METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR PRODUCING PRESSED CLAY

Abstract

A system for forming a pressed earthenware product from a core of a roll of material comprises a positive mold, a negative mold, a heating element, an actuator, a force sensor, and a control system. The positive mold forms the top surface of the pressed earthenware product. The negative mold forms the bottom surface of the pressed earthenware product. The heating element is coupled to either the positive or negative mold. The actuator moves the positive or negative mold to cut and form the pressed earthenware product in a single stroke. The force sensor detects the forming force applied by the actuator, and the control system directs the actuator to adjust the forming force.

Description

METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR PRODUCING PRESSED CERAMIC ΓΓΓοηη / ζζηζ / Ε / γίΛΐ Background of the Invention Environmental concerns are prompting ceramic and earthenware manufacturers to shift from synthetic plastics to more sustainable materials, such as paper, for producing plates, bowls, trays, and other earthenware. Current techniques for producing earthenware include roughing pieces from a roll of material, marking the rough pieces, and conveying them by air jets and gravity to a forming tool. However, these techniques are unreliable and prone to clogging or blockages due to the inherent waviness of the rough pieces. For example, earthenware made from paper involves unwinding the paper from a roll, which imparts an intrinsic waviness to the paper. This waviness becomes more pronounced as the diameter of the paper roll decreases.Rough workpieces retain their inherent waviness and frequently cause blockages or misalignment as they are moved toward the forming tool due to oscillation. Current solutions to counteract intrinsic oscillation include supplying smoothing rollers that are manually adjusted by an experienced operator. Ref. 335548 The system is operating to account for the increased oscillation. However, this solution is prone to human error, which can cause jams or blockages and also requires costly work. Furthermore, rough parts can only be produced in a single row due to the transportation methods used to transport them to the forming station. Typically, the row consists of four or five products; therefore, the production speed is only four or five parts per machine stroke. The foregoing discussion is intended to provide information relating to the present invention, which is not necessarily the prior art. Summary of the Invention The present invention solves the problems described above and other problems by providing systems and methods for producing pressed earthenware from a core of a roll of material, which allows for increased production speeds, also decreases labor costs and also decreases the frequency of jams or blockages. A system constructed according to the embodiment of the present invention forms a pressed earthenware product from the core of a roll of material. The system comprises a positive mold assembly, a negative mold assembly, a heating element, a forming station actuator, a force sensor, and a control system. The positive mold assembly includes a positive mold with a lower surface for forming a top surface of the pressed earthenware product and a positive die with an edge configured to cut the core in order to separate the pressed earthenware product from the core. The negative mold assembly includes a negative mold with an upper surface for forming a lower surface of the pressed earthenware product and a trimming die plate with an edge configured to cut the core in cooperation with the edge of the positive die.The positive mold assembly and the negative mold assembly can be displaced relative to each other. The heating element is coupled to at least one of the positive or negative mold assemblies. The forming station actuator is configured to displace at least one of the positive or negative mold assemblies. The force sensor is configured to detect a forming force applied by the forming station actuator and to generate sensor data representative of the forming force. The control system communicates with the force sensor and the forming station actuator. The control system is configured to receive a signal representative of the sensor data and direct the forming station actuator to adjust the forming force based on at least a portion of the sensor data. By detecting and adjusting the forming force, the formed products will be uniform. Furthermore, multiple types of material can be used to form the pressed earthenware products. Another embodiment of the present invention is a method for forming a pressed earthenware product from the core of a roll of material. The method comprises pressing the core between a positive mold of a positive mold assembly and a negative mold of a negative mold assembly to form the pressed earthenware product, the positive mold assembly including a positive die that cuts the core to separate the pressed earthenware product from the core, by means of the forming station actuator; retaining the pressed positive and negative molds against the pressed earthenware product by means of the forming station actuator so that the pressed earthenware product is heated by means of a heating element coupled with at least one of the positive die or the negative mold; and generating, by means of a force sensor, sensor data representative of a forming force applied by the forming station actuator.and adjust, by means of a control system, the forming force applied by the forming station actuator based at least in part on the sensor data. eecQnn / zznz / E / YiAi A system according to another embodiment of the present invention broadly comprises a positive mold assembly, a negative mold assembly, a heating element, a forming station actuator, a height adjustment assembly, and a control system. The positive mold assembly includes a positive mold with a lower surface for forming a top surface of the pressed earthenware product and a positive die with an edge configured to cut the core to separate the pressed earthenware product from the core. The negative mold assembly includes a negative mold with an upper surface for forming a lower surface of the pressed earthenware product and a trimming die plate for cutting the core. The positive mold assembly and the negative mold assembly are movable relative to each other. The heating element is coupled to at least one of the positive or negative molds.The forming station actuator is configured to displace at least one of the positive mold assembly or the negative mold assembly. The height adjustment assembly is configured to displace at least one of the positive mold assembly or the negative mold assembly to adjust the forming depth of the positive mold within the negative mold. The control system is in communication with the forming station actuator and is configured to receive a signal representing the desired forming depth of the positive mold, and also to direct the ΓΓΓοηη / ζζηζ / Ε / γίΛΐ forming station actuator for displacing at least one of the positive mold assembly from the negative mold assembly so that the positive mold achieves the desired forming depth and for directing the forming station actuator to drive at least one of the positive mold assembly or the negative mold assembly to form the pressed earthenware product. This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form, which are further described in the detailed description below. This summary is not intended to identify the key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. The aspects and advantages of the present invention will become clear from the following detailed description of the embodiments and the accompanying figures. Brief Description of the Figures The embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying figures, where: Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a system for producing pressed earthenware constructed according to modalities of the present invention; Figure 2 shows a perspective elevation view of a smoothing station of the system in Figure 1; ΓΓΓοηη / ζζηζ / Ε / γίΛΐ Figure 3 shows a side perspective view of the smoothing station in Figure 2; Figure 4 shows a top view of a portion of the smoothing station in Figure 2; Figure 5 shows a cross-sectional view of the smoothing station of Figure 4 along lines 5—5; Figure 6 shows a cross-sectional view of the smoothing station of Figure 4 along lines 6—6; Figure 7 shows a perspective view of a marking station of the system in Figure 1; Figure 8 shows an elevation perspective view of a marking tool from the marking station in Figure 7; Figure 9 shows a reduced perspective view of the marking tool of the marking station in Figure 7; Figure 10 shows a cross-sectional view of the marking tool of Figure 8 along lines 10—10; Figure 11 shows a top view of a material web representing example markings and holes formed by the system of Figure 1; Figure 12 shows a perspective view eecQnn / zznz / E / YiAi of a forming station of the system in Figure 1; Figure 13 shows an elevation perspective view of a forming tool from the forming station of Figure 12 with molds having drag rings; Figure 14 shows a reduced perspective view of the forming tool in Figure 13; Figure 15 shows a cross-sectional view of the forming tool of Figure 13 along lines 15—15; Figure 16A shows a perspective view of a positive mold of the forming tool of Figure 13; Figure 16B shows a top view of the positive mold of Figure 16A; Figure 17 shows a cross-sectional view of the positive mold of Figure 16B; Figure 18 shows an enlarged view of the forming tool of Figure 15 with the positive mold extending into a corresponding negative mold; Figure 19 shows an enlarged view of portions of the positive and negative molds from Figure 18; Figure 20 shows a cross-sectional view of the forming tool of Figure 13 along lines 15—15 with positive molds constructed according to another embodiment of the present invention; Figure 21 shows a perspective view of one of the positive molds of the forming tool of Figure 20; Figure 22 shows a cross-sectional view of the positive mold of Figure 21 along lines 22— 22; Figure 23 shows a cross-sectional view of the forming tool of Figure 20 with the positive mold extending into a corresponding negative mold; Figure 24 shows an enlarged view of portions of the positive and negative molds from Figure 23; Figure 25A shows a perspective view of a capture station, stacking station, and trimming station of the system in Figure 1; Figure 25B shows a perspective view of the trimming station in Figure 25A; Figure 26 shows a perspective view of an example height adjustment assembly of the marking station and forming station of the system in Figure 1; Figure 27 shows a block diagram representing the selected components of the eecQnn / zznz / E / YiAi system Figure 1; and Figure 28 shows a flowchart representing the example steps of a method according to the embodiment of the present invention. The figures in the drawings do not limit the present invention to the specific embodiments described herein. The figures are not necessarily to scale; emphasis is placed on clearly illustrating the principles of the invention. Detailed Description of the Invention The following detailed description of the invention refers to the accompanying figures, which illustrate specific embodiments of the invention. These embodiments are intended to describe aspects of the invention in sufficient detail to enable persons skilled in the art to practice it. Other embodiments may be used, and modifications may be made, without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the following detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense. The scope of the present invention is defined solely by the appended claims, together with the full scope of equivalents to which the claims are addressed. In this description, references to the terms a modality, the modality, or modalities mean ΓΓΓοηη / ζζηζ / Ε / γίΛΐ indicates that the feature or features being referred to are included in at least one modality of the technology. Separate references to the terms "a modality," "the modality," or "modalities" in this description do not necessarily refer to the same modality and are not mutually exclusive unless so indicated and / or except, as will quickly become clear to those skilled in the technique being described. For example, a feature, structure, stage, etc., being described could also be included in other modalities, even if not necessarily listed. Thus, the present technology may include a variety of combinations and / or integrations of the modalities described herein. Returning to Figure 1, a system 10 constructed according to the embodiment of the invention is illustrated. The system 10 is configured to form pressed earthenware products 12 from a core 14 of a roll of material 16. The pressed earthenware products 12 could include plates, bowls, trays, or the like. The material 16 could comprise paper, polystyrene, recycled paper, vegetable or organic matter, cotton, bamboo, or the like. The roll of material 16 could have a diameter 18 or radius 20 (as shown in Figure 2). The system 10 configuration could include a smoothing station 22, a marking station 24, a The forming station 26, a capture station 28, a stacking station 30, a trimming station 32, and a control system 34 (represented schematically in Figure 27) are shown. Referring back to Figures 2-6, the smoothing station 22 is configured to pull the web 14 along a path at an angle 43. The smoothing station 22 could include a frame 36, a pair of pull roller assemblies 38, 40, a smoothing roller 42, a smoothing station actuator 44, and a sensor 46 (represented schematically in Figure 27). Frame 36 could support one or more material rolls 16, traction roller assemblies 38, 40, smoothing roller 42, and smoothing station actuator 44. Frame 36 could include a pair of top rails 48, 50 and pairs of support walls 52, 54, 56, 58 extending vertically from the top rails 48, 50.One or more rolls 16 could be rotatably mounted on the frame 36 by means of the mounts 60, which could be moved horizontally along the rails 48, 50. The support walls 52, 54, 56, 58 could support the mounts 38, 40, the smoothing roller 42, and the smoothing station actuator 44. In particular, the support walls 52, 54 could support the first traction roller assembly 38, the smoothing roller 42, and the smoothing station actuator 44, while the support walls 56, 58 support the second traction roller assembly 40. Returning to Figure 5, each of the assemblies 38, 40 could include a traction roller 60, 62, a pressure roller 64, 66, a deflection element 68, 70, and a drive motor 72, 74. The traction rollers 60, 62 could be rotatably mounted on their respective support walls 52, 54, 56, 58 and could be driven by their respective motors 72, 74 to pull the web 14 of roller 16. The pressure rollers 64, 66 could be deflected toward the traction rollers 60, 62 by means of their respective deflection elements 68, 70 to allow the traction rollers 60, 62 to grip the web 14. In some embodiments, the pressure rollers 64, 66 could be rotatably mounted on the arms 76, 78, which in turn are mounted, in a rotatable manner, on their respective support walls 52, 54, 56, 58 so that they can be operated to rotate towards the traction rollers 60, 62.The deflection elements 68, 70 could be connected to the arms 76, 78 and deflect the arms 76, 78 and thus deflect the pressure rollers 64, 66 against their respective traction rollers 60, 62. The deflection elements 68, 70 could comprise springs, pneumatic cylinders, or the like. Returning to Figure 6, the drive motors 72, 74 are configured to move the traction rollers 60, 62 to pull the web 14 of the roller 16. The motors 72, 74 could move the traction rollers 60, 62 by means of the belt and pulley systems 80, 82. However, the motors 72, 74 could move the rollers 60, 62 in any number of ways without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, the motors 72, 74 could move their respective traction rollers 60, 62. In some embodiments, a single motor could be used to move both of the rollers 60, 62 in a synchronized manner. The second assembly 40 could include an exit roller 84 to support the smoothed web 14 as it exits the smoothing station 22 (as depicted in Figure 5). Returning to Figure 5, the smoothing roller 42 can be displaced to change the path angle 43 through which the web 14 is pulled to counteract the inherent waviness of the web 14. The smoothing roller 42 could be rotated so that it rotates as the web 14 is pulled through the path. As depicted, the smoothing roller 42 could be positioned between the pull roller assemblies 38 and 40 and could be displaced vertically to increase or decrease the angle 43. The smoothing station actuator 44 could be configured to displace the smoothing roller 42 to effect the path angle 43.As used herein, an actuator could comprise any device or machine known in the art for achieving physical movements, including linear actuators, electric actuators, hydraulic actuators, pneumatic actuators, electric motors, rotary actuators, piezoelectric actuators, or the like. The smoothing station actuator 44 could be configured to displace the smoothing roller 42 such that the angle 43 is an obtuse angle at the uppermost position and an acute angle at the lowermost position. The smoothing station actuator 44 could include a nut 86 supporting the smoothing roller 42, a spindle 88 rotatably secured to the support wall 58, and a servo motor 90 having the spindle 88. The nut 86 could be rotatably coupled to the spindle 88 and can be moved on the support wall 58.The servo motor 90 could move the spindle 88, or cause it to rotate, by means of a pulley and belt system 92. The nut 86 and the spindle 88 could have threads that cause the nut 86 to travel along the spindle 88 as it rotates to displace the smoothing roller 42. The smoothing roller 42 and rollers 60, 62 could be positioned in any number of ways to pull the web 14 through the path for smoothing the web 14 without departing from the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the smoothing roller 42 could be configured to be displaced in any number of directions to effect the angle 43 of the path of the web 14 without departing from the scope of the present invention. In some embodiments, the smoothing station 22 could include a support roller 94 positioned above the smoothing roller 42 and also rotatably supported on the nut 86 so that the nut moves with the smoothing roller 42. Sensor 46 is configured to detect a feature of roller 16 and to generate sensor data based on that feature. The feature could be the weight of roller 16, its diameter 18, radius 20, the distance between an outer surface 47 (shown in Figure 3) of roller 16 and sensor 46 (which could be indicative of the diameter 18 or radius 20), or similar. Sensor 46 could comprise a distance-measuring device, such as a laser distance sensor, a load cell, or similar. Sensor 46 is configured to send a signal representative of the sensor data to the control system 34. Returning to Figure 7, marking station 24 marks the core 14 in preparation for forming products 12. Marking station 24 comprises a marking station frame 96, a marking tool 98, and a marking station actuator 100. The marking station frame 96 is configured to support the marking tool 98 and the marking station actuator 100. The frame 96 could include an upper crane 102, a lower crane 104, and the Vertical supports 106, 108. Cranes 102, 104 support different portions of the marking tool 98 and the marking station actuator 100. Vertical supports 106, 108 support cranes 102, 104 and could include one or more guides 110 for guiding the marking tool 98 and portions of the actuator 100. Returning to Figure 8, the marking tool 98 is configured to be pressed against the web 14 to mark the web 14. The marking tool 98 could include an upper tool 112 and a lower tool 114. As depicted in Figures 9 and 10, the upper tool 112 could include an upper die plate 116, a die reinforcement plate 118 secured to the upper die plate 116, a die carrier 120 secured to the die reinforcement plate 118, and a plurality of marking dies 122 secured by the die carrier 120. The dies 122 include blades 124 that extend beyond the die carrier 120 and can be operated to transmit indentations in the web 14. The lower tool 114 could include a lower die plate 126 and a striker plate 128 secured to the lower die plate 126, as shown in Figure 10. The striker plate 128 could include a plurality of scoring grooves 130 (shown in Figure 8) that are complementary to the blades 124 of the upper tool 112. The dies 122 and their blades 124 and corresponding grooves 130 could extend around a shape 132 representing a contour of the pressed earthenware products 12, as shown in Figures 8 and 9. The dies 122 and grooves 130 could extend radially outward from shape 132. However, the dies 122 and grooves 130 could extend along of the outline of form 132 in any number of ways without departing from the scope of the present invention.Furthermore, the dies 122 could be directed to produce holes instead of indentations without departing from the scope of the present invention. Any number of dies 122 could be used to produce any number of indentations around the shape 132 without departing from the scope of the present invention. Additionally, the dies 122 could only extend around a portion of the shape 132. Any number of dies 122 and the corresponding indentations 130 could also be used to mark any number of the pressed earthenware products 12 without departing from the scope of the present invention. In some embodiments, the marking tool 98 could include the dies 122 and the corresponding indentations 130 to mark sixteen pressed earthenware products 12 in a single stroke of the tool 98. However, the marking tool 98 could also include the dies 122 and the indentations. ΓΓΓοηη / ζζηζ / Ε / γίΛΐ 130 to mark any number of the products 12 without departing from the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the marking tool 98 could mark any type of shape 132, the same shapes 132, or different shapes 132 without departing from the scope of the present invention. Figure 11 depicts an example core 14 marked to form the pressed earthenware products 12 of the marked shapes 13. Returning to Figure 7, the marking station actuator 100 is configured to move the marking tool 98 and may include an upper platen 134, a lower platen 136, a height adjustment assembly 138, a height adjustment servo motor 140, an upper tilting assembly 142, a lower tilting assembly 144, an upper platen servo drive 146, and a lower platen servo drive 148. The upper tool 112 may be secured to the upper platen 134, which can be moved vertically along the guides 110 of the frame 96. The lower tool 114 may be secured to the lower platen 136 and can also be moved vertically and guided by the guides 110. The upper platen 134 may be secured to the height adjustment assembly 138 to provide adjustments to the marking depth of the dies 122.Returning briefly to Figure 26, the height adjustment assembly 138 could be moved by the height adjustment servo motor 140. The height adjustment assembly eecQnn / zznz / E / YiAi. 138, in turn, could be secured to the upper tilting assembly 142, which can be operated to move the upper platen 134. The height adjustment assembly 138 could include an adjusting screw 139, a wedge drive plate 141, and the wedge assemblies 143. The adjusting screw 139 could be moved by the servo motor 140 and can be configured to push the wedge drive plate 141 against the wedge assemblies 143 to adjust the marking depth of the tool 98. The marking depth could be associated with a web thickness 14. The wedge assemblies 143 could be positioned between the tilting bearing blocks 145 (connected to the upper tilting assembly 142) and the upper platen 134. The wedge assemblies 143 could have an angled surface 147 that increases the distance between the bearing blocks 145 and the upper platen 134 as the wedge assemblies 143 are pushed by the wedge drive plate 141.The rocker bearing blocks 145 could be deflected against the wedge assemblies 143 by means of the die springs 149. Returning to Figure 7, the lower plate 136 could be secured to the lower tilting assembly 144, which can be operated to move the lower plate 136. The upper tilting assembly 142 could be moved by the upper plate servo drive 146, and the lower tilting assembly 144 could be moved by the plate servo drive. ΓΓΓοηη / ζζηζ / E / γίΛΐ lower 148. Whereas Figure 7 shows the height adjustment assembly 138 and the corresponding motor 140 that moves the upper plate 134 relative to the upper tilting assembly 142, the height adjustment assembly 138 and the corresponding motor 140 could move the lower plate 136 relative to the lower tilting assembly 144 without departing from the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the actuator 100 could actuate the tool 98 in any number of ways without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, the actuator 100 could move only the upper tool 112 or, alternatively, it could move only the lower tool 114. In some embodiments, the marking station 24 could further include one or more indexers 150, 152 (the indexer 152 is shown in Figure 1) to guide and direct the web 14 through the station 24. The marking station 24 could also include one or more force sensors 154 to direct a force applied to the web 14 by the marking tool 98. Returning to Figure 12, forming station 26 is configured to punch the marked shapes 13 from the web 14 and to form the products 12. Forming station 26 could comprise a forming station frame 156, a forming tool 158, and a forming station actuator 160. The forming station frame 156 is configured to support the forming tool 158 and the forming station actuator 160. The frame 156 could include an upper crane 162 and a lower crane 164 to support different portions of the forming tool 158 and the forming station actuator 160, and vertical supports 166, 168 to support the cranes 162, 164. The vertical supports 166, 168 could include one or more guides. 170 to guide the forming tool 158 and portions of the actuator 160. Returning to Figure 13, the forming tool 158 is configured to be moved to pierce the marked shapes 13 and form the products 12. The forming tool 158 may include a positive mold assembly 172, a negative mold assembly 174, and heating elements 176. As depicted in Figures 14 and 15, the upper tool 172 may include a positive mold shoe 178, a die shoe 180, an insulating plate 182 (shown in Figure 15), a plurality of molds 184, and a plurality of dies 186. The positive mold shoe 178 supports the plurality of molds 184, and the die shoe 180 supports the dies 186. Some of the heating elements 176 may be positioned on and secured to the molds. 184 and in particular, on the upper surfaces of the molds 184, to heat the molds 184 and in turn to heat the ΓΓΓοηη / ζζηζ / Ε / γίΛΐ alma 14 to form the products 12. The insulating plate 182 could be positioned above the heated molds 184 to isolate portions of the positive mold assembly 172 from the heated molds 184. Molds 184 include the lower surfaces 188 to form the upper surfaces of products 12. Molds 184 of the positive mold assembly 172 could include the central portions 196 and the annular portions 198A,B. Referring back to Figures 15-19, in some embodiments, the annular portions 198A could be drive rings that can be displaced relative to the center portions 196. The center portions 196 could include the tabs 196A that will push against the drive rings 198A to compress the ring of the products 12 in order to increase the rigidity of the ring of the products 12. However, the temperatures of the drive rings 198A and the center portions 196 need to be monitored and regulated to avoid thermal expansion problems (such as friction, scraping, wear, and bulging) between the shifting drive rings 198A and the center portions 196.Thus, in some forms, to allow higher forming temperatures for the products 12, the molds 184 could include the annular portions 198B that are integral with the central portions 196, as depicted in Figures 20-24. eecQnn / zznz / E / YiAi The dies 186 include the edges 190 configured to cut the shapes 13 of the core 14 along the grooves. The forming tool 158 could include the nitrogen gas springs 187 configured to help press the dies 186 against the core 14. The positive mold assembly 172 could also include a trimming peeler 194 to push the wire core 15 (discussed further below) out of the positive mold assembly 172. Referring back to Figures 13-15, the negative mold assembly 174 could include the negative molds 200 with the upper surfaces 202 to form the lower surfaces of the pressed earthenware products 12, a negative mold shoe 204, a die shoe 206, an insulating plate 208, and a trimming shoe 210. The negative molds 200 could be complementary to the positive molds 184 and could be secured to the negative mold shoe 204. The die shoe 206 could be secured to the negative mold shoe 204, and the trimming shoe 210 could be secured to the die shoe 206. The trimming shoe 210 could include the edges 212 that clamp the web 14 with the dies 186 of the positive mold assembly 172 to remove the products 12 from the web. 14. Some of the heating elements 176 could also be secured on the lower surfaces of the negative molds 200 for ΓΓΓοηη / ζζηζ / E / γίΛΐ heat the molds 200 and in turn to help heat the core 14 to form the products 12. The insulating plate 208 could be positioned below the heated molds 200 to isolate portions of the negative mold assembly 174 from the heated molds 200. Returning to Figure 12, the forming station actuator 160 is configured to drive the forming tool 158 and may include an upper platen 214, a lower platen 216, a height adjustment assembly 218, a height adjustment servo motor 220 (shown in Figure 26), an upper tilting assembly 222, a lower tilting assembly 224, an upper platen servo drive 226, and a lower platen servo drive 228. The positive mold assembly 172 may be secured to the upper platen 214, which is vertically movable and can be guided by the frame guides 170. The negative mold assembly 174 may be secured to the lower platen 216 and is also vertically movable and can be guided by the guides 170. The upper platen 214 may be secured to the height adjustment assembly 218. to provide adjustments to the depth of the molds 184. The height adjustment assembly 218 could be moved by the height adjustment servo motor 220. The height adjustment assembly 218 and its height adjustment servo motor 220 could be substantially similar to the height adjustment assembly eecQnn / zznz / E / YiAi 138 and the motor 140 of the marking station 24. As depicted in Figure 26, the height adjustment assembly 218 could include an adjusting screw 219, a wedge drive plate 221, and the wedge assemblies 223. The adjusting screw 219 could be driven by the servo motor 220 and could be configured to push the wedge drive plate 221 against the wedge assemblies 223 to adjust the marking depth of the tool 158. The wedge assemblies 223 could be positioned between the tilting bearing blocks 225 (connected to the upper tilting assembly 222) and the upper platen 214. The wedge assemblies 223 could have an angled surface 227 that increases the distance between the bearing blocks 225 and the upper platen 214 as the wedge assemblies 223 are pushed by the wedge drive plate 221.The tilting bearing blocks 225 could be deflected against the wedge assemblies 223 by means of the die springs 229. The height adjustment assembly 218 could in turn be secured to the upper tilting assembly 224 which can be operated to move the upper plate 214. The lower plate 216 could be secured to the lower tilting assembly 224, which can be operated to move the lower plate 216. The upper tilting assembly 222 could be moved by the servo drive of the upper plate 226, and the lower tilting assembly 224 could be moved by the servo drive of the lower plate 228. Whereas Figure 12 shows the height adjustment assembly 218 and the corresponding motor 220 that moves the upper plate 214 relative to the upper tilting assembly 222, the height adjustment assembly 218 and the corresponding motor 220 could move the lower plate 216 relative to the lower tilting assembly 224 without departing from the scope of the present invention. In some embodiments, the forming station 26 could further include one or more indexers 230, 232 (the indexer 232 shown in Figure 1) to guide and direct the web 14 and wire web 15 through the forming station 26. The forming station 26 could include one or more force sensors 234 to direct a force applied to the web 14 by the forming tool 158. Returning to Figure 25I, the capture station 28 is configured to take or capture the products 12 from the lower molds 200. The capture station 28 could include a frame 236, a vacuum cup extractor assembly 238, and a conveyor 240. The frame 236 could be adjacent to the forming station 26 so that the capture station 28 receives the wire core 15 from the forming station 26 and can access the products 12 formed at the forming station 26. ΓΓΓοηη / ζζηζ / Ε / γίΛΐ The vacuum cup extractor assembly 238 may be supported on frame 236 and may include guides 242, actuators 244 and 245, a sliding frame 246, and a plurality of vacuum cups 248. The guides 242 may be secured to frame 236 and may extend over frame 156 of forming station 26. Actuators 244 are configured to move the sliding frame 246 along the guides 242 to move the frame 246 over the negative mold assembly 174 of forming station 26 and back to frame 236 of the capture station 28. Actuators 245 are configured to lower the frame 246 so that the vacuum cups 248 engage with the products 12. The sliding frame 246 supports the plurality of vacuum cups. 248 as they move along guides 242.The frame 236 and / or the vacuum cups 248 could be moved vertically so that the cups 248 can be moved towards the negative mold assembly 174 to engage with the products 12, to pull or remove the products 12 from the molds 200 and to move them over the conveyor 240. The vacuum cups 248 could be configured to releasably retain the products 12. The conveyor 240 could be positioned below the guides 242 in the frame 236 and could be configured to transport the products 12 dropped by the vacuum cup extractor assembly 238 to the stacking station 30. Stacking station 30 could include a cross conveyor 250 receiving the product rows 12 from conveyor 240 of capture station 28 and transporting each row crosswise to a container (not shown) causing the product rows 12 to stack in the container. The capture station 28 could further include an indexer 252 for transporting the wire core 15 to the trimming station 32. The trimming station 32 could include an indexer 254 that receives and / or pulls the wire core 15 toward a wire cutter 256. Referring back to Figure 25B, the wire cutter 256 includes an edge 257 for cutting the wire core 15 and an actuator 259 for driving the edge 257 so that it presses against the wire core 15 to cut the wire core 15 into two or more pieces. The edge 257 could comprise any cutting device without departing from the scope of the present invention, including a blade, cutting blades coupled with a rotating shaft (similar to a paper shredder), or the like. Returning to Figure 27, several components of system 10 could be controlled by and / or could be in communication with the control system 34. The control system 34 could comprise a communication element 258, a memory element 260, a user interface 262, and a Processing element 264. In general, communication element 258 could enable communication with systems or devices external to system 10. Communication element 258 could include signal or data transmission and receiving circuitry, such as antennas, amplifiers, filters, mixers, oscillators, digital signal processors (DSPs), and the like. Communication element 258 could establish wireless communication by using RE signals and / or data that comply with communication standards, such as 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, or LTE cellular communication, WiFi, WiMAX, Bluetooth®, BLE, or combinations thereof. Communication element 258 could be in communication with processing element 264 and memory element 260. Memory element 260 could include data storage components, such as read-only memory (ROM), programmable ROM, erasable programmable ROM, random access memory (RAM), such as static RAM (SRAM) or dynamic RAM (DRAM), cache memory, hard disks, floppy disks, optical disks, flash memory, control units, universal serial bus (USB) units, or similar, or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, memory element 260 could be embedded in or packaged within the same package as processing element 264. Memory element 260 could include, or constitute, a computer-readable medium.Memory element 260 could store instructions, code, code segments, software, firmware, programs, applications, services, Unix-associated maintenance programs, or similar items that are executed by processing element 264. In general, the user interface 262 allows the user to use inputs and outputs to interact with the system 10 and to communicate with the processing element 264. Inputs could include buttons, future processors, knobs, command markers, toggle markers, directional pads, multi-directional buttons, switches, keys, keyboards, mice, control levers, microphones, or the like, or combinations thereof. The outputs of the present invention include a display 266 (represented in Figure 25A) although they could include any number of additional outputs, such as audio speakers, lights, markers, meters, printers, or the like, or combinations thereof, without departing from the scope of the present invention. The processing element 264 could include processors, microprocessors (single-core and multi-core), microcontrollers, DSPs, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated analog and / or digital circuits (ASICs), or similar components, or combinations thereof. In general, the processing element 264 could execute, process, or perform instructions, code, code segments, software, firmware, programs, applications, apps, processes, services, Unix-associated maintenance programs, or similar components. The processing element 264 could also include hardware components such as finite state machines, sequence and combination logic, and other electronic circuits capable of performing the functions necessary for the operation of the present invention.Processing element 264 could be in communication with other electronic components through serial or parallel links including address buses, data buses, control lines, and the like. For example, the processing element 264 of the control system 34 could be in communication with the smoothing station actuator 44 (and its servo motor 90), the smoothing station sensor 46, the smoothing station motors 72, 74, the marking station actuator 100 (and its height adjustment motor 140, upper platen servo drive 146 and lower platen servo drive 148), the marking station indexers 150, 152, the marking station force sensor 154, the forming station actuator 160 (which includes the height adjustment motor 220, upper platen servo drive 226 and lower platen servo drive 228), the forming station heating elements 176, the station indexers forming, 230, 232, the forming station force sensors 234, the capture station conveyor 240, the vacuum cup mounting actuators 244, 245,The stacking station conveyor 250, the capture station indexer 252, the trimming station indexer 254, the wire cutter 256 (and its actuator 259), and / or other components or sensors. The processing element 264 could communicate with the above components via the communication element 258 and / or could direct the wiring. The processing element 264 could be configured to send and / or receive information to and / or from the above components. The processing element 264 could also be configured to send and / or receive commands to and / or from the above components. Processing element 264 could be configured to direct the smoothing station motors 72, 74 to pull the web 14 of the material roll 16. Processing element 264 could be configured to receive sensor data from the smoothing station sensor 46. Processing element 264 could be configured to determine that the radius 20 and / or diameter 18 of the material roll 16 is decreasing and therefore directs the smoothing station actuator 44 (or servo motor 90) to adjust the position of the smoothing roller 42 - based at least in part on the sensor data - to decrease the path angle of the web 14, i.e., lower the smoothing roller 42.Alternatively, the processing element 264 could be configured to determine that the radius 20 and / or diameter 18 differs from a threshold, and then direct the smoothing station actuator 44 to adjust the smoothing roller 42. The processing element 264 could also be configured to determine that the radius 20 and / or diameter 18 of the material roll 16 is larger than the previously determined radius 20 and / or diameter 18, and therefore direct the smoothing station actuator 44 to adjust the position of the smoothing roller 42 to increase the angle, i.e., raise the smoothing roller 42.In some embodiments, as an alternative or in addition to the sensor data, the processing element 264 could be configured to track the amount of time the material roll 16 has been pulled, the number of times the core 14 has been pulled, the length of the material roll 16 that has been pulled, or similar data. The processing element 264 could be configured to direct the smoothing station actuator 44 to adjust the position of the smoothing roller 42. ΓΓΓοηη / ζζηζ / Ε / γίΛΐ function of the amount of time the roll of material 16 has been pulled, the number of times the core 14 has been pulled, and / or the length that the roll of material 16 has been pulled. Processing element 264 could be configured to direct the smoothing station motor 74 to activate and push the web 14 to the indexer 152 of the marking station 24. Processing element 264 could simultaneously direct the indexer 152 to pull the web 14 between the upper tool 112 and the lower tool 114 of the marking tool 98. Processing element 264 could be configured to direct the marking station actuator 100 (or servo motors 146, 148) to move tools 112, 114 together to mark the web 14. Processing element 264 could be configured to direct the marking station actuator 100 to move tools 112, 114 to a predetermined marking depth.Furthermore, the processing element 264 could be configured to receive a new default marking depth (for example, from user interface 262) and to direct actuator 100 to move tools 112, 114 to the new default marking depth for each stroke. Alternatively, the processing element 264 could be configured to direct motor 140 to adjust the height adjustment assembly 138. To implement the new default marking depth, the processing element 264 could be configured to receive a marking compression force detected by the force sensors 154 and to direct the servo motors 146, 148 and / or the height adjustment motor 140 so that the marking compression force remains at or below a predetermined marking compression force. The processing element 264 could also be configured to direct the indexer 150 to direct the marked web 14 to the forming station 26 in cooperation with the indexer 232 of the forming station 26. The processing element 264 could be configured to direct the indexers 230, 232 of the forming station 26 to position the web 14 between the forming station tools 172, 174 so that the marked portions 13 of the web 14 are aligned with the molds 184, 200 of the tools 172, 174. The processing element 264 could be configured to direct the forming station actuator 160 (or the drive servo motors 226, 228) to move the tools 172, 174 to a forming position at a predetermined forming depth, whereby the dies 186 separate the shapes 13 from the web 14. The processing element 264 could be configured to adjust the forming depth by directing the drive motors 226, 228 or by directing the servo motor. ΓΓΓοηη / ζζηζ / E / γίΛΐ motor 220 of the forming station height adjustment assembly 218. The processing element 264 could be configured to receive a forming compression force detected by the force sensors 234 and to direct the servo motors 226, 228 and / or the height adjustment motor 220 so that the forming compression force remains at or below a predetermined forming compression force. The processing element 264 could also be configured to activate the heating elements 17 6 ​​so that the molds 184, 200 are heated and, therefore, the portions 13 of the core 14 are heated. The processing element 264 could be configured to direct the forming station drive motors 226, 228 to hold the molds 184, 200 in their forming position for a predetermined amount of time.The processing element 264 could then direct the motors 226, 228 to open in order to allow the formed products 12 to be taken or captured by the capture station 28. The processing element 264 could be configured to direct the capture station actuators 244, 245 to move the movable frame 246 so that the suspended vacuum cups 248 are positioned above the formed products 12. The processing element 264 could be configured to direct the actuator 245 to lower the cups 248 so that they engage with the products 12, raise the cups 248 so that the cups 248 pull or lift the products 12 from their wire core 15, and move the cups 248 and the products 12 to a position above the conveyor 240. The processing element 264 could be configured to cause the cups 248 to disengage the products 12 so that the products 12 fall onto the conveyor 240. Processing element 264 could be configured to direct conveyor 240 to activate so that products 12 are conveyed to the cross conveyor 250. Processing element 264 could also be configured to activate so that products 12 are stacked into a container (not shown). Additionally, processing element 264 could be configured to direct indexers 252 and 254 to pull wire core 15 toward wire cutter 256 and to direct wire cutter actuator 259 to drive edge 257 to cut wire core 15. The flowchart in Figure 28 depicts the steps of an example method 1000 for forming pressed earthenware products. In some alternative implementations, the functions observed in the various blocks might occur out of the order depicted in Figure 28. For example, two blocks shown in The sequence in Figure 28 could indeed be executed in a substantially concurrent manner, or in some cases, the blocks could be executed in reverse order depending on the functionality involved. Furthermore, some stages could be optional. Method 1000, described below for ease of reference, is executed by the example devices and components introduced in the ways illustrated in Figures 1-27. The steps of Method 1000 could be performed by the control system 34 through the use of processors, transceivers, hardware, software, firmware, or combinations thereof. However, some of these actions could be distributed differently among these or other devices without departing from the spirit of the present invention. System control could also be partially implemented with computer programs stored on one or more computer-readable media. The computer-readable media could include one or more executable programs stored thereon, wherein the programs instruct one or more processing elements to perform all or some of the steps outlined herein.Programs stored on computer-readable media could instruct processing elements to perform additional, minor, or alternative actions, including those discussed elsewhere herein. With reference to step 1001, a core could be pulled from a roll of material by means of traction rollers moved or driven by the smoothing station motors. The traction rollers could be part of an assembly that includes pressure rollers offset against the traction rollers, causing them to grip the core. With reference to step 1002, sensor data associated with a physical characteristic of the material roll could be generated by a sensor. The sensor could generate data based on the radius, diameter, weight, or similar characteristics of the material roll. With reference to step 1003, a smoothing roller is adjusted, by means of a smoothing station actuator, to change the angle of a web path based at least in part on sensor data. As the diameter of the material roll decreases, the smoothing roller is adjusted to decrease the angle so that the angle at which the web travels is more acute to overcome the inherent waviness of the web. With reference to step 1004, the smoothed core is pressed by a marking tool via a marking station actuator. The tools may be moved to a predetermined marking depth. In some embodiments, this step may include receiving a new predetermined marking depth (e.g., from the user interface) and moving the marking tool to the new predetermined marking depth for each stroke. This may include adjusting a height adjustment assembly via a servo motor to implement the new predetermined marking depth. The markings may extend radially outward from the shapes representing the product contours. With reference to step 1005, the marked core is pressed by a forming tool via a forming station actuator to form the products. The forming tool may be moved to a forming position at a predetermined forming depth. In some embodiments, this step may include adjusting the forming depth via drive motors and / or a servo motor on a forming station height adjustment assembly. This step may also include activating heating elements secured in molds of the forming tool to heat portions of the core. This step may also include holding the molds in their forming position for a predetermined amount of time and moving the forming tool to open and allow the formed products to be removed. ΓΓΓοηη / ζζηζ / Ε / γίΛΐ With reference to step 1006, the formed products are picked up by means of a vacuum cup assembly driven by an actuator. This step could include moving a frame with vacuum cups through the formed products, lowering the vacuum cups so that they engage with the products, moving the frame along a conveyor, and releasing the products from the cups. With reference to step 1007, the products are stacked by means of a cross conveyor. This step could include transporting the products via the conveyor below the vacuum cup assembly to the cross conveyor. The cross conveyor could receive rows of products and then transport them crosswise to the capture conveyor to stack each row. With reference to step 1008, the wire core may be cut by means of a wire cutter. This step may include guiding the wire core to a trimming station by means of one or more indexers on the capture station and / or the trimming station. The wire core is then loaded into the wire cutter, which includes one or more edges, blades, knives, or similar components that can be operated to cut the wire core. Method 1000 could include stages and / or devices Additional, minor or alternative ΓΓΓοηη / ζζηζ / Ε / γίΛΐ, including those discussed elsewhere in this document. ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS In this description, references to the terms "a modality," "the modality," or "modalities" mean that the feature or features being referred to are included in at least one modality of the technology. Separate references to the terms "a modality," "the modality," or "modalities" in this description do not necessarily refer to the same modality and are not mutually exclusive unless so indicated and / or except, as will readily become clear to those skilled in the technique of the description. For example, a feature, structure, stage, etc., described in one modality could also be included in other modalities, even if not necessarily included. Thus, the present technology may include a variety of combinations and / or integrations of the modalities described herein. Although this application provides a detailed description of numerous different embodiments, it should be understood that the legal scope of the description is defined by the wording of the claims cited in any subsequent regular utility patent application. The detailed description provided herein is illustrative only and does not describe every possible embodiment, as describing every possible embodiment would be impractical. Numerous alternative embodiments could be implemented using either current technology or technology developed after the filing date of this patent, which would still fall within the scope of the claims. Throughout this specification, plural instances could implement components, operations, or structures described as a single instance. Although individual operations of one or more methods are illustrated and described as separate operations, one or more of the individual operations could be performed concurrently, and there is no requirement that the operations be performed in the order illustrated. Structures and functionality presented as separate components in the example configurations could be implemented as a combined structure or component. Similarly, structures and functionality presented as a single component could be implemented as separate components. These and other variations, modifications, additions, and enhancements fall within the scope of this specification. Certain modalities are described herein that include logic or a number of routines, subroutines, applications, or instructions. These could constitute either Software (e.g., code contained in a machine-readable medium or in a transmission signal) or hardware. In hardware, routines, etc., are tangible units capable of performing certain operations and could be configured or placed in a certain mode. In example modalities, one or more computer systems (e.g., a standalone, client, or server computer system) or one or more hardware modules of a computer system (e.g., a processor or a group of processors) could be configured by means of software (e.g., an application or portion of an application) as the computer hardware operating to perform certain operations as described herein. In various forms, computer hardware, such as a processing element, could be implemented as either special-purpose or general-purpose. For example, the processing element might comprise a set of dedicated circuitry or logic that is permanently configured, such as an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or indefinitely configured, such as an FPGA, to perform certain operations. The processing element might also comprise programmable logic or a set of circuitry (for example, one that is included within a general-purpose processor or another programmable processor) that is ΓΓΓοηη / ζζηζ / Ε / γίΛΐ temporarily configured by software to perform certain operations. It will be appreciated that the decision to implement the special-purpose processing element, in a dedicated and permanently configured circuit set, or for general use (e.g., configured by software) could be driven by cost and time considerations. Accordingly, the term "processing element" or its equivalents should be understood to include a tangible entity, which is an entity that is physically constructed, permanently configured (e.g., interconnected), or temporarily configured (e.g., programmed) to operate in a certain mode or to perform certain operations described herein. Considering the ways in which the processing element is temporarily configured (e.g., programmed), each processing element need not be configured or started at any single point in time. For example, where the processing element comprises a general-purpose processor configured using software, the general-purpose processor could be configured as the respective different processing elements at different times.Consequently, the software could configure the processing element to constitute a particular hardware configuration at a given time and to constitute a different configuration. ΓΓΓοηη / ζζηζ / Ε / γίΛΐ hardware at a different instance of time. Computer hardware components, such as communication elements, memory elements, processing elements, and the like, can both provide and receive information from other computer hardware components. Consequently, these computer hardware components can be considered communicatively coupled. Where multiple such computer hardware components exist simultaneously, communication can be achieved through signal transmission (for example, via appropriate circuits and buses) connecting the computer hardware components.In configurations where multiple computer hardware components are used, for example, at different times, communication between these components could be achieved, for example, by storing and retrieving information in memory structures accessible to all of them. For instance, one computer hardware component could perform an operation and store the output in a memory device to which it is connected. An additional computer hardware component could then access this memory device at a later time to retrieve the output. ΓΓΓοηη / ζζηζ / Ε / γίΛΐ process the stored output. Computer hardware components could also initiate communications with input or output devices and could operate on a resource (e.g., a training collection). The various operations in the example methods described herein could be performed, at least partially, by one or more processing elements that are either temporarily configured (for example, via software) or permanently configured to perform the relevant operations. If temporarily or permanently configured, these processing elements could constitute modules implemented by the processing element that operate to perform one or more operations or functions. The modules referred to herein, in some example instances, could comprise modules implemented by the processing element. Similarly, the methods or subroutines described herein could be implemented, at least partially, by a processing element. For example, at least some of the operations of a method could be performed by one or more processing elements or by the hardware modules implemented by each processing element. The performance of certain operations could be distributed among one or more processing elements, which may not reside within a single machine but be deployed across multiple machines. In some example configurations, the processing elements could be located in a single location (e.g., within a home environment, an office environment, or as a server farm), while in other configurations, the processing elements could be distributed across multiple locations. Unless otherwise specifically noted, discussions herein that use words such as processing, computation, calculation, determination, presentation, display, or similar terms could refer to actions or processes of a machine (e.g., a computer with a processing element and other computer hardware components) that manipulate or transform data represented as physical quantities (e.g., electronic, magnetic, or optical) within one or more memories (e.g., volatile memory, non-volatile memory, or a combination thereof), registers, or other machine components that receive, store, transmit, or display information. As used herein, the terms comprise, include, have, or any other variation thereof are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, article, or apparatus comprising a list of elements is not necessarily limited to only those elements, but could include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to that process, method, article, or apparatus. The patent claims at the end of this patent application are not intended to be interpreted in accordance with 35 USC § 112(f) unless traditional meaning-plus-function language is expressly indicated, such as meaning or stage to be explicitly indicated in the claims. Although the invention has been described with reference to the embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it is noted that equivalents could be used and substitutions could be made herein without departing from the scope of the invention as set out in the claims. Having thus described several modalities of the invention, what is claimed as new and desirable to be protected by patent laws includes the following: It is hereby stated that, as of this date, the best method known to the applicant for putting the aforementioned invention into practice is the one that is clear from the present description of the invention.

Claims

1. A system for forming a pressed earthenware product from the core of a roll of material, characterized in that it comprises: a positive mold assembly including a positive mold with a lower surface for forming an upper surface of the pressed earthenware product and a positive die with an edge configured to cut the core in order to separate the pressed earthenware product from the core; a negative mold assembly including a negative mold with an upper surface for forming a lower surface of the pressed earthenware product and a trimming die plate with an edge configured to cut the core in cooperation with the edge of the positive die, the positive mold assembly and the negative mold assembly being movable relative to each other; a heating element coupled with at least one of the positive mold or the negative mold;a forming station actuator configured to displace at least one of the positive mold assembly or the negative mold assembly; a force sensor configured to detect a forming force applied by the forming station actuator and to generate sensor data representative of the forming force; and a control system in communication with the force sensor and the forming station actuator, the control system being configured to receive a signal representative of the sensor data, and direct the forming station actuator to adjust the forming force based at least in part on the sensor data.

2. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one of the positive mold assembly or the negative mold assembly includes an insulating plate.

3. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises a nitrogen gas spring configured to assist in pressing the positive die to cut the core and to separate the pressed earthenware product from the core.

4. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the positive mold includes a central portion and an annular portion extending around the central portion.

5. The system according to claim 4, characterized in that the annular portion is a drag ring ΓΓΓοηη / ζζηζ / Ε / γίΛΐ that can be displaced vertically with respect to the central portion.

6. The system according to claim 5, characterized in that the positive mold comprises a tab configured to pull down the drag ring.

7. The system according to claim 4, characterized in that the annular portion is integral to the central portion.

8. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the material comprises paper and the positive die and the negative mold are formed from metal.

9. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the positive mold assembly comprises a plurality of rows of positive molds and the negative mold assembly comprises a plurality of rows of negative molds such that multiple rows of pressed earthenware products are formed in one stroke.

10. A method for forming a pressed earthenware product from the core of a roll of material, characterized in that it comprises: pressing, by means of a forming station actuator, the core between a positive mold of a positive mold assembly and a negative mold of a negative mold assembly to form the pressed earthenware product, the positive mold assembly including a positive die and the negative mold assembly including a trimming die plate, the positive die and the trimming die plate being configured to cut the core in order to separate the pressed earthenware product from the core; retaining, by means of the forming station actuator, the positive mold and the negative mold pressed against the pressed earthenware product so that the pressed earthenware product is heated by means of a heating element coupled with at least one of the positive die or the negative mold;to generate, by means of a force sensor, sensor data representative of a forming force applied by the forming station actuator; and to adjust, by means of a control system, the forming force applied by the forming station actuator based at least in part on the sensor data.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that it further comprises - receiving, by means of the control system, a predetermined forming force; and directing, by means of the control system, the forming station actuator to apply the predetermined forming force.

12. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that the pressing stage comprises pressing, by means of a nitrogen gas spring, the positive die against the core.

13. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that the positive mold includes a central portion and an integral annular portion extending around the central portion having a surface forming a top surface of the pressed earthenware product.

14. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that it further comprises adjusting, by means of the control system, a forming depth in which the forming station actuator displaces at least one of the positive mold or the negative mold.

15. A system for forming a pressed earthenware product from the core of a roll of material, characterized in that it comprises: a positive mold assembly including a positive mold with a lower surface for forming an upper surface of the pressed earthenware product and a positive die with an edge configured to cut the core in order to separate the pressed earthenware product from the core; a negative mold assembly including a negative mold with an upper surface for forming a lower surface of the pressed earthenware product and a trimming die plate for cutting the core, the positive mold assembly and the negative mold assembly being movable relative to each other; a heating element coupled with at least one of the positive mold or the negative mold; a forming station actuator configured to actuate at least one of the positive mold assembly or the negative mold assembly;a height adjustment assembly configured to displace at least one of the positive mold assembly or the negative mold assembly to adjust a forming depth of the positive mold within the negative mold; and a control system in communication with the forming station actuator and configured to receive a signal representative of a desired forming depth of the positive mold, direct the forming station actuator to displace at least one of the positive mold assembly from the negative mold assembly so that the positive mold achieves the desired forming depth, and direct the forming station actuator to actuate at least one of the positive mold assembly or the negative mold assembly to form the pressed earthenware product.

16. The system according to claim 15, characterized in that the control system is configured to direct the forming station actuator to hold the positive mold assembly and the negative mold assembly at the desired forming depth for a predetermined time so that the contour of the pressed earthenware product is heated by means of the heating element.

17. The system according to claim 16, characterized in that the desired forming depth is a first forming depth, wherein the control system is configured to receive a signal representative of a second forming depth, and direct the height adjustment assembly to displace at least one of the positive mold assembly or the negative mold assembly.

18. The system according to claim 15, characterized in that the positive mold includes a central portion and an annular portion extending around the central portion.

19. The system according to claim 18, characterized in that the annular portion is a drive ring that can be moved vertically with respect to the central portion.

20. The system according to claim 18, characterized in that the annular portion is integral to the central portion.

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