Metal Mould Plug-Membrane Mechanism for Non-Planar Ceramic Shower Trays
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for producing ceramic products, such as sanitaryware and tiles, face issues like material limitations, mold wear, and inability to create non-planar surfaces, particularly in the production of shower trays where water drainage is required.
Innovation Solution
A metal mould with a plug-membrane mechanism that allows for the deposition and pressing of ceramic powder to form non-planar surfaces, using porcelain gres without chamotte, enabling the creation of ceramic products with precise and faster processing, including shower trays with non-planar cross-sections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If plaster moulds are used to form ceramic pieces, then the moulding process is simple, but the moulds wear fast causing considerable variation in size between pieces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter of the mould from plaster to metal, which fundamentally alters the wear characteristics and dimensional stability. This parameter change resolves the contradiction by maintaining ease of manufacture while achieving consistent piece dimensions through the durable metal mould that does not wear fast like plaster moulds.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a composite approach by combining metal mould material with ceramic powder and water to create a slurry that is then pressed. This composite process allows the metal mould to provide dimensional stability while the ceramic slurry provides the necessary formability, resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture and manufacturing precision.
2Stability of the object's composition
If fireclay with chamotte is used, then deformability is reduced, but strength decreases and water absorption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material composition parameter by eliminating chamotte from the ceramic mix and using pure porcelain gres powder instead. This parameter change resolves the contradiction by achieving both low deformability (through the metal mould's rigid constraints) and high strength (through the dense porcelain gres structure without chamotte porosity).
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical role of chamotte (which provides structural stability) with the mechanical constraints of the metal mould. The mould's rigid walls provide the necessary form stability during pressing, allowing the ceramic material to be formed without chamotte while maintaining both low deformability and high strength.
3Strength
If porcelain gres powder is pressed using conventional presses, then mechanical strength is achieved, but non-planar surfaces cannot be formed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a movable plug that can be positioned at different locations within the mould cavity. This dynamic element allows the pressing process to adapt to different desired surface shapes by adjusting the plug position, thereby enabling the formation of non-planar surfaces while maintaining mechanical strength through controlled pressing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the pressing action by using a movable plug that can be positioned at specific locations to create different surface profiles. This segmentation allows different regions of the ceramic piece to have different thicknesses and shapes, enabling non-planar surfaces while maintaining overall structural integrity and strength.
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
The solution allows for the production of compact and resistant ceramic products with non-planar surfaces, overcoming material and mold wear issues, and enabling efficient production of shower trays with consistent dimensions and drainage functionality.
Implementation Method 1
a deformable membrane (3), resting on the rigid support (1)... the movable plug (5) is pushed outside the insertion seat (2)... pushing the deformable membrane (3)... creating local non-planar zones on the outer surface of the membrane (3)
Implementation Method 2
moving towards each other, they create a high pressure on a layer of ceramic powder 'P' interposed between them
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4~4A
Figure 5~5A
AI summary
A mould (ST) for making, using a ceramic powder (P), ceramic products with a non-planar cross-section, preferably shower trays, having a lower half-mould (I), which comprises a rigid support, a deformable membrane (3) and a movable plug (5), and an upper half-mould (S) suitably shaped to match. The plug (5) moves in such a way that the lower half-mould (I) adopts two configurations, in particular a depositing configuration where the ceramic powder (P) is deposited on the membrane (3) suitably deformed by the plug (5) and a pressing configuration wherein the plug (5) returns to the initial position and the two half-moulds are made to match. A method is also described for making ceramic products starting from ceramic powder (P) using the above-mentioned mould (ST).