RAW MATERIALS & PRODUCTION

Raw materials

• Our roofing tiles are made from raw materials predominantly found in nature: sand, water, clay and iron oxide pigments.
• In many countries we use natural resources from our own quarries and sand pits, which are subject to strict environmental and occupational safety conditions.
• We constantly improve our recipes and production practices to reduce the general consumption of these raw materials.
• We are constantly optimising raw material extraction
• We see the renaturation of our sand and clay pits as a minimum obligation. In developing recreational areas for the public or revegetating the quarries to land used for agricultural or community purposes, we closely work together with the local municipalities to find the best possible solutions.
• We use natural colours for our roofing tiles.The pigments to colour our tiles are found in natural stone such as Hematite, Magnetite and Goethite.
• We use natural materials for our glazes and engobes, such as special clay, pre-melted glass or pigments. All our glazes are of course lead free.

Production

Our products are manuafactured with state-of-the-art equipment, which keeps consumption of raw materials, water and energy low due to the latest technologies applied.

• Concrete production: Our well insulated curing chambers capture the heat which is set off by the concrete, reducing the amount of heat needed to cure the concrete tiles. In some situations even no heat input is needed at all.
• Clay production: We use state-of-the-art casing kilns, which efficiently capture heat input and use it for both drying and firing tiles. And we constantly optimise our clay blends to reduce CO2 emissions during the production process.
• We use biologically degradable substances as parting agents for tile moulds, replacing those containing mineral oils
• We re-use old pallets by melting and recycling them as raw material
• The waste water from our production processes is recycled and re-used in manufacturing
• Our plants are equipped with dust collectors and flue gas treatment to preserve air quality
• We strive to integrate our plants into their local environments and landscapes harmoniously.