Spectrum Ceramics manufacture and supply specialised frits,
customised glazes and a range of complimentary products
to the ceramic wall and floor tile, sanitary ware
and tableware industries.
Spectrum Ceramics, a division of Ferro South Africa (Pty) Ltd. manufacture and supply specialised frits, customised glazes and a range of complimentary products to the ceramic wall and floor tile, sanitary ware and tableware industries.
Spectrum conducts National and International research, liaising closely with the marketing divisions of ceramic manufacturers to identify new trends and market requirements. Ferro SA (Pty) Ltd. and Spectrum Ceramics also gain access to the latest technical developments in the ceramic industry via an International license agreement with Ferro Corporation, gaining technology and assistance. Ferro Corporation have produced ceramic coatings for over 80 years and are recognised as a global leader in the Industry.
Spectrum complements the product range by distributing the Durst range of Gamma digital printing equipment. Durst, who has been a leading supplier for imaging solutions since 1936, developed the Gamma series in 2005 for the decoration of ceramic surfaces. They have contributed to the transformation of the tile from a functional wall and floor by offering excellent reproduction of images, using digital inkjet technology.
Before a glaze is manufactured for a customer, Spectrum has the ability in conjunction with Ferro Spain to test the customer’s “body”. Once the results of the body have been received and studied, glazes are formulated and manufactured to suit the customer’s conditions.
The experienced Tile Design Team assists customers to create virtually any tile design, whether it is a natural stone, complex geometrics pattern or to match an existing style. They have access to the latest International trends in fashion, tile design and finish, thanks to the collaboration with Ferro Spain. Everything from scanning, colour separation and modification to final design is prepared on the “state of the art” tile design computer system. Once the customer is satisfied with the full colour photograph of the proposed tile, the design is transferred into a digital printing format or on to laser engraved printing cylinders. These are then used to print and manufacture the finished tile under factory production conditions.
Spectrum has a fully functional laboratory which can test and simulate the customer’s line applications to achieve a good result, comparable to the customer’s conditions. Raw materials and frits are all tested and verified before being used in production to ensure stability in the tile making process. Spectrum utilises the service offered from the laboratory at Ferro Spain, in the event that more stringent tests need to be performed on materials.
The factory consists of a medium blender, stain and print powder mixers, digital ink cold storage rooms and the auto-batching plant. It has an effective dust extraction system ensuring that dust levels are minimal and well controlled.
Spectrum has a Durst plotter to print test tiles which in turn can be fired at the customer. This facility can also assist the customer with their colour choice without disrupting the production lines. The Durst plotter can also apply certain digital effects eg. lustre, glossy, reactive.
This is a technologically advanced plant which guarantees accuracy and efficiency.
Its unique design gives the production team the flexibility to produce many different glazes in a day. This facility is able to track all data coming from the plant which is constantly monitored, ensuring that the customer will always receive a well manufactured and consistent finished product.
Data sheets are available on request. Contact Spectrum on +27 (0) 11 746 4000
