The shutdown has provided insight into how BMI UK & Ireland produces its Rosemary roof tiles.
The Rosemary kiln is currently undergoing scheduled maintenance as part of BMI's ongoing investment in maintaining production quality and operational performance. The refurbishment is expected to take 33,000 contact hours and cost £6.3 million.
BMI Redland has made improvements in the plant's automation and product handling capabilities, reducing downtime and enhancing safety, as well as installing new conveyor belts and a refurbished train of kiln carts.
The controlled shutdown for maintenance at BMI Redland's Bedworth-based Rosemary Kiln offered visibility of a production stage that is typically inaccessible, revealing the scale, precision and technical complexity involved in manufacturing traditional clay plain tiles at scale.
The Rosemary Clay Tile range is produced from Etruria Marl clay collected in Staffordshire since 1837. Today, the tile is best known for combining a heritage aesthetic with 21st-century machine-made techniques.
"The opportunity to step inside the kiln while it's offline is rare, and it provides a valuable perspective on the scale and control involved in producing each batch of Rosemary tiles," said Damien Pooley, Portfolio Manager – Pitched Roofing at BMI UK & Ireland.
"What is often not seen is the engineering and process discipline behind that consistency. From raw material preparation through to firing, every stage is tightly managed to ensure quality and performance."
