A concern for the environment and its conservation has been an ongoing priority for the Porcelanosa Group since its foundation. Sustainable lifestyles that fit in harmoniously with the environment require specific, tangible action. Anticipating the need for these new dynamics, Porcelanosa Grupo has been making ongoing improvements to its production system for over 30 years to minimize its impact on the environment.

Ston-ker

What is Ston-ker®?

The STON-KER® porcelain tile series is designed for use on indoor or outdoor walls and floors, given its first-class technical characteristics which allow the tiles to withstand even the harshest of weather conditions, with a high resistance to wear and tear, which not only make them a great option for exterior applications, but also high traffic areas and even facades.

Today, Porcelanosa and Venis (a Porcelanosa group member) are in the position to release a new product with a unique homogeneous structure and an indivisible morphology. Thanks to its technical characteristics, consumers now have a product at their disposal that is able to withstand high traffic while minimizing the effects of abrasion or wear and tear.

This new product represents a significant technological breakthrough that is going to revolutionize the world of tile manufacturing, in which Porcelanosa and Venis are pioneers. Great effort has gone into its new development and the results are clear: this new innovation is called Ston-Ker.

Manufacturing Ston-ker® Tile

This exclusive tile collection is made of first-class raw materials. Our departments select the very best suppliers of materials such as clays, silica and feldspars, which are then subjected to the strictest of quality controls. All this makes STON-KER® the perfect choice for projects with rigorous technical specifications.

The manufacturing system used to make STON-KER® guarantees the uniform size, flatness and squareness of the tiles so that they can be easily laid to achieve a perfect finish, providing that the tile-laying recommendations.

Our non-stop search for new applications for STON-KER® porcelain tiles has led to the development of new larger formats for use as cladding on facades.

Porcelanosa and Venis integrate the strategic objectives in their management and production systems in a transverse manner, so that the implementation of processes that are respectful towards the environment are not limited to specific actions, but instead form a part of its know-how as a whole. Going beyond the specific requirements of current legislation for reducing the impact of industrial activity on the environment is also one of their most firmly rooted attitudes.

Compliance with standards, as well as being a successfully adopted obligation, is the consequence of a constant and intense effort by the organization towards improving efficiency, and also serves as the basis for the subsequent development of voluntary
corrective measures, leading to the ceramic tile manufacturing plants of Porcelanosa and Venis being awarded Integral Environmental Authorization in 2006. In turn, the processes involved in the design, manufacture, distribution and commercialization

of ceramic wall and floor tiles have had ISO 14001 environmental certification since 2004.
Another of the elements used in the control and constant, progressive reduction of the impact of industrial activity on the social and natural environment consists of designing specific five-year plans for minimizing waste materials, which are closely monitored. Similarly, Porcelanosa and Venis promote the application of concepts of re-use, recycling and reappraisal in all of its waste treatment systems, as compared to disposal.
As a result, all of the residues from the manufacturing of ceramic tiles as well as elements rejected by quality control are reincorporated into the manufacturing process.

Ston-ker Ecologic

In keeping with its environmental commitment, Porcelanosa has developed STON-KER® Ecologic, a tile collection manufactured with 95% recycled content from the company's own production process.

STON-KER® Ecologic represents a substantial reduction in the consumption of raw materials (as well as minimizing the environmental impact of having to quarry them), plus significant energy savings in the production of the ceramic tiles.

What is Ecotech?

A key value and sustainable development as a strategic objective, Porcelanosa created the ECOTECH concept, transforming basic raw materials into the most eco-friendly of products. Recycling and the re-use of natural resources and waste matter form an integral part of the day-to-day work of the group's various companies. As part of the group's philosophy to introduce ongoing energy savings, it also works on filtering emissions and minimizing its environmental impact.

Porcelanosa also has successfully taken on board specific goals to reduce the CO2 it generates and it is a leader in complying with international commitments undertaken as part of the Kyoto Protocol to protect the atmosphere. In its strict adherence to these criteria, the company has become involved in pioneering plans, like the project to create a level-3 eco-labeling system or adjustments to comply with leading international standards and initiatives like the LED rating system.

Manufacturing Ston-ker® Ecologic Tile

The process which STON-KER® Ecologic tiles are manufactured, using spray-dried powder from recycled material, is similar in all aspects to the conventional manufacturing system, except for the re-use of unfired waste which in this case, the whole tile is made of this re-used material plus particles from the extraction system.

A new line has also been introduced so that this material is the only raw material used to make the tile bodies in the series. Likewise, dust extraction circuits for filtering solid particles have been modified and recycling methods have been introduced to re-use the filtered particles and reincorporate them in the manufacturing process of Ston-ker® Ecologic tiles.

As for the infrastructure that was developed for the recycling process, a special mention must be made of the extraction and filtration system of particles from the pressing, glazing and tile body preparation lines. The particles are collected in solid form and put into tanks of colored unfired waste to be re-used. The filter discharge system was adapted so that the filtered dust particles could be collected in sacks, weighed and then incorporated as solid material in the tanks of unfired waste.
Subsequently, once this slurry has been converted into spray-dried powder, it is deposited in a series of specific silos that feed the hoppers of the presses used to make tile for Ston-ker® Ecologic.

Trafic Series

Although the Ston-ker® line continues to grow to be Porcelanosa's most popular line, the tile that the entire line was built on is our 'Trafic' series. Trafic is a highly durable tile available in a variety of colors and sizes and can be used indoors and outdoors in both residential or commercial areas. To read more detailed information on our Trafic line please CLICK HERE.

Ston-ker Series