Ceramics process
Decaled Dinnerware
1.Milling
Various raw materials including feldspar, silica, clay and pottery stone are mixed and fine-milled in the ball mill.
2.Filter press & Vacuum extrusion
The clay body is made by filter-pressing the slip. The pressed body de-aired and extruded to the required size through the pug mill.
3.Green Making
Using appropriated roller head and plaster mould, green body is formed. For the irregular shapes such as teapots and figurines, slip casting is used. In casting, liquid clay (slip) is poured into plaster moulds and the green shape forms on the mould as the water is absorbed through the plaster mould.
4.Finishing
The rough edges and foot of the green ware are cleaned with wet sponge by automatic edge-cleaning machine or by skilled hand
5.Glazing
To seal the surface of the biscuit body and to give the product its glossy finish, glaze is applied using automatic glaze spraying line.
6.Glost firing
Carefully loading the glazed ware onto a kiln car, the glazed ware is fired at 1280∑ C. At the temperature, the glaze powder melts and turns into a transparent glass layer covering the biscuit body. The glost-fired ware is inspected and ready for the decoration.
7.Lithography
The printed decal is transferred onto the glost ware and dried.
8.Decoration firing
The decal and the ware are fired at appropriated temperatures and the printed patterns permanently fuse onto the glaze layer to give permanent durable decoration.
9.Inspeciton & Packaging
Experienced eyes in the inspection area checks for possible faults in the ware and the finished ware is packaged as necessary
Handpainted Dinnerware
1.Milling
Various raw materials including feldspar, silica, clay and pottery stone are mixed and fine-milled in the ball mill.
2.Filter press & Vacuum extrusion
The clay body is made by filter-pressing the slip. The pressed body de-aired and extruded to the required size through the pug mill.
3.Green Making
Using appropriated roller head and plaster mould, green body is formed. For the irregular shapes such as teapots and figurines, slip casting is used. In casting, liquid clay (slip) is poured into plaster moulds and the green shape forms on the mould as the water is absorbed through the plaster mould.
4.Finishing
The rough edges and foot of the green ware are cleaned with wet sponge by automatic edge-cleaning machine or by skilled hand
5.Handpainting
The picture is drawn or painted by hands,then dried.
6.Glazing
To seal the surface of the biscuit body and to give the product its glossy finish, glaze is applied using automatic glaze spraying line.
7.Glost firing
Carefully loading the glazed ware onto a kiln car, the glazed ware is fired once again at 1280∑ C. At the temperature, the glaze powder melts and turns into a transparent glass layer covering the biscuit body. The glost-fired ware is inspected and ready for the decoration.
8.Inspeciton & Packaging
Experienced eyes in the inspection area checks for possible faults in the ware and the finished ware is packaged as necessary
Glaze
Glaze is a glassy material that seals the surface of the sintered body. The glaze layer keeps the body from absorbing moisture and imparts to the body the smoothness and gloss finish. The glaze can be either transparent or opaque and is made up though careful chemical formulation. The glaze raw material is ground up in water and can be applied onto the ware by automatic spraying machine or by hand. The glaze application is a critical step in the process as the fired appearance of the glaze more or less decides the finished look on the product. In addition to all the required physical and chemical properties of the glaze, the material, being in contact with the food, also needs to be non-harzadous to our health.
Lithographic Decal
The lithographic decals made to the required artwork provided locally or by the foreign buyers. The decal production starts with the separation of individual colors from the original artwork, from which positive films are generated. The films are exposed onto the silk screen. Using appropriated ceramic colors, the designs are printed onto backing sheet which is coated with water-soluble gum. The printed pattern is slid off the paper by soaking the decal in water and applied onto the ware. After decoration-firing, the ceramic colors remain and fuse onto the ware.
Body
By mixing and grinding various types of raw materials such as clay, silica, and flux, a clay body is formed. The plastic clay body gives the shape and strength to the ceramic ware. Well-known example of a clay body is fine bone china body which contains 50% bone ash.