N.Z.-Made Tiles Will Save Overseas Funds

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29820, 12 May 1962, Page 16

N.Z.-Made Tiles Will Save Overseas Funds

At least £50,000 a year in overseas funds will be saved by the manufacture of special

acid-resistant ceramic tiles which will begin within a year at Crown Lynn Potteries, Ltd., Auckland. Announcing the venture yesterday, the general manager (Mr T. E., Clark, jnr.) said the saving could be even more than £lOO,OOO. More than £50,000 worth of identical tiles, imported from

the United States, are now being installed at the Tasman pulp and paper mill at Kawerau. “Already this job has led to a flood of inquiries,” said Mr Clark, “not only from the paper industry, but from

food-processors interested in improving their methods as part of their expanding export drive.

“From these inquiries alone, we think the demand tor imported tiles would reach £lOO,OOO a year within a few years. We now hope to fill this completely.” Fifty-five new.ly - trained workers from his company had this year installed almost a million tiles at Kawerau to help produce cleaner, better paper, he said. The installation will be completed late next month or early July. The men are working under a construction superintendent from the United States company which supplied the patented tiles and engineering specifications for the job. the Stebbins Engineering and Manufactur i n g Company, Ltd., Watertown, New York. Agents For U.S. Firm

Crown Lynn is acting as agents for the company in New Zealand, and will manufacture under licence. At Kawerau, where the second paper-making machine is now being installed, the tiles are being used to construct and line giant tanks, tubs, vats, towers, pits and storage units—in place of special synthetic materials, concrete and wood.

Acids used in paper-mak-ing cause such materials to flake off into the liquid pulp-mix that finally ends up as paper.

The new “salt-glaze” tiles are completely acid-resistant and should reduce foreign matter in the pulp mix by at least 90 per cent. Installed at Christmas in a vital section of the first paper-making machine, the tiles have already led to a big saving. Previously, concrete flakes had continually ruined the intricate “wires” which carry the pulp to the paper-making machine delicate coppermesh units that cost £lOOO each.