The Production Process of Ceramic Tiles

Table of Contents
The Production Process of Ceramic Tiles ...................................................................................................... 2
The Preparation of Raw Material.................................................................................................................. 3
Ceramic tiles are produced by dry pressing. ................................................................................................. 3
Drying of Raw Tiles........................................................................................................................................ 4
Glazing of Ceramic Tiles ................................................................................................................................ 4
Burning of Ceramic Tiles ............................................................................................................................... 4
Sorting and Packing....................................................................................................................................... 4

1
The Production Process of Ceramic Tiles
The production of tiles is a complex and longstanding process composed of a series of
technological procedures:
• raw material preparation
• shaping
• drying raw tiles
• glazing
• burning
• sorting
• storage of ready product

Figure 1

2
The Preparation of Raw Material
The raw material mixture for the production of ceramic tiles is prepared from a number of
components: clay, Dolomite silt and coalized granite.

The clay exploited from the factory mine is arranged in lots and, after
having been left outside for a certain time, it is transported in trucks to a
roofed over storeroom.

The remaining components for the raw material mixture (Dolomite silt and
coalized granite) are transported to the storehouse in bulk. The material is
stored in a roofed over space in boxes or silos.

A smaller quantity of material (glass frit and pigment for glazing) is delivered
in sacks or containers while liquid material (electrolyte for better flowing of
the ceramic suspension) in closed tanks.

Granulate preparation for pressing: the material mixture component ratio is

verified by weighing, taking into consideration the humidity content of the
material. After having been weighed, the roughly fragmentized materials are
ground by wet procedure (together with water and electrolyte) in a batching
drum-like ball mill. After having been ground, the mixture passes through a
sieve and into the pools where it is mixed so as not to cause the particles to
sediment by lying.

Then high-pressure pumps pump it from the pool into an atomizer where it
is dispersed through sprayers under a determined pressure. Drops of
sludge come into contact with the hot air flow.
The drying of the drops produces very uniform, more or less sphere-
shaped, hollow granules with a small content of moisture. The thermal
energy needed for drying in the atomizer is obtained by gas combustion.
During raw material preparation, the production of a quantity of very tiny
dust is inevitable. In order to prevent dust from being emitted into the
environment, save raw material and improve air quality in the working area,
air is filtered by de-dusters with baggy filters.

Ceramic tiles are produced by dry pressing.

Hydraulic presses of great power and productivity are used in the pressing
procedure.
The pressing tool (mould) is filled with granulate that is pressed under a
determined pressure. The tool makes it possible to press a large number of
tiles at the same time.

3
Drying of Raw Tiles
The pressed tiles are automatically placed in a double canal horizontal drying room.
The tiles are dried by gradual heating. The drying time depends on the type of tile (for
flooring or wall lining) in other words, on the humidity content of the raw tiles.

Glazing of Ceramic Tiles

In the glazing preparation process, the raw material is ground irregularly in a drum ball mill.

The glazing is sifted and emptied in a pool, filled in tubs and transported to the glazing unit.

After leaving the drying room, the tiles travel on a conveying belt along the glazing line and a
layer of engobe is applied on them followed by a layer of glazing.

The tiles pass under the sieve for impressing paste or rotating roller that applies the
decoration sample. In the end, the tiles are delivered to box cars and then transported to the
ovens.

Burning of Ceramic Tiles

Tile burning is performed in single canal ovens where the tiles are transported by rotating
rollers. The maximum burning temperature is from 1050 -1200 °C.

Sorting and Packing

The burnt tiles are transported to the sorting line by AGW (automatically guided vehicles) or
LGW (laser guided vehicles).
They are packed in boxes that are arranged on wooden pallets and wrapped in foil. Forklifts
transport the pallets to the storehouse