This document describes systems and processes for forming stone slabs, which may be suitable for use in living or working spaces (e.g., along a countertop, table, floor, shower surrounds, tiles, or the like). In some embodiments, the stone slabs may be processed by partially filling a mold with a particulate mineral mix, and preparing a top surface of the particulate mineral mix to received one or more additional materials.

A method for producing engineered stone slabs which includes: compressing composite material to form compressed composite material; fragmenting the compressed composite material into a plurality of fragments of composite material; depositing colorant in a predefined region onto at least part of side walls of some of the plurality of fragments of composite material; and using a device to press, flatten and stretch the plurality of fragments of composite material into a slab. The method may further include moving one or more of the plurality of fragments without substantially breaking or deforming them to form a channel in the plurality of fragments prior to depositing colorant in the predefined region. The device may include a first press roller and a second press roller; wherein the plurality of fragments pass between the first and second press rollers to press, flatten and stretch the plurality of fragments of composite material into the slab.

A method for manufacturing slabs made of stone or stone-like agglomerate material and having decorations and/or chromatic effects, including steps of machining at least one surface of the slab by means of sizing and/or polishing, applying a dispersed ink containing pigments on the at least one machined surface, drying the dispersed ink, penetration, by means of diffusion, of the pigments of the dispersed ink into the slab following a change in state of the pigments, to realize the decorations and/or the chromatic effects, cooling the slab, removing the excess or residual dispersed ink from the at least one surface of the slab, and applying a layer of functional compound on the at least one surface of the slab. Also relating to a slab of stone or stone-like agglomerate material including at least one surface with decorations and/or chromatic effects and a working intermediate for manufacture thereof.

Presented and described is a method for manufacturing concrete elements having at least one concrete layer, wherein concrete for at least one element is introduced into a mould, the concrete is compacted by vibration and/or by tamping and subsequently cures, wherein to the concrete layer, prior to compaction, at least one portion of a granular material is applied by means of an application device, where the concrete introduced into the mould has a water/binder (w/b) ratio of 0.30 to 0.50 prior to curing and where as granular material a material is used comprising (a) a scatter component having an average particle diameter of 0.1 to 5 mm in an amount of 65 to 95 wt % and (b) binder in an amount of 5 to 35 wt %, based in each case on the overall composition of the granular material.

A method for manufacturing ceramic articles is described comprising a step of feeding, during which at least two different ceramic powders are fed so as to obtain a strip of ceramic powders having at least a first zone and at least a second zone having a given shape; a step of compacting, during which the strip of ceramic powders is compacted so as to obtain a compacted layer of ceramic powders, which is expanded relative to the strip of ceramic powders; a step of determination, during which expansion of the layer of powders is determined; and a step of printing, during which a decoration having a modified shape based on the given expansion is applied on the surface of the compacted layer of ceramic powders.

In the present disclosure, an engineered stone is provided. The engineered stone includes a first full-body stone pattern, a second full-body stone pattern and a printed stone pattern. The first full-body stone pattern includes a first stone formulation. The second full-body stone pattern includes a second stone formulation, and the second stone formulation is different from the first stone formulation, wherein the first full-body stone pattern and the second full-body stone pattern are located on a front surface, a plurality of side surfaces and a back surface opposite to the front surface of the engineered stone. The printed stone pattern is located on the front surface of the engineered stone, and the printed stone pattern is overlapped with the first full-body stone pattern and the second full-body stone pattern.

Means for dispensing a powdery coloring substance onto the surface of a mix comprising stone, stone-like, glass or ceramic material. The means comprise at least one dispensing device for containing and dispensing a powdery coloring substance and at least one spreading device. The spreading device comprises at least one moving perforated plate which receives a metered amount of said coloring substance from the dispensing device and distributes it over the surface of the mix.

Stone slabs, and systems and methods of forming slabs, are described. Some example slabs include a first pattern defined by a first particulate mineral mix and a second pattern defined by a second particulate mineral mix different from the first particulate mineral mix. Locations of the first pattern have a first average thickness perpendicular to the slab width and the slab length, and locations of the second pattern have a second average thickness perpendicular to the slab width and the slab length that is different from the first average thickness.

A method for realising a ceramic slab, comprising the following steps: arranging on a first deposition plane (50) a decorated layer (L2) provided with a decoration (200), gradually depositing the decorated soft layer (L2) from a head (H) to a tail (T); gradually transferring the soft layer (L2) by deposition from the first deposition plane (50) to a second deposition plane (83), placed at a lower height than the first deposition plane (50), starting from the tail (T) of the second soft layer (L2), gradually realising a second layer (L3) on the second deposition plane (83).

Method for manufacturing automatically slabs of conglomerate stone and/or ceramic material with a veined effect from a base mix (M), which method comprises a step of a) depositing a layer of base mix (M) inside a temporary support (S), (b) automatically forming on the layer of base mix (M) at least one plurality of grooves (F) of predetermined width, c) automatically distributing at least one dye inside the grooves (F) and d) compacting the layer of base mix (F). The at least one dye consists of a colouring mix (C1, C2) comprising at least one binder. The invention also relates to a robot island (1) for forming veining in a layer of base mix (M) for the manufacture of slabs and an apparatus for manufacturing slabs with a veined effect.