An apparatus for sorting and stacking slab-shaped elements has an inlet line; plural suction gripping units; a sorting carousel rotatable around an axis and including multiple carousel arms mutually solidly constrained and each bearing a respective one of the plurality suction gripping units; a plurality of seats for receiving the slab-shaped elements, forming stacks thereof; and a support crown solidly constrained to a frame. The carousel axis and an axis of the support crown coincide with one another. Each carousel arm is supported by the support crown at or in proximity of a respective free end. A first slab-shaped element from the inlet line can be gripped by a first one of the suction gripping units, rotated by a first one of the carousel arms which bears the first suction gripping unit, and released by the first suction gripping unit on a first of the seats.

A loading/unloading assembly of flat ceramic products comprising: a conveying unit for conveying a plurality of flat ceramic products; at least one loading/unloading device for flat ceramic products for receiving a support structure so that it rests on it and at least one pick-up device for picking up and transferring at least one flat ceramic product from the conveying unit to the support structure, and/or vice versa; the loading/unloading device comprises at least one bearing device for bearing at least said support structure and a plurality of flat ceramic products stacked on top of one another, and a moving device for moving said support structure, between a first position at a first height from said bottom, and at least a second position at a second height from said bottom, the second height is greater than the first height.

A support rack can include a first component comprising a ceramic material and a second component comprising a ceramic material. The first component can intersect at least one wall of the second component and the first and second components can be coupled via a ceramic weld. A method of making a support rack can include providing a first component comprising a sintered ceramic material, providing a second component comprising an un-sintered or partially-sintered ceramic material, arranging the first and second component so that the first component intersects at least one wall of the second component, sinter bonding the first and second components together to form a ceramic weld at the intersection. In an embodiment, the support rack can be a piece of kiln furniture.

A method and plant to handle ceramic articles; the plant comprises a gathering area comprising a plurality of first storage units, each having a group of ceramic articles placed on a first support structure according to a first given arrangement; a handling machine to re-arrange at least part of such ceramic articles on second support structures in such a way that they are placed according to a second given arrangement so that they can be picked up by a holding device, so as to create a plurality of second storage units; at least one first intermediate store to receive at least part of the second storage units; and a forming machine to form an order to be shipped, which is configured to transfer at least one first ceramic article from the second storage unit onto a third support structure so as to obtain a shipment unit.

Handling method and machine to re-arrange ceramic articles; the handling machine comprises: a first moving device to pick up and move at least part of the ceramic articles from a first support structure to a splitting-up station; a support comprising a base portion, a plurality of projections and a plurality of recesses; and a second moving device to transfer such ceramic articles from the splitting-up station to an output station and place them on a second support structure according to a second given arrangement so as to obtain a modified group of ceramic articles.

Handling method and machine to re-arrange ceramic articles; the handling machine comprises: a first moving device to pick up and move at least part of the ceramic articles from a first support structure to a splitting-up station; a support comprising a base portion, a plurality of projections and a plurality of recesses; and a second moving device to transfer such ceramic articles from the splitting-up station to an output station and place them on a second support structure according to a second given arrangement so as to obtain a modified group of ceramic articles.

An apparatus for sorting and stacking slab-shaped elements (2), for example tiles, has an inlet line; a plurality of suction gripping units; a plurality of rotating arms which each bear a suction gripping unit; a plurality of seats for receiving the slab-shaped elements, forming stacks of slab-shaped elements; and a support crown which is solidly constrained to a frame. The rotating arms are mobile independently of one another; the rotating arms and the support crown are relatively dimensioned so that each rotating arm is supported by the support crown at or near the respective free end.

An apparatus for sorting and stacking slab-shaped elements (2), for example tiles, has an inlet line; a plurality of suction gripping units; a plurality of rotating arms which each bear a suction gripping unit; a plurality of seats for receiving the slab-shaped elements, forming stacks of slab-shaped elements; and a support crown which is solidly constrained to a frame. The rotating arms are mobile independently of one another; the rotating arms and the support crown are relatively dimensioned so that each rotating arm is supported by the support crown at or near the respective free end.

An apparatus for sorting and stacking slab-shaped elements has an inlet line; plural suction gripping units; a sorting carousel rotatable around an axis and including multiple carousel arms mutually solidly constrained and each bearing a respective one of the plurality suction gripping units; a plurality of seats for receiving the slab-shaped elements, forming stacks thereof; and a support crown solidly constrained to a frame. The carousel axis and an axis of the support crown coincide with one another. Each carousel arm is supported by the support crown at or in proximity of a respective free end. A first slab-shaped element from the inlet line can be gripped by a first one of the suction gripping units, rotated by a first one of the carousel arms which bears the first suction gripping unit, and released by the first suction gripping unit on a first of the seats.

An apparatus for sorting and stacking slab-shaped elements (2), for example tiles, has an inlet line; a plurality of suction gripping units; a plurality of rotating arms which each bear a suction gripping unit; a plurality of seats for receiving the slab-shaped elements, forming stacks of slab-shaped elements; and a support crown which is solidly constrained to a frame. The rotating arms are mobile independently of one another; the rotating arms and the support crown are relatively dimensioned so that each rotating arm is supported by the support crown at or near the respective free end.