Análise da eficiência do secador rápido do tipo talisca em indústrias de cerâmica vermelha: produtividade na fabricação de telhas - estudo de caso localizado na cidade de Russas-CE

Abstract

The clay goes through several processes to become the ceramic tile, so widely used in Brazilian civil construction. To obtain the necessary plasticity for the forming process a clay mass is made with the addition of water. However, the tile needs to enter the kiln for the firing stage with adequate humidity, otherwise cracks will form. To reach this ideal humidity, the still wet tile goes through a drying process that can be done in different ways. The city of Russas, in the state of Ceará, has the ceramic industry as an important contributor to the city's economy, with a significant number of companies in this sector. Despite a long period of time since the foundation of the first ceramics companies, the processes used in the city's factories have not been much updated over time. Thus, the use of natural sun drying is still very common in the city. The use of an artificial drying system was verified in some companies, and the use of a more technological drying system, in a very small number. Known as the rapid talisca dryer or talisca conveyor. This system appears as a great innovation in the drying process, and it is important to know and analyze its efficiency. The present study was firstly made through a bibliographical review followed by visits to ceramic industries with interviews, it was then possible to analyze the results obtained and finally, the ponderation of the results. Thus, it is observed that this type of drying, more automated, considerably changes the management of the company's costs, such as the reduction in payroll and the increase in the consumption of electricity in some cases. In this way, this work presents the advantages and disadvantages of a more technological system of drying ceramic tiles, compared to the more traditional systems adopted in most of the red clay brick factories in the city of Russas - CE.