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12
12" Utilities exit new Adel kiln.

  




Recently the Adel plant received its certificate of registration for its ISO 9001:2000 quality assurance program. Sioux City Brick's management team has made a commitment to high quality plant operations.

Adel Plant
Some of the features of the 2001 plant at Adel are as follows:

1.) COMPUTER SUPERVISION

The tunnel kiln incorporates the latest computer controls and insulation to reduce energy consumption and permit the production of a very consistent product for size and color. Temperatures to 2,100 F are possible inside the kiln and are controlled to 3 F. Computer control over the manufacture of brick in the new tunnel kiln will be extended to include:

  1. Monitoring of additive and feed rates.
  2. Extrusion rates and robot software changes.
  3. Automatic application of dryer and kiln recipes for humidity, temperature and pressure curves by product code.
  4. Computer archives for recall of recipes for matching additions to existing buildings.
  5. All kiln car movement is controlled without operator attendance.
  6. Tracking of products in process for customer service response.
  7. Control of variable speed fan drives for optimum results.
  8. Precise monitoring of atmospheric conditions in the kiln.
  9. Downtime analysis for close supervision of all facets of the manufacturing process.

2.) ROBOTIC TECHNOLOGY AND PLANT PRODUCTS

Two industrial robots set ten different sizes onto the kiln cars. Changeover between different sizes is no more than sixty minutes, which now takes four to six hours. Brick from the 2001 tunnel kiln are manufactured to the highest specifications in the brick industry - FBX.

Three additional robots unload the fired brick from the kiln cars and are capable of blending the brick to produce a final product wilth color consistency and paper between each row. Two automatic strapping heads package the brick into "cubes" to be moved from the tunnel kiln to the plant yard, 2,100 pieces at a time with a large fork truck.

Please click here to see a complete description of this Rhythm Blending Machine.

3.) AUTOMATED KILN CAR CLEANING

After each trip through the plant, all kiln cars are cleaned automatically. The decks are first swept and then the deck block are removed so the under deck area can be swept and vacuumed. The deck refractories are then realigned and placed back on the cars.

4.) SCRUBBER TECHNOLOGY

The new tunnel kiln is equipped with a scrubber, that utilizes the latest in flue gas scrubbing technology to remove impurities from the air stream as it leaves the kiln.

5.) IMPROVED WORKING CONDITIONS

The new tunnel kiln and related brick making equipment are housed in an insulated steel building encompassing 128,500 square feet which provide improved working conditions for the company's employees.

Sergeant Bluff Plant
   

Sioux City Brick additionally operates one of the most modern and efficient brick manufacturing plants in the world at its Sergeant Bluff, Iowa plant that came on line in September of 1997. This plant has all the features described above for the 2001 plant built at Adel, Iowa, except for the scrubber, the automated car cleaning and the use of robotic arms in the packaging department. However, a unique feature in this plant is the 18-brick wide hydrocasing kiln,

which uses a water seal rather than the traditional sand seal. This nearly perfect seal allows Sioux City Brick to control the reducing atmosphere needed to produce its outstanding natural Ironspot colors. The water seal provides a nearly perfect seal in the kiln and is designed to eliminate air leakage or infiltration, thereby increasing control over color consistency and reducing fuel consumption. The quality management system for this plant is also certified to ISO 9001:2000 by QMI, North America's leading Management Systems Registrar.

Some of the advantages of Sioux City's automated plant design are summarized as follows:
  • Energy Efficiencies.
  • Enhanced color control.
  • Close duplication of firing cycles.
  • Preprogramming of dryer and kiln changes.
  • Computer control of all kiln car movements without operator attendance.
  • Immediate customer service response due to automated tracking of production.
  • Computer control of variable speed drives for all critical fans.

    From the design concept to reality, Sioux City Brick made it happen at its Sergeant Bluff facility and is continuing to make it happen at its plant at Adel, Iowa. Sioux City Brick now has two of the most modern and efficient plants in the country. This will permit Sioux City Brick to meet the needs of its customers now and into the future.

    Water Sealed Kiln for Enchanced Controls
    Water Sealed Kiln For
    Enchanced Color Controls
    Final Inspection in done by hand
    Final Inspection Is
    Done By Hand

    AUTOMATION IS THE KEY

    The robotic setting machine has an output of 28,000 brick per hour. Two six axis-gripping robots spread the brick on a conveyor and another two four-axis robots set the brick on the kiln car. This system provides the flexibility to handle 20 different sizes of brick. Another advantage is that only one brick long is handled at a time; this provides gentle handling and hence less deformation. Only two operators are required to run the main production line. Another unique machine is the vertical lift cutter. Compared to a conventional cutter, which pushes the brick through a horizontal plane with vertical wires, this cutter uses a vertical plane with horizontal wires. This approach produces a quality edge, significantly reducing chipping. It also maintains the straightness of the brick, since the brick is raised directly up through the wires.

    • 23 Sizes are programmed for quick changeover
    23 Sizes Are Programmed
    for Quick Changeover

    		 The automatic unloading gripper brings the brick from the car to the monorail where it is split in half for easy handling. The final blending and inspection is still done by hand assuring the human touch is added at this critical point. The monorail has a second strapping station for sorting special brick. The computer system consists of a multi-tasking Alpha station, which gathers information from every step of the process for production reports.

    To arrange for a tour of either facility, please call Norm Mahoney at 712-258-6571, ext. 118.
     

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