> High pressure sanitary mould design and manufacture

> Pressure casting machine design, supply and installation

> Tableware ram press and pressure cast mould manufacture

> Technical ceramics

ServicesPCL provides a range of mould technologies, casting systems and services to thesanitaryware industry world-wide. Over 100 of our High Pressure Casting systemsare in successful operation in five different continents producing all types ofsanitaryware. Many major manufacturers have demonstrated their satisfaction bypurchasing additional PCL systems following installation of their first machine. Thekey to our success is the ability to combine a detailed understanding of mouldtechnology, casting system machinery design and ceramics process knowledge toachieve innovative solutions to customer’s casting problems.

Close integration between moulds and machinery is assured. Installation andcommissioning times are minimised and manufacturers can realize the benefitsfrom PCL systems immediately from the time of initial installation. The successfulintroduction and use of any new technology requires that the customer and thetechnology supplier work closely together in partnership throughout the entire lifeof the project.

PCL provides a range of services in order to support the customer from projectinception through to implementation and ongoing operation including:

• Research, development and analytical services

• Mould design and modelling

• Block and case mould manufacture

• Mould manufacture and testing

• Casting system design, manufacture and supply

• Project management, installation and commissioning

• Ongoing technical service assistance

• Casting system servicing and spares supply.

Our blend of experience in ceramic production, materials technology andmachine design and operation enables the full range of issues that are likelyto face ceramic manufacturers in the casting or forming of their products tobe addressed.

PCL Ceramics Ltd2

“PCL Ceramics Ltd (formerly Porvair Ceramics Ltd), established in 1991, is themarket leader in developing synthetic mould materials and casting systems toreplace plaster in the production of sanitaryware, tableware and technicalceramics world wide. Many major manufacturers are successfully operatingPCL moulds and casting systems.

PCL continues to expand their profile with exciting and innovative new materialsand systems whilst continuously improving their exciting products.

PCL commitment to innovation is supported by their experienced staff who canprovide a wide range of customer support and advice on all aspects of castingsystem design and operation.”

PCL resin moulds, being chemically inert to water, retain theirshape throughout their life and allow sanitarywaremanufacturers to enjoy a wide range of benefits including:

• High Productivity – A fully automatic casting cycle enablesa PCL pressure casting system to produce over 500lavatory basins or 850 tank covers per shift

• Reduced Mould Cost per Piece – Mould lives in excess of20,000 cycles significantly reduced mould costs perpiece

• Improved Quality – Dimensional stability and quality ofware is considerably better than from plaster moulds.Finishing operations are significantly reduced

• Reduced Labour Skill Requirements – Improveddimensional stability, surface quality and reduced finishingrequirements

• Improved Yield – First fire yield is typically 15% greaterthan from plaster moulds with total yield typically improvedby 3%

• Space Saving – This system typically requires only12 – 15% of the floor area required to achieve the sameoutput from battery casting equipment/plaster moulds

• Reduced Inventory and Disposal Costs –Greatly improved mould lives reduce moulds inventories,mould makingcosts and usedmould disposalissues

• Simplified CastingProcess – Unlikeother pressurecasting systems,PCL moulds do notrequire anyvacuum duringcasting and do notrequire flushingwith water afterevery cast.

Mould design, modelling and manufacture

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PCL have manufactured an unprecedented number of single and multi-cavity pressure casting moulds during the last decadeto produce the full range of solid and drain cast sanitaryware products including:

Solid Tanks/Covers

Hollow Tanks/Covers

Basins/Drop Ins

Shower Trays

Pedestals

Tableware

W.C. Bowls

Urinals

Squat Pans

PCL provides a full range of modelling, blocking and casing services in addition to manufacturing the moulds themselves.PCL moulds have the following key design features:

• Fine Pore Structure – More tightly controlled pore structure than other resin moulds which:

• Greatly improves product surface quality

• Reduces susceptibility to mould blinding

• Avoids water flushing between casts.

• Long Life – PCL moulds are guaranteed to achieve a minimum of 20,000 casts per mould but many continue to operateconsiderably in excess of 60,000 cycles

• Leak Free Sealing Faces and a Pin and Bush Alignment System – Produces high quality cast ware requiring minimal fettling

• An Integral Air Distribution System – Ensures uniform release of the piece

• A Reusable Reinforcing Frame – Distortion free and safe mould operation

• A System of “Stops” – Different mould styles can be mixed.

PCL Ceramics Ltd

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High pressure casting systems

PCL manufacture a full range of casting systems and will design and manufacture modified units to client specifications.

PC5/70

The PC5/70 is a battery pressure casting systemcapable of producing a full range of solid and drain castsanitaryware on a single machine. The standardmachine has a nominal 5 metre beam length on whichup to 16 single or multi-cavity moulds can be hung.Increased beam lengths of up to 8 metres can besupplied if required.

A fully automatic casting cycle of about 15 to 20 minutesenables over 1,400 tanks, 1,300 lavatory basins or2,600 tank covers to be produced per 24 hour day.

The standard machine utilises a hydraulic closing force of70 tonnes but variants with higher closing forces toproduce larger pieces can be supplied.

The PC5/70 machine is supplied as a pre-fabricatedunit including a heated slip tank to minimise the workrequired for site preparation and installation. In order tostart casting, the customer simply needs to mount thesystem on a concrete plinth and connect services.

PCB30/70

The PCL PCB30/70 Bowl Machine offers an economic pressure casting systemfor W.C. Bowls. A novel mould design allows up to eight bowl moulds to bemounted onto a single machine. This allows all the benefits of pressure castingto be applied economically to high volume bowl production whilst providingsufficient flexibility for low volume products.

The system:

• Delivers capital cost savings of up to 250% per piece produced whencompared with other pressure cast bowl systems

• Can produce over 500 pieces per day with a single operator per shift

• Allows multiple styles to be produced on the same machine

• Utilises our proven resin mould technology and construction techniques

• Can produce a wide range of styles including open rim, stuck on box rim andback to wall styles

• The PCB30/70 is supplied as a complete pre-fabricated unit with mouldsupport and alignment system, hydraulic ram and power pack, heatedslip supply, chemical injection systems, control unit and roboticdemoulding system.

PCL Ceramics Ltd

High pressure casting systems

PC120

The PCL PC120 is an overhead beam pressure casting system suitable forlarger moulds requiring closing forces up to 120 Tonnes.

• All components are pre-assembled, skid mounted and commissioned at PCL

• The casting cycle is controlled using a simple and easy to use PLC, whichgives complete control of casting cycle for drain and solid cast products

• It is supplied complete with a slip supply module including a heated slip tank,a water tank for mould treatment, slip and water pumps and hydraulicpowerpack

• It is supplied with interlocks and light guards to ensure safe operation of themachine.

Flexibility for Horizontal Demoulding:

The PC120 machine can be readily upgraded to add a mould rotation system, which will enable distortion free horizontaldemoulding of larger single cavity moulds such as shower trays or large sinks with attached shelves.

P100

The P100 is suitable where varying styles and lower capacities are requiredand comprises one control module and up to four casting modules. Two tank,cover or shower tray moulds can be cast at the same time on a single module.

• The system comprises the following items:

• Service Module complete with heated slip tank, slip pumps and services

• Casting Modules for two moulds.

• Moulds are rotated through 90 degrees before demoulding. Pieces aredemoulded onto flat ware boards

• Cycle times are reduced as each module is demoulded independently

• Down time for mould change is reduced as only one module is affected, theothers can continue casting.

Optional Improvements.PCL offers the following range of optional upgrades to ourcasting systems:

• Individual Mould Station Control – Allowing customers tooptimise the casting cycle of individual moulds

• Mechanical Demoulding Systems – To assist with themanual demoulding of ware

• Automatic Mould Movement and Opening Systems –To allow fully automatic manufacture and demouldingof ware

• Robotic Demoulding – For the fully automatic manufactureand demoulding of ware

• Supervision of installation and Commissioning

The machines are designed for maximum flexibility. A singlemachine can readily be configured to make a range ofdifferent products and with multiple styles. Specific andindividual requirements are best reviewed on a customer bycustomer basis.

5PCL Ceramics Ltd

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New system developments

RMS Pressure Casting System

PCL have recently developed the RMS machinewith multiple casting cells and a revolutionarymould handling system capable of changing amould in 10 minutes. This system was designedand manufactured for the production of hollowcast tanks but can be easily adapted for theproduction of other types of pieces. The system ismodular, and extremely flexible, with automateddemoulding and rapid mould changing.

The casting system was developed to incorporatemany client specific requests in order to integratethe system into an existing facility. The standardcasting unit comprises a 6 mould casting celltypically made up of the following items:

• 3 off twin mould casting modules • 3 off local service modules • 1 main service centre • 1 main workstation

• 1 robotic demould/mould handling unit.

The moulds are manufactured in removable and reusable frames, which can be fitted on site by the client.

PCB45/70

PCL have recently designed, manufactured andinstalled an eight mould (four piece) pressurecasting machine for the manufacture of open rimbowls capable of operating at 15 bar.

This unit has typical cycle time of 15 minutes andis capable of producing over 250 pieces in asingle eight hour shift. PCL worked closely withthe client to develop the casting and warehandling systems which are based on thestandard PCB30/70 machine and capable ofaccepting four piece bowl moulds manufacturedon back plates.

RMC Bowl Casting System

PCL are currently developing the RMC machine for the production of bowls. This system will be modular and incorporate thelatest mould handling system for a mould change time of less than 10 minutes.

It will be capable of producing a full range of bowl styles including four piece, five piece, open rim, box rim andone-piece bowls. A central robot capable of demoulding the pieces and changing the moulds in a minimal time will handlethe moulds and cast pieces.

PCL Ceramics Ltd

Tableware/Technical Ceramics

Resin tableware moulds of all types provide manufacturers with the following benefits; increased mould service life, consistenthigh service quality, higher productivity and reduced inventory. Our experience in materials technology and mouldconstruction techniques means that we offer resin moulds and technologies for the full range of processes including:

• Pressure Cast Tableware Moulds • Resin Ram Press Moulds.

Pressure CastPCL has supplied pressure cast moulds to the tableware industry for over adecade and our products have the following features and benefits:

• Guaranteed Mould Life – PCL guaranteed mould life of 6,000 to 8,000cycles with actual mould lives in excess of 20,000 casts oftenbeing achieved

• Fine Pore Structure – PCL moulds have a fine, tightly controlled porestructure that gives superb ware surface quality and greatly reduces therisk of mould blinding

• Machine Interfacing – PCL moulds can be mounted on any pressure casttableware machine

• Air System Design – Unique internal air system delivers release air where needed.

Ram PressPCL synthetic ram press moulds are a direct replacement for plaster mouldson the ram press process and have the following features and benefits:

• Wear and Cracking Resistance – PCL moulds produce warewith exceptional surface quality thereby reducing sponging andfinishing requirements

• Long Service Life – PCL moulds typically have lives in excess of 8,000fills, reducing mould costs per piece and the downtime required formould changeovers. In ideal conditions lives in excess of 15,000 fillsare achievable

• Mould Construction – Moulds can be produced in the customers ownframes allowing them to be fitted to customers’ existing presses

• Air System Design – Unique internal air system delivers release air where needed.

Technical CeramicsPCL has developed considerable experience in pressure casting anddemoulding technical ceramics including alumina, fused silica, siliconcarbide and other oxide and non-oxide bodies.

Pressure casting can provide the following benefits:

• Negligible contamination of the product

• Higher and more uniform green density giving more homogenousphysical properties in the fired piece

• Tight dimensional tolerances reducing expensive and difficult postfinishing processes.

Typical applications can include crucible manufacture and ceramic body armour tiles.

7PCL Ceramics Ltd

pcl ceramics limitedEstuary Road, King’s Lynn, Norfolk, PE30 2HS, United Kingdom

Typical machine configurations and outputs

Tel: +44 (0) 1553 622000 Fax: +44 (0) 1553 622020 www.pclceramics.com

MACHINE TYPE/DEMOULD

CYCLE TIME(MINUTES)

MOULD TYPENo. OFMOULDS

CAVITIES PERMOULD

CASTSPER YEAR

PC5/70MANUAL 25 Large lavatory basins & squats (drain cast) 10 1 180,576

PC5/70MANUAL 25 Small lavatory basins (drain cast) 10 2 361,152

PC5/70MANUAL 25 Pedestals (drain cast) 10 2 361,152

PC5/70MANUAL 25 Tank covers (drain cast) 16 3 866,765

PC5/70MANUAL 20 Tanks (solid cast) 8 2 361,152

P100 15 Tanks (solid cast) 2 2 120,384

P100 15 Tanks (solid cast) 2 3 180,756

P100 20 Tank covers (drain cast) 2 3 135,432

PCB30/70ROBOTIC 24 Open rim bowls (drain cast) 8 1 150,482

PCB30/70ROBOTIC 24 Stuck on box rim bowls (drain cast) 6 1 112,860

PCB45/70ROBOTIC 15 Open rim bowls (drain cast) 8 1 240,768

RMS 14 Hollow tanks (drain cast) 6 1 193,474

The outputs are based on the following assumptions:

• Days operated per year = 330• Hours operated per day = 24• Machine utilization = 95%

Close to close cycle times (including casting and demoulding). These may vary subject to slip properties

Production Using Vitreous Clay

MACHINE TYPECYCLE TIME(MINUTES)

MOULD TYPENo. OFMOULDS

CAVITIES PERMOULD

CASTSPER YEAR

PC120 45 Shower trays (drain cast) 13 1 130,416

PC120 45 Drainer sinks (drain cast) 8 1 80,356

P100 40 Shower trays (drain cast) 2 1 22,572

P100 40 Drainer sinks (drain cast) 2 1 22,572

PCL would be happy to evaluate the customer’s slip to confirm the actual casting rate and typical pressure casting capacitiesfor the machines.

Production Using Fine Fireclay