HATRIA CASE HISTORY

HATRIA CASE HISTORY

AUTOMATION AS A DRIVER OF CREATIVITY AND DESIGN IN CONTEMPORARY BATHROOMS

A leading Italian player based in Teramo, Hatria specializes in the production of ceramic sanitaryware, washbasins of every type and shape, floor- or wall-mounted WCs and bidets, plus furniture, shelves and accessories. Innovative design and rigorously Made in Italy production are the company's hallmarks. Everything stems from a solid ceramic tradition, from a know-how that has, over time, been enhanced by increasingly sophisticated manufacturing technology. This technology has been evolving for 20 years and has seen the introduction of automation at every stage, from casting to glazing, from finishing to handling.

«A generator of infinite, exclusively designed bathroom solutions».

SACMI ROBOT CASTING PROVIDES A RESPONSE TO THE LATEST MARKET TRENDS

High quality raw materials, meticulous prototyping, efficiency and total traceability. For over twenty years Hatria has been using SACMI technology at every stage of the production process. The latest trends include the manufacture of modern, thin shower trays, which has seen a doubling of ADS casting lines.
SACMI Robot Casting solutions ensure highly automated casting and handling, plus perfect product quality and repeatability; so it’s hardly surprising that Hatria recently reinvested in them to drive forward the latest developments in its product range. From classic glossy glazed trays to all-new textures that mimic natural stone, these new product lines are now among the most popular on the market.

SACMI ROBOT CASTING PROVIDES A RESPONSE TO THE LATEST MARKET TRENDS

Key features on the new ADS cell, inaugurated in 2022, include the ability to work without an operator alongside the machine, largely because the robot tasks have been combined with LGV (laser guided vehicle) handling. Here, it’s the robot itself that places the pieces on the cars after demolding. This innovative system doesn’t just eliminate manual tasks: it also does away with the need for supports thanks to an ingenious article pick system that uses fork devices.
An expansion of the output capacity of the AVM casting cells – SACMI’s market-leading single-mold solution for complex WCs and bidets - is also under way, with two new machines set to be installed at Hatria in early 2023. Once again, this expansion aims to deliver versatile control of automation and auxiliary systems for articles (produced with up to 5+2 mold parts) that combine outstanding practicality and style.

«DIGITAL PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT», AN ADDITIONAL CREATIVITY TOOL

The need to industrialize new products that offer modern, innovative design is shared by all high-end sanitaryware and bathroom furnishing manufacturers. The real challenge lies in responding to that need with solutions that allow accelerated product development, testing of new solutions and maintenance of outstanding product quality and performance.
Digital Product Development (DPD) refers to the direct milling of porous resin molds using CNC machining stations: a true ‘digital modeling’ solution that SACMI has, over the years, developed to allow the creation of increasingly complex, sophisticated molds using the new ‘by tooling’ system.

This solution was eagerly welcomed by the world’s leading sanitaryware manufacturers, Hatria included, of course. In 2021, Hatria took delivery of the 7,000th mold made by SACMI with the new system, which the modelling department has used alongside traditional mold casting methods for some years now. DPD offers unprecedented opportunities. These were immediately grasped by companies like Hatria, as highlighted by the continuous evolution of its product range, co-created with leading designers through careful attention to changing trends in contemporary bathrooms.

SANITARYWARE 4.0, «LASER GUIDED» MOVEMENT AND FLOW CONTROL

SACMI’s LaserMove platform performs automatic, coordinated control of internal flows, from casting to finishing, from glazing to firing. Recent investments in the Teramo headquarters and a significant increase in productivity have led Hatria to augment its fleet of LGVs (laser guided vehicles). These will join the vehicles initially purchased as part of a future-focused investment at the end of the 2000s.

SANITARYWARE 4.0, «LASER GUIDED» MOVEMENT AND FLOW CONTROL

Today, the company has five such vehicles, which carry the product through every stage of the production process. These valuable assets have played a pivotal role in doubling casting line capacity, automating finishing and, consequently, boosting productivity. Last but not least, they allow for the implementation of advanced ‘total tracking’ functions: full product traceability to achieve better, more efficient order management, quality control and performance.

ROBOTCLEAN, SUSTAINABILITY, SAFETY (AND ENHANCED EFFICIENCY) FIRST

From SACMI’s perspective, the development of a robotic finishing solution for sanitaryware is - together with automatic kiln loading - a big step towards tomorrow’s ‘lights-out’ factory. Hatria was one of Italy’s first major sanitaryware companies to invest in this technology, developed by SACMI in 2021.

This solution goes beyond automation, as RobotClean also focuses on workers’ health and safety. In addition to relieving them of the most tiring, repetitive tasks, it also protects them from exposure to harmful dust. With RobotClean, in fact, the operator never comes into contact with the crystalline silica powders typically generated during the white finishing process.

Needless to say, the robotic approach to finishing prioritizes quality: this solution uses a cutting-edge set of finishing tools to replicate the most complex on-article operations - traditionally done manually by experienced workers - and makes them repeatable. Moreover, the cell supplied to Hatria is also equipped with water curtain filters to remove residual dust, thus ensuring the robot work zone is clean at all times. All these solutions are designed for native interconnection with the factory supervisor, and are thus connected to tracking, performance monitoring and production data logging modules.

CERTIFIED QUALITY, A «CIRCULAR ECONOMY»

As always, Hatria’s most recent - and most ambitious - projects put customer satisfaction first and foremost. That goal is also pursued through the UNI EN ISO 9001 2015 certified quality management system.
The drive towards total quality and sustainability is being aided by plant automation, systems that focus on operator health and safety, and next-gen technologies that save water and energy at every stage of production. Likewise, quality and sustainability are the reasons why Hatria decided, some time ago, to replace traditional plaster molds with much more durable porous resin ones, thus avoiding the cost and environmental impact of disposal.

CERTIFIED QUALITY, A «CIRCULAR ECONOMY»

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