UK Roof Tile Industry: Ashbury Tiles Failed on CERAM Tests

UK roof tile industry News: Turkey Ashbury tiles failed industry standard CERAM tests

Turkish imports ‘not frost resistant’

Batches of faulty imported roof tiles could crack in winter weather, threatening upmarket housing developments.

There is particular concern over clay tiles from Turkey that have come in over the past year and are sold under the Ashbury brand by Midland Slate & Tile Company (MS&T). It is understood that about 6 million tiles are imported from Turkey each year, compared with 120 million made in the UK.

A draft letter from the Clay Roof Tile Council (CRTC) says three out of five randomly selected batches of Ashbury tiles failed industry standard CERAM tests for frost resistance last year. The letter says "such tiles cannot be regarded as frost resistant".

The letter, which has not yet been circulated, warns that the tiles threaten to damage the reputation of the UK roof tile industry. It says: "The likelihood is that these tiles will fail in the first few years of service."

Growing fears over the effects of the soaking, freezing and thawing cycle that tiles must resist has led to calls for tougher testing standards. Glazed roof tiles are now expected to pass a “frost test” of 100 cycles but some UK ceramic industry experts believe clay tiles ought to be able to pass 400 cycles before they are considered suitable. The imported tiles failed to pass the 100 cycle test.

“The likelihood is that these tiles will fail in the first few years of service clay roof tile council letter” Clay roof tiles have traditionally been used on premium housing developments in the South-east, although they are becoming increasingly popular in top-of-the-range houses elsewhere in the country.

They account for just under 10% of the market for roofing materials and are made in the UK by companies such as Lafarge, Keymer and Dreadnought Tiles.

A spokesperson for the Clay Roof Tile Council said: "We are not in a position to make any public statement regarding frost damage to clay tiles."

A source close to MS&T said the company had done its own tests through CERAM which proved "extremely positive".

Source: Faulty roof tile warning

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UK roof tile industry: Turkey Ashbury tiles failed industry standard CERAM tests

Morbi Ceramic Industry face snag of quality Fuel

Hit by the global economic turmoil, over 100 roof tile manufacturing units in and around Morbi are now facing a shortage of quality fuel, which is supplied by the state government for running the factories. Rajkot Manufacturers claim that they are getting lignite of deprived quality at much elevated rates from government

Following a meeting organized by the Morbi Roof Tiles Association, all the units have now decided to down their shutters from 1st of March, if their demand for good quality lignite is not attended by the state government. The strike will severely affect production and the roofing tiles industry on large.

The roof tiles industry in Morbi employs over 10,000 workers in manufacturing process, and accounts for 70 per cent of the country’s total production. Most of the workers involved in the industry are locals.

J J Patel, the president of the Roof Tiles Manufactures Association, said: “The lignite provided to us from the new mines in Bhavnagar has over 40 per cent moisture content, which makes it difficult for the kilns to reach the required temperature of 1,100 degree centigrade.”

He also admitted “We are paying higher rates for inferior quality fuel, which doubles up our production costs. The industry cannot afford to function at these production rates during a slowdown when the demand has already decreased.”

The manufacturers say they are also concerned for the workers, but are not able to run the operations further under the prevailing economic downturn.

Each of the 107 units in the area require 60 trucks of the fuel — each weighing 10 to 17 tonnes, per day. Around 10,000 roofing tiles are produced by each unit in Morbi per day.

Veljibhai Patel, an owner of a tile manufacturing unit said: “The orders for lignite have already been placed till this month-end. So we have decided to continue till then.”

Until last year, roof tiles units, like many other industries, were supplied with high quality lignite from the Pandhro mines, which is owned by the Gujarat Mineral Development Corporation (GMDC).

Now, Pandhro site is reserved for power generation, and lignite is supplied to industries from other less known sites like Mata No Madh in Kutch, and Rajpardi near Surat. Bhavnagar, from where Morbi is supplied lignite, is a relatively new site.

Patel added: “The lignite supplied from Mata No Madh has more dust component, while that from Bhavnagar has more moisture. Both are of inferior quality, but still we are ready to settle for the material from Mata No Madh.”

In addition to the quality consciousness, the manufacturers are also concerned about the pricy lignite they receive from Bhavnagar.

The lignite from Bhavnagar costs Rs 2,600 per truck, while the one supplied from Mato No Madh and Pandhro costs Rs 2400 to 2500 per truck.

Resource: Roofing tiles companies to close down...
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New ceramic roof tiles plant in Hungary by Todach

Ceramic tile maker Tondach has announced on Wednesday it is to inaugurate a new EUR 50 million plant in Bekescsaba, southeast Hungary on 27 March.


The project was co-financed with the European Regional Development Fund and Tondach was granted a HUF 500 million (EUR 1.66 m) non-refundable loan from Hungary under the New Hungary Development Programme.

Tondach's new facility, which is to be officially started up on 27 March in Bekescsaba, will use cutting-edge technology and be the largest roof tile plant in Europe. Output capacity will be 30 million roof and 2.5 million profile tiles a year. This is enough to cover about three million square metres, i.e. the roof of 15,000 houses. The new plant will boost Tondach's capacity by 50%.


The 235 metre long kiln in the factory that sprawls on 25,000 square metres is the largest of its kind in the world. The new facility, which produced the first prototype of a new Tondach tile in November 2008, is to create 60 jobs.

The Tondach Group is a leading ceramic roof tile maker in Central and Eastern Europe. It has been expanding in Eastern Europe since 1992. Tondach is present in 11 countries with 34 factories, five of them in Hungary. In Eastern Europe it has invested nearly EUR 400 million between 1992 and 2008.

The concern posted revenues of EUR 248 million in 2007, up from EUR 220 m in 2006.

Source: Tondach to open EUR 50 m roof tile plant in Hungary
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