Ceramic Slab Equipment Suction Groove Vein Creation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current equipment for producing ceramic and stone slabs fails to create 'through veins' that span the entire thickness of the slab, limiting the reproduction of natural stone aesthetics, especially for applications like kitchen tops, and results in uneven color intensity due to material friction.
Innovation Solution
The equipment includes suction and application tools that move in synchronization to create a groove across the slab's thickness, allowing for the introduction of additional materials of different colors or types to mimic natural stone patterns, with adjustable tools to mix and compact materials for varied aesthetic effects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a hopper extends over the entire width of the slab to deposit base material, then the deposition process is simplified, but through veins cannot be obtained and color intensity becomes uneven
Solution Approach 1:
The hopper is divided into multiple independent hoppers arranged along the supporting surface. Each hopper deposits material for a specific zone, allowing selective removal of material in certain zones to create through veins while maintaining simple deposition in other zones. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by enabling both simple deposition and precise vein creation.
Solution Approach 2:
Different zones of the supporting surface have different properties: some zones receive full material deposition for solid slab areas, while other zones have material removed to create vein patterns. This local differentiation allows the same deposition system to produce both solid material and vein features, achieving both manufacturing simplicity and aesthetic precision.
2Adaptability or versatility
If layers of material are deposited inside the hopper to create veined effect, then aesthetic appearance is improved, but friction causes uneven deposition and faded color intensity
Solution Approach 1:
Material is removed from the deposited layers using suction means to create grooves and veins. By extracting material rather than relying on friction-based deposition patterns, the system achieves precise vein definitions and uniform color intensity while maintaining aesthetic variety through different material combinations.
Solution Approach 2:
Suction means act as an intermediary between the deposited material layers and the final vein structure. This intermediary mechanism allows precise control over material removal, creating uniform veins with consistent color intensity regardless of the underlying material layer composition.
3Manufacturing precision
If suction means and application means are used to create grooves and veins, then through veins can be obtained, but the equipment complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The suction means and application means are integrated into a single movable tool assembly that travels along the supporting surface. This merging of functions into one coordinated unit enables through vein creation while minimizing equipment complexity compared to having separate, independent systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The tool assembly is designed to be movable along the supporting surface, allowing flexible adaptation to different slab sizes and vein patterns. This dynamic capability enables precise vein creation without requiring complex fixed structures for each possible application scenario.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables the production of slabs with realistic, continuous veins on both surfaces and innovative designs, overcoming previous limitations by ensuring even color distribution and customizable aesthetic variations.
Implementation Method 1
suction means of at least one portion of the base material B from the slab to be compacted L so as to obtain at least one through groove 10
Data Source
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AI summary
The process for the realization of slabs of ceramic and/or stone material, comprising the following phases of: supplying at least one base material (B) of the ceramic and/or stone type in the form of powder and/or granules and/or flakes; supplying at least one additional material (A) of the ceramic and/or stone type in the form of powder and/or granules and/or flakes, different from the base material (B); delivering the base material (B) onto a supporting surface (3) to obtain a slab to be compacted (L) having an initial thickness (S1); pressing the slab to be compacted (L) to obtain a compacted slab (C) having a final thickness (S2); where it comprises, following the delivery and before the pressing, the following phases of: suctioning a portion of the base material (B) to obtain at least one through groove (10) which crosses the initial thickness (S1) along a determined path (11); applying the additional material (A) inside the groove (10), to define at least one vein (20) of a color and/or type which is different from the base material (B); the pressing involving both the base material (B) and the additional material (A) thus delivered.