How to Set Up a Calcium Silicate Insulation Board and Pipe Section Plant: Planning Guide for Investors
This guide is for refractory and insulation manufacturers, investors and project companies evaluating a new plant for calcium silicate insulation board and pipe sections. It is written by the YuxingCorp project team, based on the calcium silicate lines we coordinate for a manufacturer in the Middle East: a first line built from zero process know-how, a second line with new presses and moulds, and the planning of a third.
It does not quote prices. A calcium silicate line is configured around its products, its temperature grades, its raw materials, its steam supply and its output target, so a figure given without those inputs would mislead more than it helps. Instead, this guide sets out the decisions to make first, the equipment a complete line needs, the planning sequence we work through with buyers, the problems a first plant usually runs into, and a checklist you can send to any supplier so the proposals you receive can be compared line by line.
Last updated: October 2026
1. First, decide what you will make
Temperature grades. The service temperature of calcium silicate insulation is set by the mineral phase formed in the autoclave. Tobermorite-based products are rated up to 650 °C. Xonotlite-based products are rated up to 1,000 °C, and well-crystallised, high-purity xonotlite up to 1,050 °C. The grades usually available are:
- 650 °C — the standard grade
- 1,000 °C — high-temperature grade
- 1,050 °C — high-temperature xonotlite grade; the line in our Middle East project makes board rated for 1,050 °C service
- 1,100 °C — a high-density grade offered by a few manufacturers
The grade decides the process route. A line that only makes the 650 °C grade can use the static process: the slurry is cast into moulds and the calcium silicate forms in the autoclave. The 1,000 °C and 1,050 °C grades need the dynamic process, in which a stirred pressure reactor first synthesises xonotlite slurry before forming. If you may want high-temperature grades later, plan the reactor section from the start.
Board, pipe sections, or both. Boards and pipe sections are made from the same slurry and the same formulation; only the moulds and presses differ. Pipe sections can therefore be supplied in the same temperature grades as board. In our Middle East project, the first line made board. For the second line, the client added a 200 t pipe-section press with 16 moulds made to its own drawings, and a 500 t board press for 1,200 × 1,200 mm boards.
Not the same as calcium silicate building board. Calcium silicate board used in buildings for partitions, ceilings and fire protection is a different product, made on a different type of line. This guide covers high-temperature insulation board and pipe sections only. For building board, see our calcium silicate and fibre cement building board line.
2. What determines the cost of a calcium silicate insulation plant
1. Annual output target. Output, measured in m³ per year, sets the number of presses, moulds and trolleys, the number of autoclaves, the dryer capacity and the length of the building. The single lines we coordinate typically range from 10,000 to 40,000 m³ per year. The line in our Middle East project, at about 3,000 m³ per year, sits at the small end of that range.
2. Temperature grades and product mix. High-temperature grades add the reactor section (see section 1). Every additional product family — pipe sections, larger board sizes, a new thickness range — adds a press, a set of moulds, or both. Moulds are a substantial part of the line, not an accessory: the first line in our Middle East project runs on 300 mould frames and 20 trolleys.
3. Process know-how and formulation. If you have not produced calcium silicate before, the formulation, the autoclaving schedule and the drying parameters matter as much as the machines. Ask every supplier who designs them, and who stays responsible for them after start-up. In the Middle East project, we designed the full process route, the formulation system, and the autoclaving and drying parameters.
4. Raw materials. Every calcium silicate formulation combines a silica source, a calcium source and reinforcing fibre: quartz sand or silica flour (or diatomite or silica fume), lime, and glass fibre or pulp. The products are asbestos-free. What differs from plant to plant is the purity, fineness and reactivity of the local silica and lime, and that decides how well the crystals develop — and with them the density, thermal conductivity and linear shrinkage of the finished product. Have your raw materials tested before the line configuration is fixed (see section 6).
5. Lime: make it or buy it. If you buy quicklime, the line starts at the lime slaker. If you burn your own lime, add a crusher and a lime kiln.
6. Steam and heat. The reactors and the autoclaves run on steam, and the dryer needs hot air. Size the boiler for every unit that draws steam at the same time, not for one unit on its own (see section 6). As a reference point, a 4 t/h gas-fired boiler serves a small line.
7. Building, site and staff. As an example, the single line in our Middle East project occupies an 80 m × 12 m area, has 200 kW of installed power and runs with 4–5 operators.
3. The equipment in a complete line
The list below is for a dynamic-process line that can make both the 650 °C and the 1,000/1,050 °C grades. A static-process line for the 650 °C grade only does not need section C. Items marked (optional) depend on your lime route and level of automation.
- A. Raw material preparation — jaw crusher and lime kiln (optional, only if you burn your own lime); lime slaker with dust hood; wet ball mill for quartz sand or other silica, with classification, slurry tank and slurry pump; silo and feeder for silica fume or diatomite (optional, if the formulation uses them); pulp or glass-fibre dispersing unit; raw material silos with screw feeders and belt or loss-in-weight weighing; belt conveyors and bucket elevators.
- B. Batching and slurry preparation — weighing tanks for lime milk, silica slurry and water; high-speed slurry mixer; stirred slurry storage tanks; slurry pumps; and a PLC batching control system with formulation management and production reports — the core of the line’s automation.
- C. Hydrothermal synthesis (needed for the high-temperature grades) — stirred pressure reactors that synthesise xonotlite slurry, with steam distribution and steam traps.
- D. Forming — for board: filter press or hydraulic forming press (slurry injected into steel moulds, vacuum dewatering at −0.08 to −0.09 MPa, forming pressure 2.0–2.5 MPa), steel moulds, mould frames and pallets, and demoulding equipment. For pipe sections: split steel moulds with slurry injection, an extruder (optional, for semi-dry forming), a lathe for the bore of large pipe sections, and a green-body cutter. Shared: casting and transfer cars.
- E. Autoclave curing — autoclaves, commonly 2 m in diameter and 21.5 m long, operated at about 1.2 MPa and 190 °C, with the number set by output; autoclave cars, pallet cars and rails; winches and transfer cars; steam boiler with steam header and condensate return; pre-curing room (optional).
- F. Drying — tunnel dryer with hot-air furnace and fans, and dryer cars.
- G. Finishing and packing — board saws, edge grinding and chamfering, shaped-part machining for pipe sections (optional), inspection table, packing equipment, and overhead cranes and stacking.
- H. Quality-control laboratory — compression and flexural testing machine, thermal conductivity tester (heat-flow-meter or guarded hot plate), drying oven and balance for density and moisture, and a high-temperature furnace for linear shrinkage and loss on ignition. Density, thermal conductivity, compressive and flexural strength and linear shrinkage are tested batch by batch.
- I. Utilities — compressed air (compressor, receiver, dryer); pulse-jet bag filters at the four dust points — crushing, milling, lime slaking and the boiler; water recycling (settling tanks and return pumps) for slurry and press water; power distribution and line control; forklifts and loaders.
In our Middle East line, boards are autoclaved at 190–200 °C for 6–20 hours, then dried with hot air at 100–180 °C to below 5% moisture. The second line added an automatic demoulding machine with vacuum lifting and PLC control.
4. Timeline: seven stages from brief to stable production
Stage 1: Define the requirement. Products (board, pipe sections or both), temperature grades and sizes, annual output, raw materials, lime route, steam and power available, site, and target timeline.
Stage 2: Raw material testing, process design and supplier comparison. Your raw materials are tested, the process route and formulation are set against your products, and configurations from different manufacturers are compared against the same brief, so differences in scope and inspection terms are visible before price is discussed. Our commitment: “A written sourcing report within 48 hours of a complete requirement brief.” “Custom or multi-line projects may take longer — we tell you upfront.”
Stage 3: Contract and payment. Standard terms: T/T 30% deposit, 70% balance before shipment. “We confirm which certificates are available before contract.”
Stage 4: Manufacturing and pre-shipment inspection. Manufacturing normally takes about three months from receipt of the deposit to shipment. We follow up manufacturing with the equipment makers, especially long-lead items such as the reactor, the hydraulic press and the moulds. “Every shipment comes with a full pre-shipment inspection report — test-run records, functional and dimensional checks, photos and video — before the equipment leaves the factory.” Third-party inspection (e.g. SGS, BV) is available on request, at the buyer’s cost.
Stage 5: Export documents and shipment. Transport to the plant typically takes about one month, depending on destination. “Complete export document pack — commercial invoice, packing list, certificate of origin, bill of lading, and manufacturer certificates such as CE or EAC where applicable.” We coordinate shipping and freight logistics. “Import customs clearance, duties, taxes and local registration are the buyer’s responsibility.”
Stage 6: Installation and commissioning. We normally send at least three engineers at the start: an electrical engineer, a mechanical engineer and a line coordination engineer, with travel and accommodation at the buyer’s cost. In the Middle East project, line 1 was installed between November 2019 and February 2020; when travel stopped midway, guidance moved to live video and messaging, and installation was substantially completed on schedule. In May 2025, two of our engineers installed and started up the line 2 presses.
Stage 7: Running-in, process support and warranty. Plan for a running-in period after start-up, while the formulation and parameters are fine-tuned on your raw materials. In the Middle East project, every process issue after start-up was resolved remotely, with normal production from September 2021. “12-month equipment warranty from the date of commissioning, with a named responsible contact.”
5. Checklist: what to prepare before you request quotes
Send the same list to every supplier you are talking to. Proposals built on the same inputs are the only ones you can compare.
- Products: board, pipe sections, or both
- Temperature grades: 650 °C, 1,000 °C, 1,050 °C or higher
- Sizes: board thickness and dimensions; pipe-section diameters and wall thicknesses
- The product standard your customers specify
- Annual output target (m³ per year)
- Raw materials available locally (silica source, lime, fibre), with analysis reports, and whether you can send samples for testing
- Lime route: buy quicklime, or burn your own
- Steam: existing boiler capacity, or the fuel available for a new boiler
- Power supply: voltage, frequency, available capacity
- Site: land or building dimensions; new building or existing
- Your team: whether you have produced calcium silicate before, and the working language on site
- Destination country and target timeline
With your products, target output, temperature grade, project location and timeline, we can start the written sourcing report.
6. Ten problems to avoid in a first calcium silicate plant
Five we solved on our Middle East project
1. Buying machines without a formulation. The client was a refractory manufacturer with no process know-how for calcium silicate. Machines alone would not have produced saleable board. Make sure someone is responsible for the formulation, the autoclaving schedule and the drying parameters, not just for the equipment.
2. Sizing steam for one unit. Steam pressure collapsed whenever both reactors ran at once. It was a boiler-capacity limit, not an equipment fault; we reset the reactor operating cycle to match the boiler’s steam output. Give your supplier the real boiler capacity at the start, and size steam for every unit running together.
3. Moulds that do not fit the press. Slurry leaked during pressing because of mould fit. Pressing time was extended from 1 to 5 minutes at a lower pressing speed. Press and moulds should be designed and checked together; for pipe sections, the moulds are made to your drawings.
4. Expecting crack-free boards on day one. Surface cracks appeared in finished boards. Our process engineers traced the cause to the slurry and reformulated it. Cracking was eliminated in September 2021 and has not returned. Budget time and support for running-in, and agree before contract who is responsible for process results after start-up.
5. Missing drawings and a language gap. The hot-air flow diagram for the tunnel dryer was missing; we obtained it from the manufacturer’s engineers. With no resident Chinese technical staff on site, we used an interpreter and multilingual messaging groups, and confirmed every key parameter in writing in Chinese and English. Make English operation manuals, equipment lists and mould drawings part of the delivery.
Five more to settle before you sign
6. Fixing the line before testing your raw materials. Your silica and lime will not behave like the materials a supplier tested at home. Their purity, fineness and reactivity decide how the crystals develop, and with them the density, thermal conductivity and shrinkage of your product. Configuring a whole line without a raw material trial is one of the most expensive mistakes in this industry.
7. Choosing the process route for today’s grade only. A static-process line cannot make the 1,000 °C and 1,050 °C grades. If high-temperature products are in your plan, include the reactor section, or at least the space and steam capacity for it.
8. Treating the autoclaves as a detail. Autoclave capacity, together with the number of moulds and cars in circulation, sets the real output of the line. Check the autoclave count and cycle against your output target, not just the press rating.
9. No laboratory on day one. Industrial buyers ask for test data — density, thermal conductivity, strength and linear shrinkage — against a recognised standard. Without a thermal conductivity tester and a high-temperature furnace, you cannot prove your grade, and every batch is sold on trust.
10. Leaving dust and water to the end. Crushing, milling, lime slaking and the boiler all produce dust and need bag filters, and slurry and press water should be recycled. Build them into the layout and the environmental permit from the start; adding them later costs more.
7. Calcium silicate plant FAQs
What is the total price?
We do not publish prices, because they depend on products, grades, output, raw materials, steam supply and destination. Once we have your requirement brief, the written sourcing report compares configurations from different manufacturers.
Should we test our raw materials first?
Yes. Send samples of your silica source and lime before the line is configured. The final density, thermal conductivity and linear shrinkage of your product depend on how the crystals develop in the hydrothermal reaction, and that depends on the purity, fineness and reactivity of your local materials. A trial at this stage is standard practice, and it is far cheaper than changing a line after it is built.
We have no experience with calcium silicate. Can you still help?
Yes. Our Middle East client started with no process know-how for the product. We designed the formulation and process and brought the line to stable production.
Can you support us after start-up?
Alongside on-site installation guidance, we provide live remote support for commissioning and process optimisation, and ongoing spare parts and process support.
Can you add capacity to an existing plant?
Yes. For the same client we supplied a second line with new presses, moulds and automatic demoulding, and in 2026 the client asked us to plan a third.
Which standard will the product meet?
Tell us the standard your customers specify and the service temperature they need. The three most common are ASTM C533 (United States), which covers calcium silicate block and pipe insulation for service up to 927 °C (1,700 °F); EN 14306 (Europe), which covers calcium silicate boards, pipe sections and segments for building equipment and industrial installations up to 1,100 °C; and GB/T 10699 (China), the national standard for calcium silicate thermal insulation. Grades rated at 1,000 °C and above are declared to EN 14306 or to the manufacturer’s own grade, not to ASTM C533. Compliance depends on the formulation and the process as well as the equipment, so the standard belongs in the requirement brief.
What do you need to prepare a proposal?
Your products (boards, pipe sections or both), target annual output, temperature grade, project location and planned timeline.
8. What we handle
- Equipment sourcing & supplier coordination
- Pre-shipment quality inspection report; third-party inspection on request (buyer’s cost)
- Export documentation — invoice, packing list, certificate of origin, bill of lading
- Manufacturer certificates (e.g. CE, EAC) where available
- Shipping & freight logistics coordination
- Installation guidance & commissioning support
9. Related project
Calcium silicate insulation board and pipe section production line
Planning a gypsum board plant instead? Read our gypsum board plant setup guide
Planning an MgO board plant? Read our MgO board plant setup guide
Planning a calcium silicate plant?
Send us your products, target output, temperature grade, destination country and timeline. We respond within one business day.