Liebherr TA 230 Litronic - Manual (Page 6)

10 // Quarrying Quarrying // 11
“We cannot extract water from the raw material before moulding.
That means that the moisture content must not be higher than
20 %, even in the pit. One Liebherr R 954 C crawler excavator is
in operation at the spoil. We have Liebherr wheel loaders, one
L 586 and one L 538, working on quarrying at the face. We also
have an L 580 on order. The main reason was that we could get
a certificate of exemption for single journeys for the L 580. That
makes it easier to change sites at short notice due to weather.”
To maintain reserves when operations are stopped, piles up to
190 metres long and 50 metres wide are laid out directly adjacent
to the pits, and these are protected with a fleece. The wheel loaders
at the face load the dumpers, which carry the material to the piles.
Operations at the face are a great stress on the wheel loaders.
The material is highly compressed and very heavy, causing the
equipment to operate at full throttle about 80 % of the time. The
hydrostatic drive is highly beneficial here. “We have performed
direct comparison tests with other machines and have found truly
enormous differences,” Roland Kanefzky says. “For example, the
Liebherr machines are much more economical in terms of diesel
consumption. The Liebherr drive is also easier to monitor. After
all, we have often experienced overheating problems with
converter-powered wheel loaders.”
Ferdinand Kanefzky adds, “We have been working with Liebherr
since 1988. Economy, quality and service are what count for us.
Diesel consumption is of course important, especially for the
wheel loaders. Apart from that, we need high-performance
machines that can withstand a lot. To date we have had a very
good experience with Liebherr as a company. If ever we have
had a problem with a machine, a service representative was
always there very fast. The spare parts supply has always worked
totally smoothly as well. Nagel is a competent service centre close
by with very good people who really know what they’re doing
with the machines.”
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
moulds. 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 colours 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 120 metres long, 5 metres wide and
4 metres high. It takes 44 hours to pass through
its 15 furnace chambers. The maximum furnace
temperature is more than 1,000 °C. The tiles are
still at about 80 °C 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 tonnes 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.”
pallets, and we stopped using plastic foil for our packaging a long
time ago. We elaborately recultivate mined areas, for example,
for agricultural use, or we create a biotope. We have even planted
an orchard with 150 fruit trees.”
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 nine locations with 15 plants and about
1,000 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
2 kilometres away in Roggden. Both products are manufactured
in a range of different styles and colours, 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
Roland and Ferdinand Kanefzky with the final product.
“We attach great importance to working in harmony with nature,”
Ferdinand Kanefzky says, explaining the company’s slogan:
“Natural clay sets the tone.” “Protection of the environment is
important for us. Creaton is one of the first roof tile manufacturers
to be awarded the Bavarian Environmental Medal. We were one
of the first to change over from disposable pallets to Europool
Wheel loaders are used for loading.
The highly compressed material means driving at full throttle 80 %
of the time, which the hydrostatic travel drive handles well.
Feature: Creaton AG Feature: Creaton AG
“We have been working with Liebherr
since 1988. Economy, quality and service
are what count for us.”
Ferdinand Kanefzky, plant manager at the Wertingen and Roggden locations
Sector:
Size of company:
Founded:
Location:
Managing Director:
Website:
Liebherr machines
in operation:
Company profile
Creaton AG
Clay roof tile manufacturing
Nine locations, 15 plants, approx. 1,000 employees
1884
Head office at Wertingen /Germany
CEO: Stephan Führling
www.creaton.de
L 538, L 542, L 566, L 580 IIIB, R 954 C,
PR 744 LGP