A machine that carves ceramic tiles before they're fired
Process development, a proof-of-concept machine and a full-scale prototype for carving clinker ceramic plates in their green state, for architectural decoration.
The idea was to make patterns and reliefs part of the ceramic tile itself, for architectural surfaces. My job was to work out how: carve the tiles while the clay is still unfired, and build machines that could do it repeatably.
I developed the process and the hardware together. First came a small proof-of-concept machine for testing how the unfired material could be shaped, then a full-scale prototype.
The method described in the patent application cuts dried clay tiles with a non-rotating carving tool, controlling the angles at which the tool enters and leaves the material.
The full-scale prototype was shown at a few trade shows, in front of walls of carved tiles. The project went no further than that demonstration stage.
I’m the sole inventor named on the published international patent application WO2018063066A1, “A carving machine and a method of operating a carving machine”. It was published in April 2018, with Tilemark Sweden AB as the assignee.
