Industrial visits have become an increasingly essential component of the modern engineering universities creative educational curriculum. It provides the teachers with a brief respite as they take a step back to let the inner workings of an industry spark the intellectual curiosity of young aspiring engineers. It is a beehive where everything is done like clockwork with each laborer, factory worker, engineer, and manager contributing his own share to keep the behemoth working immaculately, day in and day out, to produce the optimum level of high quality produce to satiate the demands of the rapid moving modern society.
AIChE DUET Students Chapter took the impetus to organize an industrial visit to the Shabbir Tiles and Ceramics Ltd. So on 1st February of this year students of the chemical department residing from the batch of 2015 travelled to one of the premium tile making industry of Pakistan located off the national highway- N5 just after Quaidabad. I with 59 other students reached the industry at around 11 o’ clock. As soon as we reached the industry we were greeted by the heads of the production department who gave us a brief incite about the production capabilities and standards of the industry.
After introduction all students were divided in four groups of 15 and were headed by one manager of the company who helped us understand how production is carried out in the industry and how the company reaches their customers. Engineer Muhammad Jan was the guide of my particular group and he walked us through each of the units of the production sector. Maximum production of the company is carried out by means of machinery subdivided into various activities like inception of raw material, mixing process, baking of tile and design printing, polishing and packing the product. Raw materials of optimal level are used specifically in the making of Stile ceramics. With high end kilns, rollers, hoppers, the purpose is to mold a high quality ceramic tile which lasts long wherever it is used. The tile is pressed and dried at temperatures going upwards of 1220 C.
Products of Stile have a history of durability and tiles made by Stile decades ago, still shine in homes and offices today and you could see and sense this in the workers’ professionalism by the level of dedication they showed to produce high quality tiles on a daily basis.
Our guide finally showed us the design printing department of the industry. They had just recently installed new digital inkjet printers which are capable of printing high quality designs on the tiles. After the standardized tour we were encouraged to move around and explore the industry, albeit carefully. We strolled around to review the different machines spread out across the assembly and manufacturing line. All the machines moved in simple harmony just like instruments in a highly melodious orchestra to create a masterpiece of a tile. I heard one of my colleagues comment on the serenity he felt amidst the music of the industry and another said enthusiastically that this form of visualization studies taught him more than the things he had read in books and further added that he understood more clearly the workings of an industry.
The visit finally ended as we were taken to the cafeteria for a nice lunch after which pictures were taken. The head of management gave us a parting speech which summarized the basis of ideology of Stile ceramics. He commented on the innovative technology and optimized level of operations that Stile boasted. He also paid focus to the fact of taking care of the costumer. With a few more hopeful words added and a heartfelt gratitude, us aspiring engineers left the industry with renewed vigor.
Written by: Saad Ahmed
Research in pakistan 