Artificial stone is a modern and distinctive alternative to natural stone, characterized by durability, reasonable cost, and a variety of colors and designs. In this article, we review the manufacturing stages through our visit to Al-Mukaab Factory, where we learned about the details of the production process and the techniques used to ensure quality.
Raw Materials Used in Artificial Stone Manufacturing
The artificial stone manufacturing process relies on a set of essential raw materials, which are:
- Stone aggregate: as a primary component in its composition, providing strength and a natural appearance.
- Silica: to enhance the stone’s resistance to weather conditions and provide the required durability.
- Cement: the binding material that gives the stone cohesion and strength.
- Chemical additives: added to improve its properties, such as increasing resistance, reducing absorption, and enhancing coloring.
Mixing and Calibration Process in Artificial Stone Manufacturing
After preparing the raw materials, they are fed into the conveyor belt in carefully measured proportions to ensure consistency in production. This process ensures that each batch is identical in specifications and quality. The mixture then moves to the mixing device where the materials are homogenized together before being poured into the molds.
Using Molds in Shaping Artificial Stone
Plastic molds with designs replicated from natural stones are used, carefully prepared to take the shape of the original stone. This is done by placing what is called the mother stone on a platform, then placing a smooth raw plastic mold, after which the curves and surface of the natural mother stone are imprinted onto the plastic mold through pneumatic suction technology, where the mold is pressed against the stone surface to copy its fine details. Afterward, the mold is transferred to the mixture feeding device mentioned earlier to begin the manufacturing process. It should be noted that the mold manufacturing process is repeated approximately every 4-5 times, as the mold deteriorates after being used this number of times, since using it after it is worn out will result in producing stone below the required quality level.
Drying and Setting Process
After pouring the materials into the molds, we place them on a vibrating belt to ensure even distribution of the mixture inside the mold, which prevents the formation of voids and allows the stone to reach maximum possible strength. Afterward, we leave the molds on special racks for drying for a specified period before removing the mold and obtaining the final stone surface.
Storage and Distribution
After the drying stage is complete, we remove the molds from the artificial stones, then transfer them to designated storage yards, where they are ready for shipping and distribution to various projects, whether for use in architectural facades, flooring, or interior decoration.
Its Benefits and Why We Consider It a Practical Alternative?
At Khadash for Housing, we use artificial stone extensively due to its numerous advantages, including:
- Variety of colors and designs, providing more options for designers and architects.
- Ease of installation and maintenance, as it does not require extensive care like natural stone.
- High resistance to weather conditions and moisture.
- Artificial stone has a very low water absorption capacity not exceeding 2.9%, which gives it a Grade A classification according to the National Building Code, unlike many types of natural stone that suffer from this problem with rates reaching 6-9% and require additional waterproofing and treatment stages after construction, which are temporary and last up to 5 years at best before needing waterproofing renewal.
- Very high hardness and strength comparable to the finest types of natural stone. The breaking strength of an artificial stone sample reaches 60 megapascals, the same value obtained by identical samples of common natural stone types used in construction.
Therefore, artificial stone is considered an ideal choice for many architectural projects due to its multiple advantages, and with the development of its manufacturing techniques, it has become a worthy competitor to natural stone. This is because it combines the features of natural stone from various types.
