My visit to Refin

Last month, I was kindly invited to visit Refin Ceramics at their factory in Modena.

We have worked with them on a number of projects already and have been very impressed with their original ideas, quality, service, friendly attitude and overall approach. So it seemed like the natural step to take to further strengthen our relationship. Most of all though, I was really looking forward to actually visiting a tile factory, to get a better understanding of how, whatever their size, the tiles are actually made!

I arrived on a glorious sunny morning; eager to start the tour of the factory inside …

 

 

 

 

Firstly these are – in essence – the main “ingredients’ of each tiles: raw materials such as clay, siliceous, gravel, sands and other minerals, which are stored in a massive warehouse, ready to be baked.

 

 

In simple terms, these raw materials are then mixed with liquid and pressed into the required shape. What is really fascinating, is the fact that the majority of the final finish of the tiles (such as dimensions, colour, surface texture), are already embedded when they are pressed at this initial raw stage!

 

 

 

These raw tiles are then carried over, through sets of rollers, until they reach this advanced, everlasting kiln – a technological masterpiece – that bakes at varying temperatures, in an air tight environment throughout so that all the energy is recycle – making it extremely energy efficient. As these tiles make their way through it, they eventually reach the end, finally sintered.

 

 

 

The next stage is for them to be rolled over and rectified.

 

 

Until they are ready to be packed up for distribution

 

 

The whole process was aided by their staff, both human and robots! These robots, carry the packaged tiles around the warehouse to their final depot, all the while having a innate spatial awareness (thanks to their special sensors), that protects any other living or moving objects around them!

 

 

The creative hub where the team experiment to bring us their innovative products.

 

 

It was also a great chance to meet their lab team and switched on marketing and sales teams. But most of all to see the whole range of their new and existing products – some of which are already on the sample boards of our up-and-coming projects…

 

 

 

What drew us to Refin, is our insatiable desire to explore and discover new quality products – we are always looking for that something really different. And at Refin, they never disappoint.

 

We are committed to building relations with suppliers that last.

 

 

Many thanks Refin – you definitely made a grown up boy very happy that day and we look forward to keep working with you in the future.

Visit Refin here

 

 

 

 

 

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