Method and plant to handle ceramic articles

A method to handle ceramic articles;

• the method comprises:
• a pick-up step, during which at least one first storage unit is picked up from a gathering area comprising a plurality of first storage units, each comprising a first support structure and a group of first ceramic articles placed on said first support structure according to a first given arrangement, and taken to a re-arranging station;
• a rearranging step, during which a handling machine, which is arranged in the area of the re-arranging station, transfers at least part of the first ceramic articles of the first storage unit from the first support structure to at least one second support structure, so as to obtain at least one second storage unit, in which said at least part of the first ceramic articles is placed according to a second given arrangement, which is different from the first given arrangement;
• a standing step, which is at least partially subsequent to said re-arranging step, and during which said at least one second storage unit is stored inside a first intermediate store;
• a step of composition of an order to be shipped, during which a forming machine takes at least one first ceramic article from said at least one second storage unit onto a third support structure so as to create a shipment unit;
• the forming machine comprising a holding device with a horizontal hold, which grabs said at least one first ceramic article during said composition step;
• wherein, during the re-arranging step, said at least part of the first ceramic articles is placed on said second support structure in such a way that each first ceramic article can be grabbed (held) laterally, in particular by said holding device with a horizontal hold, and
• wherein, in the second given arrangement, said first ceramic articles are arranged with respect to one another in such a way that each first ceramic article has at least two free lateral surfaces (LS), so that it can be grabbed by said holding device with a horizontal hold independently of the others.