Production technology Artistic outdoor tile

Secoin artistic outdoor tiles are manufactured on complete and modern equipment from OCEM S.r.l. and CASSANI CARLO S.a.s. (Italy).

The production of Secoin artistic outdoor tiles is the combination of modern equipment and special colouring technique and skillful workmanship of Secoin's workers.

The production flow consists of the following stages:

Automatic batching and mixing of raw materials

Terrazzo tiles consist of 2 different layers, so 2 batching and mixing system are required:

OCEM machines are based on the technology of “hermetic pressing of two-layer cement mixtures” on rubber bases. Indeed the product is composed of two layers. The first one poured (the lower one in contact with the rubber bases) is the “noble” one, which contains the granulates and colouring pigments and can be grinded for the production of terrazzo tiles. This layer is rather liquid, like the concrete used for the prefabrication or the normal gypsum. On the contrary the second layer, which is poured on the first one up to the mould upper surface, is made of grey cement (20-25%), sand or crushed stone and is rather dry, like the mixture used for the production of interlocking tiles.

During the pressing the water in excess in the first layer goes by capillarity through the second layer up to its upper surface, which has water spots like a leopardskin, does not remain on the rubber base, does not go between the rubber base and the mould but is totally absorbed by the mixture. This is why the process is called “hermetic pressing”.

The hermetic press is generally the most complex machine of the tile production unit. Since they execute distinct operations, the presses have been fitted for many years with a rotary table (press) equipped with moulds in which the operations are executed one after another up to the ejection on a showel. The procedure is the following :

Pouring of the first layer into the mould : a very important device, the OCEM STP planetary doser, ensures the constant homogenity of the mixture and pours the pre-determined quantity of mixture (which varies depending on the type of tile produced and its dimension) into the mould cavities.

Vibration and spreading of the first layer mixture : this operation, executed on 2 to 4 consecutive stations depending on the model of the press, enables to distribute the first layer mixture perfectly equally inside the mould by means of electrical vibrators and possibly additional pneumatic spreading devices. The vibration also eliminates the air bubbles that form in the mixture.

Pouring of the second layer by means of a charging hopper which receives the mixture from the Second layer batching plant through a belt and fulls the mould cavities up to their upper surface.

Hermetic pressing : executed in 1 or 2 phases, depending on the model of the press. This operation makes the water present in the first layer go up by capillarity through the second layer up to the summit. At the end of the pressing, the tile is already a solid product.

Curing:

To make tiles hard enough before going to the grinding machine.

Calibrating - Grinding:

Thiết bị định cỡ mài mặt đáy của gạch làm cho tất cả các viên gạch có chiều dầy đồng nhất. Sau đó, gạch được lật mặt và chuyền vào máy mài.

Finishing:

Giúp cho gạch có được những vẻ đẹp tự nhiên và độc đáo.