All About Minerals Processing

Strzeblowskie Kopalnie Surowców Mineralnych Sp z o.o. (SKSM) delivers mineral products for specific applications in industries such as the ceramic industry, glass industry, and construction.

How do you address challenges in promoting and selling mineral products to those sectors, particularly in the context of the current energy challenges?

Danuta: SKSM has been supplying its products to the ceramic industry for over twenty years, and it's important to note that the history of the mine and the deposit itself dates back much further, to the 18th century. Over the years, we have solidified our position as a reliable supplier of mineral resources to the ceramic, glass, construction, and chemical industries.

Our extensive experience combined with high-quality production technology enables us to offer a wide range of products for various industries. With access to raw materials and mining and production capabilities, we extract feldspar, granite, and amphibolite, as well as finely ground quartz products.

Having operated in the market for some time, we have come to understand our customers' requirements, ambitions, and plans well enough to meet their expectations. Currently, 75% of the products manufactured by our company are tailored to specific customers and produced based on agreed-upon technical parameters. What was once a challenge is now our standard practice.

In 2017, we completed the construction of our R&D laboratory. Prior to that, we made significant investments in the processing and homogenization of minerals because ensuring the appropriate quality, homogeneity, and availability of the product is paramount to our customers.

In 2020, we launched production on a new line to produce highly fragmented ceramic and glass raw materials. Fortunately, we completed this investment before the Covid-19 pandemic.

Admittedly, the pandemic significantly impacted our production processes and logistics, but we have always managed to deliver products on time. This situation has reinforced to our customers that they have a strong and reliable partner.

The pandemic, especially the war in Ukraine, has placed both the mining and ceramic industries in a very difficult situation. The ceramic industry has particularly felt the sharp increases in energy and gas prices.

Additionally, there has been a disruption in the supply chain of raw materials and a suspension of rail transport of mineral resources from Ukraine, particularly kaolins from the Donetsk and Kherson regions, where ongoing military actions are taking place.

All these issues have led to a drastic slowdown in ceramic tile production and the search for solutions to help the industry survive. One of these solutions is changing the compositions for tile production and seeking new raw materials to replace those currently unavailable. Supporting the customer in crisis while safeguarding the company's interests is crucial.

Let's not forget that the mining industry has also felt the effects of the energy crisis and the decline in the profitability of its products. I believe that the situation will stabilize over time, but currently, focusing on delivering our highest-quality products on time is crucial.

There are many more challenges ahead, such as deposit availability, workforce training and availability, and climate goals arising from the European Fit for 55 climate law, aiming to reduce EU CO2 emissions by at least 50% by 2030 and make the EU climate-neutral by 2050.

We will need to address these issues. Therefore, when investing in new technologies, we must remember to prioritize environmental protection and the energy efficiency of processes. We are already investing in photovoltaic panels to partially meet our electricity needs.

In your role, you mention working on individual projects related to grinding on demand.

Could you provide examples of such projects and how they have benefited your clients in terms of production efficiency or cost savings?

Danuta: The launch of the production line for highly fragmented mineral resources has opened new possibilities for us. Already in the conceptual phase of the project, we planned to allocate part of our production capacity for on-demand grinding.

This idea was driven by market needs. Our business partners approached us with inquiries about grinding various materials, including ceramic scrap from defective products generated during sanitary ceramics production. Grinding this material to the appropriate granularity allows it to be reused in sanitary ware production, thus creating additional value.

Such action aligns with the principles of a closed-loop system, practically meaning minimizing waste. Therefore, the benefit is twofold. Creating the opportunity to undertake such orders has paved the way for us to enter entirely new industries. Sometimes, a one-time service can evolve into a long-term partnership.

Considering the diverse capacities of your production facilities, including silos, warehouses, and storage boxes, how do you ensure the efficient management of raw materials, and what role do these facilities play in meeting market demands?

Danuta: The expansion of our infrastructure and the associated investments were planned based on the needs of our customers and the evolving trends in the industries we are interested in for the coming years.

We knew that the ceramic market, particularly ceramic tile production, would experience significant growth in Poland. We understood the expectations and requirements of our customers regarding the product.

The real revolution came with the introduction of the production of gres porcelain tiles. The proportion of feldspar raw material in the mass increased from 25% to even 55%, significantly enhancing its impact on the final ceramic tile product.

We invested in a facility to produce feldspar grits and then an automated homogenization line, which ensured stability and uniformity of the product throughout the entire volume of the stockpile. It's important to note that these are batches of up to 8000 tons.

From the customer's perspective, ensuring uniformity in a large batch of raw material is crucial. Of course, the product must meet the parameters declared on the data sheet. This was a milestone in the development of SKSM.

Following this, we expanded the warehouse for finished (grit) products along with the infrastructure, which now allows us to store 160,000 tons of homogenized feldspar grit.

Managing production based on natural deposits, when you have 24 qualitatively different products, is incredibly challenging and requires precise planning and quality control at multiple stages of production.

This necessitates a modern laboratory and a team with appropriate competencies, which we possess. We know that nature can sometimes surprise us. In such a system, planning is paramount.

It was natural to expand the production of finely ground products based on our raw materials. A modern raw material grinding line was established, along with a battery of silos and a packaging line for bags and big bags.

The result of these investments is our broad presence in the ceramic, glass, construction, and chemical industries.

We serve the domestic market but also export our products to the Czech Republic, Germany, and Sweden. Customers value a trustworthy supplier of raw materials, especially when they are nearby and can consistently deliver high-quality products on time.

You emphasize the importance of offering knowledge and support to clients in the utilization of hard mineral resources.

Can you share a specific instance where your expertise led to a successful outcome for a client in the ceramic, glass, or construction industry?

Danuta: There were several such instances, although I cannot speak about all of them. Undoubtedly, we put significant effort into supporting the customer in implementing finely ground feldspar products for sanitary ware production.

We worked on both selecting the appropriate chemical composition and the granulation of the product. It was not an easy task, as the goal was to replace feldspar products that had been imported for years from Scandinavia or Turkey. The project required close collaboration between the customer and SKSM.

I am pleased that there was openness to suggestions from our side, and at the same time, I appreciate the trust bestowed upon us. Knowledge, deposit parameters, access to modern technologies, and above all, consistency in seeking optimal solutions turned out to be the recipe for success.

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How did you navigate in an industry traditionally perceived as male-dominated, involving heavy machinery and challenging working conditions, ultimately progressing from your initial role as the head of production to your current position as the sales director over nearly two decades at SKSM?

Danuta: Each position required acquiring new, distinct competencies. Certainly, the role of a technologist demanded the most learning from my side. Firstly, because it was created due to market requirements and the need for a thorough understanding of the customer's problem, followed by translating it into the mining production capabilities.

Secondly, I had to supplement my education with knowledge in ceramics, which led me to pursue studies at the Faculty of Materials Engineering and Ceramics at the AGH University of Science and Technology. Considering that during this time I became a mother and returned to work, balancing all these activities required excellent planning and significant discipline.

However, it was the role of production manager that pushed me to the highest levels of creativity. Apart from production-related matters, during this time, we conducted numerous research works and investment projects funded by the EU.

The preparation of investments, documentation, necessary applications to bring the project to fruition involved a tremendous amount of analytical work, collaboration with external entities, and teamwork within the company.

Witnessing how from an idea that arises in one's mind, a modern, innovative production facility emerges is truly remarkable.

Today, as the Director of Sales, I draw from the knowledge I have acquired throughout my years in production. I know our products, I understand our capabilities, and I see the potential and further development prospects. I can support the customer with my knowledge and experience.

Was it easy to get to where I am? It required a lot of perseverance and character. The presence of women in mines nowadays surprises less than it did a few years ago. The mining industry is opening up to women who have the courage to take on the challenges of working in mining, and although we currently represent only 15% of the workforce, these statistics will increase over the years.

?It's truly a fantastic industry: innovative, open to change, and full of challenges. I often recall the words of Pulitzer Prize winner Anna Quindlen, who said that a woman must be as strong as a nail and as warm as toast.

How do you leverage your passion for the industry to inspire and lead your team, especially in finding new applications for your products and maintaining strong customer relationships?

Danuta: I enjoy the work I do. In this industry, there's no time for boredom, but instead, a constant sense of responsibility for people and the projects we undertake, which often span multiple disciplines – and that's what drives me.

Both technologies and market trends are constantly changing, necessitating continuous development and the need to broaden knowledge across various fields. Active participation in conferences and industry meetings enlightens me about how mining will look like in a few years and its significance for future generations.

This allows me to pave new paths for the applications of our products: feldspar, quartz, and construction aggregates. An open mind is the key to success. Seek opportunities where they might not be immediately visible. Managing a team is a whole different story.

I believe that when people see a clear goal and passion, they quickly become infected with such an approach. I enjoy involving people in the projects and try to delegate responsibilities but also share success. I believe this approach works best.

Currently, managers face a completely new challenge – the ability to effectively function and manage teams with diverse age structures is a skill we will need to acquire in the coming years. As they say, the only constant in the universe is change. We must be ready for it.

Thank you Danuta Rajczakowska for the deep insight into your work and area of expertise. It is a fascinating combination.