The buzz is out on home décor trends for the year and interior décor stylists are rooting for abstract geometric prints, bohemian themes and special effects. Most of these involve lustres and pearlescents, bright colours, eclectic patterns and radiant finishes. Remodeling floors and walls are a surefire way to lend an instant style makeover. Classic ceramic tiles are making their way into homes and offices in different ways now than ever before as a major element of interior design. Infuse unique characters or weave a story through the ancient art of ceramics to create motion, tactility and dimension in your living space.
With a plethora of decorating apps online, visualizing a “decorating project” is just a click away, thanks to advanced technology. Similar breakthroughs are happening in artisanal practices for ceramic tiling in modern-day production too. This is helping manufacturers meet and even surpass standards in artistic experimentations.
Consider the case of ceramic tiles which had humble beginnings at a potter’s wheel and fire kiln. Shifting dynamics to current day; air and not fire is now more pivotal in lending it character and purpose. Compressed air in pneumatic tools is being increasingly used to create a variety of decorating effects on ceramic tiles that result in more bold and dynamic formats.
Besides interior décor, ceramic tiles have made groundbreaking advances in other fields too. Synonymous with strength and durability, a ceramic tile can easily withstand a compressive pressure of 500 MPa which is equivalent to withstanding 10 elephants per tile! No wonder then that ceramic tiling holds an important place in cutting-edge rocket engineering technology. Ceramic insulating tiles are used to insulate space shuttles from extraordinary temperatures generated when they re-enter into the earth’s atmosphere.
Different methods may be used in the process of ceramic manufacturing with a wide range of raw materials and different shapes, sizes and colours. However, the general manufacturing process of ceramic products is relatively standardised. This is where compressed air tools are significantly boosting efficiency and quality at faster rates than conventional ones.
Screen printing designs call for tiles with dry surfaces that are free from contaminants. Compressed air in pneumatic tools aid in removing tile chips and moisture, so different decorative materials can be printed onto complex surfaces and into uneven printing surfaces. Presses use compressed air for tile molds and these are primary tools for large scale operations that need high-volume precision in design. Air chisels commonly referred to as air hammers are pneumatic air tools that channel the power of pressurised air to grind ceramic tiles into small fragments and remove them easily. An important part of ceramic tile manufacturing involves glazing which is essentially the art of applying an aesthetic finish. Using an airbrush that uses compressed air technology, tiles can be sprayed with a glazing suspension for quick results.
Compressed air also actuates various pneumatic devices that facilitate shifting and movement of tiles including tile movements in the conveyor belts. Considering the volume of competition, demand for innovative designs and need for large scale production, compressed air seems to be the go-to solution.
The choice of compressor tools makes all the difference in the yield and quality of such manufacturing processes. ELGi is one of the leading air compressor manufacturers in the world with a diverse range of products. To learn more about air compressors and related products that ELGi offers, visit our website here.