System and method for manufacturing ceramic articles

Abstract

A system (1) for manufacturing ceramic articles (2), comprising: a frame (3); a first casting unit (4) for forming a main portion (5) of a ceramic article (2), provided with a first mould (8) which, in turn, comprises a base half-mould (9) and at least one half-mould (10) and a containment (12), consisting of a containment portal (17) and a containment base (18), which can be selectively coupled to each other; at least one second casting unit (6) for forming a second portion (7) of the ceramic article (2); a ceramic mix feeding system; a gluing device (29) for applying a layer of glue on the main portion (5) and / or on the second portion (7) of a ceramic article (2); a transport device (30) for moving the second portion (7) so as to glue it to the main portion (5); a moving system (19) for allowing the mutual movement of at least the upper half-mould (10) together with the base half-mould (9), or alone, relative to the containment portal (17) along a sliding direction (Y).

Description

[0001] "SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING CERAMIC ARTICLES"

[0002] Cross-Reference to Related Applications

[0003] This Patent Appl ication claims priority from Italian Patent Application No . 102024000021168 filed on September 23 , 2024 , the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference .

[0004] Technical Field

[0005] The present invention relates to a system and to a method for manufacturing ceramic articles by means of pressure casting and to an operation change method for changing the operating mode of the above-mentioned system for manufacturing ceramic articles .

[0006] In particular, the present invention is advantageously but not exclusively applied to pressure casting for manufacturing sanitary fixtures made of ceramic material ; more in particular, sanitary bowls ; even more in particular, sanitary bowls formed by gluing together two or more pieces to which the following description will explicitly refer without thereby losing generality .

[0007] Background of the Invention

[0008] The formation of ceramic articles , in particular of sanitary fixtures ( such as washbasins , tanks , bidets , bowls , etc . ) generally occurs by means of slip casting inside hygroscopic and permeable moulds , typically made of resin or plaster, to permit the dehydration of the slip during the pressure casting, namely the escape of the water contained in the slip through the porous walls of the mould and thus the formation of the ceramic article .

[0009] Typically, the moulds for pressure casting are made up of two or more mould parts , depending on the complexity of the article to be manuf ctured, configured to couple to one another in a closed configuration so as to define between them at least one casting cavity, inside which, in use , the slip is introduced at high pressure so that following the above-mentioned dehydration, it penetrates the wall s of the mould and escapes from the mould through them, causing the deposit of the solid part of the slip on the walls and, therefore , the formation of the ceramic article , which will then be extracted from the mould . A known machine for pressure casting ceramic articles is , for example , described in document EP2366517A1 by the same applicant .

[0010] Such process of known type , although being ef ficient and consolidated, has limitations , in particular when it must be adopted for the formation of complex sanitary fixtures , for example having portions that are so-called "undercut" relative to the opening direction of the di f ferent parts of the mould . In fact , the manufacturing of these parts causes unmoulding problems of the ceramic article , making the ej ection of the latter from the mould di f ficult , and in many cases causing damage to the article or the mould .

[0011] Precisely to face such problems , currently some more complex ceramic articles are manufactured by forming two or more parts separately and then gluing them together .

[0012] For example , in such field it is known to manufacture rimmed bowls by forming the body o f the bowl and the rim in separate moulds to then subsequently glue the rim to the body of the bowl . Indeed, in the cases of more complex bowls , the bowl is formed in three portions in separate casting units : one for manufacturing the functional inner part of the bowl body, the so-called core ; one for manufacturing the aesthetic external part , the so-called shell ; and the last one for the rim . The separate portions are glued together, in particular by first gluing the rim to the core and then the rim-core assembly to the shell .

[0013] The need to glue such parts together represents a weak point of the production process of such ceramic articles both in terms of quality of the finished product , which risks being compromised by the presence of gluing, especially when carried out manually, but also in terms of time for manufacturing the individual ceramic articles .

[0014] Precisely for this reason, several solutions have been developed to permit the formation and the gluing of the various portions of a ceramic article in an automatic manner .

[0015] However, the known solutions have limitations . In detail , considering, for example , the formation of sanitary bowls formed in two portions , the main body and the rim, the known manufacturing systems can be of two types : those that entail the formation, thus the casting, of the body of the bowl in an upright position, namely with the lower part of the bowl , the so-called foot , resting on the mould containment base and the upper part of the bowl , the one intended to receive the rim, oriented upwards ; and those that entail performing the casting of the body of the ceramic bowl with the bowl upside down, namely with the part of the bowl intended to receive the rim facing downwards and the foot facing upwards . In the first case , the gluing of the rim on the main body occurs from above , whereas in the second case it occurs from below .

[0016] However, in the ceramic field it is known that , as the format and / or the type of ceramic article and / or the composition of the above-mentioned slip varies , it can be more or less advantageous to cast the article upright or upside down .

[0017] The obj ect of the present invention is to provide a system and a method for manufacturing ceramic articles and an operation change method of such system for manufacturing ceramic articles , which allow overcoming, at least in part , the disadvantages of the prior art , allowing greater flexibility in the modes for manufacturing the ceramic articles , which can be formed, namely cast and assembled, upright , thus oriented with an orientation similar to that of use or upside down, according to need, in a simple and cost-ef fective manner .

[0018] Summary

[0019] In accordance with the present invention, a system and a method for manufacturing ceramic articles , by means of pressure casting, and an operation change method for changing the operating mode of the above-mentioned system for manufacturing ceramic articles , are proposed according to what is described in the appended independent claims , and preferably, in any one of the claims directly or indirectly dependent on the mentioned independent claims .

[0020] The claims describe preferred embodiments of the present invention, forming integral part of the present description .

[0021] Brief Description of the Drawings

[0022] The invention i s described in the following with reference to the accompanying drawings , which illustrate some non-limiting example embodiments thereof , wherein :

[0023] - Figures 1 to 8 illustrate di f ferent steps of a process for manufacturing a sanitary bowl , manufactured with a system for manufacturing ceramic articles in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention; Figures 9 to 17 illustrate different steps of a process for manufacturing a sanitary bowl manufactured with a system for manufacturing ceramic articles in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention, in particular with a different operating mode;

[0024] - Figure 10A is a schematic view of a step of a process for manufacturing a sanitary bowl corresponding to the process step illustrated in Figure 10 but in accordance with a variant of the above-mentioned second embodiment; and

[0025] - Figures 18, 19 and 20 are lateral views of the system for manufacturing ceramic articles according to the present invention

[0026] Detailed Description

[0027] In the accompanying figures, reference numeral 1 indicates, as a whole, a system 1 for manufacturing ceramic articles 2 by pressure casting, the components of which are illustrated in the accompanying figures.

[0028] In particular, the present discussion will explicitly refer to the production of sanitary fixtures 2 made of a ceramic material, such as for example bidets (as in the accompanying figures) , bowls, washbasins, etc. without thereby losing generality. In other words, the ceramic articles 2 manufactured by the manufacturing system 1 are intended, following subsequent treatments, such as for example drying, glazing, firing, etc., to form finished ceramic articles, in particular sanitary fixtures; even more in particular decorated sanitary fixtures 2.

[0029] It is specified that in the present discussion the terms such as "upper", "lower", "lateral", "right", "left", "front", "rear", are utilized with reference to the system 1 for manufacturing ceramic articles 2 arranged resting on a hori zontal plane . Therefore , for example , the term "above" or "below" means , respectively, "that it is above" or "that it is below" relative to another component of the system 1 for manufacturing ceramic articles 2 . Furthermore , within the scope of the present description, the term " second" does not necessarily imply the presence of a " first" . Such terms are sometimes used as labels for improving clarity .

[0030] With particular reference to the accompanying figures , the system 1 for manufacturing ceramic articles 2 comprises : a frame 3 ; a first casting unit 4 which is carried by the frame 3 and is configured to form a main portion 5 of a ceramic article 2 ; and a feeding system (not visible in the accompanying figures and known per se ) configured to feed a ceramic mix under pressure to such casting unit 4 to form, in use , a main portion 5 of a ceramic article 2 .

[0031] According to some advantageous but non-limiting embodiments , such as for example those shown in Figures 6 and 13 , the system 1 for manufacturing ceramic articles 2 also comprises a further casting unit 6 which is configured to form a second portion 7 of a ceramic article 2 and a feeding system, which can be the same as that serving the casting unit 4 or another one , for feeding a ceramic mix under pressure to such casting unit 6 so as to form, in use , the above-mentioned second portion 7 of a ceramic article 2 .

[0032] Advantageously but not limitedly, the two casting units 4 and 6 are independent of each other, in other words the formation cycle o f the main portion 5 of the ceramic article 2 is independent of the formation cycle of the second portion 7 . Alternatively or additionally, the system 1 for manufacturing ceramic articles 2 comprises a control assembly (not vis ible in the accompanying figures and known per se ) which is configured ( des igned) to synchroni ze the operation of the two casting units 4 and 6 .

[0033] In the advantageous but non-exclusive embodiments illustrated in the accompanying figures , wherein the ceramic article 2 is a sanitary bowl , the above-mentioned portions 5 and 7 of a ceramic article 2 are ( in particular, coincide with) the main body 5 of the bowl 2 and the rim 7 of the bowl 2 , respectively .

[0034] Advantageously, the above-mentioned first casting unit 4 intended to form the main portion 5 of a ceramic article 2 comprises a first mould 8 which, in turn, comprises : a base hal f-mould 9 and at least one upper hal f-mould 10 , mutually movable between a closed configuration C, in which they are coupled to each other to define , between them, a first casting cavity 11 , and an open configuration A, in which they are uncoupled from each other ; and a tubular containment 12 for containing the mould 8 in a closed configuration C counteracting the forces acting on the hal fmoulds 9 and 10 during a casting step, i . e . manufacturing step, of the ceramic article 2 .

[0035] According to some advantageous but non-limiting embodiments , such as for example those illustrated, the tubular containment 12 is of substantially rectangular and / or circular cross-section with two opposite open ends .

[0036] More advantageously, the mould 8 comprises at least four hal f-moulds : base , right and left side and top .

[0037] According to some advantageous but non-limiting embodiments , such as for example those illustrated in the accompanying figures , wherein the ceramic article 2 is a sanitary bowl and the main portion 5 coincides with the main body 5 of the bowl 2 , the above-mentioned upper hal f-mould 10 comprises ( in particular, consists of ) three lateral hal fmoulds 10a, 10b and 10c and a top hal f-mould l Od movable between them and relative to the base hal f-mould 9 between the above-mentioned open configuration A and the above- mentioned closed configuration C .

[0038] Advantageously, also the second casting unit 6 , when provided, comprises a mould 13 which, in turn, comprises ( in particular, consists of ) at least two further mutually movable hal f-moulds 14a, 14b between a closed configuration C, in which they are coupled to one another to define between them a second casting cavity 15 , and an open configuration A, in which they are uncoupled from one another .

[0039] Advantageously but not limitedly, also the second casting unit 6 comprises ( in particular, consists of ) a containment 16 configured to wrap the hal f-moulds 14a, 14b from the outside in order to oppose the outward forces transmitted by the ceramic mix during the casting step .

[0040] More advantageously but not limitedly, the above- mentioned feeding system is configured to feed ceramic mix ( in particular, a first quantity of ceramic mix ) under pressure inside the first casting cavity 11 to form the main portion 5 and further ceramic mix ( in particular, a second dosed quantity of ceramic mix ) to the second casting cavity 15 to form the above-mentioned second portion 7 of the ceramic article 2 .

[0041] Advantageously but not limitedly, during the casting step, the ceramic mix is introduced into the above-mentioned casting cavities 11 and 15 with a pressure which, advantageously but not limitedly, varies between about 0 . 5 Mpa and about 2 Mpa, and the above-mentioned moulds 8 and 13 are configured to permit the dehydration of such ceramic mix, in a manner known per se , so as to form the above- mentioned main portion 5 and the above-mentioned second portion 7 . Advantageously but not limitedly, precisely to ensure the dehydration of the ceramic mix, the moulds 8 , 13 are made of a porous and permeable material , typically resin or plaster .

[0042] During the above-mentioned casting step, the tubular containment 12 opposes ( in a manner known per se ) the forces exerted by the ceramic mix .

[0043] Even more advantageously but not limitedly, the first casting unit 4 comprises a clamping and counteracting assembly (not vis ible in the accompanying figures and known per se ) which cooperates with the tubular containment 12 for clamping and keeping the tubular containment 12 closed against the mould 8 in a closed configuration C during casting . More advantageously but not limitedly, and, when provided, also the second casting unit 6 comprises a further clamping and counteracting assembly (not visible in the accompanying figures and known per se ) which cooperates with the containment 16 for clamping and keeping the containment 16 closed against the mould 13 in a closed configuration C .

[0044] According to some advantageous but non-limiting embodiments , each clamping and counteracting assembly comprises ( in particular, consists of ) at least inflatable elements and / or a locking system which are hydraulic or pneumatic ( known per se and not described or illustrated herein) configured to oppose the forces exerted by the mix under pressure , during use .

[0045] With particular reference to the accompanying figures , advantageously, the tubular containment 12 comprises ( in particular, consists of ) a containment portal 17 ( i . e . a containment body in an "inverted U" shape) to contain the mould 8 in a closed configuration C laterally and above, and a containment base 18 to contain the mould 8 in a closed configuration C below, which can be selectively coupled to each other (in particular, manually or automatically) for shifting from a first operating configuration (illustrated, for example, in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8 and 10A) , in which the containment base 18 and the containment portal 17 are integral with each other, to a second operating configuration (illustrated, for example, in Figures 10, 11, 12, 15, 16, and 17) , in which the containment base 18 is released from the containment portal 17 and is movable along an opening direction Z, advantageously vertical, which is orthogonal to the development plane of the containment base 18, away from the containment portal 17.

[0046] Advantageously but not limitedly, the containment portal 17 is configured to enclose (in other words, contain, or delimit from the outside) the upper half-mould 10 (with particular reference to the illustrated embodiments of the lateral half-moulds 10a, 10b, 10c and the top half-mould lOd) , whereas the containment base 18 is configured to enclose (in other words, contain, or delimit from the outside) the base half-mould 9 below. As it will be better explained in the following, such configuration of the tubular containment 12 advantageously contributes to permitting changing the operating mode of the system 1 for manufacturing articles 2, in particular of the first casting unit 4, in a quick and efficient manner.

[0047] In such regard, advantageously, the system 1 for manufacturing ceramic articles 2 comprises a moving system 19 for permitting the mutual movement (in particular, the mutual sliding) of at least part of a mould 8 (in particular, at least of the upper half-mould 10) relative to the tubular containment 12 (in particular, at least to the containment portal 17) along a sliding direction Y (orthogonal to the opening direction Z and lying on a horizontal plane) between a first relative position Pl, in which the first mould 8, in a closed configuration C, and the tubular containment 12 are both at a casting station 20 so that the tubular containment 12 encloses the mould 8 (see Figures 1, 9, 18, 19, 20) , and a second relative position P2, in which at least the upper half-mould 10 (in particular, at least the lateral halfmoulds 10a, 10b, 10c and the further top half-mould 10c) and the containment portal 17 are offset relative to each other along the sliding direction Y (see Figures 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 10A, 11, 12, 15, 16, 17) . In other words, in the above- mentioned first relative position Pl, the mould 8 and the tubular containment 12 (in particular, at least the upper half-mould 10 and the containment portal 17) are complementarily coupled one inside the other. Even more advantageously, in this case, the base half-mould 9 is configured to shift from a first operating mode, when the containment 12 assumes the above-mentioned second operating configuration, in which the base half-mould 9 is connected to the containment base 18 (see Figures 9, 10, 11, 12, 15, 16, 17) , to a second operating mode, when the containment 12 assumes the first operating configuration, in which it is movable along the sliding direction Y together with the upper half-mould 10 between the first relative position Pl and said second relative position P2 (see Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9 and 10A) .

[0048] According to some advantageous but non-limiting embodiments , the moving system 19 is arranged and configured to : permit the mutual movement between the containment portal 17 and the upper hal f-mould 10 in a closed configuration C, when the base hal f-mould 9 is connected to the containment base 18 and the tubular containment 12 assumes the above- mentioned second operating configuration; and to permit the mutual movement o f the entire first mould 8 relative to the entire tubular containment 12 , when the tubular containment 12 assumes the above-mentioned first operating conf iguration and the base hal f-mould 9 is connected to ( in particular is integral with) the moving system 19 .

[0049] In fact , advantageously but not limitedly, the base hal f-mould 9 is selectively connectable ( in particular, manually or automatically, as it will be better explained in the following) to the containment base 18 or to the moving system 19 . In this manner, based on needs ( in particular, based on the operating mode of the system 1 for manufacturing ceramic articles 2 which is pre ferable in the di f ferent cases ) , the base hal f-mould 9 moves integrally with the containment base 18 along the opening direction Z ( indeed, when it is connected to the containment base 18 ) or moves together with the upper hal f-mould 10 along the above- mentioned sliding direction Y (when it is connected to the moving system 19 ) . This contributes to increasing the flexibility of the system and permitting the quick shi ft of the system 1 for manufacturing ceramic articles 2 to di f ferent operating modes , as it will be better explained in the following .

[0050] Advantageously but not limitedly, the system 1 for manufacturing ceramic articles 2 further comprises a moving unit configured to move the base hal f-mould 9 or the upper half-mould 10 relative to the rest of the mould 8 so as to define a handling space sized so as to permit at least the unmoulding of the main portion 5 of a ceramic article 2.

[0051] According to some advantageous but non-limiting embodiments, such as the one illustrated in Figure 10A, the moving unit comprises at least one linear drive mechanism 38 which can be operated to move the base half-mould 9 away from the upper half-mould 10 along the opening direction Z for a distance of at least 20cm (more specifically, of about 40cm) so as to define the above-mentioned handling space S.

[0052] Alternatively, according to other embodiments, the moving unit comprises (in particular, consists of) a system that permits the movement of the containment base 18 (together with the base mould 9) along the opening direction Z (see for example Figures 9, 10, 11, 12, 15, 16, 17) .

[0053] According to still other embodiments, such as for example those illustrated in Figures 1 to 8, the moving unit comprises (in particular, consists of) an unmoulding unit 34, as it will be better described in the following.

[0054] According to some advantageous but non-limiting embodiments, the frame 3 comprises at least one guide 21 extending along the sliding direction Y between the casting station 20 and an assembly station 22; more in particular, the frame 3 comprises a pair of guide rails 21, each of which extends along the sliding direction Y between the casting station 20 and the assembly station 22.

[0055] Even more advantageously but not limitedly, in this case, the moving system 19 is configured to move at least the upper half-mould 10 relative to at least the containment portal 17, which is held fixed. In greater detail, in this case, the moving system 19 comprises: at least one carriage 23 which is coupled to the guide 21 in a sliding manner ( in particular, a pair of carriages 23 , each coupled in a sliding manner to a respective guide rail 21 ) . The carriage 23 is configured to carry ( and thus move along the sliding direction Y) only the upper hal f-mould 10 , when the base hal f-mould 9 is connected to the containment base 18 and the tubular containment 12 assumes the second operating configuration, or to move the entire mould 8 , when the base hal f-mould 9 is connected to the moving system 19 and the tubular containment 12 as sumes the first operating configuration; and an actuator 24 which is operatable to cause the sliding of the carriage 23 ( or of the carriages 23 ) on the guide 21 ( or on the guide rails 21 ) between the above-mentioned first relative position Pl and the above- mentioned second relative position P2 .

[0056] According to some advantageous but non-limiting embodiments , such as for example those illustrated in the accompanying figures ( see , in particular, Figures 18 , 19 and 20 ) , the system 1 for manufacturing ceramic articles 2 ( in particular, the first casting unit 4 ) comprises a rotation mechanism 25 , operatively connected to the tubular containment 12 and capable of being operated to permit the rotation of the tubular containment 12 and of the first mould 8 , in a closed configuration C, on themselves ( and relative to a resting position) around a rotation axis that extends along a direction X, perpendicularly to the opening direction Z and to the sliding direction Y, by an angle of about 30 ° in a counterclockwise direction and by an angle of about 180 ° in a clockwise direction . In particular, the rotation mechanism 25 is configured to rotate the tubular containment 12 and the first mould 8 from a resting position, in which the mould 8 and the containment 12 assume the above-mentioned first relative position Pl , the base hal f-mould 9 and the containment base 18 lie on a hori zontal plane ( and are arranged below, respectively, the upper hal f-mould 10 and the containment portal 17 ) to a first rotated position, in which the mould 8 and the containment 12 are rotated by 30 ° in a counterclockwise direction ( see Figure 18 ) and / or to a second rotated position, in which the mould 8 and the containment 12 are rotated by an angle of about 180 ° in a clockwise direction ( see Figure 20 ) .

[0057] Thanks to this possibility of rotation and to the presence of the rotation mechanism 25 , the mould 8 ( and the relative tubular containment 12 ) can be rotated so as to allow a quick, safe and complete evacuation of the excess liquids inside the mould 8 , regardless of the complexity of the shape of the main portion 5 of a ceramic article 2 ; and so as to ensure the maintenance of the homogeneity of the ceramic mix introduced into the casting cavity 11 .

[0058] Advantageously but not limitedly, the rotation mechanism 25 comprises a support beam 26 extending along the direction X, which beam 26 is interposed between the frame 3 and the tubular containment 12 and rotatably carries the tubular containment 12 and a motor 27 configured to operate in rotation the tubular containment 12 around such beam 26 .

[0059] Even more advantageously but not limitedly, the frame 3 comprises a pair of uprights 28 at the casting station 20 and the beam 26 is connected, in particular is carried ( rotatably) by such to the uprights 27 .

[0060] Advantageously but not limitedly, when two casting units 4 , 6 are provided as mentioned above , the system 1 for manufacturing ceramic articles 2 further comprises : a gluing device 29 configured to apply a layer of glue on a defined area Z of at least one of the main portion 5 and the second portion 7 of a ceramic article 2 ( see , for example , Figures 5 and 14 ) ; and a transport device 30 configured to retrieve and move the second portion 7 of a ceramic article 2 and move it until the main portion 5 and the second portion 7 of a ceramic article 2 are in contact with each other at the defined area Z so as to glue them together and form a ceramic article 2 ( see , for example , Figures 6 , 7 , 8 , 14 , 15 , and 16 ) .

[0061] More advantageously but not limitedly, in the second relative position P2 the first mould 8 is arranged in an assembly station 22 ; and the transport device 30 is configured ( designed) to bring the second portion 7 of a ceramic article 2 into contact with the main portion 5 , when this ( the main portion 5 of the ceramic article 2 ) is still at least partially contained in the first mould 8 and at least the upper hal f-mould 10 assumes the second relative position P2 relative to the containment 12 at the assembly station 22 .

[0062] According to some advantageous but non-limiting embodiments , such as those illustrated in the accompanying figures , the gluing device 29 comprises a moving structure 31 , which can be fixed, as is illustrated in Figure 14 , or can be a robot movable in the space , as is illustrated in Figure 5 , and a dispensing tool 32 is carried by the moving structure 31 and is configured to dispense the glue .

[0063] Alternatively or additionally, advantageously but not limitedly, the transport device 30 comprises ( in particular, consists of ) a further moving structure 33 ( in the case illustrated a moving robot ) movable in the space and a gripping head 34 which is carried by the second moving structure 33 and is configured to retrieve and move the second portion 7 of a ceramic article 2 .

[0064] In the advantageous but non-limiting embodiment illustrated in the accompanying figures , the transport device 30 is conf igured to retrieve the rim 7 once unmoulded, thus extracted from the mould 13 , and to bring it , possibly after applying glue , as is illustrated in Figure 14 , into contact with the upper edge of the main body 5 of the bowl 2 .

[0065] In greater detai l , advantageously but not limitedly, when the base hal f-mould 9 is connected to the moving system 19 and the tubular containment 12 assumes the first operating configuration, as is illustrated in Figures 1 to 8 , the gluing device 29 is configured to apply the layer of glue on a defined area Z of the upper surface of the main portion 5 of a ceramic article 2 , and the transport device 30 is configured ( designed) to bring the second portion 7 of a ceramic article into contact , from above , with the upper surface of the main portion 5 of an article 2 so as to assemble the ceramic article 2 oriented with an orientation that is similar to the orientation of use of the ceramic article 2 .

[0066] In other words , when the ceramic article 2 ( in the illustrated case the bowl 2 ) is manufactured by forming the main portion 5 ( i . e . the body 5 of the bowl ) with an orientation that is similar to the orientation of use and the second portion 7 ( i . e . the rim) is glued from above , as is shown in Figures 1 to 8 , the transport device 30 retrieves the second portion 7 ( i . e . the rim) from the second casting unit 6 , in particular, extracting it from the mould 13 in an open configuration A and brings it into contact with the upper surface of the main portion 5 ( i . e . of the main body 5 of the bowl 2 ) , after an unmoulding unit 35 has extracted the upper hal f-mould 10 , in particular in the illustrated case the top hal f-mould l Od, from the mould 8 in the assembly station 22 so as to at least partially unmould the main portion 5 of the ceramic article 2 and make the upper surface thereof accessible and the gluing device 29 has applied a layer of glue onto the above-mentioned area Z of such upper surface , to assemble the ceramic article 2 at such assembly station 22 .

[0067] It is speci fied that in the present discussion "orientation of use" means the orientation in the space that the ceramic article 2 assumes under normal conditions of use , for example in the case of the sanitary bowl 2 illustrated in the accompanying figures , the orientation of use is that in which the foot of the bowl 2 i s located resting on a plane and is at a height which is below the rim 7 in each point .

[0068] According to some advantageous but non-limiting embodiments , the unmoulding unit 35 comprises a further moving structure 36 ( in the illustrated case a moving robot ) movable in the space and a further gripping head 37 , carried by the second moving structure 36 and configured to retrieve and move at least part of the upper hal f-mould 10 ( in particular, at least the top hal f-mould l Od) away from the rest of the mould 8 ( in particular, at least from the base hal f-mould 9 ; even more in particular, in the embodiment illustrated in the accompanying figures , from the lateral hal f-moulds 10a, 10b, 10c ) so as to partially unmould the main portion 5 of a ceramic article 2 and make an upper surface thereof accessible .

[0069] Alternatively, when the base hal f-mould 9 is connected to the containment base 18 and the tubular containment 12 assumes the second operating configuration, at the assembly station 22 , between the upper hal f-mould 10 and the moving system 19 there remains defined a handling space si zed so as to permit the insertion of at least the transport device 30 ( in particular, at least the gripping head 34 ) and the second portion 7 of a ceramic article 2 carried by such gripping head 34 ( see for example Figures 11 , 12 , 15 ) . In this case , in fact , the gluing device 29 is configured to lay the layer of glue on a defined area Z of the second portion 7 of a ceramic article 2 ( in the illustrated case on an area Z of the rim 7- see Figure 14 ) and the transport device 30 is configured ( designed) to bring the second portion 7 of a ceramic article 2 into contact with the main portion 5 of a ceramic article 2 , from below, passing through the above- mentioned handling space S , so as to assemble the ceramic article 2 oriented with an orientation that is contrary to the orientation of use of the ceramic article 2 . More in particular, in this case , the casting unit 4 is configured to form the main portion 5 of the ceramic article 2 ( in the illustrated case the main body 5 of the bowl 2 ) with an orientation that is contrary to the orientation of use of the ceramic article 2 .

[0070] According to some advantageous but non-limiting embodiments , when present , such unmoulding unit 35 is the same one that extracts the ceramic article 2 formed after having assembled ( i . e . j oined) the portions 5 and 7 from the mould 8 , in particular, from the casting unit 4 ( see , for example , Figures 8 and 17 ) . Alternatively or additionally, when the upper hal fmould 10 comprises several parts , for example when it comprises lateral hal f-moulds 10a, 10b, 10c and a top hal fmould l Od and the assembly of the ceramic article 2 occurs from below ( i . e . when the main portion 5 is formed with an orientation that is contrary to the orientation of use ) the unmoulding unit 35 is also configured to move the top hal fmould l Od away from the lateral hal f-moulds 10a, 10b, 10c before , after, or while the transport device 30 brings the second portion 7 into contact with the main portion 5 .

[0071] According to stil l other advantageous but non-limiting embodiments , when the casting unit 4 is configured to form the main portion 5 oriented with an orientation that is contrary to the orientation of use of the ceramic article 2 , the base hal f-mould 9 assumes the second operating mode , the containment 12 assumes the first operating configuration and the moving unit comprises the linear drive mechanism 38 , as mentioned above , once the linear drive mechanism 38 has been operated to partially unmould the main portion 5 of a ceramic article 2 and make a lower surface thereof accessible ( see Figure 10A) , at the assembly station 22 , between the upper hal f-mould 10 and the base hal f-mould 9 , the above-mentioned handling space remains defined, si zed so as to permit the insertion of at least the transport device 30 and the portion 7 of a ceramic article 2 . More advantageously, also in this case , the gluing device 29 is configured to lay the layer of glue on a defined area of the second portion 7 of a ceramic article 2 ; and the transport device 30 is configured to bring such second portion 7 of a ceramic article 2 into contact with the lower surface of the main portion 5 of a ceramic article 2 from below, passing through the handling space ( S ) , so as to assemble the ceramic article 2 oriented with an orientation that is contrary to the orientation of use of the ceramic article 2 .

[0072] Advantageously but not limitedly, the unmoulding unit 35 is similar to the transport device 30 ; more in particular, the unmoulding unit 35 coincides with the transport device 30 .

[0073] Alternatively or additionally, according to other advantageous but non-limiting and not illustrated embodiments , the gluing device 29 and the transport device 30 share the same moving structure 31 , 33 which, in this case , is configured to carry both the glue dispensing tool 32 and the gripping head 34 .

[0074] According to some advantageous but non-limiting embodiments not illustrated, the tubular containment 12 comprises an automatic coupling system (not illustrated) for selectively coupling the containment portal 17 and the containment base 18 ; the system 1 for manufacturing ceramic articles 2 comprises a coupling / uncoupling system operatively interposed between the base hal f-mould 9 , the containment base 18 and the moving system 19 for selectively connecting the base hal f-mould 9 to the containment base 18 or to the moving system 19 and a control unit ( known per se and only schematically illustrated in Figures 1 and 9 ) configured to control the operation of the automatic coupling system and the coupling / uncoupling system .

[0075] In this manner it is possible to vary the operating mode of the system 1 for manufacturing ceramic articles 2 automatically .

[0076] It remains understood that according to other advantageous but non-limiting embodiments not illustrated, the ceramic article 2 can be formed by more than two portions formed separately and then glued together, for example a sanitary bowl 2 formed in three portions : main body, core and rim . In this case , advantageously, the manufacturing system 1 is configured ( in particular, the transport device 30 and the gluing device 29 are configured) to assemble , between them, the core and the rim first , and then assemble the core and rim already glued together with the main body which represents the above-mentioned main portion 5 , from below, when the body i s cast with an orientation that is contrary to that of use of the ceramic article 2 , or from above when the main body is cast ( i . e . formed) with an orientation that is similar to the orientation of use of the ceramic article 2 .

[0077] According to a further aspect of the present invention, a method for manufacturing ceramic articles 2 is proposed, by j oining at least two portions 5 , 7 , advantageously but not limitedly carried out with the manufacturing system 1 described above at least when such manufacturing system 1 provides two casting units 4 , 6 .

[0078] In fact , the method for manufacturing ceramic articles 2 comprises a preparation step during which the system 1 for manufacturing ceramic articles 2 of the type described above is provided, comprising two casting units 4 , 6 .

[0079] With particular reference to the advantageous but nonlimiting embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 to 8 , the method for manufacturing ceramic articles 2 comprises : a preparation step, during which, after providing the above- mentioned manufacturing system 1 , the containment base 18 is coupled to the containment portal 17 in the above-mentioned first operating configuration and the base hal f-mould 9 assumes said second operating mode ( in particular, is connected to the moving system 19 ) ; a casting step, during which the feeding system feeds a first quantity of ceramic mix under pressure inside the first casting cavity 11 to form a main portion 5 of a ceramic article 2 oriented with an orientation similar to the orientation of use of the ceramic article 2 and a further quantity of ceramic mix under pressure inside the second casting cavity 15 to form a second portion 7 of a ceramic article 2 ; a first unmoulding step, during which at least the second mould 13 shi fts from the closed configuration C to the open configuration A and the second portion 7 of a ceramic article 2 is extracted from the second casting unit 6 ; a moving step, during which the moving system 19 is operated to move the mould 8 from the first relative position Pl to the second relative position P2 at an assembly station 22 ; and a second unmoulding step, during which at least part of the upper hal f-mould 10 is moved ( advantageously by the above-mentioned unmoulding unit 35 ) away from the base hal f-mould 9 ( in particular, the top hal f-mould l Od is moved away from the lateral hal f-moulds 10a, 10b and 10c ) to make an upper surface of the main portion 5 of a ceramic article 2 accessible .

[0080] Advantageously but not limitedly, during the casting step, the first casting unit 4 and the second casting unit 6 operate totally independently of each other, possibly also at di f ferent times from each other . In other words , the above-mentioned casting step comprises : a first casting substep, during which the feeding system feeds a first quantity of ceramic mix under pressure inside the first casting cavity 11 and the main portion 5 of an oriented ceramic article 2 is formed ( in a manner known per se , as explained above ) ; and a second casting sub-step, independent of the first casting sub-step, during which the feeding system feeds a further quantity of ceramic mix under pressure inside the second casting cavity 15 to form the second portion 7 of a ceramic article 2 . Similarly, the first unmoulding step is subsequent to the second casting sub-step, but is independent of the above-mentioned moving step and second unmoulding step .

[0081] According to some advantageous but non-limiting embodiments , the first unmoulding step is at least partially simultaneous with the above-mentioned moving step and / or the second unmoulding step . Alternatively, advantageously but not limitedly, the first unmoulding step ( as well as the second casting sub-step ) is ( at least partially) prior to the moving step and / or the second unmoulding step .

[0082] The manufacturing method further comprises : an application step, during which the gluing device 29 applies a layer of glue on a defined area Z of the upper surface of the main portion 5 ; and an assembl ing step, during which the transport device 30 retrieves the second portion 7 of a ceramic article 2 and brings it into contact , from above , with the upper surface of the main portion 5 of a ceramic article 2 so as to assemble the ceramic article 2 oriented with an orientation that is similar to the orientation of use .

[0083] According to other advantageous but non-limiting embodiments , such as for example those illustrated in Figures 9 to 17 , the method for manufacturing ceramic articles 2 comprises the following steps : a preparation step, during which, after providing the above-mentioned manufacturing system 1 , the containment base 18 is released from the containment portal 17 to assume the second operating configuration and the base hal f-mould 9 is connected to the containment base 18 in the first operating mode so as to be movable in the above-mentioned opening direction Z together with the containment base 18 ; a casting step, in which the feeding system feeds a first quantity of ceramic mix under pressure inside the casting cavity 11 to form a main portion 5 of a ceramic article 2 that is oriented with an orientation contrary to the orientation of use of the ceramic article 2 and a further quantity of ceramic mix under pressure inside the second casting cavity 15 to form a second portion 7 of a ceramic article 2 .

[0084] Also in this case , the same considerations set forth above remain valid regarding the independence of the casting of the main portion 5 and the second portion 7 of a ceramic article , as well as the possibility that the casting step comprises two mutually independent casting sub-steps , such as those described above .

[0085] The method further comprises : a f irst unmoulding step, during which at least the second mould 13 shi fts from the closed configuration C to the open configuration A and the second portion 7 of a ceramic article 2 is extracted from the second casting unit 6 , advantageously by means of the transport device 30 as described above ; a first moving step, during which the containment base 18 is operated in movement together with the base hal f-mould 9 along the opening direction Z to make a lower surface of the main portion 5 of a ceramic article 2 accessible and so that when the base hal f-mould 9 and the containment portal 17 assume the second relative position P2 between the upper hal f-mould 10 and the moving system 19 , a handling space S remains defined, advantageously of the type described above in relation to the manufacturing system 1 ; a second moving step, during which the moving system 19 is operated to move the upper hal f-mould 10 from the first relative position Pl to the second relative position P2 at the assembly station 22 ; an application step, during which the gluing device 29 applies a layer of glue on a defined area Z of the second portion 7 of a ceramic article 2 ; and an assembling step, during which the transport device 30 retrieves the second portion 7 of a ceramic article 2 and brings it into contact with the above- mentioned lower surface of the main portion 5 of a ceramic article 2 from below, passing through the above-mentioned handling space S , so as to assemble the ceramic article 2 oriented with an orientation that is contrary to the orientation of use .

[0086] Also in this case , the first unmoulding step is subsequent to the second casting sub-step, but is independent of the above-mentioned first and second moving steps as well as the second unmoulding step .

[0087] In detail , according to some advantageous but nonlimiting embodiments , the first unmoulding step is at least partially simultaneous with the above-mentioned moving step and / or the second moving step and / or the second unmoulding step . Alternatively, advantageously but not limitedly, the first unmoulding step ( as well as the second casting substep ) is ( at least partially) prior to the moving step and / or the second moving step and / or the second unmoulding step .

[0088] According to still another embodiment , the method for manufacturing ceramic articles 2 comprises the following steps : a preparation step, during which the above-mentioned manufacturing system 1 is provided, the containment base 18 is coupled to the containment portal 17 in the first operating configuration, the base hal f-mould 9 assumes the second operating mode and the moving unit comprises the above-mentioned linear drive mechanism 38 ; a casting step, in which said feeding system feeds a first quantity of ceramic mix under pressure inside the first casting cavity 11 to form a main portion 5 of a ceramic article 2 that is oriented with an orientation contrary to the orientation of use of the ceramic article 2 and a further quantity of ceramic mix under pressure inside the second casting cavity 15 to form a second portion of a ceramic article 2 ; a first unmoulding step, during which at least the second mould 13 passes from the closed configuration C to said open configuration A and the second portion 7 of a ceramic article

[0089] 2 is extracted from the second casting unit 6 . The same considerations set forth above are valid for the casting steps .

[0090] Furthermore , advantageously but not limitedly, the method comprises : a first moving step, during which the moving system 19 is operated to move the mould 8 from the first relative position Pl to the second relative position P2 at the assembly station 22 ; a second moving step , during which the linear drive mechanism 38 is operated to move the base hal f-mould 9 along the opening direction Z relative to the rest of the mould 8 to make a lower surface of the main portion 5 accessible and so that the handling space that remains defined between the upper hal f-mould 10 and the frame

[0091] 3 is si zed so as to permit at least the insertion of the transport device 30 and of the second portion 7 of a ceramic article 2 .

[0092] The method then comprises an application step, similar to that described above , in which the gluing device 29 applies a layer of glue on a defined area Z of the second portion of a ceramic article 2 ; an assembling step, during which the transport device 30 retrieves the second portion 7 of a ceramic article 2 and brings it into contact with the lower surface of said main portion 5 of a ceramic article 2 from below, passing through the above-mentioned handling space , so as to assemble the ceramic article 2 that is oriented with an orientation contrary to the orientation of use .

[0093] Advantageously but not limitedly, the method for manufacturing ceramic articles 2 comprises : a further unmoulding step, subsequent to the assembling step, during which the finished ceramic article 2 is extracted from the first mould 8 , in particular is moved away from the hal fmoulds 9 , 10 , 10a, 10b and 10c, l Od in which it was still contained during the assembling step .

[0094] In greater detail , when the ceramic article 2 is assembled with an orientation that is similar to the orientation of use , in such further unmoulding step, the ceramic article 2 ( in the illustrated case the sanitary bowl 2 ) is moved away from the lateral hal f-moulds 10a, 10b and 10c, and from the base hal f-mould 9 in a manner known per se ; whereas , when the ceramic article 2 is formed ( i . e . assembled) upside down, therefore with an orientation that is contrary to that of use , in the unmoulding step the ceramic article 2 ( in the illustrated case the sanitary bowl 2 ) is moved away from the top hal f-mould l Od .

[0095] According to some advantageous but non-limiting embodiments , such as for example those illustrated in Figures 18 , 19 and 20 , the method for manufacturing ceramic articles 2 also comprises a mould rotation step, which is ( at least partially) simultaneous with the casting step, during which the rotation mechanism 25 is operated to rotate around a rotation axis , which extends along the above-mentioned direction X, the tubular containment 12 together with the first mould 8 , in a closed configuration C, by an angle of about -30 ° in a counterclockwise direction and by an angle of about 180 ° in a clockwise direction to ensure a correct distribution of the ceramic mix in the first mould 8 .

[0096] Advantageously but not limitedly, when the system 1 for manufacturing ceramic articles 2 with which the manufacturing method is carried out is automatic, i . e . comprises the above-mentioned automatic coupling system, the coupling / uncoupling system and the above-mentioned control unit CU, the preparation step is performed in an automatic manner and comprises an operating sub- step, in which the control unit CU operates the automatic coupling system and the coupling / uncoupling system based on the type of first mould 8 with which the first casting unit 4 is provided ( in particular, based on the fact that such mould 8 is of the type adapted to form the main portion 5 of a ceramic article 2 that is oriented with the orientation of use or with an orientation contrary to that of use ) .

[0097] According to a still further aspect of the present invention, an operation change method is provided for changing the operating mode of a system 1 for manufacturing ceramic articles 2 of the type described above ( i . e . manufactured according to any one of the embodiments described above ) from a first operating mode , which entails the formation of the main portion 5 of a ceramic article 2 oriented with a first orientation that is similar to the orientation of use of the ceramic article 2 , to a second operating mode , which entails the formation of the portion 5 of the ceramic article 2 oriented with a second orientation, contrary to the first orientation and the orientation of use of the ceramic article 2 , and vice versa .

[0098] Advantageously, when the operation change method is used to shi ft from the first operating mode to the second operating mode , such method comprises the following steps : a first step in which a manufacturing system is provided in accordance with what is illustrated in Figures 1 to 8 , and a coupling / uncoupling step which entails disassembling the first mould 8 ( configured to form a main portion 5 of a ceramic article 2 oriented with the above-mentioned first orientation) and assembling a second mould 8 configured to form such portion 5 with the above-mentioned second orientation .

[0099] More advantageously but not limitedly, the coupling / uncoupling step comprises a first disassembly substep, during which the base hal f-mould 9 of the first mould 8 is disconnected from the moving system 19 to which it was connected, in use , and the first mould 8 is extracted from the first casting unit 4 , after having assumed the second relative position P2 ; an intermediate sub-step, during which the containment portal 17 is disconnected from the containment base 18 to assume the second operating configuration; and a sub-step of assembling the second mould 8 , during which the second mould 8 is inserted into the first casting unit 4 , in the above-mentioned second relative position P2 , the moving system 19 is operated so that the second mould 8 and the containment 12 assume the first relative position Pl , and the base hal f-mould 9 is connected to the containment base 18 and exclusively the upper hal fmould 10 of the second mould 8 i s connected to the moving system 19 .

[0100] On the contrary, when the method is used to shi ft from the above-mentioned second operating mode (which entails the assembly of the ceramic article 2 with such ceramic article 2 oriented with an orientation that is contrary to the orientation of use ) to the first operating mode (which entails that the assembly of the ceramic article 2 is performed with the ceramic article 2 oriented according to an orientation that is similar to that of use ) , such operation change method comprises the following steps : a first step in which a manufacturing system is provided in accordance with what is illustrated in Figures 9 to 17 , a coupling / uncoupling step that entails disassembling a first mould 8 configured to form the main portion 5 with a first orientation, that is contrary to the orientation of use of the ceramic article 2 , and assembling a second mould 8 configured to form the at least main portion 5 with a second orientation, that is contrary to the first orientation and similar to the orientation of use of the ceramic article 2 .

[0101] In this case , advantageously but not limitedly, the coupling / uncoupling step comprises : a first sub-step of disassembling the first mould 8 , during which the base hal fmould 9 of the first mould 8 is disconnected from the containment base 18 to which it is connected, in use , and the first mould 8 is extracted from the containment 12 after having assumed the second relative position P2 ; an intermediate sub- step, during which the containment base 18 is connected to said containment portal 17 to assume the first operating configuration; and a sub-step of as sembling the second mould 8 , during which the second mould 8 is inserted into the first casting unit 4 in the second relative position P, and the base hal f-mould 9 and the upper hal fmould 10 are both connected to the moving system 19 .

[0102] The system and the method for manufacturing ceramic articles 2 of the present invention permit obtaining numerous advantages . In fact, by performing an automatic assembly of the ceramic articles 2 formed in two or more portions , they allow eliminating the manual steps generally necessary in the known processes for manufacturing ceramic articles 2 , reduce the need for temporary storage structures to cope with the di f ferent casting times o f the various portions of a ceramic article 2 , thereby reducing production costs and the overall dimensions of the manufacturing system 1 .

[0103] Furthermore , the solution of the present discussion is extremely flexible . In fact , the system 1 for manufacturing ceramic articles 2 of the present invention can be easily and quickly adapted to di f ferent casting modes of the ceramic articles 2 with simple connecting and / or coupling / uncoupling operations of some of its components , as better explained above .

[0104] In detail , thanks to the solution of the present invention it is possible to vary the operating conditions of the system 1 for manufacturing ceramic articles 2 , and therefore adapt , in a quick manner and with the maximum ef ficiency, one single system 1 for manufacturing ceramic articles 2 to di f ferent moulds 8 and / or ceramic articles 2 which, for various reasons , need to operate ( and therefore form the main portion 5 of the ceramic article 2 and / or assemble the ceramic article 2 ) with an orientation that is similar to the orientation of use of the ceramic articles 2 and / or to moulds 8 and / or ceramic articles 2 which need to operate with an orientation that is contrary to the orientation of use of the ceramic articles 2 .

Claims

C L A I M S1. A system (1) for manufacturing ceramic articles (2) , especially ceramic sanitary fixtures (2) ; the system (1) for manufacturing ceramic articles (2) comprises: a frame ( 3 ) ; a first casting unit (4) , which is carried by the frame (3) , is configured to form a main portion (5) of a ceramic article (2) and comprises a first mould (8) , which, in turn, comprises a base half-mould (9) and at least one upper halfmould (10) mutually movable between a closed configuration (C) , in which they are coupled to each other to define, between them, a first casting cavity (11) , and an open configuration (A) , in which they are uncoupled from each other; and a tubular containment (12) for containing said first mould (8) in a closed configuration (C) ; a feeding system configured to feed a ceramic mix under pressure into said first casting cavity (11) so as to form, in use, said main portion (5) of a ceramic article (2) ; the manufacturing system (1) is characterized in that: said tubular containment (12) comprises a containment portal (17) and a containment base (18) , which can be selectively coupled to each other in order to shift from a first operating configuration, in which said containment base (18) and said containment portal (17) are integral with each other, to a second operating configuration, in which said containment base (18) is released from said containment portal (17) and is movable along an opening direction (Z) , which is orthogonal to the development plane of said containment base (18) , away from said containment portal (17) ; in that it comprises a moving system (19) for permitting the mutual movementat least of at least part of a mould (8) (in particular, at least of said upper half-mould (10) ) relative to the tubular containment (12) (in particular, at least said containment portal (17) ) along a sliding direction (Y) between a first relative position (Pl) , in which said first mould (8) , in a closed configuration (C) , and said tubular containment (12) are at a casting station (20) so that said containment (12) encloses said first mould (8) , and a second relative position (P2) , in which at least said upper half-mould (10) and said containment portal (17) are offset relative to each other along said sliding direction (Y) ; said base half-mould (9) being configured to shift from a first operating mode, when the containment (12) assumes said second operating configuration, in which it is connected to the containment base (18) , to a second operating mode, when the containment (12) assumes said first operating configuration, in which it is movable along said sliding direction (Y) together with said upper half-mould (10) between said first relative position (Pl) and said second relative position (P2) ; and in that it comprises a moving unit configured to move one of said base halfmould (9) and said upper half-mould (10) relative to the rest of the mould (8) so as to define a handling space (S) sized so as to permit at least the unmoulding of said main portion (5) of a ceramic article (2) through said handling space (S) .

2. The system (1) for manufacturing ceramic articles (2) according to claim 1, wherein said base half-mould (9) is selectively connectable to said containment base (18) , in said first operating mode, or to said moving system (19) , in said second operating mode.

3. The system (1) for manufacturing ceramic articles (2) according to claim 1, wherein said moving unit comprises at least one linear drive mechanism (38) , which can be operated to move said base half-mould (9) away from said upper half-mould (10) along said opening direction (Z) for a distance of at least 20cm (more specifically, of about 40cm) so as to define the above-mentioned handling space (S) .

4. The system (1) for manufacturing ceramic articles (2) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: said upper half-mould (10) comprises, in turn: at least two lateral half-moulds (10a, 10b, 10c) and a top half-mould (lOd) mutually movable relative to one another and relative to said base half-mould (9) between said open configuration (A) and said closed configuration (C) ; said containment portal (17) is configured to enclose said at least two lateral half-moulds (10a, 10b, 10c) and said top half-mould (lOd) , when said first mould (8) is in a closed configuration (C) and said containment base (18) is configured to enclose said base half-mould (9) at the bottom; said moving system (19) is configured to permit the mutual movement between said containment portal (17) and said upper half-mould (10) , in a closed configuration (C) , when said base half-mould (9) is connected to said containment base (18) and said tubular containment (12) assumes said second operating configuration, and to permit the mutual movement of the entire first mould (8) relative to the entire containment (12) , when said base half-mould (9) is connected to said moving system (19) and said containment (12) assumes said first operating configuration.

5. The system (1) for manufacturing ceramic articles(2) according to claim 1 or 2 or 4, wherein: said frame (3) comprises at least one guide (21) , which extends along said sliding direction (Y) ; and said moving system (19) is configured to move at least said upper half-mould (10) relative at least to said containment portal (17) , which is held fixed and comprises: at least one carriage (23) which (in particular, a pair of carriages (23) , each of which) is coupled to said guide (21) in a sliding manner and carries said upper half-mould (10) in a sliding manner, when said base half-mould (9) is connected to said containment base (18) and said containment (12) assumes said second operating configuration, the entire first mould (8) , when said base half-mould (9) is connected to said moving system (19) and said containment (12) assumes said first operating configuration, and an actuator (24) , which is operatable to cause the sliding of said at least one carriage (23) on said guide (21) between said first relative position (Pl) and said second relative position (P2) .

6. The system (1) for manufacturing ceramic articles (2) according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a rotation mechanism (25) operatively connected to said containment (12) and capable of being operated to permit the rotation of said containment (12) and of said first mould (8) , in a closed configuration (C) , around a rotation axis, which extends along a direction (X) , perpendicularly to said opening direction (Z) and to said sliding direction (Y) , by an angle of about 30° in a counterclockwise direction and by an angle of about 180° in a clockwise direction.

7. The system (1) for manufacturing ceramic articles (2) according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising:at least one second casting unit (6) , which is configured to form a second portion (7) of the ceramic article (2) and, in turn, comprises a second mould (13) comprising at least two further half-moulds (14a, 14b) mutually movable between a closed configuration (C) , in which they are coupled to one another to define, between them, a second casting cavity (15) , and an open configuration (A) , in which they are uncoupled from one another; a gluing device (29) configured to apply a layer of glue on a defined area of at least one of said main portion (5) of a ceramic article (2) and said second portion (7) of a ceramic article (2) ; and a transport device (30) configured to retrieve and move said second portion (7) of a ceramic article (2) until the main portion (5) and the second portion (7) of a ceramic article (2) are in contact with each other at said defined area so as to glue them together and form a ceramic article (2) ; said feeding system being configured to feed a ceramic mix under pressure into said second casting cavity (15) so as to form, in use, said second portion (7) of a ceramic article ( 2 ) .

8. The system (1) for manufacturing ceramic articles (2) according to claim 7, wherein: said gluing device (29) comprises a first moving structure (31) and a dispensing tool (32) , which is carried by said moving structure (31) and is configured to dispense said glue; and / or said transport device (30) comprises (in particular, consists of) a second moving structure (33) movable in the space and a gripping head (34) , which is carried by said second moving structure (33) and is configured to retrieveand move said second portion (7) of a ceramic article (2) .

9. The system (1) for manufacturing ceramic articles (2) according to claim 8, wherein: in said second relative position (P2) , said first mould(8) is arranged in an assembly station (22) ; and said transport device (30) is configured to bring said second portion (7) of a ceramic article (2) to come into contact with said main portion (5) of a ceramic article (2) , when the latter is still at least partially contained in said first mould (8) and at least said upper half-mould (10) assumes said second relative position (P2) relative to said containment (12) at said assembly station (22) .

10. The system (1) for manufacturing ceramic articles (2) according to claim 9, wherein, when said base half-mould(9) assumes said first operating mode (in particular, is connected to said containment base (18) ) and said containment (12) assumes said second operating configuration: between said upper half-mould (10) and said moving system (19) , in said assembly station (22) , there remains defined said handling space (S) , which is sized so as to permit the insertion at least of the transport device (30) and of said second portion (7) of a ceramic article (2) ; said gluing device (29) is configured to lay said layer of glue on a defined area of said second portion (7) of a ceramic article (2) ; and said transport device (30) is configured to bring said second portion (7) of a ceramic article (2) to come into contact with said main portion (5) of a ceramic article (2) from below, going through said handling space (S) , so as to assemble said ceramic article (2) oriented with an orientation that is contrary to the orientation of use ofthe ceramic article (2) ; in particular, said first casting unit (4) is configured to form said main portion (5) of said ceramic article (2) oriented with an orientation that is contrary to the orientation of use of the ceramic article (2) .

11. The system (1) for manufacturing ceramic articles (2) according to claim 9, wherein, when said base half-mould (9) assumes said second operating mode, said containment (12) assumes said first operating configuration and said moving unit comprises said linear drive mechanism (38) ; once said linear drive mechanism (38) has been operated so as to partially unmould said main portion (5) of a ceramic article (2) and make a lower surface thereof accessible, between said upper half-mould (10) and said base half-mould (9) , in said assembly station (22) there remains defined said handling space, which is sized so as to permit the insertion at least of the transport device (30) and of said second portion (7) of a ceramic article (2) ; said gluing device (29) is configured to lay said layer of glue on a defined area of said second portion (7) of a ceramic article (2) ; and said transport device (30) is configured to bring said second portion (7) of a ceramic article (2) to come into contact with said lower surface of said main portion (5) of a ceramic article (2) from below, going through said handling space (S) , so as to assemble said ceramic article (2) oriented with an orientation that is contrary to the orientation of use of the ceramic article (2) ; in particular, said first casting unit (4) is configured to form said main portion (5) of said ceramic article (2) oriented with an orientation that is contrary to theorientation of use of the ceramic article (2) .

12. The system (1) for manufacturing ceramic articles (2) according to claim 9, comprising at least one unmoulding unit (35) configured to move at least part of said upper half-mould (10) away from said base half-mould (9) so as to partially unmould said main portion (5) of a ceramic article (2) and make an upper surface thereof accessible; wherein, when said base half-mould (9) is connected to said moving system (19) and said containment (12) assumes said first operating configuration: said gluing device (29) is configured to lay said layer of glue on a defined area (Z) of said upper surface of said main portion (5) of a ceramic article (2) and said transport device (30) is configured to bring said second portion (7) of a ceramic article (2) to come into contact, from above, with said upper surface of said main portion (5) of a ceramic article (2) so as to assemble said ceramic article (2) oriented with an orientation that is similar to the orientation of use of the ceramic article (2) ; in particular, said first casting unit (4) is configured to form said main portion of a ceramic article (2) oriented with an orientation that is similar to the orientation of use of the ceramic article (2) .

13. An operation change method for changing the operating mode of a system (1) for manufacturing ceramic articles (2) ; the operation change method entails: a first step, during which a system (1) for manufacturing articles (2) according to claim 2 is provided; a coupling / uncoupling step, which comprises disassembling a first mould (8) configured to form said at least one main portion (5) of a ceramic article (2) with afirst orientation, similar to the orientation of use of the ceramic article (2) , and assembling a second mould (8) configured to form said main portion (5) of a ceramic article (2) with a second orientation, contrary to the first orientation and to said orientation of use of the ceramic article ( 2 ) ; said coupling / uncoupling step comprising, in turn: a first sub-step of disassembling said first mould (8) , during which said base half-mould (9) of said first mould (8) is disconnected from said moving system (19) to which it was connected, in use, and said first mould (8) is extracted from said first casting unit (4) , after having assumed said second relative position (P2) ; and an intermediate sub-step, during which said containment portal (17) is disconnected from said containment base (18) so as to assume said second operating configuration; and a sub-step of assembling said second mould (8) , during which said second mould (8) is inserted into said first casting unit (4) , in said second relative position (P2) , said moving system (19) is operated so that said second mould (8) and said containment (12) assume said first relative position (Pl) , said base half-mould (9) of said second mould (8) is connected to said containment base (18) and, exclusively, said upper half-mould (10) of the second mould (8) is connected to said moving system (19) .

14. An operation change method for changing the operating mode of a system (1) for manufacturing ceramic articles (2) ; the operation change method entails: a first step, during which a system (1) for manufacturing articles (2) according to claim 2 is provided; a coupling / uncoupling step, which comprisesdisassembling a first mould (8) configured to form said at least one main portion (5) of a ceramic article (2) with a first orientation, contrary to the orientation of use of the ceramic article (2) , and assembling a second mould (8) configured to form said at least one main portion (5) of a ceramic article (2) with a second orientation, contrary to the first orientation and similar to said orientation of use of the ceramic article (2) ; said coupling / uncoupling step comprising, in turn: a first sub-step of disassembling said first mould (8) , during which said base half-mould (9) of said first mould (8) is disconnected from said containment base (18) to which it was connected, in use, and said first mould (8) is extracted from said containment (12) , after having assumed said second relative position (P2) ; an intermediate sub-step, during which said containment base (18) is connected to said containment portal (17) so as to assume said first operating configuration; and a sub-step of assembling said second mould (8) , during which said second mould (8) is inserted into said first casting unit (4) in said second relative position (P2) , and the base half-mould (9) and said upper half-mould (10) are both connected to said moving system (19) .

15. A method for manufacturing a ceramic article (2) by joining two portions (5, 7) using a manufacturing system (1) according to one of the claims from 7 to 12, the method for manufacturing ceramic articles comprises the following steps : a preparation step, during which a system (1) for manufacturing ceramic articles (2) according to one of the claims from 7 to 12 is provided, said containment base (18)is coupled to said containment portal (17) in said first operating configuration, said base half-mould (9) assumes said second operating mode (in particular, is connected to said moving system (19) ) ; a casting step, during which said feeding system feeds a first quantity of ceramic mix under pressure into said first casting cavity (11) so as to form a main portion (5) of a ceramic article (2) oriented with an orientation that is similar to the orientation of use of said ceramic article (2) and a further quantity of ceramic mix under pressure into said second casting cavity (15) so as to form a second portion (7) of a ceramic article (2) ; a first unmoulding step, during which at least said second mould (13) shifts from said closed configuration (C) to said open configuration (A) and said second portion (7) of a ceramic article (2) is extracted from said second casting unit (6) ; a moving step, during which said moving system (19) is operated so as to move said first mould (8) from said first relative position (Pl) to said second relative position (P2) at an assembly station (22) ; a second unmoulding step, during which at least part of said upper half-mould (10) is moved away from said base halfmould (9) so as to make an upper surface of said main portion (5) of a ceramic article (2) accessible; an application step, during which said gluing device(29) applies a layer of glue on a defined area of said upper surface of said main portion (5) of a ceramic article (2) ; and an assembling step, during which said transport device(30) retrieves said second portion (7) of a ceramic article(2) and causes it to come into contact, from above, with said upper surface of said main portion (5) of a ceramic article (2) so as to assemble said ceramic article (2) oriented with an orientation that is similar to the orientation of use of the ceramic article (2) .

16. A method for manufacturing a ceramic article (2) by joining two portions (5, 7) using a manufacturing system (1) according to one of the claims from 7 to 12, the method for manufacturing ceramic articles comprises the following steps : a preparation step, during which a system (1) for manufacturing ceramic articles (2) according to one of the claims from 7 to 12 is provided, said containment base (18) is coupled to said containment portal (17) in said first operating configuration, said base half-mould (9) assumes said second operating mode and said moving unit comprises said linear operating mechanism; a casting step, during which said feeding system feeds a first quantity of ceramic mix under pressure into said first casting cavity (11) so as to form a main portion (5) of a ceramic article (2) oriented with an orientation that is contrary to the orientation of use of said ceramic article (2) and a further quantity of ceramic mix under pressure into said second casting cavity (15) so as to form a second portion of a ceramic article (2) ; a first unmoulding step, during which at least said second mould (13) shifts from said closed configuration (C) to said open configuration (A) and said second portion (7) of a ceramic article (2) is extracted from said second casting unit (6) ; a first moving step, during which said moving system(19) is operated so as to move said mould (8) from said first relative position (Pl) to said second relative position (P2) at said assembly station (22) ; a second moving step, during which said linear drive mechanism is operated to move said base half-mould (9) along said opening direction (Z) relative to the rest of the mould (8) so as to make a lower surface of said main portion (5) of a ceramic article (2) accessible and so that said handling space (S) , which remains defined between said upper halfmould (10) and said frame (3) in said assembly station (22) , is sized so as to permit at least the insertion of the transport device (30) and of said second portion (7) of a ceramic article (2) ; an application step, during which said gluing device(29) applies a layer of glue on a defined area (Z) of said second portion of a ceramic article (2) ; an assembling step, during which said transport device(30) retrieves said second portion (7) of a ceramic article (2) and causes it to come into contact with said lower surface of said main portion (5) of a ceramic article (2) from below, going through said handling space (S) , so as to assemble said ceramic article (2) with an orientation that is contrary to the orientation of use of the ceramic article (2) .

17. A method for manufacturing a ceramic article (2) using a manufacturing system according to one of the claims from 7 to 12, the method for manufacturing ceramic articles comprises the following steps: a preparation step, during which a system (1) for manufacturing ceramic articles (2) according to one of the claims from 7 to 12 is provided, said containment base (18)is released from said containment portal (17) so as to assume said second operating configuration, said base half-mould (9) is connected to said containment base (18) in said first operating mode; a casting step, during which said feeding system feeds a first quantity of ceramic mix under pressure into said first casting cavity (11) so as to form a main portion (5) of a ceramic article (2) oriented with an orientation that is contrary to the orientation of use of said ceramic article (2) and a further quantity of ceramic mix under pressure into said second casting cavity (15) so as to form a second portion of a ceramic article (2) ; a first unmoulding step, during which at least said second mould (13) shifts from said closed configuration (C) to said open configuration (A) and said second portion (7) of a ceramic article (2) is extracted from said second casting unit (6) ; a first moving step, during which said containment base(18) is caused to move together with said base half-mould (9) along said opening direction (Z) so as to make a lower surface of said main portion (5) of a ceramic article (2) accessible and so that, when said base half-mould (9) and the containment portal (17) assume said second relative position, between said upper half-mould (10) and said moving system (19) there remains defined a handling space (S) sized so as to permit at least the insertion of the transport device (30) and of said second portion (7) of a ceramic article ( 2 ) ; a second moving step, during which said moving system(19) is operated so as to move said upper half-mould (10) from said first relative position (Pl) to said secondrelative position (P2) at said assembly station (22) ; an application step, during which said gluing device(29) applies a layer of glue on a defined area (Z) of said second portion of a ceramic article (2) ; an assembling step, during which said transport device(30) retrieves said second portion (7) of a ceramic article (2) and causes it to come into contact with said lower surface of said main portion (5) of a ceramic article (2) from below, going through said handling space (S) , so as to assemble said ceramic article (2) with an orientation that is contrary to the orientation of use of the ceramic article (2) .

18. The method for manufacturing ceramic articles (2) according to claim 15 or 17, wherein: said containment (12) comprises an automatic coupling system for selectively coupling said containment portal (17) and said containment base (18) ; the system (1) for manufacturing ceramic articles (2) comprises a coupling / uncoupling system operatively interposed between the base half-mould (9) , the containment base (18) and the moving system (19) to selectively connect said base half-mould (9) to said containment base (18) or to said moving system (19) and a control unit (CU) configured to control the operation of said automatic coupling system and of said coupling / uncoupling system; and said preparation step is carried out in an automatic manner and comprises an operating sub-step, during which said control unit (CU) operates said automatic coupling system and said coupling / uncoupling system based on the type of first mould (8) with which said first casting unit (4) is provided .

19. The method for manufacturing a ceramic article (2) according to any one of the claims from 15 to 18, comprising a mould rotation step, which is at least partially simultaneous with said casting step and during which said rotation mechanism (25) is operated to rotate said containment (12) together with said first mould (8) , in a closed configuration (C) , around a rotation axis, which extends along a direction (X) , perpendicularly to said opening direction (Z) and to said sliding direction (Y) , by an angle of about 30° in a counterclockwise direction and by an angle of about 180° in a clockwise direction so as to ensure a correct distribution of said ceramic body in said first mould.

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