China Xi'an Brictec Engineering Co., Ltd. Company News

Project overview Malaysia CBT decorative bricks production line project is Brictec's flagship model project in Southeast Asia, designed to produce a daily output of 70,000 decorative bricks (215x100x67mm). Due to the molding shift of 6 days per week, the actual daily output is about 85,000 pieces. The main project process for decorative bricks production line: The project adopts wet plastic extrusion process, its drying adopts single layer tunnel dryer with support bar recycling, and firing uses external firing tunnel kiln with flat ceiling of lightweight mullite. The operating equipment can be automatically controlled, and the drying chamber and tunnel kiln are centrally controlled. November Project Phase Summary   1.Drying Chamber Section 1：The cyclone base and main shaft motor on the top of the drying chamber have been installed,22 cyclone cone barrels have been installed and debugged,and 65 fans have been installed; 2：The hot air pipe was produced on November 25,and the welding and assembly were completed; 3：The concrete pouring of 2 out of 4 lines of the internal track of the drying chamber has been completed,and the other 2 lines are expected to be completed before December 8; 4：The ferry lane construction at the vehicle exit has been completed; 5：The hot air feeding blowers have been moved to the installation location; 6：65 cyclone column piers have been poured.   2.Tunnel Kiln Section 1：After the completion of the ceiling beams,85 beams have been installed,along with 1512 secondary beams; 2：The concrete pouring for the tunnel kiln ring beam has been finished; 3：The construction of 2 return lines in the pre-drying chamber has been completed; 4：The foundation construction of the ferry lane at the exit has been completed,and the steel bars of the track beam have been tied,awaiting track installation; 5：The concrete pouring of the moisture exhaust chamber at the entry has been completed, and the case-in-place concrete top plate at the exit has also been completed; 6：The ground of the return line has been excavated,and the crusher will be brought in next week to crush the ground,after which construction will commence; 7：3780 lightweight high-aluminum hanging bricks and 3780 MG-26 polylight mullite ceiling bricks have been bonded.   3.Process Equipment Foundation Section 1：Excavation of box feeder foundation and positioning of super fine roller mill. 4.Arrival Status The second batch of domestic goods 2-4,2-5,and 2-6,total 15 containers arrived at the site,the inventory was completed without any damage or quantity error,the goods were placed in an orderly manner in the designated location of the workshop. 5.On-Site Documentary Pictures    

Several Key Factors Affecting the Output and Energy Consumption of Vacuum Extruder Vacuum extruder is the main equipment in brick and tile industry for producing hollow brick, and its performance directly affects the economic benefit of enterprise. The are four key factors that affect the performance: mud cylinder, auger, head and die of extruder. As long as these four factors are properly configured, combined with a well-designed production process, the extruder can achieve its optimal performance. At present, there is an opinion that a shorter mud cylinder is better, as it reduces load and increases output. In fact, the length of the mud cylinder should depend on different raw materials and the nature of finished product. For material with high plasticity, the cylinder should be shorter; conversely, it should be appropriate longer. For standard brick, the cylinder should be shorter, whereas for hollow brick, it should be appropriate longer. Generally, the number of auger turns in sealing section should meet the turns required to generate pressure. 2.Auger The length of mud cylinder is not the only key factor in determining output, the arrangement of the auger pitch is equally important. It’s worth noting that the arrangement should be tailored to different raw materials. For example, there is a JKR45/45-2.0 vacuum extruder in a brick plant in Jieshou city, Anhui province, has a mud cylinder length of 550 mm, sealing section length of 725 mm, and an auger pitch arrangement of 380, 360×1.76, 380×1/2. The raw material used is plain sedimentary soil. During the test run, the output of KP1 was 6 strips/min, the mud cylinder and the head of the extruder overheated, the mud strip lacked toughness, and severe spiral grain occurred. After analysis, the issue was attributed to an unreasonable pitch arrangement. A new auger was designed with a pitch arrangement of 380, 33x1.92, and 380x1/2, which extended 4 cm into extruder head. It increased the output to 14 strips/min, while reducing the temperature of the head and mud cylinder. It can be seen that the pitch arrangement should be designed based on the characteristics of the raw materials. It is best to analyze the composition and plasticity of the materials before test run and then manufacture the auger accordingly to avoid delays. 3.The die of extruder The quality of the die directly impacts both the quality and output of product. Our approach is to design the KP1 die and the extruder die for non-load-bearing hollow brick based on the composition and plasticity of the local raw materials, as well as the actual condition of the die for standard solid brick. Generally, the taper of the die should be controlled at around 7 - 8. When the plasticity is high, the taper should be enlarged appropriately; when it is low, the taper should be reduced. For example, in a brick factory in Changsha using soft shale with good plasticity, the KP1 die has a length of 155 mm, with an outlet of 250×122 mm and an inlet of 300×185 mm. In another factory in Jieshou, Anhui, the die for non-load-bearing 8-hole hollow brick is made directly from δ=30 steel plate without a taper. Additionally, in Hexian, Anhui, the JKR50/50-2.0 features a KP1 double outlet design with a length of 140 mm, and outlet and inlet of 250×250 mm and 285×285 mm. 4.The head of extruder The shape of the head varies among different manufacturers, but the general structure is the same. It is usually equipped with two types of heads (for sand material, the head is longer, and for material with good plasticity, the head is slightly shorter). In addition, there is another type of internal head that features the die embedded inside the cavity of extruder head, with adjustable length and size of the die. For hollow brick, the manufacturing of the head is divided into two types: combined type and main auger insertion type. In short, the diversity of extruder head also reflects the diversity of raw materials. In conclusion, the above four are the main factors affecting the performance of the extruder, and their optimal combination for different raw materials can make the extruder achieve its best performance. Therefore, preliminary research is crucial for different production lines. For each client, it is important to first study their raw material characteristics before determining the optimal design. At the same time, on-site personnel should possess good skills and be able to come up with best solution for any issues that arise during testing to ensure client satisfaction. The extruder (including both non-vacuum and vacuum extruders) is the main equipment in brick production line. The article discusses the energy-saving measures of extruder from the perspective of installing a reactive power compensator, rational selection of vacuum pump, and the design of auger and mud cylinder, etc: （1）Installing a reactive power compensator in extruder can save energy Installing an energy-saving compensator at the main circuit terminal of extruder motor can improve the power factor of the motor (generally increasing the COSΦ to around 0.95) and save more than 15% of energy, especially in location with low load or where the motor is far from the transformer, where its effect is more significant. （2）The vacuum extruder should be equipped with suitable vacuum pump In the past, vacuum extruder was typically equipped with high-power vacuum pump, leading to significant energy waste. Due to poor sealing, a 450mm vacuum extruder had to be paired with a 22KW vacuum pump, and the vacuum level often failed to meet requirement. In recent years, some brick manufacturers have improved the sealing component of the vacuum system, and the performance of vacuum pump has significantly improved. Now, a 5.5KW mechanical vacuum pump can fully meet the need of 500 mm or even larger vacuum extruder, while maintaining a high vacuum level over the long term. （3）The vacuum extruder should be equipped with optimally designed auger Auger is the core component of the extruder, and its quality plays a decisive role in extruder’s performance. For some extruders, simply improving components such as the auger can reduce electricity consumption by 20% - 30%, while also increasing output by 20% - 30%. The energy-saving effect is significant. （4）Improving the mud cylinder of extruder can reduce energy consumption The length of mud cylinder is also an important factor. Some brick manufacturers believe that a longer mud cylinder is better. However, it not only consumes excessive power but also causes the cylinder to overheat, resulting in a decline in brick quality. Generally, the enclosed length of the auger should not exceed 3 pitches. （5）The vacuum extruder is most energy-saving at its optimal speed. Some brick manufacturers believe that higher extruder speed leads to higher output and lower energy consumption per 10,000 bricks. In fact, with the same material and condition, there is only one optimal speed. Test has shown that the extruder consumes the least energy and achieves the highest output at its optimal speed. Exceeding this speed result in higher energy consumption without any increase in output. （6）Improving production management can make the extruder energy-saving Some brick manufacturers with same conditions have significantly different energy consumption per 10,000 bricks, primarily due to poor management. For example, in production process, the material supply may sometimes be insufficient, causing the extruder to operate inefficiently with low output. At other times, the material supply may be excessive, resulting in the extruder being “overloaded” and requiring frequent shutdown for cleaning, which reduces hourly output. Additionally, poor coordination in production, such as insufficient raw material supply or delay in brick conveyance can lead to shutdown and low output, thereby increasing energy consumption. Furthermore, some manufacturers neglect regular maintenance, failing to replace worn mud cylinder liner or repair gap greater than 20 mm between the auger and the liner, all of which lead to higher energy consumption.  

2024 Brictec - Malaysia CBT Decorative Bricks Production Line Project Construction Work Proceeding in an Orderly Manner 一、Project overview Malaysia CBT decorative bricks production line project is Brictec’s flagship model project in Southeast Asia, designed to produce a daily output of 70,000 decorative bricks (215x100x67mm). 二、Main process of the project The project adopts wet plastic extrusion process, its drying adopts single layer tunnel dryer with support bar recycling, and firing adopts 1150℃ external firing tunnel kiln with flat ceiling. The operating equipment can be automatically controlled, and the drying chamber and tunnel kiln are centrally controlled. 三、Construction progress in October 2024 （1） Drying chamber 1: The RCC pouring on the front top plate of the drying chamber has been fully completed with a total area of 992.06 m2 and 275 m3 of concrete poured. The RCC grade is C30; 2：The installation of cone blower base has been completed with 30 pieces; 3: The cleaning of cement paste on external wall surface has been completed for 40 m. （2） Tunnel kiln 1: The masonry work on one side of the external wall has been completed, while 10.68 m of the inner wall on the other side remains unfinished, which is expected to be completed by November 2. The drainage platform at the entrance has not been poured yet. 2：Beam pre-embedded parts arrived on site on October 30th. The embedded base plates are being welded, with a total of 170 pieces, and the welding is expected to take 4 days. 3：The construction of tunnel kiln’s return line track beam started on October 27. At present, one track has been completed. The retaining wall for foundation pit has been completed, and the foundation base layer has been poured. 4：The installation of the track inside tunnel kiln and the ferry cart track at entrance have been completed, and the concrete (C30) has been poured. （3）Recognition and appreciation Domestic goods were shipped to the site in batches without any damage to packaging, materials, equipment and accessories. Raw materials are stored in accordance with their usage sequence and item category, highlighting Brictec meticulous approach to project management.  

Tunnel Kiln Structure and Energy Consumption   一、 Kiln insulation & Energy consumption Fuel, electricity and labor are three primary costs in the sintered product production process. However, fuel waste occurs easily due to improper construction and mishandling. Therefore, reducing energy consumption becomes a long-term goal for the sintered brick production line.     The insulation performance of kiln is crucial for reducing energy consumption. When the kiln operates at high temperature all the time, about 30% - 40% of the heat is absorbed and dissipated by kiln body. As fuel price continues to rise, improving kiln insulation is increasingly important. The kiln body consists of two parts: wall and roof. External wall, which is exposed to the atmosphere, usually requires to have the insulation cotton with thickness of 6 - 10cm in order to minimize heat loss. Most heat loss is from kiln roof heat dissipation, thus the roof insulation is more important. In addition to using insulation cotton in refractory arch brick, materials like perlite and others should also be added to further enhance insulation function and reduce heat loss. Common materials such as aluminosilicate fiber, rock wool, perlite and lightweight insulation brick, are all characterized by good insulation performance. Kilns with insulation material can reduce energy consumption by over 50 kcal per kilogram of product compared to those without insulation.   二、 Kiln cart insulation & Energy consumption   Kiln cart heat dissipation is also another way of heat loss. Many kiln carts bottom temperature reaches 300℃, which not only causes serious heat loss, but also easily damage the bearing. The main factors affecting kiln cart heat dissipation are the insulation performance of cart construction material and the sealing performance at the contact surface between adjacent cart. A well-designed kiln cart should has insulation wool, perlite and lightweight insulation brick laid on its bottom, followed by a layer of refractory brick. Additionally, two-stage sealing with insulation wool should be applied at the joint to reduce heat transfer effectively.   三、 Kiln cart sand seal & Energy consumption   The poor performance of sand seal not only leads to heat loss but also causes airflow disturbance inside the kiln, which are major causes of unfired brick. The cold air entering through the sand seal directly affects the green brick on both sides of the kiln cart. However, the temperature on both sides is already lower than those in the center due to heat absorption by kiln wall, and with the added influx of cold air, the temperature drops even further, leading to the unfired brick cases.   四、Tunnel kiln ventilation & Energy consumption   Fuel combustion requires sufficient oxygen, which is combustion agent for material burning. It requires approximately 30m3 - 40m3 of air for the combustion of one kilogram of pure carbon. Although the air entering the kiln is formed by smoke exhaust fan, the size of cross-sectional area of ventilation duct is the key to ensure sufficient airflow. Without adequate airflow, the fuel can not be fully combusted. Under optimal oxygen condition, one kilogram of pure carbon can produce 8,500kcal of heat and release carbon dioxide. However, under oxygen shortage condition, the fuel can only produce 1,700kcal of heat, with incompletely Oxidized Carbon converting to carbon monoxide (coal gas) and being exhausted from the kiln.     Based on the information provided above, 10,000 bricks require approximately 1.1 tons of pure carbon. A tunnel kiln that produces 200,000 standard bricks per day has an hourly output of about 8,000 bricks, which requires approximately 0.88 tons (880kg) of pure carbon. The ventilation duct needs to supply 35,200m³ of air per hour, assuming an air velocity of 8m/s, the duct area should be approximately 1.22m². However, the cross-sectional area of the ventilation duct should be 1.5 times larger than the calculated area because the internal and external coal used for brick firing is composed of pure carbon, which has a high ash content and low calorific value. Therefore, the required oxygen is significantly greater than the amount consumed during the combustion of pure carbon. 五、Kiln insulation & Green Brick drying     The heat for drying brick comes from smoke and waste heat of kiln. The waste heat is generated during the cooling process of the green brick. A well-insulated kiln not only minimizes heat loss during the firing process but also extracts heat from cooling section and feeds it into drying chamber, ensuring that the chamber has sufficient heat for drying brick.   六、Kiln length & Heat utilization rate Kiln length increase not only boosts output and product quality, but also improves heat utilization rate. By increasing the length, the firing time gets prolonged, realizing a low temperature long firing. Extending insulation time of brick at relatively lower temperature helps to balance kiln temperature, enhancing product strength and reducing unfired brick, and allows for a increase in loading speed, thus boosting the output. More importantly, by extending the kiln length, it is possible to fully extract the waste heat from the cooling zone of the brick and send it to the drying kiln for brick drying. If the kiln is too short, the temperature of the brick that comes out of kiln remains high, leading to significant heat waste. Therefore, it is essential to increase the firing length appropriately.   七、Output & Energy consumption The heat absorbed is determined by time rather than output. Throughout the year, the kiln consumes a fixed amount of heat each day, thus, so increasing daily output is the most effective strategy to reduce energy consumption. Enhancing ventilation volume to facilitate fuel combustion is a essential condition for higher output, which is also a good way to reduce energy consumption per brick.  

Malaysia CBT Decorative Bricks Project - 2024 Xi’an Brictec Construction Updates On Oct 5, 2024, Mr. Lan, General Manager of Brictec, visited Malaysia CBT project site in person to inspect the construction progress and quality, and to take suggestions from the client.   一、Project overview Malaysia CBT decorative bricks production line project is Brictec's flagship model project in Southeast Asia, designed to produce a daily output of 70,000 decorative bricks (215x100x67mm). Due to the molding shift of 6 days per week, the actual daily output is about 85,000 pieces. The main project process for decorative bricks production line: The project adopts wet plastic extrusion process, its drying adopts single layer tunnel dryer with support bar recycling, and firing uses external firing tunnel kiln with flat ceiling of lightweight mullite. The operating equipment can be automatically controlled, and the drying chamber and tunnel kiln are centrally controlled. ​二、General Manager on-site Inspection On Oct 5, 2024, Mr. Lan, General Manager of Brictec, visited Malaysia CBT project site in person to inspect the construction progress and quality, and to take suggestions from the client. 三、High standard & strict control Xi’an Brictec always adheres to the concept of high standard and strict control, and carries out standardized and real-time comprehensive management over project material, equipment supervision, construction process, delivery process and construction progress.  

2024 Xi’an Brictec: Malaysia CBT Project Lunch Ceremony （Two Times Setting Process） On July 8, 2024, the Malaysia CBT project lunch ceremony was held by Xi’an Brictec successfully, the main purpose of which is to arrange the project constructing schedule and the project personnel duties, and to define the working responsibilities. The CBT project is in Johor Bahru, the second largest city in Malaysia. It is located in the northern part of the Straits of Johor, bordered by the South China Sea to the east, the Straits of Malacca to the west and Singapore across the Straits of Johor to the south. The project adopts a fully automated two times setting and single layer drying process, with a daily production capacity of 70,000 decorative bricks (215 x 100 x 67mm), as well as paving bricks, and other types of bricks. Malaysia CBT project is the annual key flagship project of Brictec in 2024. It follows the project development concepts of high standard, strict requirement, good quality and perfection, adhering to Brictec’s company culture of “Struggle oriented and customer-centered” to ensure customer satisfaction and favorable feedback on every indicator.  

Xi’an Brictec debuts on the 38th Ceramics China and gained a big success   The long-expected Ceramics China, 2024 has come to reality from June 18-21, 2024, presenting a brilliant and unparalleled industry event for global professionals at ceramic industry. The exhibition brings new vitality into the ceramic industry for further innovation, cooperation, and development! The theme of this exhibition is “Shining with global innovations together, intelligence leads towards the future”. This exhibition aims to promote technological innovation, develop green and low-carbon and digital intelligence. In total, 702 enterprises of ceramic industry covering 21 countries and regions join the exhibition, showcasing the innovative products, advanced technology and prospective solutions. Visitors and professional buyers from 72 countries and regions have been attracted to this 4-day exhibition for visiting and making purchase (36% increase year-on year.) This is the first time for Xi’an Brictec to attend the exhibition. Our main exhibition item is the tunnel kiln burners, which is the essential equipment for ceramic production. Visitors at home and aboard show great interest on our products and come to our booth for inquiry and consulting. Using Italian technology as reference, Xi’an Brictec researches and develops different types of burners including the natural gas burner, the HFO burner and the pulverized coal burner, meeting different process requirements for kiln burning system. The company has devoted itself in the burner manufacturing, installation and commissioning for 8 years and has been granted with lots of patents. Xi’an Brictec has rich technical experience in various kiln heating processes. So far, the burners from Xi’an Brictec can be applied to the tunnel kiln burner to fire sintered bricks, external burning system to fire ceramic products, external burning system to fire new energy raw material such as lithium ore, carbon, micalex. Thanks to this valuable exhibition opportunity provided the host, Xi’an Brictec welcomes peers and visitors to reach out for communication and discussion.  

On Jun 05, 2024, the HFO (heavy Fuel Oil) burners that are independently developed and manufactured by Xi’an Brictec On Jun 05, 2024, the HFO (heavy Fuel Oil) burners that are independently developed and manufactured by Xi’an Brictec were shipped to the project site in Iraq after completing the acceptance test. On May 14, 2024, pressure testings on the key components of the tunnel kiln HFO burner manufactured by Xi'an Brictec Building Materials Technology Co., Ltd. was conducted. As of May 14, all pressure tests for HFO burners made for the Najmadin 750TPD brick factory project in Iraq were deemed qualified." After having preliminary pressure testing of pipeline components, assembly of accessories, nozzle testing, and other inspections and tests, all the HFO burners meet specifications of all kind, they were loaded and shipped to Iraq on Jun 5, 2024.   Advantages of our HFO burners   The HFO burners that manufactured by Xi’an Brictec have the following advantages due to rich brick plant building experience and the smart integration of advanced Italian technology and lower manufacturing cost in China.   1.Precise Control : The burner has precise control of fuel injection and temperature, ensuring stable combustion process and high thermal efficiency. 2.Temperature Control Accuracy: It can meet temperature requirements at various stages of clay brick firing, enhancing product quality. 3.Efficient Combustion Technology: It adopts advanced combustion technology from Italy, the combustion is more thoroughly, effectively reducing fuel consumption. 4.Durability and Reliability: It is made of high-quality materials, available for a longer service life with excellent durability. 5.Strong Adaptability: It operates stably in different environments, meeting the production needs of various brick factories. 6.Easy Maintenance: The design of the burner emphasizes easy maintenance, minimizing downtime and thus enhancing production efficiency.   Xi'an Brictec offers comprehensive after-sales services globally to ensure timely resolution of any issues encountered by customers during their usage."

Causes and Solutions of Crack andCollapsein Green Brick Drying Process The drying process of green brick refers to the heat absorption from a higher temperature environment, which converts the physical water within the brick into water vapor. The heated gas expands as the temperature increases, leading to an increase in gas pressure. The gas under higher pressure will be released into the natural environment where the pressure is lower. The water vapor evaporates from gaps and vanishes from the brick. The drying quality is a key factor in ensuring the firing quality and brick output. Without properly drying, the brick output and firing quality cannot be guaranteed. A drying chamber designed scientifically, a reasonable air supply method, and an air supply temperature suitable for the raw material characteristics are the prerequisites for ensuring the drying effectiveness. Increasing the capacity of drying chamber, reducing the brick heating rate extending the brick drying cycle and improving the drying qualification rate, all are essential to ensuring the firing rate of kiln and to achieving rapid firing. 1.performance Drying sensitivity - The tendency of brick crack during drying process showing in three categories: low (raw material sensitivity less than 1), medium (raw material sensitivity between 1 and 2) and high (raw material sensitivity higher than 2) . Critical moisture content - Brick will shrink as the free water is removed during drying process. Once the free water has evaporated and the shrinkage stops, the moisture content at this point is recognized as critical moisture content and it varies with humidity. Plasticity index - Clay can change its shape without cracking under the action of external force, and to retain the altered shape once the external force is removed. For high sensitivity material, the drying chamber should be longer than 70m and with a drying cycle of over 45h. The air supply temperature should not exceed 120°C, and preheating length should be over 20m. The heating rate of brick in the preheating zone should be controlled between 3°C/h - 4°C/h, and relative humidity in preheating section should be maintained between 75% - 85%. The most critical step is to heat the raw material before molding, increasing the temperature of molded brick and ensuring that the temperature within the brick tends to be consistent. Additionally, the temperature of the molded green brick should be slightly higher than that at drying chamber inlet. If the above conditions are fulfilled, the drying quality can be ensured. The air humidity of preheating section depends on critical moisture and drying sensitivity of raw material. When the critical moisture is high and the drying sensitivity is low, the process is relatively short from brick entering the drying chamber until it stops shrinking and cracking . In this case, low humidity and high temperature in preheating section can shorten the drying chamber length and achieve rapid drying. On the contrary, the drying chamber should be extended accordingly, and the preheating section should be high humidity with low temperature to reduce the drying rate, otherwise crack will appears in brick. 2.Kiln cart Kiln cart can ensure the uniform distribution of fuel and airflow in kiln cross section. The principle of setting brick on kiln cart should be to have a dense bottom arrangement and a looser arrangement at top, which allows for larger gap in the middle of the kiln, facilitating moisture flowing out. Solid brick is more prone to collapsing than hollow brick during drying process, which is because solid brick uses more raw material, resulting in greater weight and total moisture content. When heated, the amount of moisture generated in solid brick is large, and insufficient moisture removal will lead to collapse. 3.Mechanical setting Mechanical setting not only ensures the stability of brick but also ensures the consistency of the gap between brick. It can be considered that a configuration with dense edge and sparse center ensures that all kiln carts have same arrangement, facilitating heating, ventilation and moisture removal. At present, almost all new sintered brick production lines adopt mechanical setting method. Therefore, when determining the width of kiln, it is essential to design setting drawing based on the shape of the brick first. The specification of kiln cart and effective width of kiln should be based on setting type, and should not be decided arbitrarily. 4. Green Brick preheating Brick preheating process refers to the brick heating from surface to its inside. It should ensures that brick heat up slowly while also reducing the dehydration rate of brick surface. To achieve it, the preheating section should maintain low temperature and high humidity. If the surface heats up quickly, the moisture on it will gradually turn into water vapor and carried away by convection. If the relative humidity of surrounding air is low during this time, the moisture on the surface will evaporate rapidly, leading to a reduction in volume and causing surface to shrinkage. Meanwhile, the internal temperature of brick remains relatively low and the moisture inside does not evaporate, leading to inconsistent shrinkage between the inside and outside, which can result in surface cracking. Therefore, it is necessary to wait until the internal temperature rises to the point where it begins to evaporate before moving on to the dewatering stage. To ensure the water on the surface is not evaporated quickly, it is necessary to keep the humidity of the air around the brick. From the stage of preheating to drying, air humidity should be maintained at 70% - 80%, the temperature rise rate should be controlled at 3℃/h - 5℃/h. If the temperature rises too quickly, the increase of surface temperature will accelerate, while the heat conduction from the surface to the interior is relatively slow compared to the convective heating of surface. In this process, the brick should be kept in a high humidity environment, which characterizes preheating stage, the stage generally lasts 8h - 12h, with a preheating length of approximately 20m - 25m. If the air humidity around the brick in preheating stage is low, it will lead to an accelerated dehydration rate at the surface, causing inconsistent dehydration rate between inside and outside, which can result in surface cracking. 5.Air supply volume and pressure The application of fan frequency converter has made it easier to start the fan and do adjustment flexibly. However, the fan is not only for firing. For a tunnel kiln over 3 m, a fan with an exhaust capacity of 30,000 m³/h, a pressure of 280 Pa, and a power of 7.5 kW is sufficient to satisfy the firing requirement. However, for supplying air to the drying chamber, a fan is typically selected with a pressure of 1200 Pa, an airflow rate of 100,000 m³, and a power of more than 45 kW. Arbitrarily reducing the fan frequency to satisfy oxygen requirement for firing can result in severely insufficient air volume and pressure into the drying chamber, which is a major cause of brick collapse. It is because the air volume is directly proportional to the speed (first-order relationship), while the air pressure has a quadratic relationship with speed (square relationship). When the frequency is reduced from rated 50 Hz to 30 Hz, the speed is only 60% of rated, resulting in 60% of rated air volume, but only 36% of rated pressure.The reduced air volume is fail to send the air from the side into the middle of the kiln cart, nor can it effectively send the air from the top to the surface of the cart. As a result, air convection between the lower brick can not be formed, and moisture can not be properly removed. The air supply temperature directly affects the heating rate of brick in preheating section and dehydration rate in drying section, so it should vary with different raw material and moisture content. Generally, for soft raw material, the air supply temperature should not exceed 110°C, which ensures a reasonable temperature increase during the preheating process. If the air supply temperature is too high, the moisture in the brick will evaporate quickly, leading to an excessive amount of water vapor inside the drying chamber, and if it exceeds the capacity of moisture exhaust fan, the relative humidity in the preheating section will reach saturation, causing the brick to soften and collapse. Air leakage is one of the main causes for brick collapse. The air leakage of lift door in inlet allows outside cold air to enter the drying chamber, resulting in the reducing of moisture exhaust fan capacity. It causes high temperature humidity to linger on the surface of the brick, softening it and leading to collapse. Now most of the drying chamber only equips with one door with not very good sealing performance. There are often large gap between the door and bottom rail, and in some cases, damaged door is there with no repair measurement. These problems inevitably reduce the suction capacity of the fan. The main causes of crack: (1) The temperature and humidity of preheating section are inconsistent with critical moisture and drying sensitivity of raw material. (2) Low environmental temperature result in a significant temperature difference between the inside and outside of molded brick, causing surface moisture to evaporate much faster. (3) Low extruder pressure, high molding moisture and low critical moisture lead to a significant difference between molding moisture and critical moisture. (4) A high plasticity index in raw material makes it difficult for brick to dehydrate while rapid heating during drying causes surface cracking. The occurrence of brick collapse during drying process is a common phenomenon, especially with soft raw material where collapse is even more prevalent. There are many factors that lead to collapse, such as high molding moisture, low brick strength, and the inability of lower brick to withstand the pressure from upper. However, high air supply temperature and fast heating rate are main factors. There are many factors that lead to brick collapse in drying chamber, such as structural design and operating method. Specific problems should be identified based on actual situation, allowing for targeted solution to thoroughly resolve them. Smooth process design, reasonable kiln structure, good thermal insulation performance, and high construction quality are keys to reducing energy consumption and improving product quality.

he fully automated brick unloading and packaging equipment for the ALI project in Kosovo is about to be shipped.   The fully automated brick unloading and packaging equipment supplied by Brictec for Kosovo ALI project is set and will be shipped soon after conducting relevant equipment testing at the workshop to simulate on-site usage scenarios. The brick and tile making machinery has gradually launched in high-end market overseas. With the shipment of this automation packaging equipment being shipped to European market, Brictec is ready to showcase and compete with equipment made by European suppliers. We are confident to win over the trust of our customers with stable and high equipment quality and excellent service. The following are the brick types from the customer to be packed by this set of automatic packaging equipment: Below picture showcases the brick types that customer produces at Kosovo project:                       You will see the production and commissioning of the whole set of fully automated brick unloading and packaging equipment supplied by Brictec.