Tile Production
The almost standard use of the term "GRES PORCELLANATO PORCELAIN STONEWARE" indicates a dry-pressed and extremely compact ceramic product, with features of high resistance to flexure, scratching, abrasion, chemical and weather agents, and a very reduced porosity.
This material was initially used as an aesthetically poor product, and in the latest ten years only it has experienced a growing technological innovation in the large commercial and industrial building, thanks to more and more precious raw materials, so that its look has dramatically improved and high quality types have been achieved.
The market has recognized this qualitative leap with a strong increase in the request for this material type, more and more used in the commercial and residential building. All these factors led to invest resources and energies in the development of a thorough research caring for the customers' needs, creating a range of products that meets every requirement of the ceramic utilization.
Raw materials
The choice of the raw materials for the production of our "Porcelain stoneware" is perhaps the most important step of the production cycle. The components of the mixture are clays, feldspars, sands and kaolins chosen so as to confer to this mixture a high breaking resistance through a suitable sintering temperature.
The component clearness is extremely important so that the later addition of pigments can colour the mixtures in a bright and sharp way. The raw materials are wet-ground, that is adding water, thus obtaining a liquid mixture (30% of water), which is called "SLIP" in the ceramic slang. Before the next step, that is spray-drying, the mixture can be coloured with coloured non-organic oxides (pigments) that Have been previously ground. This natural or coloured mixture is then "SPRAY-DRIED", that is pumped at high pressure in spray-driers and then sprayed, thus getting very fine drops.
These drops generate the SPRAY DRIED PRODUCT a mixture of grains with different dimensions for a better powder compacting while PRESSING through a flow of heated air (about 600C)
Pressing
In this step the tile is obtained with a mechanical compression through very powerful hydraulic presses, with a power exceeding 500 kg/cm2 of pressed tile.
Drying
The tile is then conveyed to the dryers where the humidity level is dramatically reduced, preparing the product for the possible application of penetrating agents or glazes (GLAZED PORCELAIN STONEWARE) The glazing enables to get a product with significant esthetical features as well as the remarkable technical features offered by porcelain stoneware.
Firing
Top modem kilns, with refined flame emission systems, enable a steady temperature over 1250'C, thus removing every problem of different shades or firing. The very high temperature gets a completely sintered material, obtaining a very compact material with remarkable resistance to breakage, flexure, abrasion, scratching and chemical etching.
Sorting and Packing
At the kiln exit, the material is carefully sorted. Each piece is checked by electronic readers set with very reduced tolerances as for its dimensions, flatness and squareness. Shade and look undergo a visual check by specialized sorting operators.
The Novabell porcelain stoneware "GRES PORCELLANATO NOVA BELL" is packed dividing the material by article, choice class and then it is boxed and automatically placed on EUROPALLET protected by a water-proof plastic material (thermo-wrapping), which protects the package against weather agents.
We thank Brady Tiles for their valuable assistance in the creation of this website