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DSF Refractories and Minerals Ltd is an independent refractory manufacturer and processor of refractory minerals, based in the Peak District of Derbyshire, in the centre of England. The company is a leading producer of high alumina refractory bricks and blocks in standard sizes and special shapes, and has a complete range of products based on mullite, andalusite, chamotte, bauxite, spinel and pure alumina. Shapes are produced by both pressing and casting techniques, and products are high temperature fired to give optimum properties in service.
DSF is the largest shaped refractory manufacturer in the UK, and is recognised as one of the world's leading suppliers of bonded refractories for the glass industry. We supply to other heat containment industries, including iron and steel, cement and other rotary kilns, carbon black producers as well as non-ferrous metals, incinerators, brick and ceramic kilns. In addition to our UK facilities we also have a factory in China to produce cast and fired blocks predominantly for the Glass industry.
We process and supply refractory raw materials in a wide variety of grain sizes our customers include other refractory manufacturers and anti-skid road surfacing. Materials processed include Chinese, and Guyanan bauxite, chamotte, andalusite and flint clays. We also supply calcined alumina and fused minerals.
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DSF is an independent company based in Derbyshire in the United Kingdom and is in the business of refractory manufacture and mineral processing, supplying to a wide range of heat containment industries. The company was established over 100 years ago as the Derbyshire Silica Firebrick Company, mining local mineral deposits to manufacture refractories for use in the production of town gas. Through the 1960's, the business diversified into supplying other industries including steel, glass and cement and the company named DSF Refractories.
In 1987 DSF Refractories Ltd was acquired by forehearth manufacturer British Hartford-Fairmont Ltd to support their business in the glass industry. DSF quickly expanded its own supplies to the glass industry, and opened many significant export markets whilst operating within the BH-F group.
In June 1993, DSF was bought out from the BH-F parent company by a team including the then board of directors and backed by the Bank of Scotland. The company was renamed DSF Refractories & Minerals Ltd to reflect the growing importance of processed minerals to the business.
In August 2003 the continued independence of the company was assured by a new management buy-out, with a focus on continued developments and increases in production capacity based on our successes in special refractories and high quality processed minerals. For the first time in the company's history the local management had a controlling interest in the company.
In the first seven years of the buy-out significant investment has been made in a new 1700.C kiln; the largest intermittent kiln in Europe firing to this temperature, and a state of the art automatic block grinding machine which more than doubles our grinding capacity. Further investment has seen a doubling of capacity to fire large blocks and in 2009 we have installed further firing, cutting and grinding facilities.
In 2008 a Chinese subsidiary company was formed and DSF Refractory Materials (Tianjin) is now in full production with casting, firing and grinding facilities all in operation manufacturing large blocks and complex refractory shapes for Glass Industry.
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Our UK plant capacity is currently about 50,000 tonnes per year, with an annual turnover of about £21 million.
We employ around 150 skilled and experienced people in our Derbyshire factory. We consider the employees to be one of the major attributes of the company, and we are proud to be recognised by the award of Investors in People.
DSF employ a quality management system which complies with ISO 9000, and we have been accredited by the British standards Institution since 1988. Following an audit by the British Safety Council in 2007, we were awarded a maximum 5 stars in the BSC Safety scheme.
DSF supply refractory products to more than 50 countries in North and South America, Western and Eastern Europe, Africa, South Asia, East Asia and Australasia. Our technical sales people regularly visit our customers throughout the world.
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DSF Refractories & Minerals Ltd
Friden, Newhaven,
Nr. Buxton
Derbyshire, SK17 0DX, England
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Email: info@dsf.co.uk
Web: www.dsf.co.uk
Telephone: +44 (0) 1629 636271
Fax: +44 (0) 1629 636892
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Registered Office: 50 Lothian Road, Festival Square Edinburgh, EH3 9WS
Registered in Scotland No. 144005
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