How Porcelain Tiles Are Made?

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How Porcelain Tiles Are Made?

How Porcelain Tiles Are Made?

17-March-22

Porcelain tiles are one of the most popular tiling solutions, which are applicable in nearly every space. They are known to make any space their own with absolute ease. But have you ever given it a thought about how these tiles are made?

Porcelain tiles are a touch above normal ceramic tiles and hence require a much more intense manufacturing process. In fact, even the material used in the manufacture of porcelain tiles is much finer. Let us break down every phase in the process of manufacturing porcelain tiles and explain how porcelain tiles are made.

Porcelain Tiles Manufacturing

Porcelain tiles are manufactured of finer clay that is burned at extreme temps to eliminate moisture and create durable, thicker, and durable tiles. Porcelain tiles are solid and long-lasting, with a water porosity of less than 0.5 percent. Porcelain tiles are vitrified tiles made by incorporating materials like quartz, silica, or feldspar into a composition. This leads to decreased permeability and lower water retention, keeping the tiles tougher and able to withstand greater forces.

Porcelain tiles have been manufactured for centuries around the world, but they are commonly used during flooring due to their low moisture absorption, sleek look, and simple maintenance properties, making them incredibly flexible.

Today, producers all around the world have drastically improved the appearance and quality of porcelain tiles by upgrading their design, manufacturing techniques, and technology. Porcelain tile's increased concentration makes it perfect for moderate to heavy usage areas in both domestic and business settings.

Phase 1

This phase is where the batching of the manufacturing process is initiated. The proportion and kind of building ingredients used in most tiles determine their body composition. In terms of color and firmness, the natural resources decide the color of the tile body. As a result, it is critical to combine precise proportions to create the required qualities. To really get the ideal input materials mix, batching procedures are utilized to determine the proper quantity of each raw ingredient.

Phase 2

The second phase of manufacturing involves mixing and grinding all the raw materials. When all of the components, such as clay, quartz, silica, sand, and so on, are prepared, they are loaded into a massive blender known as a ball mill. And in the blending procedure, a predetermined volume of water is introduced. It aids the blending cycle and crushes the materials into finer particles, ball stones or alumina pebbles are introduced to the ball mill. Slip is the outcome of this liquid combination.

Phase 3

Phase three involves the mixing of artificial ceramic color and if the natural color of the base raw materials is to be retained this phase is skipped. To create the different colored surfaces, ceramic colors are mixed into the slip. The blending is done in a high-speed mixing tank.

Phase 4

Phase four of the process involves drying the mix completely. The spraying dryer is used to eliminate additional moisture from the mixture. The blend is then pumped into an atomizer made up of nozzles during the procedure. As the blend droplets are blasted by increasingly heated air, the water in them evaporates. The fluid mix eventually turns to powder.

Phase 5

This is the phase where the body of the tile is achieved. The dried powder is dry pressed in a die cavity to make tiles in the following method. The materials are squeezed with a metal piston with an immense force of more than 7,500 tonnes, resulting in a crushing force of more than 400 kg/cm2. The goal of this method is to create a more compacted and dense ceramics mass, that leads to a sturdy structure with exceptionally low moisture absorption following extreme heat. The body of the tile thus formed is known as “green tile”.

Phase 6

Before processing in the kiln, the green tile is dried to eliminate surplus water at a moderate rate and in a reasonably sufficient temperature environment to minimize shrinkage.

Phase 7

This phase is for providing the necessary gloss and for printing over the body of the tile. This is achieved through imprinting and designs with a laser printer to coat the core hue and provide the desired appearance, tone, and texture upon that slabs. This procedure would also increase the tile's damage resilience and offer it a specific pattern. Then, a coating of glazing materials is placed on top to give moisture resistance and design, since they can also be colored or used to make distinctive textures.

Phase 8

This phase requires that the ceramic is furthermore fired in a rolling furnace at an exceptionally elevated temperature of 1200°C. The temperature increase will aid in the setting of the glazing and the removal of any leftover water, changing the clay to solid, resilient, and non-porous tile.

Phase 9

Finally, the majority of produced tiles are shipped to be polished. This is the procedure of grinding and polishing tiles to provide them with a lovely shiny appearance. Tiles can be polished to a shiny mirror finish by varying the degree of polishing and the use of various rough instruments. The borders of the completed tile can be corrected or unrectified. Correction, also known as "squaring," is the act of cutting or grinding the edges of the tile to a uniform work size with very slight variance for easy assembly. For more information, contact us @ +91 99099 72228 or email us [email protected].