l t l l K ' d Glazes ure piepaied m a modem glaze null mom by batching into special glaze batcli hoppers as shown m Fig, 12 Hie special glaze Loppei is lit ted In an oveihead electue ruonoiail hoist wh u h pei outs its movement up lo a hakon) (Fig. 13) w here it ta n lie disthaiged thiough its bottom slide valve into one ol the five laigei size lull mills which aie chaiged with hideusity alumina giaiding media. Altei suitable ball nulling (vaiia bio, depending on the eokn and type ol glaze) glazes are screened through 100 mesli ,Semens and de-ironed with magnetie sepaiatois prioi to being placed into wooden i asks m w h u h the\ .no stoied adjusted and tianspoited to the glaze spiny mg opeia turn ( lug. I t t Glaz.es are adjusted loi piojier wi'ight mid viscosity altei hung bests have shown batches to be up to uuiriiifaetmmg quality D ehyeiv is made to the continuous glaze spiaw ng optiat-o n , as shown m Fig 14 hollowing glaze spins mg the tile aie subjected to a Iunited mini red dicing opeiation alter which the tile an; hand plated in setteis and the leaded setteis aie placed into position on kiln eais (Fig 15) which aie inn through a waste heat diyet wheie liter are subjected to a two hour <ln mg c \d e at top te.mpeiatme of 5 0 0 -S' to pioduce a bone diy tile lot filing. The i ompany's em rent output ol 25.000 sq ft. ol tile pel day am filed m six funnel kilns on a I3h horn c e d e appiopriately adjusted tor time temperatuie latios associated with the diiieient glaze eolois and fextuses be ing manufactured bv (he eonipam After bring, tile am unloaded horn the kiln cais into tote boxes winch Unxd by skate-wheel eom evois d i rectly to an inspection atea w heie they aie giailed and packed m cwy dosing, lolchng boxes {Fig. 16 1 One of tlx' latest linjjioxements m company properties has been the eonsIiik lion of a '50.000 sq It. waie- liousing opeiation .slK)wn . Where all packaged ti|e , *in' UVp in umioim sized u u d |b`'oc'atir|d carton and wile e approp lory and shipping handled ' bU`iCoPtij, 5 Estensne lalxnaloiy opw,,,; ' vide testing and eontioi o n " |^ S FT1 actively support, the f, the whitewaies mdushy |Jv memhei ol the VMntewatet Assoc uition Pait of the cos! fm j],. -Jr) tenals ii,ed m pioduct ates a fleet of six ttaetor-ttailerl gla/.e raw xnatenals, pioeess c pins H & 1) work on all phast,s v . g rnauniaetuie ol eei.unic ,,,.tn '' i Fw IS ) "hlefd As a pait til the company' distonici seixicc piogiain, I by back-1 muli)ig most ol tin iau hxeix ' shipping opeiation is I which puivide owarmght and on, del iveis to most accounts. d m (,o>ilowed on pagi ' Fig. 13 Glaze belch bucket is elevated and mooed by an electric hohi-umreym to n balcony fin top charging oj the ball mill. Fig 13 Coming out of the "laze si>ray the hie pass tinde.i an infta-ted thier and arc then jilaced into the kiln setteis. Lo'.ihil s dials aie placed on kiln u m . Fig 7 Shotting the in if tparehaudni faiilily in operation, Vta.ka.god ti4 stored in unifonn shipping <irti) to he sent to disto m a se h'ip. 14 Pioduction hatches of glaze, aie handled in wooden casks on pallets by folk liuckn Hcoe the upeiator feeds glaze into the i a tidilating system of the automatic glaze spiny machine 66 big 16 Final mspeihon takes place on a conveyor hch from which tile ate ll(l' into tote hows uhich aie sttuked and m ated on mllcts using hand-moli"''&' imdks. Crs'AMJC INT'LSTRY N C \i-v' b-R if rii! JS H i iiiamlaiii' a fleet of s a fattoi-iunior hacks lo fui ditate tls (tick delkerij a i ti onice sen ir,e polity. litici antlhi`4 ctf mu inciter ruis' helps olisci tirili,cu/ costi hip li) Ijmi Sikes, FT! icurial mtina/ici. t,hecks a neu' lile sample with stuff mo.mheis (left) Marnier Hohn, Kill Ciilbicth and Bill Bust Florida tile continued Management at Flondn Tile eoopeiated by giving thiv complete list oi raw materials and souiecs. Silica (Superni) Raw Material List --Pernio Kama Fulvei i/iug Company Feldspar (Kona) . - Consolidated Feldspai Division, lutei national M inn als & Chem Co Feldspar G 200 ......................... - F e ld s p a r Coip, Colors & Flits --Harslum Chemical Co. Colors & F iit.s ........................... -- Feuo Coip. Colors F l i t s ......................... . --O. Homme! Co, Cokns & F l i t s ........................... --Ceramic Color is Chem ical Company Colors & Puts . . --B. F Orakenlekl 68 Colors is Fnts ( Hay Chi . ( las . . i'ak (Nstal) V ollustemte - Fenico Chip - F mted C f ' - ^ Spurk, - Kr htucks, tv i _ n .i . % a 1\ ando], ! * - ( aboU o M). llt ; lhiopliyllite - (lier Kloi i I 'Vhiniuu . - Alcoa Opueifiers--U ltro x .....................- Metal & The; Opuciiiea'S--Tin O n ,, Ms.(,ean (.heniiesi Refi aetoiies Babcock &W flcJ Refi attunes Casbe Reim; Mel i aetoiies bouthan M,mi)faC Compaio- Insulating Mi ick --Ar rust long C o d f Lab Balances Ball Mills Equipment Usi la b o r a to r y It Control .................. - dei 'ion Sc ale C o ^ . . . - McDaniel Bel'r, . . C om patii ^ Moistme Tcstei Moisture Tester . , (.aneo liiilrurriem - Fisher Si rentific Fall Screens' . ( 'ones & Kev Cheeks - Y E S Tiler --Bell Research, lgc Viscometer . - Biookfield Eng, P roies,s k'oik h it ti in k t s) F oil hit imok(.s) Fork hit tiuek(s) Ribbon B Jc n d e i................ Muller Mixer (Sirupsoni Mater lal Convenors . . . Ttammei Mill Hamniei Mill . . Dust (ontiol svstem Fill' Presses . Automatic Fettling E q u ip m e n t....................... Automatic Fettling Equipment . . Infra Red D n mg [nti a Bed Di s mg Glaze Machines . . . . Glaze M a c h in e s .............. 6-Kilns (Uni iabt Kiln & Di yer lnstiuruontation . . . Car tops . . . . Automatic Coloi Sorting Equipment Chrmnosorler i'.quifieient -( 'lark Tow motoi H ister - Florida Tile National Fnginee ren ida 1 tie \ \ YV Cnudei C Metals DnmtegH Pungbntn tOino ! i Pipe Installation) Ciosslev Machine i - Carnmer/ell - F lo u d a 'i'ile . - D etroit Radiant KeVSU Ray) ; Pet lection s SehuanF Schweitzei - Florida Tile , - Sw uiclell-l hesslei _ - Minneapolis Honev"*\, - Babcock K M leos - S])ecialtics. Inc -< Glaze Preparation Batch Seale (Piintsveigh) Toledo Scali' f -onips* 2 Hoists & M onorail-P N H-Zip L i f t .................. Ball Mills (2 -3 6 0 0 lb.) (Ilarmsclifcgcr) Crossley Machine U-. Ball Mills (3 -1 8 0 0 lb.) . Ciosslev Machine Grinding Media . . . McDanel Refus. Grinding Media . . . . . . Goors Poicclam f'0. De-noniug e q u ip m e n t..............S G. Frantz Screening e q u ip m e n t................- W. S. Tslei Body re c la im ..............................--Roma iron Works Scrap h a n d l i n g ........................... --Roma Iron V"'iU CERAMIC INDUSTRY NOV-n'5