Artificial Stone Slab Veining With Selective Cavity Stirring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for manufacturing artificial agglomerated stone slabs struggle to create chromatic effects that are not mere imitations of natural stones while maintaining visual appeal and resemblance to natural marble and veined stone materials, lacking controlled randomness and intentional visual asymmetry.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the deposition of a first mixture onto a surface, creation of cavities in the first layer, and subsequent deposition of a second mixture into these cavities, followed by stirring one wall portion of the cavity while leaving the other unaffected, resulting in a second layer that is compacted and hardened to achieve controlled randomness and intentional visual asymmetry.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If different pigmented mixtures are distributed separately to form veins or background components, then the simulation of natural stone appearance is achieved, but the chromatic effects lack controlled randomness and intentional visual asymmetry
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating cavities at specific locations within the first layer and selectively stirring only certain wall portions (first wall portion) while leaving others (second wall portion) unaffected. This localized differentiation creates intentional visual asymmetry and controlled randomness in the chromatic effects, resolving the contradiction between manufacturing precision and adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention directly implements asymmetry by deliberately treating different wall portions of cavities differently - one wall portion is stirred while the opposing wall portion remains unstirred. This asymmetric treatment produces the intended visual asymmetry and controlled randomness in the final chromatic effects, allowing the product to maintain both precision and versatility.
2Ease of manufacture
If multiple mixtures are combined to create veined appearance, then the aesthetic appeal resembling natural marble is achieved, but the process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by first creating cavities in the first layer before combining multiple pigmented mixtures. This preliminary structuring of the material allows subsequent mixtures to be deposited in a controlled manner into predetermined cavity locations, simplifying the overall process despite the multiple steps involved. The preliminary cavity creation enables systematic combination of mixtures to achieve the desired veined aesthetic appeal.
3Productivity
If cavities are created and filled with different mixtures, then new chromatic effects with color gradients are produced, but the manufacturing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the manufacturing process into distinct phases: creating cavities in the first layer, then filling specific cavities with second mixture, and selectively stirring only certain wall portions. This segmentation allows for efficient production of diverse chromatic effects by focusing operations on specific regions rather than treating the entire material uniformly, thereby reducing overall manufacturing time while maintaining product variety.
Data Source
Figure 1a~1b
Figure 2
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AI summary
The present invention is related to a method for manufacturing slabs of artificial agglomerated stone which comprises the following steps: a) depositing a first layer (1.1) of a first mixture (M1) onto a surface (2), the first layer having a first thickness h1, b) creating at least one cavity (3), having a width wi and a length Li, in the first layer (1.1) of the first mixture (M1), c) depositing a second mixture (M2) into the at least one cavity (3) of the first layer (1.1), forming a second layer (1.2) by the combination of first and second mixtures, the second layer having a second thickness h2, d) compacting and hardening the second layer (1.2), wherein the method further comprises after step c) and before step d), - inserting a first tool (5) at least partially into the second thickness h2 of the second layer (1.2), and - actuating the first tool (5), wherein the first tool (5) is configured to stir the first wall portion (4.1) while not stirring the second wall portion (4.2).