Be Water. Valencian Ceramic Savings

Fresh water is an increasingly scarce commodity on the planet, so every drop of water is important for building a more sustainable future. The Esmalglass-Itaca-Fritta Group, in its firm commitment to sustainability and respect for the environment, has succeeded in developing and implementing the DigitalGlass solution for the ceramics sector, the new family of water-based digital glazes.

Unlike the traditional solvent-based enamels most commonly used until now, the new DigitalGlass solution offered by the Valencian group manages to reduce water consumption by up to tenfold, with all the environmental and production benefits that this entails for its customers in the ceramics sector.

“DigitalGlass is the culmination of more than ten years of work and effort to offer the ceramics sector an innovation that represents a new revolution”, explains Davide Zannoni, Inkjet Product Manager at Esmalglass-Itaca-Fritta. Although the solution is already on the market, the group has been developing the new family of water-based digital glazes for almost a decade. Following the introduction of Full-Digital (ceramic printing with entirely digital processes), the group, based in Vila-real (Castellón), patented water-based digital glazes in 2012. A year later, the first machines and heads for working with water-based digital glazes were developed. Following the consolidation of Full-Digital, “as of 2019, several customers have successfully implemented the DigitalGlass solution in their production lines, which is made entirely with our water-based digital enamels,” adds Zannoni.

Innovation and sustainability are core values for the group and
DigitalGlass is a milestone, a new revolution to transform the ceramics sector. This innovation represents four major opportunities for both the customer and the environment. On the one hand, the reduction of emissions and environmental impact, since in addition to reducing water consumption by up to ten times compared to traditional glazes, it also eliminates excess materials, waste, strong odours… On the other hand, another benefit is the reduction of operating and logistics costs, since as waste is not generated, only the material necessary for the application is used, which also allows optimising savings in storage and personnel. Also, the improvement in the quality and aesthetics of the product, as more natural finishes are achieved by applying the water-based digital enamels in synchronisation with the rest of the digital applications. Finally, another point in favour of this innovation is the reduction of the time-to-market, as the materials used are reduced, the modelling is done faster and responds quickly to market demand.

In short, with the consolidation of DigitalGlass, the Esmalglass-Itaca-Fritta group demonstrates its leadership in innovation by being once again a leading player in the transformations of the ceramics sector, once again with a major global innovation.
Through water and digital technology, it is now possible to achieve more environmentally friendly and efficient ceramics, with a digital and eco-sustainable production process that saves water and economic resources for the many customers in the sector who rely on this Valencian multinational.

The Esmalglass-Itaca-Fritta group was founded in 1978 in Vila-real, when Esmalglass was set up to manufacture and market ceramic frits, glazes and colours. At the same time, Itaca started its activity in 1989 in La Pobla Tornesa, dedicated to the manufacture and commercialisation of ceramic colours. In 1999 Esmalglass and Itaca decided to join forces, forming the Esmalglass-Itaca group, a leader in technology, products, technical assistance and design. The group acquired Fritta in January 2015. Today, the group is consolidated in the world’s main ceramics markets and is positioned among the top three companies in the world in its sector.