CeramicProducts

Steps of Ceramics Processing:
What exactly is Ceramics? Ceramics can be defined as a class of inorganic, nonmetallic solids that are subjected to high temperatures for manufacturing use. Ceramic products that are produced from unrefined clay and combinations of refined clay and powdered or granulated non-plastic minerals – i.e. pottery/stoneware/chinaware/porcelain/etc. In order to create these end products, the ceramic matter needs to go through the traditional manufacturing process which goes as following:

Milling & Raw Material Procurement: The raw materials used in the process are milled materials typically found in mining sites that have been reduced from a large size to smaller sizes or even in some cases, pulverized depending upon the end product. The idea is to liberate any impurities in the materials allowing for better mixing and forming which in essence produces a more reactive material when firing.

Sizing: Remember I told you vibration would come into play? Here it is! During this step in the processing sequence, the materials that have undergone the milling and procurement process must be sized to separate desirable material from non-usable. By controlling the particle size, the result will give you proper bonding and a smooth surface on the finished product. This can be accomplished using Fine Mesh Vibratory Sifting Equipment such as our HK Single Motor Sifter when dealing with dry, fine powder mixes in ceramics. Multiple mesh sizes are available. Screen deck sizes vary depending on slurry thickness and the percentage of the solids present in the mix. We have also provided a Ceramics producers with larger scale screener, such as our model EMS Electromechanical Screener, which can handle a higher load capacity and works well when the slurry contains larger pieces of materials.

We had a customer who contacted us to create a vibratory solution for their ceramics processing. The company produced insulating fire brick that are used for industrial applications. They wanted to remove the rejects or oversized regrind brick after the bricks had undergone the crushing process. Using Cleveland Vibrator’s Vibratory Screener, they were able to consolidate the useful materials and repurposed it for the next batch of brick.

Batching: This part of the process can also be known as”blending” which calculates amounts, weighing and initial blended of the raw materials. For consistent material flow into a pub mill hopper, Vibratory Feeders can be applied in the process. If you have a light load capacity and a dusty hazardous environment, CF-A Air Powered Feeders are a great option. However, it is not as standard as the EMF Electromechanical Feeder can provide a multitude of forces and frequencies. Though EMF Models are not typically used in dusty, hazardous environments, they can be fit with explosion proof Rotary Electric Vibrators to handle a larger load capacity.

Mixing: To obtain a more chemically and physically homogeneous material prior to forming, the constituents of the ceramic powder is combined using the method of mixing or blunging. Most often, pug mills are the preferred piece of machinery used in this step of the process when dealing with dry mixes. It is also important to add binders or plasticizers as well. For wet slurry mixtures, a filter press would remove the water from the slurry and yield the clay body from the mix. For these wet mixtures, deflocculants and antifoaming agents are added to improve the processing of the materials.

Forming: For this step, the materials such as dry powders, pastes or slurries are consolidated and molded to produce a cohesive body of whatever end product is desired. In the particular case of dry forming, vibratory compaction can be used to achieve the desired shape. For molds of a smaller scale with a lighter load, Vibratory Jogger Tables may be desired but in cases that the mold is large, FA Flat Deck Vibratory Tables can be used. Simply providing the weight of the mold/materials and scale of the mold as well should help make the selection of proper vibratory compaction table relatively easy.

Drying: The formed materials hold water and binder in its mix that can in turn cause shrinkage, warping or distortion of the product. Generally convection drying is the most commonly used method in which heated air is circulated around the ceramic piece that alleviates the risk of such imperfections in the final product.

Glazing: Referring back to traditional ceramics, this step is added to the process prior to firing. Typically, the glaze consists of oxides that give the product the desired finish look. The raw materials are ground in a ball mill or attrition mill. We have provided customers with Vibratory Screeners that screened the glaze in order to give the mixture a uniform consistency that when applied to the ceramic, would be smooth and even. The glaze can be applied using the spraying or dipping methods.

Firing: Also known as sintering or densification, the ceramics pass through a controlled heat process where the oxides are consolidated into a dense, cohesive body made up of uniform grain. Some general points to remember about different types of firing end products:

Short Firing Time gives you a final product that is porous and low density. Short: Intermediate Firing Time results in fine-grained, high-strength products. Long Firing Time produces a coarse-grained product that is creep resistant which means the material will not distort when under a load for an extended period of time.

The Ceramics Industry is one too large to cover in one blog so I suppose tackling the technical ceramics process at a later date may be an idea so stay tuned. Do you have a Ceramic Application that may require vibration in its processing? We are happy to help. Contact a Sales Team Member today!

Note: This is the basic information, If you want to start it as a project in industry level please have a practical experience or basic education regarding this.

Wishing you all the best,
http://www.seeyourneeds.in