Extruded Klinker is one of the most hard-wearing materials ever produced.
A clay-derivative, it is manufactured by mixing the raw material with water; the paste obtained is moulded, dried and then slow-fired (for up to 26/34 hours) at 1250°C. This process causes the feldspars in the materials to melt, and in their turn, bond with the grains of aggregate, resulting in extremely high technical features , combined with a unique, natural beauty.

HISTORY

. From the turn of the century to the 1930s, extruded klinker was a commonplace material in Holland and northern Germany, and was used to make building bricks, floor tiles and bearing structures with exposed brickwork. Proof of its quality and hardness can still be seen today in northern Europe, in the large number of perfectly-preserved buildings found there.

. Since the '30s, the role of klinker as a load-bearing element has become outdated due to the introduction of reinforced concrete load-carrying masonry walls. But a new technique that became popular in Germany opened the way to a whole new world of opportunities for klinker. This technique involved using extrusion machines to shape the clay paste into lighter tiles, then coupled together, two by two, in a vertical fashion.

. Since then, extruded klinker has spread rapidly throughout the world and has even found application in countless major buildings famous for historical reasons and their settings. It was first adopted in Italy by design engineer Giovanni Muzio, during his work on Milan's Palazzo dell'Arte.

The name "klinker" comes from the Dutch word "Klinkaerd" and "Klinken", "to chink".