Ibstock Nostell Horizon Factory Selects High-Performance Pumps
Project Overview
Nostell Horizon, Ibstock’s purpose-built ceramic façade manufacturing facility, selects pumps for performance
With its brand-new, state-of-the-art Horizon factory at Nostell, Ibstock’s innovation has ensured this 200-year brand retains its place at the heart of building.
As the construction industry pivots towards Modern Methods of Construction (MMC), Ibstock fulfils the demand for brick façades: the visual appeal and material benefits of traditional brickwork while reducing installation time, material volume, and logistical footprint.
Ibstock’s cutting-edge Nostell facility sees a heritage brick-making site transformed into a ceramic façade manufacturing and automated cutting facility. Engineered with a focus on circularity, the plant is optimised for cost-effective manufacturing while maintaining quality and flexibility. The facility can simultaneously produce high-volume bricks alongside hundreds of regional tones and textures, in addition to highly specialist – and even bespoke – finishes.
Architects know the value of a well-selected brick. Process engineers know the value of a well-selected pump.
Challenges
In line with Ibstock’s sustainability roadmap, Horizon utilises circular-loop systems where process water and recovered materials are recycled back into production or sold as co-products. Flexibility for short runs, fast turnarounds, and high-volume automated production requires full uptime capacity. To maintain seamless operation across this highly automated plant, Ibstock required a pumping partner that shared their dedication to efficiency, capacity, flexibility and absolute reliability.
Pump Application #1 – Abrasive Sludge Handling:
In the primary manufacturing stage, closed-loop process water is used to cool and carry away heavy brick dust from the cutter heads. This water must be drawn off as a thick, highly abrasive paste and pumped directly to a filter press, where water is recovered and the hard clay cake is separated for recycling. Ibstock had historically relied on progressive cavity (PC) pumps for this role. However, the abrasive brick-dust paste caused rapid wear on internal components and frequent mechanical seal failures. The cost of PC pump spares, specialist service engineers, and—most critically—the extensive downtime suffered, threatened the factory’s high-volume efficiency targets.
Pump Application #2 – Coating Process Washdown:
The facility achieves its vast range of clay tints using a high-tech engobe process. The washdown water from the frequent colour changes drains down into collection sumps. While not particularly challenging, this fluid contains varying mineral pigments that must be transferred into IBCs on demand using a fuss-free setup on a 110v power supply.
Pump Application #3 – Site Drainage and Heavy Solids
To keep the facility fully operational and incoming raw material dry, a large drainage sump was established at the lowest point of the site, directly underneath the crushed clay infeed conveyor. This pit collects rainwater runoff and any dropped material, requiring a heavy-duty dewatering solution capable of passing solidified clumps up to 30mm and overcoming a 10m total dynamic head (TDH).
Solution
Providing our customers with long-lasting assets and product innovation that optimises for lower embodied carbon and dematerialisation is an approach that Atlantic Pumps and Ibstock share.
After mapping each process application to tried-and-tested pump types, Atlantic Pumps proposed a suite of pumps with specifications targeted at the lowest total cost of ownership/operation (TCO) and their contribution to long-term efficiency.
Solution #1 – Abrasive Sludge Handling:
For the thickener underflow to filter press feed, Atlantic Pumps deployed an LSM heavy-duty peristaltic hose pump from their extensive hire fleet. This allowed Ibstock’s engineering team to make a direct comparison with their existing progressive cavity pump, proving the technology before making a capital commitment.
Because the LSM design features a seal-less, positive-displacement rolling action, the only contact the fluid has is with the heavy-duty internal hose. Abrasive paste cannot grind down complex internal components, and the pump can safely run dry without damage.
A trial hire of the pump provided a quick and simple way to prove the concept.
Solution #2 – Process Washdown Sump:
For the engobe washdown sumps, Atlantic supplied Audex AW 2-040 submersible pumps configured for a 110v power supply. These robust pumps feature a built-in, shaft-mounted agitator that keeps settled solids suspended to prevent clogging. To ensure maximum simplicity for the onsite operators, Atlantic supplied these as a turnkey package complete with control panels, float switches for cavitation protection, and heavy-duty armoured hoses
Solution #3 – Site and Conveyor Pit Dewatering:
Finally, for the mine-like environment beneath the clay infeed conveyor, a heavy-duty Audex dewatering pump was installed. Specially engineered for the harshest quarrying and recycling environments, this pump easily processes suspended mud and solids up to 30mm while maintaining the required 10m dynamic head to keep the site thoroughly drained.
Results
Downtime reduction – Longer Wear-Life – Timesaving Simplicity
By working closely with Ibstock’s process engineer and site manager, Atlantic Pumps matched the factory’s advanced infrastructure with robust, low-maintenance pump technology that aligns with Ibstock’s corporate values of sustainability and operational excellence.
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Downtime Eliminated: The transition from high-wear PC pumps to LSM peristaltic pumps completely eliminated the frequent seal failures and parts wear that previously crippled the filter press line. Following the successful hire trial, the permanent switch has significantly slashed ongoing maintenance overheads and engineering hours.
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Securing the Circular Economy: With no seals to wear and long-lasting parts, this replacement pump has already saved thousands in spare parts and downtime. By maintaining a consistent, reliable feed to the filter press, the LSM pump enables maximum water recovery and a consistent supply of dry clay, supporting the factory’s zero-waste commitment. This pump design maintains its energy efficiency over many months due to its steady rolling action, tolerance of abrasive fluid, and internal lubrication and cooling system.
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Simplicity and Automation: The Audex AW 2-040 washdown setup delivers peace of mind by being continually available for on-demand sump emptying. Suspended below the floor grids, the pumps remain out of the way at all times, and the level controls prevent dry running and cavitation. Site staff can focus on production rather than sump and pump maintenance.
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Rugged Site Protection: The heavy-duty Audex Pro AW 3-370 TA pumps successfully keep the clay infeed zone free of standing water, reliably passing large 30mm solids without clogging and protecting critical automated infrastructure from flooding. The Pro range of Audex has built-in motor protection and failure diagnostics, and the wall-mounted control panel, float levels, and alert system result in fewer visits to this restricted area of the site.
The previous pump we tried was inefficient from wear most of the time and failed repeatedly. We’ve saved big on wear parts, but more critically, on downtime.
– Kev Botwood, Engineering Manager, Ibstock Futures
To discover the optimal pumping solutions for your processes, contact Euan Noakes at Atlantic Pumps.
