Pressure pulsations
Spray jet instability and non-uniform glazing quality on the tiles.
Analytical Case Study
MACISTE: the airless pump that eliminated pulsations, breakages and contamination in glazing.
How the MACISTE airless pump (with a three-piston architecture and no hydraulic circuit) turned a critical glazing-line component into a stable, reliable, low-operating-cost element, becoming the new market standard.
Glazing: a critical process for finished-product quality
In the ceramic glazing process, the uniform application of abrasive products in suspension (glazes, engobes, crystallines) is a critical factor in ensuring finished-product quality.
Traditionally, lines used airless pumps based on hydraulic systems with pressurised oil. Although widespread, these technologies had structural limits in terms of spray stability, reliability and management costs.
Against this backdrop, in 2010 the MACISTE pump was launched: an automatic airless pump designed to improve efficiency, application quality and production continuity.
Uniform glaze application directly affects finished-product quality, line efficiency and overall operating costs.
The structural limits of traditional airless pumps
The analysis of traditional solutions reveals recurring criticalities that directly affect product quality, line efficiency and operating costs.
Membrane breakage
Frequent membrane breakages in hydraulic pumps, with recurring machine downtime.
Oil contamination
Risk of glaze contamination caused by hot-oil leaks from the pressurised circuit.
Costs and operator dependence
High maintenance costs, non-optimised consumption and strong operator dependence to manage anomalies.
An alternative architecture to the market standard
MACISTE introduces a radically different architecture: a three-piston system at 120° that mechanically moves the membranes, the total absence of a hydraulic circuit (no pressurised oil), a diaphragm pump coupled to an electric motor and control via a user-friendly PLC.
Functionally, this delivers stable, continuous pressure without pulsations, a constant spray jet over time, uniform glaze distribution, the elimination of contamination risk and a drastic reduction of stress on the membranes. The machine also integrates an anomaly-alarm system, automatic self-cleaning and a low-consumption motor (0.75 kW).
| Parameter | Previous solution | New solution |
|---|---|---|
| Glaze contamination | 3.50% | 0.00% |
| Thickness uniformity (std dev.) | ±5.0% | < ±1.5% |
| Transfer efficiency | 82% - 85% | 96% - 98% |
| MTBF (mean time between failures) | ~800 hours | ~4,000 hours |
| Annual raw-material cost (glaze) | +20% waste | Baseline |
Stability, reliability and operational simplicity
The MACISTE solution rests on three pillars. Process stability: thanks to the synchronised piston system, delivery is continuous and pulsation-free, improving spray quality. Structural reliability: eliminating the hydraulic system removes the main causes of failure (membrane breakage and oil leaks).
Operational simplicity: an intuitive interface, automatic alarms and integrated self-cleaning reduce operator dependence and minimise human error.
-
Three pistons at 120°
Synchronised mechanical movement of the membranes: stable, continuous pressure, zero pulsations.
-
Zero hydraulics
No pressurised oil: membrane breakages and contaminating leaks eliminated at the root.
-
Constant spray jet
A spray jet that stays uniform over time, for even glazing across the whole tile.
-
User-friendly PLC control
Intuitive interface with automatic alarms for nozzle, pressure and piping.
-
Integrated self-cleaning
Automatic self-cleaning system that simplifies end-of-shift operations.
-
Low-consumption motor
0.75 kW electric motor: optimised energy consumption vs traditional systems.
Fast, low-impact integration on existing lines
Introducing MACISTE into the production line is fast and low-impact: installation on existing glazing lines, simple PLC setup, minimal operator training and immediate integration into production cycles.
Operationally, the operator can run the pump independently and step away from the machine thanks to the alarm system, while end-of-shift operations are simplified by automatic self-cleaning.
In the Field
Photo gallery of the project
Tangible results in industrial applications
Before
Glaze contamination
Oleodynamic pump
After
Stable spray jet
Maciste airless pump
Industrial applications (including major international ceramic manufacturers) show tangible results: greater glazing uniformity and better finished-product quality, production continuity with no maintenance stops, elimination of routine membrane maintenance, no scrap risk from contamination and reduced energy consumption. Continuous operation reaches up to around 2 years without maintenance.
| Metric | Result | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Glaze contamination | 0.00% | No scrap from oil contamination |
| MTBF | ~4,000 hours | 5× the time between failures of traditional pumps |
| Transfer efficiency | 96-98% | More glaze on the tile, less waste |
| Membrane maintenance | Eliminated | Up to ~2 years of continuous operation |
| Energy consumption | Reduced | Motor of just 0.75 kW |
What this case demonstrates
The MACISTE case shows how innovation on a seemingly secondary glazing-line component can deliver a simultaneous improvement in production quality, industrial efficiency and economic sustainability.
01
Stability beats power
Eliminating pressure pulsations, rather than increasing thrust, is what guarantees uniform, consistently high-quality glazing.
02
Simplifying architecture boosts reliability
Removing the hydraulic circuit eliminated the main causes of failure at the root: membrane breakage and oil contamination.
03
A secondary component can become strategic
The glazing pump, turned into a stable, low-operating-cost element, became the new market standard.
Next step
Got a similar situation?
If you run a ceramic line with similar technical challenges, we can help with targeted technical consulting.
More success stories
See all →
07 Let's talk
Want to optimize your production line performance?
30 years in the ceramic industry. From diagnosis to solution, a single point of contact.