KTC Bricks

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Particulars Introduction Company Profile Manufacturing and Marketing Profile Data Analysis and Interpretation SWOT Analysis Findings, Recommendations and Conclusion Bibliography

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

No construction is possible without bricks. Since many centuries brick making has been practiced by human beings. Presently, bricks are easily made by using machines using new technologies. Generally two types of bricks are manufactured by using machines that are concrete block machines and clay brick machines. Different types of automatic machines use different techniques to make bricks. The raw materials used by the machines for making interlocking bricks are fly ash, sand lime, iron oxide, lime sludge, quarry wastes etc. The focus of this project is on the production of concrete bricks, specifically interlocking bricks which offer a speedier, cost effective, environmentally sound alternative to conventional walling materials. It is based on the principle of densification of a lean concrete mix to make a regular shape, uniform, high performance masonry unit. Concrete Block Technology can be easily adapted to suit special needs of users by modifying some design parameters such as mix proportion, water to cement ratio and type of production system. It is an effective means of utilizing wastes generated by stone crushers, quarrying and stone processing units. The technology has high potential in areas where raw materials are easily available. The new technique in producing this interlock brick can generate a highly profitable business for micro and small scale building material producers and construction companies. The market for this type of brick in Malaysia is not yet growing at a rapid rate, even though there are demands in construction industries due to low production rate which reflect the cost of brick itself. The KTC bricks industry also started to provide a good and efficient bricks for the citizen of Molakalmuru and surroundings with a motivation and a small capital of 2 lacs. But the response was good so the industry begins and developed well. Now they are even not able to meeting their demand because of good production.

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Topic of the study A study on manufacturing process and sales of fly ash bricks in KTC bricks industry Objectives of the project
To study the To study the To study the To study the importance of bricks industry demand for bricks in Molakalmuru process involved in bricks making bricks industry, its structure and operations

Methodology:
Collection of data from Primary and Secondary source

Primary Source
Questionnaire Personal interaction Observation Work involvement

Secondary Source
Related information from net

Measurement and analysis technique

Graphical representation using data coding sheets Applying various mathematical calculation

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CHAPTER - 1 INTRODUCTION

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1. Introduction

he construction sector is an important part of the Indian economy with the contribution of 10% in the GDP and is registering an annual growth of 9%. Clay fired bricks are the backbone of this sector. The Indian brick industry is the second largest producer of bricks in the world after China. India is estimated to produce more than 14000 crores of bricks annually, mainly by adopting age-old manual traditional processes. The brick sector consumes more than 24 million tonnes of coals annual along with huge quantity of biomass fuels. The per annum CO2 emissions from Indian brick industry are estimated to be 42 million tonnes. Due to large scale construction activities in major towns and cities, a number of brick plants have been set up on the outskirts of these cities. These clusters are the source of local air pollution affecting local population, agriculture and vegetation.

For the production of clay bricks, top soil to the extent of 350 million tonnes is used every year, which is a reason for concern. Since this brick sector is labour intensive, it limits its capacity to produce any other type of bricks. With the introduction of NREGA scheme in various states, these labour intensive industries are facing the shortage of manpower. Thus the brick industry has started exploring other options like introduction of partial/full-scale mechanization in this sector.

While studying the market in the developed countries, it has been observed that they have completely switched over from solid brick to other resource efficient products like perforated bricks and hollow bricks. These products consume less fuel(coal, biomass etc.) and raw material (fertile top soil) for their production and have better insulation properties during its usage.

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Brick industry in India

Fired clay brick is one of the most popular building material in India. More than 1,00,000 enterprises produce nearly 100 billion bricks per year. The main features of brick industry in India are:

It is a traditional industry, Has decentralized production mainly through small and medium scale enterprises that operate only during dry season (5-6 months in a year),

Has low level of mechanization and a high labour intensity (employing more than 5 million workers),

Brick firing is an energy intensive process as a result brick industry is the third largest consumer of coal in the country with coal consumption of around 15-20 million tones per year, and

Brick industry is a source of air pollution in the form of GHGs (mainly carbon dioxide), particulate matter, sulfur oxides, carbon monoxide etc.

History of Brick Making

A brick is a block made of clay burnt in a kiln. It is one of the primary building materials known to mankind. Over time, bricks have appeared, gained prominence, lost importance and then come to the forefront again with various styles of architecture. Burnt bricks were used in ancient Indian, Babylon, Egypt and Roman civilizations. They are still being used as filler materials for framework structures as well as to construct load bearing structures. Down the ages, there have been various interesting historic and cultural references to

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bricks. Bricks find mention in the Bible; the tower of Babel was built with burnt bricks. Bricks were predominantly used in the Indus valley civilisation. In fact, the civilisation was first discovered when; ancient bricks being used to build railway ballast came to the notice of a passing archaeologist. While the Taj Mahal was built in white marble, it had extensive scaffolding made entirely out of brick, which was pulled down after completion.

Making the Brick The process of making a brick has not changed much over the centuries or across geographies. Traditionally the main steps followed to make a brick are explained below. 1. Material Procurement: The clay is mined and stored in the open. This makes the clay soft and removes unwanted oxides.

2. Tempering: This clay is then mixed with water and ash to get the right consistency for moulding. Mixing is done manually with hands and feet. Sometimes and in certain areas, animal driven pug mills are used.

3. Moulding: A lump of mix is taken, rolled in sand and slapped into the mould. Initially moulds were made of wood, now metal moulds are used. Sand is used so the brick does not stick to the mould.

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4. Drying: The mould is emptied onto the drying area, where the bricks are arranged in a herring bone pattern to dry in the sun. Every two days they are turned over to facilitate uniform drying and prevent warping. After two weeks they are ready to be burnt.

5. Firing: The green bricks are arranged in a kiln and insulation is provided with a mud pack. Fire holes left to ignite the kiln are later sealed to keep the heat inside. This is maintained for a week. Firing like other operations also depends on the knowledge and experience of the brick maker.

6. Sorting: After the kiln is disassembled, the bricks are sorted according to colour. Colour is an indication of the level of burning. Over burnt bricks are used for paving or covering the kiln while slightly under burnt bricks are used for building inner walls or burnt once again in the next kiln.

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Tempering

Moulding Drying Sorting

Though the overall method remains the same, there are certain regional variations considering the local soil and climatic conditions. In different areas, different soil types are used with respect to local situation. The three general approaches for firing bricks include using a massive fire, a massive volume and insulation. In Africa and South America, a massive fire using wood fuel is built, and insulated with mud or grass. In India and Mexico, they fire large volumes together and the volume itself acts as an insulator to prevent escape of heat. Fuel ranges from wood to coal to biomass to even garbage and trash in the absence of others.

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Brick Kilns Brick Kilns can be classified as intermittent and continuous. Clamps, Scotch, Scove and Downdraft kilns are intermittent while the Bull Trench (BTK), Zigzag, Tunnel and Vertical Shaft Brick Kilns (VSBK) are continuous. The continuous kilns are more efficient as they have heat recovery features from both the heat in fired bricks and flue gases unlike the intermittent ones. Intermittent Kilns The oldest kiln is the clamp.Invented in 4000 BCE, these are still very common in India. Clamps are temporary constructions made of green bricks or clinker. The clinker can be reused while the green bricks are sold. A slight variation is the Scove with a pile of dried bricks with tunnels at the bottom allowing heat from fires to pass through and upward in the pile of bricks. It is plastered with mud (scoved) to insulate it. Certain brick makers use permanent clamps made of refractory bricks. Two basic variations of kilns are the updraft and the downdraft kilns, named after the direction of heat movement. The updraft ones or Scotch have flues running through the floor of the kiln with spaces between the stacks of bricks to allow heat to circulate, while the top is covered for insulating the kiln. The downdraft ones are circular with the flue running from the floor to the chimney stack. The hot air is then directed downwards from the dome through the stacks of bricks. Continuous Kilns Continuous Kilns can be based either on the principle of moving fire or on moving ware. The Hoffman, BTK and Zig-zag work on the principle of moving fire. In the Tunnel and VSBK, the firing zone remains constant while the bricks move.

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The Bull Trench Kiln (BTK), which is very popular in the Indian sub continent, is an arch-less modification of the Hoffmans kiln. It is circular or elliptical in shape. Bricks to be fired are arranged in a trench and tall movable metal chimneys are placed on the brick setting. They are moved as the firing progresses.There are also modifications of the BTK which have a permanent fixedchimney. . The Vertical Shaft Brick Kiln (VSBK) is a Chinese technology based on the traditional updraft intermittent kiln. The kiln consists of one or two shafts in a rectangular structure insulated with agriculture residue and clay. The shaft is loaded from the top in a pre determined pattern. After being fired in the shaft they are removed batch wise from the bottom via an unloading tunnel. It is well suited to the context of the South Asian brick sector.

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CHAPTER 2 COMPANY PROFILE

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2.0 COMPANY PROFILE

COMPANY NAME : KTC Bricks Industry Gundlur Molakalmuru, 577535.

NATURE OF BUSINESS : Mfg / selling based small scale industry.

OWNER

Kariyanna

TYPE OF OWNERSHIP : Small scale industry with sole entrepreneaurship.

TEL-NO

9916685582.

RAW MATERIAL

Clay Solvent Ash Coke powder Rice husk Fire wood

FINISHED PRODUCTS : Fly ash and clay Bricks.

TOTAL INITIAL INVESTMENT

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Why KTC Bricks?

Infrastructure :
KTC bricks has established state-of-the-art infrastructural base, fully supported by advanced manufacturing unit. They have all the latest infrastructure and furnaces required for the manufacturing of products that can meet the demands of the client. They are able to fulfil the precise demands of the clients with accuracy, that too within stipulated time frame.

Team:
They have a pool of good workers and they are competent enough to perform their jobs and ensure complete customer satisfaction. They work hard and provide production quality as well as service as per customer need. They also makes the production continuous for meeting demand.

Quality Assurance :
Their customers judge them on the basis of quality offered by them, therefore, they are committed to achieve the highest levels of quality and excellence in every aspect of production. For maintaining the same, vigorous inspection process takes place at different levels of production.

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CHAPTER 3 MANUFACTURING AND MARKETING PROFILE

- MATERIAL AND MANGEMENT - MANUFACTURING PROCESS

- MARKETING

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1. MATERIALS AND MANAGEMENT

2. Minimum Conditions Necessary To Produce Fired Clay Bricks

Many countries have an abundance of the natural elements needed to produce bricks, but there are usually few areas which have all the necessary conditions within a 15 km radius of the brick site. It is essential to verify before beginning to establish a small brick production centre that all these conditions do exist. If the planned brick site lacks even one of the minimum conditions listed here, it is not advisable to establish a production centre at that site

The ten minimum conditions that a first-time producer needs to examine very closely are:

1. Fly ash 2. Clay 3. Water 4. Sand 5. Fuel (firewood or coal) 6. Space 7. Transportation 8. Motivation 9. Management 10.Tools and Equipment 11. Assistance

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1. Fly ash Fly Ash is the inorganic residue obtained after burning of coal/lignite in the boilers. Fly Ash is that portion os ash which is collected from the hoppers of ESPs and pond ash is collected from the ash ponds.

2. Clay

A production unit needs to have good quality clay to produce a strong brick that can be used in construction. Certain types of clay are not good for making fired bricks. For example, the clay used by a potter to make bowls and cups is not good for making because it has high shrinkage rate which causes the bricks to crack during drying.

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3. Water To produce bricks there must have water available in sufficient quantity. If they plan to make bricks During the dry season means scarcity of water and it is little difficult to providing the water in sufficient manner. To produce 1,000 bricks per day, at least 600 litres of water will be needed. There is also a container to store that water in; three empty fuel drums, each with a 200 litre capacity, are ideal.

4. Sand

Sand is used as a releasing agent during the moulding of a brick . It prevents the wet clay from stick ing to the sides of the mould. It is also sometimes used as a stabilizer and mixed with very clayey soils to prevent the bricks from cracking when drying.

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5. Fuel (firewood or coal)

To fire the bricks well, you will need sufficient amounts of fuel; either firewood or coal. If they fire bricks with coal, It will need 1 1/8 sacks of coal and 1/2 sack of cinders for every 1,000 bricks. For example, to fire 20,000 bricks, you will need 22.5 sacks of coal and 10 sacks of cinders.

If they fire bricks with wood, they will need one ton or 3m3 of firewood for every 1,000 bricks. For example, to fire 20,000 bricks you will have to gather 60 cubic metres of firewood

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6. Space Every Brick Industry will need sufficient space to mould and dry the bricks. The site should be smooth and level. A brick unit producing 1,000 bricks per day will need an area from 600 to 1000 square metres.

7. Transport

It is essential that a brick producing unit has some type of transport to fetch firewood or coal and possibly deliver the finished bricks to the customer. The transport used could be trucks, tractors with trailers, or oxen with suitable carts. The important point to remember, especially if the vehicles are borrowed or rented, is that the brick unit will need regular access to this transport. The amount of tune which is involved can be quite substantial, so this part must be well planned

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8. Motivation

The production of hand-made bricks is exhausting, tedious and dirty work . Therefore, in order for a brick production unit to succeed, the workers must be motivated or want to produce the bricks. They have to feel that the making of bricks will either benefit themselves personally by earning them a fair and just salary from the sale, or benefit their village by using the bricks in the construction of a public building such as a school or clinic.

9. Management

As with any production unit or business, good management is essential. Unfortunately this aspect is often ignored or forgotten because brickmaking is considered to be a "low" or relatively simple technology. Remember that a brick production unit cannot withstand more setbacks and difficulties than a normal commercial business would be expected or prepared to tolerate.

Management of a brick unit means planning, organizing, staffing and controlling the production in order that the bricks can be produced within budget and sold at a reasonable price. This includes ensuring that:
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- Adequate supplies of raw materials are obtained; - The equipment is maintained; - Suitable production facilities are available for the workers to work in safety and comfort, at a reasonable pace and for the hours allotted for the tasks; - The quality of the product is checked regularly; - There is a smooth flow of production; - Adequate financial arrangements are made for wages and general purchases (with a good bookkeeping system); - Suitable skilled personnel are recruited and trained; and - The staff have specific tasks or roles and have the necessary tools and information to do the job.

10. Tools and Equipment

A brickmaking unit will need basic tools in order to make bricks. A group of 15 people producing equipment: 1,000 bricks per day will need the following minimum

6 hoes 2 pick axes 4 shovels 4 axes 4 machetes 2 wheelbarrows 3 empty fuel drums, each with a 200 litre capacity 7 buckets or pails, each with a 20 litre capacity 6 hinge moulds 2 moulding tables
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4 bow cutters 8 pallets 4 carrying boards

11. Assistance

Financial Assistance: The time between preparing to make the first brick and selling it can be very long; this period can often be between 3 to 6 months. For this reason they have to plan how the workers' salaries and general expenses will be paid. You may have to borrow money from the bank. If they do, plan on at least 3 to 6 months of no earned income. Remember too that if they borrow, this money is not a gift and must be paid back to the bank.
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Technical Assistance: All brickmaking units need technical assistance to continually improve their methods of selecting and preparing the clay, moulding the bricks, and firing them in a kiln.

3. Standardization
Introduction

Standardization is an agreement between a group of producers or manufacturers stating that the product which each one produces will have the same characteristics.

For example, a person who owns a small portable radio can purchase batteries for it made in Europe, Africa or Asia and know that the batteries will fit in the radio. This is because the size, shape and power of the batteries have been standardized.

It is also important to standardize the characteristics of bricks made in an area. These characteristics are:

1. Form 2. Size 3. Strength

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The Benefits of Standardization

Many builders and contractors do not like to use bricks made by small independent producers because the bricks can vary a great deal in form, size and quality. For example, one producer may make a brick 240 mm x 115 mm x 77 mm and another in the same area may make a brick 220 mm x 100 mm x 65 mm. Because the sizes differ, it is difficult for a builder to mix these bricks when building a wall. A large contractor may need 500,000 bricks annually, yet many small producers will only have 100,000 bricks available to sell each year. If the contractor bought 100,000 bricks from 5 different producers who each produced a different brick, it would cause many problems for the builders.

Another advantage of standardizing the bricks is being able to accurately calculate the number of bricks needed to construct a building. It also means that the size of the openings (e.g. doors and windows) can be calculated and can be made before the building is built.

Form
Clay with Ash bricks are better for a small rural producer to make because:

The form is simple. It is much easier to make the mould and easier to mould the brick so there is less chance of a poorly formed brick.

You do not need a permanent kiln. It is possible to build and fire a simple clamp or field kiln

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.

The bricks have good strength and can carry the weight of a heavy roof without steel and concrete reinforcement.

They can be used to build arches.

If the bricks are made and fired well, it is not necessary to render or plaster the wall, and therefore building materials are saved.

Size

A brick has a length, width and height. The size or dimensions of a brick are determined by how it is used in construction.

Possible Length 240 mm 230 mm 220 mm 215 mm 210 mm

Brick Width 115 mm 110 mm 105 mm 102 mm 100 mm

Sizes Height 73 mm 70 mm 67 mm 65 mm 63 mm

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Minimum and Maximum Dimensions

Each fired brick will not be exactly the same size; they will vary a little for many reasons. Ideally, these variations in dimensions should be limited because many contractors prefer to have a guarantee that the bricks they buy will be between certain predetermined limits.

The bricks manufactured in rural areas should have a tolerance of approximately 5%. This means that if the brick size is 240 mm x 115 mm x 73 mm, the length of the brick should fall between 235 mm and 245 mm. The width should be between 112 mm and 118 mm and the height between 71 mm and 75 mm. Bricks with dimensions outside of this 5% limit should be set aside and not sold.

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Strength

Bricks must have enough strength to carry the weight of the roof. If bricks have been well- made and well-fired, you will hear a metallic sound or ring when they are knocked together. If they make a dull sound, it could mean that they are either cracked or under fired.

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PRODUCTION PROCESS
Production of flyash bricks includes lots of manual processe. All steps are listed below.

Clay Preparation
To make good quality bricks, the dry lumpy clay soil has to become a smooth, soft, moist mixture containing no hard lumps of soil or stone. To obtain this mixture, the clay soil is treated in two different steps:

1. Tempering, and 2. Mixing

Tempering:
First of all Soil or clay and fly ash is mixed in the ratio 50:50 Tempering is the process of adding water to the clay and fly ash mixture and allowing it to stand undisturbed for a few days before mixing occurs. This will begin to soften and break down the lumps of clay making the mixing process easier.

At some brick sites, the producers flood the hole or pit where they are digging with water because it makes the digging or extracting of the clay easier. This method is not recommended because far too much water tends to get mixed into the clay which results in lower quality bricks.

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It is better to dig or extract the dry clay and bring it to a special pit or tempering tank and mix with fly ash where you can add water in exact proportions. This tempering tank should be located close to the place where you mix the clay and mould the bricks.

In the tempering pit or tank, the clay and fly ash is moistened with the correct amount of water. In general, for every three buckets of dry clay soil and fly ash, you will add one bucket of water. The amount of water can vary and will depend on the type of soil and how damp it is. The dry clay soil and ash should be in powder form or only small lumps before the water is added. This is to help the clay absorb the water quicker. The ratio of three buckets of soil to one of water is much less than what many producers are used to. It may seem slightly more difficult to mix the clay when using this ratio but the results will be far better with a stronger brick and a much lower breakage rate during drying.

Note: It is true that some very experienced people can judge the correct amount of water without measuring, but this is not recommended for first time producers. Because more water makes mixing easier, most people "forget" that the bricks will be a poorer quality and tend to add more and more water to make their work easier.

The clay and ash is left in the pit to temper for one to five days (the time will depend on the type of clay). During this tempering time, the water will enter the clay particles or lumps and begin to soften them.

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Mixing
After the soil and fly ash has been tempered well, it needs to be mixed and kneaded. The purpose-of mixing is to ensure that the clay and ash is a smooth, soft, homogeneous mixture that contains no hard lumps.

There are various methods of mixing tempered clay for small-scale brickmaking. One system uses a simple mechanical mixer that uses an empty 200 litre fuel drum with a mixing paddle built into it. The mixing paddle is connected to a tractor and handled by a worker and mixed it 5 to 6 hours. The tempered clay is put into the top of the barrel and the paddles mixes and pushes the clay out a hole cut in the side of the drum. This method is very good for mixing but for some brick units obtaining the materials for building it or the animal to operate it can be difficult.

Clay and Fly ash mixing unit

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Moulding

Moulding is the art of giving shape to the brick according to the preferred size and dimensions.

KTC Bricks Industries have their own moulds with the KTC logo on it. Works make the soil and fly ash mixture which is called as wedge and that wedge will be thrown into mould. After 2 to 3 min they removes the mould and the moulded raw brick is ready. Mould has a particular size to make a brick particular size and standardized one.

Mould with KTC Logo on it

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DRYING

Drying is the process where raw bricks after moulding it is kept in a particular place that has been prepared for drying the raw bricks. These bricks are drown for 15 days after that the bricks are again turned and again drown for 15 days. And after 15 days a group of 3 to 4 bricks are made by keeping them one on one and leaved for drying for 15 days after it again 10 15 bricks are made as group and again drown for 15 days. This is the last process that after all that the drown bricks are taken to the kiln place for firing it.

Group of raw bricks arranged for drying

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Field Kiln

Field kiln is a place where the raw bricks are burnt and made them as a finished bricks that is used for construction. Here in the KTC industry they have their own well built kiln and their capacity is of 100000 bricks. That 100000 means can be burnt at a time.

As like that kiln they have another kiln also the capacity also same as the first one.Here the Raw bricks are burnt by using the fuels like fire wood and some industries use coal as a fuel for burning the bricks.

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Field Kiln in KTC Bricks Industry

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Firing The Field Kiln With Firewood

The firing of the field kiln is the last step in making the bricks and is the most important. If the bricks are fired well, they will be of a good quality and an ideal building material for building permanent structures such as schools, homes and clinics. If the kiln is not fired well or if done without sufficient care and caution, you can lose the majority of the bricks in a kiln and all the time, effort, energy, firewood and resources that went into it will have been wasted.

Firewood The firing of the field kiln is the most important phase in the production of bricks and to obtain a good firing, it is essential that the correct size and quantity of firewood is cut and brought to the kiln site. It is also very important that there is a sufficient quantity of firewood to supply the brick site. Quantity of Firewood The general rule for estimating the quantity of firewood is that for every 1,000 bricks which you wish to fire, one ton or three cubic metres of cut and stacked firewood will be needed.

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If less than this quantity is used to fire the bricks, the bricks will be under fired and therefore weak and will probably not be suitable for use in construction The Workers Number: Depending on the size of the field kiln, you will need from 12 to 20 people to tend the fires during the firing stage which lasts from one to two weeks. The workers should be divided into two groups of 6 to 10 people. The first shift will work during the day from 06:00 hours until 18:00 hours and the second will work during the night from 18:00 hours to 06:00 hours. At no point during the firing should the kiln be left unattended. A general rule is that you will need at least one person per tunnel at all times during the firing of the kiln. The Firing Process When bricks are heated to a high temperature, a chemical reaction occurs in the clay which makes the brick permanently hard, durable and resistant to weather and water. When a brick is heated to a temperature between 20C and 150C, it loses most of the water added to the clay during the preparation phase. When heated from 150C to 600C, the clay brick loses its remaining water. When firing a kiln, there will be a white vapour or steam coming from the top of the kiln during these first two phases. If they were to stop the firing process at 600C, the bricks in the kiln would be useless for building purposes since they would not be stabilized and would easily be worn down by wind and rain. When the temperature starts to rise over 600C, chemical changes begin to occur in the clay which give the brick colour, hardness and durability. Temperatures of 900C and above cause vitrification to occur. This means that a small quantity of glass-like material forms which helps glue all of elements in the clay together. It is after this point of vitrification that the brick will be at its hardest and most resistant and will be ideal for construction. The final quality of the brick will depend on the amount of vitrification which
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occurs. It therefore is essential that the temperature of the kiln rises to well above 900C in order to obtain a well-fired brick. Summary Of Firing Stages 1. Preheating 2. Main Firing 3. Soaking Stage 4. Closing the Field kiln 5. Cooling 6. Opening of the Field Kiln

1. Preheating Begins firing the kiln with a small gentle fire with low heat in the centre of each tunnel. The objective of this phase is to drive off all the water or moisture in the bricks. During this stage there will be a white vapour or steam rising from the top of the kiln; this is the water being released from the bricks. The small fires are maintained until the white vapour or steam is no longer seen coming from the top of the kiln. If the vapour is difficult to see, worker will climb the top of the kiln using a ladder and simply feels with their hand whether the heat coming off the top of the kiln is moist or not. This stage of firing lasts for two days or more, depending on the size of the kiln and the moisture content of the bricks. At the end of this phase, the temperature of the kiln will . have reached approximately 150C.

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2. Main Firing Once the preheating phase has been completed, the main firing begins and will take a total of four to six days to complete. The objective of this stage is to bring all parts of the kiln up to the correct firing temperature of approximately 950C. On one side of the kiln, all tunnel openings are blocked up completely with bricks and mud mortar. On the other side of the kiln, firewood is fed into the tunnels to build up a large hot fire. The firewood is pushed down as far as possible into the tunnels. This first Dart of the main firing will last about two to three days or until the bricks in the tunnels begin to glow red. (This colour indicates a temperature of between 600C and 800C.) When the bricks in the tunnels are glowing red, the tunnels which were open during the first two or three days of the main firing are blocked up with brick and mud mortar and the ones which were initially blocked are broken open. Firewood now continues to be fed in from the open side until the bricks in the tunnels are a glowing yellow-orange colour. (This colour indicates a temperature between 900C and 1,100C). This second half of the main firing stage will lasts another two or three days depending on how well the fires are fed and the size of the kiln. 3. Soaking Stage It is important to maintain the fire and temperature of 900C to 1,100C inside the kiln for another 12 to 24 hours. This period is called the soaking stage and is very important because the heat enters into the centre of the brick and the brick gains its greatest strength. The fires should not be allowed to go down at this point.

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4. Closing the Kiln In this phase the top of the kiln is covered with 100 to 200 mm of sand or soil and the tunnels are filled one last time with firewood before being blocked up with brick and mud mortar. This is done to keep the heat in the kiln from escaping and to permit the kiln to cool as slowly as possible. 5. Cooling It is important that the field kiln is allowed to cool down as slowly as possible. This means that the kiln should not be opened for at least two weeks and preferably four weeks after the kiln has been completely sealed. If it is opened too soon, some of the brick s may be cracked by the cool air rushing into the kiln. The bricks will obtain a higher strength if the kiln was fired and sealed well and allowed to cool slowly and naturally. 6. Opening of the Kiln Once the kiln has cooled, it can be opened and dismantled. there will be 10% (or 10 bricks out of every 100) of the bricks removed from the kiln are either cracked, broken, underfired, or unsaleable. This is normal for any field kiln of this type. If however more than 20% are cracked, broken, or underfired, this indicates that the type of clay used to make the bricks was not the correct type or that the kiln was not fired properly.

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WHY FLY ASH BRICKS INSTEAD OF CLAY BRICKS?
These are highly strong, durable and are extremely useful in construction. KTC fly ash bricks are in high demand due to the user friendliness, easy handling and protection from fire feature. These are of robust build and give an even and strong structure. Customized sizes ensure less need of many layers of plastering

Features

Good earthquake resistance features Fire resistant Easy handling / faster construction Excellent acoustic barriers Reduction in plastering due to even walls

Technical Specifications

Sizes available :230x110x70 mm Raw Material Used : fly ash, sand, grit, Uses : constructions of walls Colors & packaging available : light grey, minimum 1 load truck can be delivered

Uses

Construction of malls Commercial buildings Residential buildings

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MARKETING

Introduction
Marketing is a very important component in any commercial venture. This has to be carefully planned so as to gain the optimum profit. Marketing strategies include assessment of the demand position, fixing the target buyers, gaining advertisement, pricing of the product, using the intermediaries for sales promotion, maintaining a good relationship with the customers and gaining knowledge about the Government latest regulations and the schemes meant for the brick industry. In the present chapter, the researcher compares and analyses the marketing performance of brick works in Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi districts, by virtue of the product, physical distribution and promotional activities, price, marketing cost, buyer behaviour and problems in marketing of bricks. In the present chapter, the researcher compares and analyses the marketing performance of brick works in Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi districts, by virtue of the product, physical distribution and promotional activities, price, marketing cost, buyer behaviour and problems in marketing of bricks. There are four elements or sub mixes which should be taken as instruments, by the marketer when formulating marketing plans. As such, the marketer should have a thorough knowledge about the four elements popularly known as four Ps namely Product, Promotion Physical Distribution and Price.

Product
The term product combines the physical product, branding and packaging. Hence, in the present study various aspects relating to product such as physical product, product services, branding and packaging are compared and analysed.

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Brick As a Physical Product

In the present study, the physical product is brick. They are clamp kiln bricks, Bulls Trench kiln bricks, hollow blocks and fly-ash bricks. Brick is the core-product which has certain immediately identifiable characters such as shape, design, colour, height and weight. All the types of bricks under study in KTC bricks industry are rectangular in shape. No specific design is used to highlight the product. Well-burnt clamp kiln bricks and Bulls Trench kiln bricks are reddish in colour, hollow blocks are in gray in colour (as cement is the major raw material) and flyash brick is in ash-colour (as fly-ash is the major raw material). An ideal clamp kiln brick, Bulls Trench kiln brick and fly-ash brick should be of three kilograms in weight. Hollow block should be six kilograms. The size of an ideal clamp kiln brick should be 8. 75x 4x 3 (lxbxh); (lxbxh), hollow block should be 18x 6 x 8 (lxbxh) or 18x 4 x 8 (lxbxh) or18x 8 x 8 (lxbxh). The hollow blocks popularly manufactured and bought in the study areas are of 18x 6 x 8 (lxbxh) in size. The quality of all types of bricks could be checked by dropping it from a height of five feet to check its non-breakage capacity, dipping the bricks into water for several hours to check its water absorption capacity and tilting the bricks to check its quality by hearing a metallic sound. More experienced buyers could check the quality of bricks by just seeing it and by just touching the bricks.

Branding
Branding not only facilitates identity for promoters but also it builds up image of the industry. So long as the standard of quality is maintained. The brand name itself will take care of the marketing aspects of the bricks. Hence, many brick units engrave the brand names on the bricks.

Packing, Labelling and Grading

Since the bricks need not be packed or labelled, none of the sample industries in Molakalmuru and surroundings packed or labelled their products.

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Physical Distribution
A channel of distribution for a product is the route by which the title to goods moves from the producer to the ultimate consumer or industrial user. Physical distribution is a process in which many means and channels are involved. But here the buyer directly meets the seller due to their higly stable and good quality bricks. Hence there is need not be a middleman or a channel to distribute the product.

Storage and Transportation

Physical transfer of goods from the manufacturer to consumers takes place by means of storage and transportation. Physical goods need to be stored, insured and transported whether the channel is direct or indirect. As such, bricks should be stored, insured and transported. The fired clay bricks do not require any special provision for storage. They keep the bricks in the open space as rain water is an additional advantage for enhancing the quality of fired bricks. In case of hollow blocks and fly-ash bricks, tarpaulin is used to cover the semi-finished goods. Finished hollow blocks are kept in the open space as rain water is an additional advantage for curing the bricks.
This industry has a tractor to transport their bricks to the customer but in case of more transportation separate vehicles are hired and the same charge will be paid by the buyer.

Cost of Marketing
A major determinant in fact, the limit to marketing is the marketing cost. It is important for the marketers to estimate the cost of marketing the product. It is also important to know how costs behave over a period of time.

Price
The price of bricks has a direct impact on the volume of sales of bricks. The factors influencing the pricing of bricks are cost of production, demand in the market, competition, Government regulations, supply of raw materials and the buyers behaviour.

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Price Analysis
Brick, being an indirect essential commodity, the price always depends upon the demand and supply position. As production and supply largely depend upon the erratic climatic conditions, the prices of bricks always do fluctuate.

Price Concession to Brick Buyers

KTC bricks industry provides some concessions to their regular buyers and also for new customers if they buys more than 5000 bricks. Credit sales also available only to the reputed customers and one who have the credit worthiness.

Buying Decision Behaviour

Buyers motivation includes all the impulses, desires and considerations of the buyer which induce a buyer to purchase a given product. The major factors that influence buying behaviour are information, socio-cultural factors, status of the buyer, group influences and psychological factors.

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CHAPTER 4 DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

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1. Table showing sales turnover of different years

Year 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Sales (in units) 150000 200000 175000 250000 280000 330000

Sales Turnover (in ) 600000 800000 700000 1000000 1260000 1485000

Graph showing increase of sales turnover year to year

Sales Turnover
1600000 1400000 1200000 1000000 800000 600000 400000 200000 0 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Sales Turnover

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Interpretation:
From the above table and graph we can easily understand that there is increase of sales turnover year by year. This is a good sign for the industry but the increase by year to year is only of small difference so the industry must concentrate on it for producing more and selling them. If we see the 2010 sales turnover it is down compared to the previous year because of some competitiveness and less production. Overall the company is in good position and the same should be continued by the company for the good results in future. If we go through sales the sales also increased year to year except in 2010. This shows a good sign for the industry.

2. Table showing market acquisition of different bricks industry

Industry KTC bricks RMB bricks MSN bricks AVP bricks Others

Market acquisition (in %) 30 20 15 15 20

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Graph showing market acquisition of KTC bricks

Market Acquisition

KTC bricks 30% RMB bricks 20% MSN bricks 15% AVP bricks 15% Others 20%

Interpretation:
From the above table and graph we can interpret that the market acquisition of KTC bricks in Molakalmuru and surroundings is well because market of 100%, 30% is acquired by the KTC bricks industry. This is a good sign but as we seen in the industry and referring to the respondents told that they are not meeting the supply for the demand. Because of lack of production the supply is not meeting the demand. Not only in Molakalmuru KTC sometimes supplies its bricks to the outer state Andhra Pradesh also.

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3. Table showing production of bricks per year

Year 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Production 160000 210000 180000 255000 283000 340000

Graph showing brick production every year

Sales

400000 300000 200000 100000 0 2008 2009 2010 2011 Sales 2012 2013 Sales

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Interpretation:
From the above table and graph we can easily understand that there is increase of sales turnover year by year. This is a good sign for the industry but the increase by year to year is only of small difference so the industry must concentrate on it for producing more and selling them. If we see the 2010 sales turnover it is down compared to the previous year because of some competitiveness and less production. Overall the company is in good position and the same should be continued by the company for the good results in future. If we go through sales the sales also increased year to year except in 2010. This shows a good sign for the industry.

4. Table Showing the types of bricks produced per year

Type of Brick Year Fly Ash Bricks 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 160000 210000 180000 255000 283000 340000 Clay Bricks 200000 220000 150000 180000 200000 250000

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Graph Showing different bricks that are manufactured per year

350000 300000 250000 200000 150000 100000 50000 0 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Clay Bricks Fly Ash Bricks 2013 Fly Ash Bricks Clay Bricks

Interpretation:
From the above table and graph we can easily understand that there is increase of sales turnover year by year. This is a good sign for the industry but the increase by year to year is only of small difference so the industry must concentrate on it for producing more and selling them. If we see the 2010 sales turnover it is down compared to the previous year because of some competitiveness and less production. Overall the company is in good position and the same should be continued by the company for the good results in future. If we go through sales the sales also increased year to year except in 2010. This shows a good sign for the industry.

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5. Table Showing the types of bricks sold per year

Type of Brick Year Fly Ash Bricks 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
150000 200000 175000 250000 280000 330000

Clay Bricks 190000 215000 148000 180000 195000 250000

Graph Showing different bricks that sold per year

350000 300000 250000 200000 150000 100000 50000 0 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Fly Ash Bricks Clay Bricks

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Interpretation:
From the above table and graph we can easily understand that there is increase of sales turnover year by year. This is a good sign for the industry but the increase by year to year is only of small difference so the industry must concentrate on it for producing more and selling them. If we see the 2010 sales turnover it is down compared to the previous year because of some competitiveness and less production. Overall the company is in good position and the same should be continued by the company for the good results in future. If we go through sales the sales also increased year to year except in 2010. This shows a good sign for the industry.

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CHAPTER - 5 SWOT ANALYSIS

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Strengths

KTC Bricks industry is the major Bricks industry in the surroundings of Molakalmuru KTC provides Better Quality of Products KTC provides the door delivery facility with no extra cost KTC provides in time delivery KTC is the Quality brick maker industry in the surroundings of Molakalmuru KTC provided more and more employment for unemployed persons KTC having a good brand and image KTC having a good labour relationship

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Weaknesses

No Regularity In Production They doesnt provides continuity Lack of transportation facility with them Lack of Labourers Lack of production Lack of supply Sometimes Rain will destroy their production

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Opportunities

They having a good name and image so they can produce more and make their sales even more They having a good resource to compete with other industry.

There is a lack of brick production in Molakalmuru so they can take advantage of this and make their production more They can purchase own vehicles for delivering the bricks They can start their another unit because they have vast own land

Threats

More and more competitors are rising day to day Lack of supply leads to a big loss Other industries are producing more bricks hence they may cause a threat to this industry There is a lack of labourers

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CHAPTER - 6

FINDINGS RECOMMENDATIONS CONCLUSION

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FINDINGS

KTC is having a good name and good image in Molakalmuru KTC is the major brick manufacturer in Molakalmuru KTC provides the good quality bricks as compared to others They having a good firing place They have a good work place They Provides labour a good wages and bikes for transportation of the labourers from their house to the work place They having sheds for storing the bricks They have a vast land of 4 acres

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SUGGESTIONS

They can make production faster by using more land and new technology They can increase their production by purchasing more and more raw materials They can employ workers from other villages They can start some more units as branches They can provide some place for halting of labourers that the production will fast if the halting place is near to the work place. They can make advertisements about their bricks They can make their own vehicles for delivering the bricks to the ordered place

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CONCLUSION

As we reached first at the industry we shocked to see because the industry is like huge. Because it is very well organised industry that I have never seen in Molakalmuru surroundings.

This is a big bricks industry and it is maintaining its standards towards manufacturing their product (i.e. Bricks)

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CHAPTER - 7 BIBILIOGRAPHY

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BIBILIOGRAPHY

WEBSITES:

www.wikipedia .org www.resourceefficientbricks.org www.slideshare.net www.scbrid.com

Other Information given by the owner of the industry:

Kariyanna Ravi Kumar

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QUESTIONNAIRE
Dear Sir/ Madam I am Raja B. Management Student undertaking on A study on manufacturing process and sales of fly ash bricks in KTC bricks industry with special reference to KTC bricks Gundlur. I request you to spare sometime to fill this questionnaire. Your response will be kept strictly confidential.

Thanking you Yours faithfully Raja B.

1. Name of the owner:___________ 2. Age :____________ 3. Annual turnover:_____________ 4. What is your sales turnover per annum? a) 200000 c) 400000 b) 300000 d) 700000

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5. What is your position in manufacturing bricks compared other industry? a) Poor c) Better 6. What is your current market acquisition? 7. How often do you produce bricks in a year? a) 2 times c) 4 times b) 3 times d) 5 times b) Good d) Far Better

8. How many bricks do you burnt and prepared at a time? a) 10000 c) 75000 9. Which bricks do you produce more? a) Fly ash Bricks b) Clay Bricks b) 50000 d) 100000

10. Which bricks do you sell more? a) Fly ash Bricks b) Clay Bricks

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