Charu Ceramics Industry Ltd

Industry Background
CHARU Ceramic Industries Limited was incorporated in March 2012. It is the first
international standard Sanitary Ware manufacturing plant in Bangladesh with the assistance of
the best consultants from Europe and Asia.
The plant is equipped with the latest advanced manufacturing machinery of sanitary wares from
SACMI, UNIMAK & HEXIANG with the production capacity of 1.5 million pieces per year. It
is remarkable in the history of Bangladesh Sanitary Ware Industry that CHARU manufactures
one of the most internationally recognized sanitary ware brand COTTO in Bangladesh with the
technical collaboration of Siam Sanitary Ware Industry Co. Ltd. Thailand.
CHARU Ceramic Industries Limited has been set up initially to fulfill the domestic market
demand for products in Bangladesh and also intended to export in near future.

Raw Materials
Raw material imports from mainly Thailand, Malaysia, Finland, Turkey etc. But 85% raw material
import from Thailand.

1. Plastic materials: Ball Clays, china clay

2. Non plastic materials: Silica ( quartz, sand)
3. Fluxes or mineralizers : Feldspar
4. Dolomites

Process description:

After collecting raw materials, all the materials are sent to feeder box. Feeder box is a weight
scale where raw materials are weighted in proper proportion. Then weighted raw materials are
sent to Ball mill.
The materials are then mixed with water and forms slip. A slip is a liquid mixture or slurry of
clay and/or other materials suspended in water...After mixing them, the mixed particles are sent
to ACC ceramic tanks for storing the slip. There are two ACC tanks in Charu Ceramics which
are controlled by PFT(Pressure feeding tank).

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 Sanitary ware production process

Lab Test

Manufacturing process

(After lab test it certify to use in manufacturing

process or finally packing for sell)

Raw materials Body slip Casting and Mold Making

Drying

Clay
Inspection

Glazing

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 Firing

Final
Crushing
Inspection

QA
Inspection Parts and
Packing
Packing
Materials

warehouse

Lab Test

• Density: The density of a substance is the relationship between the mass of the
substance and how much space it takes up (volume).

• Viscosity: The viscosity of a fluid is a measure of its resistance to deformation at a

given rate

• Thixotropy: Thixotropy is atime-dependent shear thinning property. Certain gels or

fluids that are thick or viscous under static conditions will flow (become thin, less
viscous) over time when shaken, agitated, sheared or otherwise stressed (time
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 dependent viscosity)

• Casting Rate: The time needed to provide thickness.

• % Shrinkage: how much percentage shrinks for firing, drying and total?

• Modulus of Rupture (MOR): The ratio of the amount of stress to force a material can
8𝑝𝑙
endure. . Mathematically MOR = where d = diameter, Standard of MOR is
𝜋𝑑3
𝑘𝑔
minimum 800 𝑐𝑚2

• Practically determine MOR by MOR machine

8∗16∗10 𝑘𝑔
𝑀𝑂𝑅 = 3.1416∗0.7723 = 885 𝑐𝑚2

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Manufacturing process

Grinding of raw materials: Raw materials (Feldspar which contain 7-8 %

silica and 50% sand and Quartz) other than clay are ground finely before mixing
to get uniform mixture of clay and other raw materials. Ball mill consists of
iron or steel cylinder lined inside with hard stony blocks of silica or porcelain.
The cylinders are fitted with pebbles or porcelain balls, which act as grinders,
when the cylinder rotates, the pebbles, together with raw materials to be
ground, are first lifted and then dropped and by continuous impact of pebbles
and their continuous rubbing against each other, the coarse material is ground
down to fine particles. In this mill maintain a ratio to get best grinding output
which is

Water: Ball stone: empty = 1: 1: 1

Preparation of bodies: After the raw materials have been broken up into small
pieces and then purified the next stage is mixing. The raw materials are mixed in
definite proportions so as to give the fired body the properties required and also to
give the clay mixture the right consistency for the particular shaping process, which is
to be used. After grinding hard material is mixed with the required amount of clay and
water in a mixing tank called blunger.

Remove Iron: For remove iron from mixture of 60% clay and other grinded material
they are use magnetic separator without it they are use rod magnet in the way to
supply the store of viscous raw materials.

Molding: is the process of manufacturing by shaping liquid or pliable raw material

using a rigid frame called a mold or matrix. This it may have been made using a
pattern or model of the final object. The liquid harden or sets inside the mold,
adopting its shape. Block Mold or Mother Mold which totally handmade. To making
the mold here mainly two machines available which are, high pressure machine
which complete a cycle in 40 minute and one cycle it creates 20000 pieces mold and
other one is china high pressure machine which complete one cycle in 11 minute
and it create 10000 pieces mold.

Casting:
Casting is done by high pressure casting machine. Also, medium capillary tube
system is used where casting is done by resin mould.

Drying: Drying is a necessary step in the processing of all ceramic products and
components, whether it takes place as a separate step or is a preliminary step in the
firing process.

Firing: Generally, the temperature of kiln is 1100-1200 degree Celsius and length of
kiln is 10 meters. To complete one cycle in firing kiln 22hours

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Glazing: A glaze is a thin coating of glass that is melted onto the surface of the
more of less porous ceramic material. In this industry, fine powder, consisting of a
mixture of glass forming materials lead silicate borosilicate also refractory
materials such as feldspar, silica and china clay and fluxes uses for glazing. In this
industry mainly available four colors for glazing. Mainly two way for glazing in this
industry that are manually and robotic. Glaze put on the ware by spraying.

Final Inspection: Finally observe the product. After observation if got any big
problem then it sends to solve the problem. But the problem is not big then it use to
sell as grade B product for charu. But there is no any B grade product of cotto.

Packing: After certifying the QA inspection. With the packing materials the
pack by manually

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Process description of waste water treatment plane

Waste water quality supply to recycle water plant:

Waste water from factory to water • PH 6.7-7.3
• TDS 666-830 mg/l
treatment plant .
• SS 6000 -10200 mg/l
• BOD 11-60 mg/l
• Grease & oil 1.1-4.8 mg/l

Waste water reservoir pond = 1000

𝑚3 , approximate dimension of pond Air bubble for no sedimentation
14 m*22 m*3.5 m

Rapid mixing tank

• Capacity 1 m3 Chemical pump for 𝑁𝑎 𝑂𝐻
• With rapid agitator 1450 rpm chemical pump for Alum

Inclined plate clarifier tank

• Capacity 1 m3 Chemical pump for floc
• With stainless steel plate

Treat Water
Slow mixing tank
• Capacity 1 m3
• With slow agitator 10 rpm Treat water storage tank, useful volume
200 m3
(200 m* 7 m* 7 m)
Sludge

Air pump/diaphragm
Water pump 2 unit each. Capacity =
pump
60 m3/h

Sludge thickening tank.

Sand/Antracite water filter 2 units

Filter press. Size of plate each. Capacity = 60 m3/h
800*800 cake thickness 25
mm

Cake for tile industry or

disposal Activated carbon water filter 2 units
each.
Capacity = 60 m3/h
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 Utilities

Charu Ceramic industry have been playing a vital role in our economy by earning and saving
foreign exchange through export of ceramic goods after meeting the local demand. Almost
80% of the total demand of ceramic goods is being met by this industry.

Low cost methane gas furnace used in Ceramic industry as heat source
Quality assurance: QC (Quality Control) test is Thailand standard. Quality assurance
includes different steps:
Sorting -
(a) A grade
(b) B grade
(c) Refire
(d) Rejection

a grade product is then sent for tests and other products are sent for defect analysis and
repair the faults.

Different types of tests are performed. For example, Water closet has to
pass the following tests:
1. Leak test:
2. Thermal shock: At first, 10℃ C water is supplied for 5 minutes. Then 90℃ water is
supplied in that cool surface. If the product can sustain in that temperature, then the product
is good.

3. Load test: This test is performed for the first prepared mother mould. When a new
design is made, then load test is done. About 400 kg weight is applied on the product. This
amount may vary from product to product.
Stock and Discharging/ delivery section: This section is called Ware House. The products
are stocked here for delivery to the customers.

ETP (Effluent Treatment Plant): Charu chemicals have ETP by which they reuse the wastes
and don’t do any harm to the environment.

Waste Water Recycling and Reuse:

➢ Regulated water consumption regularly measured and data recorded in order to

analyze trends to quickly detect major leaks, and repair damages as soon as possible.
Charu Ceramics ensures water consumption through regular preventive maintenance
of equipments and devices that use water to run smoothly.
➢ Charu Ceramics operates several units of Effluent Treatment Plants (ETP) to recycle
and reuse the waste water generated from the factories and domestic sources. Charu
Ceramics’ employees are also given training on water conservation awareness to
reduce unnecessary wastage of water. 40% of water is recycled and reused in the
manufacturing plants.