Ferro has made a significant number of investments that has made it a key manufacturer of pigmented inks that are used in digital printing for decorating ceramic tiles.
The company is a key manufacturer of decoration products for tiles in Europe with its operations in Spain. It has installed manufacturing systems at its units in Mexico. This serves the markets in the US and Latin America and in China, and also serves the tile producers all over Asia. Ink blending and packing functions have been added at the company’s Thailand facility.
Ferro has added design and technical support functions in Suzhou and Villagran to help the tile manufacturers to optimize the digital printing methods by means of its extensive inks product portfolio. Recently, the company commissioned a China-based inks laboratory.
Peter Thomas, Ferro’s VP for Polymer and Ceramic Engineered Materials stated that the company is planning further product development and expansion in order to represent the strong trends in the growth of inkjet ceramic tile decoration. He added that the increasing number of worldwide clients depend on the company for local support from design through production. The company is trying to supply new products, applications support and special design to meet the customers’ demands
The tile manufacturers have adopted the digital tile decoration rapidly because of its manufacturing flexibility, cost-effective production and improved design potential. Manufacturers using Ferro's keramINKs product line can potentially achieve vibrant and high-definition tile decorations like geometric models and complex mosaics, reproduction of natural products like wood and stone, and replication of photographs.
Ferro will exhibit its keramINKS products and its tile design and technical services at the Cevisama exhibition in Spain, from 7 to 10 February, 2012.