When it comes to digital glaze, people in the industry must be familiar with it.
As early as when digital inkjet technology became popular in the industry, foreign companies took the lead in investing in this research and development direction and achieved great results. In 2013, Italy's Sacmi took the lead in launching a concept machine for digital glaze spraying in the ceramic industry. Subsequently, with the popularity of functional inks, "ceramic digital glaze" has become a hot topic in the industry and has been noisy for several months.
However, due to the influence of the industry environment at the time, it was quite "untimely", and it failed to continue to become popular and widely popularized. After a few months of turmoil, it existed tepidly for seven years. Long.
The reason for this is that on the one hand, the digital inkjet technology that has already formed a blowout has stolen the limelight; on the other hand, the cost of its process technology and equipment and the digital glaze product itself were too high, and it was not possible to localize it in the early stage. Totally dependent on imports. Third, although its surface texture is improved after being used on traditional ceramic tile products, which can bring certain high added value, in the field of traditional ceramic tile products, its process technology is not as disruptive as the inkjet ink technology at the time. No” has meaning. Therefore, although "born early", it has always been tepid.
In the past three years, with the rise of the craze for ceramic large slabs and rock slabs, and with the further development and maturity of driven inkjet and glazing processes, digital glazing has once again been put into the eyes of industry insiders, and is quite focused. . During the Long March production capacity survey of the ceramic industry, the reporter also discovered that many slate companies are using digital glazes. In addition to imported products, domestic digital glazes are also emerging in the market. For example, the Bo Tao digital glaze produced by China Ceramics Kanglitai. Some manufacturers have put it into stable use.
So, what are the advantages of digital glaze? Why is this product that has been around for 7 years coming back to the forefront and being put alongside the rock slab craze? What is the relationship between digital glaze and slate? With these questions in mind, the reporter visited a number of industry figures.
Digital glaze has obvious advantages
Suitable for rock slab and large slab technology
The foundation for any new technology or new product to become popular must have its unique and irreplaceable advantages in a certain field. Digital glaze technology is no exception.
"Compared with traditional glazing, digital glaze has three core advantages. First, it can apply glaze in small amounts and evenly. On-demand inkjet is the biggest advantage of digital inkjet and traditional spray glaze, especially the amount of glaze application is small. When the amount is less than a few tens of grams per square meter, it is difficult for traditional equipment to cover it evenly. However, even a few grams of digital spray glaze can be evenly printed on the surface of the object. This advantage is used when there is concern that the amount of glaze applied will affect the blank.It is very suitable for glazing on thin plates with strong body strength, or on the currently popular functional glazes, including protective glazes, negative ion glazes, etc. Secondly, digital printing accurately positions and prints according to the designed pattern, and the pattern can be different for each piece. In this regard, traditional equipment is impossible to achieve, and digital glaze spraying has irreplaceable advantages. This feature can be used in local pattern design of ceramic tiles, such as local application of dry particles, local printing, sunken glaze, precious metal glaze, etc. Third, printing can be stacked to achieve mold effects, and each model can be different, which is also impossible with traditional molds. "As a well-known expert in the field of glazing lines in the industry, Peng Jichang of Xinjingtai said that the advantages of digital glaze technology are very obvious.
Based on these advantages, the application of digital glaze technology on ceramic large plates, thin plates and rock slabs is irreplaceable. For example, improving the rate of high-quality products, such as energy saving, emission reduction and cost saving.
Due to the large size of rock slabs and large slabs, the quality rate is very important. Once defects occur, the added value of the products will be greatly reduced. Therefore, the fate of large slabs or rock slabs in an enterprise is inherently inseparable from the yield rate. However, due to the large size, if the traditional glazing process continues to be used, it will be difficult to control the uniformity and accuracy of the glazing on the surface. The traditional glazing or spraying glazing will easily lead to defects and a low rate of high-quality products, which will Digital glaze provides a big opportunity.
Ceramic slabs and rock slabs require that the glaze must be light, thin and even. If the glaze is too thick, defects such as deformation, pinholes, chipping, and white lines may easily occur. Digital glaze is applied in a fully digital or semi-digital form. The glazing process is precise and controllable. It is not only highly automated but also can be designed in a customized manner. After the ceramic glaze is ground to the sub-micron level by fine processing equipment, it is accurately sprayed on the ceramic surface, making it thin and even. It feels better and the product performs better. Compared with the traditional glazing process, the production rate of large slabs and rock slabs is higher and the rate of high-quality products is higher.
The person in charge of Botao's digital glaze technology said in an interview with reporters, "For slate products of 5mm and above, traditional surface glazes and ceramic digital protective glazes can be combined to develop ceramic tile products, but for 5mm and below products, traditional surface glazes can no longer be used, and digital glazes must be used. Otherwise, various defects will occur in the stone slab products, such as insufficient strength, white lines on the edges of the slabs, and no sense of continuity. Only fine digital glazes can be used. Only with glaze and digital protective glaze can the product have a high yield, a strong overall feel, and produce high-quality rock slabs with good texture and feel.
In this regard, Wang Quanxin, director of the General Production Factory, said: "Our factory currently uses China Ceramics Kanglitai's Botao digital glaze product to produce rock slabs. Its performance is stable, the glaze application is uniform and controllable, and the surface texture is delicate and higher-grade. The feedback after half a year of use is very good. Compared with traditional glazing, digital glazing for slate products has obvious advantages. ”
Technology is maturing
Domestic digital glazes are cost-effective alternatives to imported ones
The essence of sales must be that market demand spurs technological innovation, market popularity drives technology popularization, and market popularization drives technology maturity. This is the case with digital glaze technology and products.
With the advent of the trend of ceramic large slabs and rock slabs, the thinner and more precise glazing characteristics, as well as the advantages and popularity brought by its use on large slabs and rock slabs, have in turn promoted the further advancement of digital glaze technology. Developed and matured. Therefore, many powerful companies have invested in the research and development and technological advancement of digital glaze products, including the industry leader China Porcelain Kanglitai.
The reporter learned that China Ceramics Kanglitai began to study digital glaze products and technologies at the beginning of the emergence of ceramic large slabs and rock slabs. After years of precipitation and repeated efforts, its products have been maturely put on the market with excellent feedback effects.
According to China Ceramics Kang Litai, “Since the beginning of 2019, customers have successively launched our ceramic digital glaze. Ceramic companies such as Guangdong Dajiang Ceramics, Zhangzhou Jianhua, and Guangdong Fuqiang have been put into production and use. The products have excellent performance and stable quality. It can completely replace imported ceramic digital glaze. In the future, we are expected to expand the promotion and replace more imported products on the market, so that more ceramic companies will choose to use our products. The industrialization of ceramic digital glaze will move towards a fully intelligent ceramic production line. A big step forward."
In this regard, the relevant person in charge of the R&D department of Fuqiang Ceramics told reporters that compared with imported digital glazes, Botao's digital glaze is more suitable for the domestic market. "Because the particle size of the imported digital glaze is relatively large and the surface has a frosted feel - foreigners emphasize this texture and style. However, from the perspective of actual use, the stain resistance is relatively poor and it is more troublesome to clean. After all, this type of digital glaze in China is The product is used a lot on the wall, so it needs to be easy to take care of. Botao's digital glaze has more of a smooth, soft-glossy glaze feel. It has a warm texture and is easy to care for - Botao's service is also better. To meet our needs, we can achieve customized services for product formulas. Of course, higher cost performance is also one of the main reasons why we choose Botao Digital Glaze." He said that in such a fierce competition, of course, who has better cost performance? It will be more able to win the market. Previously, their company has been using imported digital glaze, but because the price is too high, the cost will really remain high.
Wang Xinxin, director of Dajun Ceramics, also made it clear: "BoTao's digital glaze products are extremely competitive in the market. Dajun's use of this brand of products can completely replace imported digital glazes. On the premise of equivalent quality, the price is better. Imported glazes are much cheaper!” This price-performance ratio is perfect for today’s fiercely competitive ceramic tile market.In terms of the market environment, it gives ceramic tile manufacturers greater room for choice and the possibility of winning competition!
Stone slab competition is locked in a price war
New weapons are needed to break through
As we all know, since the middle of this year, the prices of ceramic slabs and rock slabs have been plummeting, especially recently, when they have almost halved. From the early days, the price of rock slabs dropped from several thousand yuan a piece to a few hundred yuan, and then to the ex-factory price of less than a hundred yuan. The decline in product prices caused by scale and the speed of catching up with the trend brought an abrupt end to the dividend period of "head soup". A rock slab market that has just ushered in the dawn has fallen into a vicious circle of price wars under everyone's noses.
So, under the premise that "you have it, I have it, and he has it too", all kinds of technologies and processes for rock slabs are developing in a homogeneous manner. If competition wants to find a breakthrough, it has to approach it from multiple angles. Especially, in a period when competition has become increasingly fierce, advantages in any subtle link can bring hope of victory. Digital glaze, after the localization has stabilized in this period, is just in time to meet the needs!
"After Botao digital glaze was developed and put into the market, it is more expected to benefit the industry and customers, hoping to replace the expensive price of imported digital glaze with cost-effective domestic products, so that rock slab and large slab manufacturers can In the already chaotic price war market, it is possible to break through! "The person in charge of China Ceramics Kang Litai said that this is the concept that Botao brand has always adhered to.
What is gratifying is that since 2019, many companies have begun to use Botao digital glaze, and it has been well received once used.
“The product has excellent performance and stable quality, and can completely replace imported ceramic digital glaze. It is expected to replace more imported products and enable more ceramic companies to put into production in the future. The industrialization of ceramic digital glaze will make the ceramic production line fully intelligent. It’s a step forward.” User companies responded in this way.
Bo Tao’s digital glaze technical director said, “Our company has developed a series of digital glaze related products, including digital glaze ink (white ink, hair-promoting color ink and large-scale digital glaze ink, etc.), digital protective glaze Ink (glossy, matte effect, etc.)." Zhang Tianjie, the person in charge of China Ceramics Kanglitai, confidently introduced, "Botao digital glaze products can not only fill the gap at home and abroad, but also greatly improve our company's ceramic inkjet printing ink. The leading position in the field. The products can be applied to a variety of products such as large slabs, rock slabs and antique tiles. According to the different needs of customers, Botao can develop ceramic digital glazes with different properties, which are suitable for various products and various inkjet equipment. and various nozzles. Special ceramic digital glazes are developed according to customer usage and have been recognized by the market., and at the same time, according to customer needs for new products, a series of special color inks and supporting auxiliary materials for slate slabs have been developed. ”
The future of digital glaze is bright
The industry needs to work together and continue to work
Although according to the current market situation, it is not possible for digital glaze to completely replace the traditional glazing process in all major fields, the arrival of the ceramic slate trend has actually strengthened the stimulation of the market demand for digital glaze. Digital glazing is the inevitable development direction of ceramic tile glazing, but as far as the current ceramic industry is concerned, more companies need to participate. After all, its current market share is limited and there is still a lot of room for development.
Times make heroes. A digital glaze technology and product that has existed tepidly for 7 years has finally emerged 7 years after its birth. After the market environment and the technology itself have been localized and matured, it has emerged with the slate trend. Hopefully spring will come again!
Companies that are persistently exploring in this field, such as Sinocera Kanglitai, have also ushered in another wave of development by relying on their philosophy of "developing cost-effective products to benefit the industry and customers".
(The article is reproduced from Ceramic Information)
