New Pearl raises the industry standard with the sector's most advanced double-layer kiln
Tile Wars · technology · · Tile Wars Editorial
China's New Pearl Group, together with kiln manufacturer HLT & DLT, has commissioned a nearly 416-metre double-layer kiln — a global benchmark in efficiency, flexibility and sustainability for porcelain tile and large slabs.
The technological race in the international ceramic industry has taken another step forward. China's New Pearl Group has commissioned a double-layer kiln that manufacturers and technology suppliers are already pointing to as one of the most ambitious projects developed to date for the production of porcelain tile and large slabs.
At close to 416 metres long, the installation marks a leap in both productive capacity and operational efficiency, at a time when the sector is striving to balance productivity, energy consumption and sustainability.
The project, developed together with kiln manufacturer HLT & DLT — a specialist in firing technology — has been designed to work with a wide variety of formats and thicknesses, from ultra-thin pieces to large-format surfaces aimed at architecture, interior design and technical applications.
More flexibility for next-generation porcelain tile
One of the most notable aspects of the plant is its ability to produce different thicknesses and formats within the same manufacturing line. This flexibility responds to the evolution of the international market, where the growth of technical porcelain and large-format slabs is forcing plants to operate with increasingly versatile processes.
The trend is no stranger to Europe, and especially to the Spanish ceramic cluster, where manufacturers continue to invest in digitalisation, automation and thermal optimisation to remain competitive in a landscape shaped by energy costs.
Energy at the heart of innovation
The new kiln incorporates advanced heat recovery systems, intelligent combustion control and automatic air-and-gas regulation. The goal is clear: cut consumption, stabilise the thermal curve and minimise emissions.
In a global context where sustainability is already part of industrial strategy, firing technologies have become one of the main focuses of innovation inside ceramic factories.
Thermal efficiency no longer only impacts production cost — it also affects final product quality, colour stability and waste reduction.
A model that sets the trend
Beyond its record-breaking dimensions, the project confirms a trend consolidating across the sector: major industrial investments are concentrating on lines that combine automation, flexibility and energy savings.
For the Spanish ceramic industry — traditionally a technological reference in Europe — this type of international development is also an indicator of where the next generation of production plants is heading.
The market today demands larger, more technical surfaces produced with lower environmental impact. And firing technology — through suppliers such as HLT & DLT — is once again at the centre of that industrial transformation.
CeramicIndustry TileIndustry PorcelainTile LargeFormats CeramicTechnology Sustainability