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RAW MATERIALThe choice of raw material and its rigorous selection using very strict criteria are the basis of the success of the project.
Limestone and hard granite come from the four corners of the earth. They are brought in cut blocks by lorry with either a rough or polished surface depending on the material. They come in blocks of 20-30-40-50-60-80-100-120-150-180-200 mm or thicker. The blocks, which sometimes weigh over 3 tonnes, are manipulated with the aid of bridge cranes and power lift trucks.
TRACINGThe tracing and bonding of the pieces to be cut is carried out with consideration for the specific features of the stone :
The choice of design and graining is very important for the overall aesthetic effect.
CUTTINGThe cutting of the stones is carried out by two debiteuses equipped with diamond discs chilled by water.
One is digitally controlled and with an optoelectronic copier: it allows programmed cutting and automatic moulding according to a 1/1 layout.
The second debiteuse has been adapted for the specific works of milling, turning and moulding.
The speed at which the debiteuse advances depends on the hardness of the material: the depth of each cut can be just a few cms in hard materials like granite or 20cm at once in softer stones like Pierre de France. All the cutting and polishing machines use tools which are chilled and cleaned by water. The company has an installation for catching rainwater and a reserve of 35000 litres distributed among three settling tanks. The water filled with sawing or polishing mud is pumped, filtered and return to the machine supply circuit. The mud recovered in this way can be sent to disposal containers.. POLISHINGSome blocks or cut pieces have to polished, retouched or ground.
The repeated use of rotating grindstones grind then polish the stone. It is only after polishing that a stone shows its true colouring and veining. The grindstones used are based on diamond or corundum and resin. Each set of grindstones has a number showing how fine the grains are, going from the largest (the most abrasive) to the finest: Grains 24 - 36 - 80 - 120 - 320 - 600 - 800 - 1000, etc ... The composition of a grindstone differs according to the type of stone (marble, granite). POLISHING OF SURFACES
Polishing equipment (granular plane 320, diamonded segments, etching plane)
POLISHING OF EDGESThe edges of pieces should be sanded or polished.
The 9-headed polisher polishes the straight edges of 10 to 80 mm on marble and granite at a speed of 30 to 220cm per minute. Polishing stones of different hardness is achieved by combining the settings: running speed, head pressure (from 1.5 to 3.3kg/cm²), choice of grindstone grains, oscillating movement of grindstone-carrying heads. Abrasive grindstones (6 for the edges ? 2 for the upper chamfer ? 1 for the lower chamfer) are composed of an alloy of resin and corundum or diamonds. This polisher is equipped with diamond tooling for grading thickness, shaping edges and milling drip routes (for sills).
MANUAL POLISHING
MOULDINGThe moulding of thin stones is carried out either by debiteuses (see 3/ Cutting) or by a portable milling machine. This machine slides over the stone, like aquaplaning, whilst the abrasive mill forms the mould on the edge of the stone. Normally this machine is used for edges up to 50mm wide.
The 3 steps are rough shaping, smoothing, polishing. The models are 1/4 circle, 1/2 circle, flattened moulding etc...
SANDINGThe piece is completely covered with a cutout protection stencil in the shape of the object or motif to be engraved. The parts where the stencil has been removed will be engraved. On the parts covered by the stencil the abrasive substance will have no effect on the material.
The block is placed in a sanding chamber. The operator, located outside the chamber, directs a jet of corundum at a pressure of2.6kg/cm² towards the parts of the stone to be engraved. The time it remains in one place on the stone determines the depth of engraving, which can range from a few millimetres to one centimetre..
COMPLETIONAfter cutting and polishing the pieces for a project are put together, the joints are graded, it is checked that the pieces conform to the details of the plan and their fitting is checked... in summary, it is the final, detailed, finishing phase to ensure a careful and successful piece of work.
At this final stage we use circular saws and sanders, often dry. The dust produced by this finishing work is removed by a waterwall; 22000 m³ of air are removed per hour and pass into a cloud of water which extracts the dust particles and reduces them to mud, all at room temperature.
Different phases of finishing
Pre-assembled fireplace with Ruegg hearth for problem-free assembly in the BATIBOUW exhibition in Brussels JOINERYThe company has joinery equipment to complete the decorative fireplaces and other fittings.
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