Over 90% of all bricks made in the U.S. are made
with J.C. Steele machinery
Virtually indestructible equipment, the industry’s
best customer service
and the toughest wearing parts
Our machinery is ideal for structural clay products
as well as other clay and clay-related products, processing
clays such as bentonite, kaolin, mullite and fullers earth.
J.C. Steele brick making machinery is well suited for processing the following clays:
- Alluvial clays
- Shales
- Bentonite
- Kaolin
- Mullite
- Fullers earth
- Drilling mud
J.C. Steele brick making machinery includes:
- Extruders
- Pug sealers
- Brick cutters
- Tile cutters
- Crushing machinery
- Grinding machinery
- Feeding systems
- Mixers
- Dies & Bridges
- Auxiliary Equipment
- Upgrades & Tools
J.C. Steele vertical integration includes:
J.C. Steele began his career in the brick business. He quickly recognized opportunities to improve the industry’s equipment and processes, obtaining his first patent in 1889. Today, after 120-plus years of history, we’re still working hand-in-hand with brick manufacturers to reshape the industry.
The Steele family maintains direct involvement in the brick industry, having owned Pine Hall Brick Company since 1922. Operating a brick company gives J.C. Steele & Sons direct experience with the challenges and problems of brick making, and has taught us much about the operation and maintenance of our equipment.
J.C. Steele brick making machines are built for decades of efficient, reliable, high volume output. The experience of supporting a U.S. and international installed base, plus years of working with plant operators, machinery operators and maintenance specialists, has driven steady continuous improvement in our stiff extrusion equipment, pug mills, crushing machinery, grinding machinery and feeding systems.
Our brick making machines require minimal maintenance. They’re designed and engineered for harsh environments, with fast replacement of wearing parts in contact with moving material. As a result, you’ll find our machinery easy to maintain and remarkably durable. We use high-grade ductile iron stock for casting machine frames and bodies, and our 28PC high chrome iron alloy for all wearing parts (read more about our foundry and casting process).
Every brick making machine we build comes with the industry’s toughest wearing parts, backed by the industry’s best customer service. We’ve always believed that having parts on the shelf is an excellent investment for the company and our customers. We back our inventory commitment with a 60,000 square foot warehouse filled with parts to support our machinery in the field. We also have 24/7 emergency service available in the U.S.
Application engineering for your specific raw materials and output requirements
Application engineering begins with understanding your specific material. If you’ve never worked with Steele brick making machinery, we can help you determine if stiff extrusion is feasible for your raw material and product. We analyze your raw material and test on a laboratory scale in our in-house test plant to document that we have the right process and equipment to meet your needs. Once we’ve matched our brick making machines with your processing requirements, our engineers work with you to integrate the machinery with your production line. We can meet your needs, whether that means a single machine or a turnkey process.
J.C. Steele application engineering is an ongoing process, helping our customers optimize the performance of our machinery and its maintenance. Our engineers and service professionals provide troubleshooting and advice on wearing and machine parts to minimize machine downtime. We can support Lean programs for increased production capacity, help customers move from a reactive approach to maintenance to conditions-based service, and reduce or eliminate downtime — lowering your cost of ownership and improving your return on investment.
You can read more about J.C. Steele application engineering services here.
The world’s best stiff extrusion machinery plus the clay preparation technologies you need
J.C. Steele stiff extrusion machinery uses high torque and pressure to produce operating penetrometer readings as high as 4.0-4.5 kg/cm2 with a wide range of clays and shales. Our machinery’s durability and unmatched ability to produce a stiff extruded column separate us from our competition.
Stiff extrusion doesn’t require high levels of plasticity, which can simplify clay preparation. Stiff extruded columns typically include less than 20% moisture, resulting in less energy to dry those units than soft or semi-stiff extrusion. Most of our customers making structural clay products can “direct set” units on kiln cars for drying and firing, reducing the required equipment and capital costs associated with a complete plant. It’s important to evaluate each raw material and product on an individual basis, but in many instances Steele equipment represents a superior choice and better return on investment.
Our machinery is ideal for structural clay products as well as other clay and clay-related products, processing clays such as bentonite, kaolin, mullite and fullers earth. We have a long history of providing crushing machinery, grinding machinery, mixing machinery and feeders for all of these markets.
We have a full line of clay preparation and de-airing machines for your brick, block and tile requirements, including crushing machinery, grinding and mixing machinery, and pug sealers. For more information on J.C Steele stiff extrusion equipment and clay preparation machines, talk to your regional J.C. Steele & Sons sales representative, or call us at 1.704.872.3681 (in the U.S., call toll-free at 1.800.278.3353).
