Basic Ceramic Tile Production Processes Traditional manufacturing processes can be described as follows: Preparation of raw materials.

ials. Pressing and drying of the green body. Firing process with or without glaze. Additional refinements. Packaging process.

are ground into a huge volume of liquid that is usually known as slip or body.

Excess moisture is removed by spray drying. The general process is: Pumping and spraying the slip. Hot gas generation and feed. Drying using a gas fired spray dryer burner. Producing a dry clay powder featuring uniform size grains.

The Nature and desired appearance of the final product will determine the method used to form and fire the tile body. The process followed to produce extruded rustic tiles are different to those employed to manufacture polished porcelain. Whichever type of product is required the first stage will involve selection and preparation of raw materials. The basic raw materials used to form the body of any tile are appropriate clays, carbonates, feldspars, kaolins and sands. Most of these materials are used in their raw state, as mined. These materials are generally homogenised to ensure consistency in composition. Following raw material preparation the following processes will be conducted dependant of the nature of the product. Once the raw materials required to form the tile body have been mixed they are dry milled (for extruded tiles) or wet milled and spray dried. This later system is most widely employed in producing ceramic wall and floor tiles and porcelain. Dry milling involves crushing raw materials in a hammer or pendulum mill. The wet milling process involves mixing the selected clays and minerals with water and pumping the mix into a large rotating cylindrical mills (ball mills) where the selected clays and minerals

The powder is generally stored in dry vats ready for use. Spray drying provides a number of advantages, including provision of high uniform, more or less spherical hallow granules that can be easily transferred to the press dies which makes the process of filling the large dies used to press big format tiles a lot simpler. Dry Pressing and Extrusion. Eventually the dry powder is mechanically placed into moulds of the required size and the body of the tile is pressed to that size in a hydraulic press. The tile body is formed by application of high compaction force. The pressed clay usually has a moisture content of approximately 6%. The pressure applied ranges from 3,500 to 7,200 tons. The extrusion process involves driving the plastic body through a die of the required tile shape. The tile is cut to length by an automated cutter. Drying. The moisture content in the body is reduced to the required levels by placing the tiles in dryers, where heat is applied by convection from hot gases applied to the surface of the tiles.

Glazing. Unglazed, extruded tiles are fired after the drying stage. Regular ceramic tiles have a single or multiple coats of glaze applied to provide the required aesthetic in terms of appearance and to produce a hard wearing, easy to clean and maintain surface finish. The glaze also adds texture and enhances chemical resistance. Silica is the prime component of glaze. Other materials like alkalis and zinc act as fluxes or opacifiers. A wide variety of glazes can be obtained. Regular glassy glazes feature gloss materials like frits, which are vitreous compounds which are insoluble in water. Many glaze compositions feature frits of some kind. Porcelain glazes feature materials like crystalline and a variety of natural and synthetic raw materials. The raw materials of the glaze are ground in a ball mill, before aqueos suspension is created which permits constant and even application of the glaze. Screen printing is one of the most common method of applying glaze. Firing. This is the most important part of the process because it will determine mechanical strength, dimensional stability, chemical resistance, ease of maintenance and fire resistance. The thermal cycle and kiln atmosphere are critical. Unglazed tiles are fired once, glazed tiles are fired once (monocottura) after glaze is applied to the raw tile body. Alternatively the body can be fired and a second firing (bicottura) can be applied following application of glaze.

Subsequent firing can take place to add more colour. Most floor tiles are fast fired single glaze products fired at temperatures of around 1220 Celsius in a mere 40 minute process. Decoration and porcelain. Porcelain is fired around 1240 degrees Celsius. Many factories around the world produce between 6000 and 11000 square meters per day. Some factories simply produce tile bodies (bisques) which they sell to other companies that add their own glaze and decoration. Many of the most important advances have occurred in the field of decoration, particularly in relation to porcelain tile. Machinery manufacturers continue to promote advances in technology which allow tile manufacturers to create special decorative effects and surface finishes. Its important to recognize that until recently decoration of porcelain was principally made by adding colourings to the feldspar, clay, quartz and kaolin at the dry pressing stage. While this process is still applied the technology is now available to add any decoration or design to be applied to polished porcelain, including motifs, texture and reliefs. These decorations are pre-designed and added to the surface of the pressed tile before application of a final coat of colour, firing and final polishing. New processes emerge annually at Cersaie making it a herculean task for manufactures to keep their clients up to date with regard to the latest innovations. One of the latest innovations comes from an Italian company called Imola Ceramica which has produced ceramic products since 1874.
COLOUR DEFINITION SYSTEM

Colour Definition System is an innovative system that makes the creative space of decoration of floors and cladding potentially infinite. A very large number of different tiles that interpret the new concept of image and matter dynamism in a brand new way, thanks to the simultaneous use of different graphic solutions. Colour Definition System is a world of endless aesthetic solutions, as well as a world of high graphic definition, chromatic clarity and technological quality. No limit to the perfection of decoration (over 4,000 nozzles and 200x924 dpi resolution) and absolutely superior aesthetic impact for products that have a more natural and real look, thanks to the extraordinary definition of colours, ranges and decorations. Colour Definition System is the greatest expression of style and design.