Betta Sanitaryware, one of South Africa's biggest ceramic manufacturers, has been using Gaiotto robots since 1997. With an output that has, over the years, risen to some 2 million pieces/year, the firm is now Africa's biggest sanitaryware manufacturer.
Continuous investment in automatic glazing, and automation in general (a strategy extremely dear to CEO Lance Foxcroft), has now led to the installation of an all-new Sacmi/Gaiotto glazing system, perfectly in keeping with the company's strong focus on innovation.
This extremely flexible plant, which is suitable for all sanitaryware models, features a booth concept in which extraction depends on the position of the piece being processed and a handling robot works in concert with two Gaiotto GA2000 robots - all controlled via an alphanumeric panel via which the operator can control the entire set-up and act on every single stage of the process.
Use of the new Gaiotto-developed GDA80 spray gun, controlled by the integrated mass control device (a key factor in Betta's purchase decision), together with installation of the new glazing booth with dry filters, ensure there is little need for wear-related spare parts and lower water consumption.
Despite the innovativeness of the solution, start-up was, as with previous plants, completed in just a week, further proof of just how quickly and easily Sacmi/Gaiotto technology can be installed and started up. Yet another solution, then, that confirms the Group's role as a premium partner, listening carefully to customers' needs so they can be satisfied in full.