| |
 TSALAPATA
MUSEUM - Planning
|
| |
|
|
| |
| |
"TSALAPATAS"
brick factory - Historical flashback
The steam driven brick factory was built in 1925 by Sp.
and Nik. Tsalapatas Bros under the instructions of Belgian
engineers aiming to the production of bricks and tiles. Comprises
an area of 22.000 sq.m. from which 7.500 sq.m. are covered.
The first years of its operation it occupied 125 - 150 people
and it had installed power of 150 horses with simultaneous
production of electric power for the needs of the factory. |
| |
|
| |
In 1928 was built an extension of the factory. The installed
power was already of 300 horses and the stuff was 200 - 250
people. The products of the factory were different types of
bricks (eight-hole, six-hole, compact), French type tiles (Marseilles),
Greek type tiles (Byzantine) as well as a special type of tiles. |
| |
 |
|
The annual production of the factory reached up
to 8.000.000 - 9.000.000 differerent types of items.
The production of the factory was interrupted twice.
Once during the B ' World War and once during the
earthquakes in 1955 when it was badly damaged. Damages
were unfortunately off-hand repaired usually with
wooden constructions for the buildings and various
patents for the mechanical equipment.
During the 60's the factory interruptes its electrical
power production for its needs and it's connected to
the national network of Public Power Corporation (D
ΕΗ ). At the same time the factory buys electrically
powered machines for the process of raw materials and
for the production of bricks and tiles. Staff is reduced
to 80 people. |
|
In 1975 the brick factory of " Tsalapatas " terminates its
operation due to competition and high economic demands . In
1994 the Municipality of Volos buys the brick factory of "Tsalapatas"
from its inheritors within the URBAN program and afterwards Volos
Municipal Enterprise for Urban Studies - Construction and Development
( DEMEKAV) elaborates the studies for the restoration
of the place, mechanical equipment and the accession of new
usages. Restoration works began in 1998 and finished in 2001. |
|
The brick factory comprises 22,65 hectares in the
urban site and includes a block of buildings of 7.600
sq . m . and deckhouses of 4.900 sq . m . It's an important
sample of a preserved industrial block at European
level.
Its uniqueness is that all elements of installation
and equipment of different production methods are preserved
, from steam to electricity, and also a Hoffmann
kiln using coal as fuel is preserved in excellent condition.
According to the decision of the Ministry of Culture
(Official Gazette of the Hellenic Republic-Issue No.
593/6.7.95) is listed as a monument for preservation.
Factory's historical importance, the need for maintenance
of industrial heritage, as well as its central position
in the city , were the main reasons for choosing it as
the center of urban intervention for the rehabilitation
of the area of Palia through URBAN Community Initiative. |
|
 |
|
| |
 |
|
Within the URBAN program , the Municipality of Volos bought
the factory in 1995 and financed the restoration of the buildings
as well as the plan for usage for the creation of a modern
multi-functional cultural centre , devoted to industrial and
handcrafts heritage and recent cultural production , which
comprises :
- Museum of Industrial History .
- 20 handicraft workshops, exhibition places and small shops
for traditional hand-made products of the area.
- Exhibition places, gallery, library, video-wall room and
cinema.
- Recreation and leisure facilities (cafe, restaurants, etc).
|
|
|
Museum of Industrial History |
|
|
The establishment of the Museum of Industrial History aims
to the exploitation and distinction of the facilities and mechanical
equipment of the old brick factory.
It comprises the followings: |
|
At the above mentioned areas the mechanical equipment
of the brick factory is maintened, listed for preservation
by the Ministry of Culture and maintened by DEMEKAV funds.
In the future, the Museum can be filled with other exhibits
from the industrial history of the city.
The operation of the Museum of Industrial History of "
Tsalapatas " brick factory helps the development of new
kinds of tourism ( cultural , educational , school and
of special interests ) combined with the development of
the historical interest for Palia and of the regional archeological
richness. Objective is the increase of tourists ' staying
in their way to Pelion and Sporades islands. |
|
|
|
| |
|
Visiting the Museum |
| |
 |
|
Objective is the presentation of how the factory worked
during its operation depending on the processing method of
raw materials ( liquid - dry process of argil ), used energy
( steam - electricity ) and on production equipment for bricks
and tiles, or on the method of product drying (old- new drying
compartments).
The visit is proceeding according to the production procedure
so as the visitor can better understand the operation of the
factory and productive stages. |
|
|
|
The entrance to the building is at
the production area and is checked at the lobby. It's a half-opened area
under the ramp between the production building and information
offices for the public and the Management. At the production
area, which is considered to be of museum importance,
mechanical equipment has been maintained and are still
in position.
The visitor after the production
area can visit the boiler
room which
is also considered to be of museum importance. Mechanical
equipment is also here untouched.
From the production room, the visitor can move to the old
and new drying compartments department. old
and new drying compartments department. |
|
 |
|
| |
Afterwards, the visit inside the building can be completed
entering the most interesting department, the famous
Hoffman kiln. It's the main museum area and the most
interesting, which is still untouched even after the repair
of the kiln.
At the kiln's
loft, together with the museum part, is created
a meeting area for the public and for formative exhibitions. |
| |
|
Production stage |
|
|
|
PRODUCTION STAGE
The production stage of tiles is separated in two large
periods depending on the preparation of raw materials
(argil).
Α ' PERIOD 1925 - 1960. LIQUID PROCESS OF ARGIL
The argil was transferred from the mine to the factory
on wagons moving
by small steam engines. At the agitator the
argil was mixed with water and the final mixture was leaded
through channels to the subsidence
tanks . At the
subsidence tanks the mixture was dried, cut into pieces
and transferred to the production
room for the production
of tiles. Afterwards, liquid tiles placed on palettes were
transferred to the kilns
for drying. Part of the production
was transferred during the summer at yard drying compartments.
The tiles, after drying were placed at the Hoffman
kiln for stoving and then at the
deckhouses for sale. |
|
|
Β ' PERIOD 1960 - 1975. DRY PROCESS OF ARGIL .
The argil was transferred on trucks from the mine to the factory
and placed at the argil silo . Afterwards , the argil through
transfer belts was leaded to the new argil
pulverisers where
it was going through stripping , crocking , screening and with
transfer belts was
leaded to the argil mill through the ramp , and from there
to the production room for the shaping of tiles. For drying
and stoving they used the same method as in A' period. Since
1972 for drying they used the new drying
rooms , which were
built at that time.
In B' period the argil they were transported by the silos
of argil via the ramp in the argil mill where was created the
mixture for the machines of bricks' rolling. And in the two
periods the bricks after the room of production followed the
same course that followed and the tiles. |
| |
| PRODUCTION STAGE FOR BRICKS |
For the production of bricks the argil wasn't subjected
to any process ( liquid - dry ). At the A period, wagons were
leaded through the ramp at the argil mill , where the argil
was rubbed and with the addition of water they produced the
mix which was leaded to the brick rolling
machines under the
mill. At B' period, argil was transferred from argil silo through
ramp to the argil mill, where they made the mix for the brick
rolling machines. At both periods bricks, after the production
room, followed the same procedure as tiles . |
| |
|
Space and facilities description |
|
AGITATOR
At the agitator started the liquid process of argil . In two build basins the
argil with the addition of water was mixed through two agitators operated
by an electric motor. With the agitation rocks, roots and other materials
settled down at the bottom of basins and grass was floating and had to be
removed with a shovel by a worker.
SUBSIDENCE TANKS
From the agitator the argil - water mix was leaded through
channels to the subsidence tanks (ph. 6), where the argil was
subsided, the water was removed and the clean (washed) clay
was transferred by wagons, loaded by workers, to the production
room.
ARGIL PULVERISERS
After 1960 at the argil pulverisers' facilities was
made the process of raw material for tiles by the so-called dry
method as follows: the argil from silo of the car ramp through
a revolving plate feeder underneath the silo, came down to the
clod scutching machine. Afterwards, the argil came through an
electronic probe (demineralization) to reach the revolving
feeder of pulverisers. Both pulverisers power of 140 and 150 horses,
of the Eiruch factory, operated alternately for maintenance reasons
(oxyacetylene welding, carbide grains of wolfram at worn-out
surfaces due to attrition). Fraying argil proceeded to sieve
filters and afterwards in the silo of raw
material to be leaded
to the production room . Distribution of argil in individual
machines was made through transfer belts
PRODUCTION ROOM
Nowadays , at this room there are two machines for brick production
of Samic andMorando
factories and three machines for the production of tiles. |
From these tile machines, two come
from Morando factory
of production of Marseilles type (French) tiles and one
comes from Favant factory
of production of Byzantine type of tiles. Morando's brick
rolling machine also manufactured clay pieces for the
production of tiles at the machines. Older machines operated
through belts from the central movement
spindle , that part of it is
preserved until today. Movement spindle operated, besides
brick and tiles rolling machines, semiautomatic
hoists of crates with products, the argil
mill and the traction
winch for wagons above the ramp leading to the mill.
After 1960 (the factory connected to Public Power Corporation)
older as well as most recent machines operated by electric
motors . In front of rolling machines there are cutters
for cutting the clay, while exiting from the machines
, into formed pieces. From semiautomatic hoists near
the production machines, formed products loaded on special
trolleys were leaded to the drying compartments. The
Samic argil mill is at a loft inside the production room. |
|
 |
|
|
BOILER ROOM
There are three steam boilers and each one has on top a steam
engine. All three steam boilers are made in Belgium by Sabbe
and Steenbrugge factory. The boilers are cylindrical, Scottish
type with two strokes with cylindrical fire-boxes and air ducts.
The two smaller boilers have heated surface of 32 sq.m. each
one, while their steam engines are of one cylinder engine,
power of 75 horses each one. The large steam boiler has heated
surface of 57 sq.m. and his steam engine is two - cylinder,
power of 150 horses. They used solid fuel, a mixture of imported
coal and inland lignite. Steam machines moved the central movement
spindle at the production room as well as 2 electric generators
for power production for lighting and operation of the factory.
Part of produced steam at steam boilers was transmitted through
pipe to the old drying compartments for product drying . Since
1960 steam engines were replaced with an electric
motor for
moving the spindle. At the large boiler a fuel oil heater was
placed for the production of extra steam for heating the drying
compartments.
OLD
DRYING compartments
In 35
long sections of old drying compartments of 22 x 1,35
dimensions was accomplished the drying of products . Products
loaded on cargo crates were leaded to drying compartments
where crates were placed in partition slots. Chambers' doors
were closing for the procedure of drying to avoid faults ,
which lasted 7-10 days. Heating of chambers was succeeded with blade
pipes placed on the ground in bronchus shape and steam
from steam boilers was running through. Furthermore, chambers
were heated with hot air by Hoffman kiln and through a pipe
and a centrifugal fan were leaded to drying compartments.
Produced steam was released outside by chimneys placed on
top of drying compartments . |
|
|
|
HOFFMAN KILN
In continuous combustion kiln
of the brick factory took place the stoving of the products.
The kiln consisted of a closed ellipsoid gallery of semicircular
cross-section of length 100 m., width 5 m. and maximum
height 2,5 m.
In the exterior side of gallery existed
every 4 m. entries for the import of dry and the
export of stoved products as well as for the essential
combustion air. Smelters after placing dry products in
the gallery, created temporary compartments closed with
bricks and separating each compartment from another by
paper. In this was the kiln was separated into 20 compartments,
as many as its entries. The fire following clockwise
course remained in each compartment for 8 hours in
order for the products to be stoved by burning paper
compartments. The duration of the kiln's procedure
was one week.
|
|
Throughout the gallery there are small openings at the dome
and larger openings on the ground . From the small openings
at the kiln's loft started the fuelling of the compartment
with coal in powder form (mix of lignite and coal). Big openings
at both sides of the ground were used for exhaust gas through
mechanical draught. At the other side of the gallery where
they stoved products, smelters unbuilt the entrance to remove
stoved products, put in new and create compartments with
bricks. At the kiln's loft there are small
openings for fuelling on which special
feeders with mechanism opened and closed
to feed each compartment with the appropriate quantity of
fuel. The rest of the openings were filled in.
Also, bigger openings exist which communicate with a fan
of circular cross-section. With suitable semiconductor small
openings were connected with the large ones for exhaust hot
air from that department of gallery that smelters would enter.
Hot air was channelled through centrifugal
fan to the chambers
of old drying compartments. In the middle of the loft there
were wheels used to open and close stoppers at the central
exhaust gas pipe which communicated with the mechanical draught
chimney .
Open partitions allowed exhaust gas through openings at
the ground of the gallery's partition where the fire was
burning. The rest of the partitions remained closed . The
locomotion of fire from the previous to the next compartment
of the kiln was made through the opening of partitions smelters
of the next compartment , closing of previous and fuelling
of next compartment with coal. Coal reached the loft with
transfer belt from yard
silo and afterwards through wagons
to mechanic feeders. Over the wagon operated a plasterer.
Hoffman kiln functioned the first years of operation of
the factory only during the summers. Later on, in order to
function also in the winter was accommodated at the existent big
rectangular building .
|
|
TURNERY
Turnery ensured daily maintenance of factory's mechanical
equipment. Inside the turnery existed also a wood workshop
for the manufacturing of wooden frames (pallets) used for
transferring products in the room of production. The turnery
was equipped by two lathes, two drills, one grindstone,
one metal saw and an ironsmith's kiln.
The wood workshop
included ribbon saw and a block plane. All machines,
besides the block plane, had central movement through
axes, pulleys and belts and the movement provided by
an electric motor of 7,5 horses. Today, unfortunately
no machines exist from the turnery . When the block of
buildings came to the ownership of the Municipality of
Volos the turnery was already empty.
|
|
 |
|
|
NEW
DRYING ROOMS
New drying rooms were constructed
during 1971-72 and included 6 rooms of 13,3 x 6,2 m . In
the middle of each room on rail tracks were reversible
moving three gurneys connecting all together . On these
gurneys were placed on proper layout three axial fans which
blew hot air from the room through fan blades on pallets
with fresh products. Pallets were placed into the drying
kilns with clark. Required hot air for product drying was
produced in the boiler - room by the air
boiler with a
fuel oil heater . Hot air through underground air ducts and
ground openings was channeled to drying rooms. The required
hot air was ensured by a centrifugal fan in the boiler room.
Produced steam during the drying was released outside through
openings on the roof and small
chimneys on the roof of new
drying rooms. |
|
| |
|
| |
