A multi-zone cementitious product, which includes a base zone made of a first cementitious material composition and forming a portion of the product. At least one facing zone is adjacent to and bonded to the base zone, the facing zone made of a second cementitious material composition and forming at least one exterior face of said product which is visible when the product is installed. A disrupted boundary layer is between the facing zone and the base zone, and includes material from both the facing zone and the base zone. The disrupted boundary layer bonds the facing zone to the base zone. The facing zone has a thickness sufficient to prevent the base zone from being visible when the product is installed.

A plant for manufacturing ceramic articles comprising two feeding devices, each of which is designed to contain a powder material of a respective type and to feed said powder material to a conveyor assembly; the plant further comprises an operating device which is designed to enable the output of the powder material selectively in the area of the feeding devices arranged successively and transversely to the feeding direction, and a control unit which controls the operating device depending on a desired reference distribution and how far the conveyor assembly feeds the power material.

Plant (2) for the production of slabs made of composite stone material from a mix (M) containing granules of stone or ceramic or glass material and a binder, comprising at least one temporary support or mould (S), a distributor for the mix (M) designed to distribute a layer of mix (M) on the temporary support or mould (S), a station (4) for performing compaction by means of vacuum vibro-compression of the mix (M) arranged on the temporary support or mould (S) and a station for hardening the mix (M) so as to form the finished slabs. The plant (2) comprises a device (1) positioned downstream of the distributor and upstream of the compaction station (4) and comprising means (16) which act on the top surface of the mix (M) for pre-compaction and levelling of the mix (M) arranged on the temporary support or mould (S). The invention also relates to a method for the production of slabs of composite stone material from a mix (M).

A method for decorating in thickness a ceramic slab, comprising the following steps: preparing, on a decoration surface (10), a first soft decorated layer (L1) of ceramic material endowed with a decoration (V); progressively transferring, by deposition, the soft decorated layer (L1) from the decoration surface (10) to a first deposition surface (50), situated at a lower height than the decoration surface (10), thus progressively forming on the first deposition surface (50) a second soft decorated layer (L2) which has a head (H) and a tail (T); progressively transferring, by deposition, the second soft decorated layer (L2) from the first deposition surface (50) to a second deposition surface (83), situated at a lower height than the first deposition surface (50), starting from the tail (T) of the second soft decorated layer (L2), thus progressively forming on the second deposition surface (83) a third soft decorated layer (L3).

A method for compacting ceramic powder; a layer of uncompacted ceramic powder is conveyed to a pressure device, which has a structured contact surface and comes into contact with the powder material so as to obtain a layer of compacted powder material having a structured surface; the pressure device comprises a first layer and a superficial layer arranged on the first layer; at least part of the superficial layer wears so as to uncover at least part of the first layer and obtain at least areas of the first outwardly exposed layer the areas of the first outwardly exposed layer are hardened by means of irradiation with UV radiations.

A device (100) for compacting a layer (MT) of powder material; the device (100) comprises a movable surface (12), which is designed to convey the layer (MT) of powder material in a predefined feeding direction (F); a compacting belt (22) positioned over the transport surface (12); a pressing station (40, 45, 50, 55), which is designed to press the compacting belt (22) towards the transport surface (12), so as to press the layer (MT) of powder material; and an expansion countering station (80), which is designed to counter the expansion of the layer (MT) of powder material downstream of the pressing station (40, 45, 50, 55) and comprises a pusher delivering a gas under pressure to create a pushing gas cushion (STR; STR*) on the compacting belt (22).

Embodiments of a system and a method for manufacturing a gypsum board include a forming assembly configured to form the gypsum board to be within a predetermined thickness range and to detect vibration at the forming assembly during the continuous manufacture of gypsum board that is indicative of a hardened lump of slurry that may cause manufacturing process problems being lodged at or passing through the forming assembly. The forming assembly includes first and second forming members, an actuator, a vibration sensor, and a controller. The vibration sensor is arranged with respect to one of the first and second forming members to detect the vibration of said forming member. The controller is programmed to control the actuator to increase the height between the second forming member and the first forming member by a predetermined amount in response to the vibration signal from the vibration sensor satisfying a condition.

A machine and method for compacting ceramic powder; a layer of non-compacted ceramic powder is conveyed in a direction of advance through a compacting device, which comprises a pressure belt with a continuous base layer, a contact layer, having a structured contact surface, and an identification code, which is designed to identify the pressure belt in a substantially unequivocal way; the machine further comprises a detector to detect the identification code and a control unit, which is designed to determine, as a function of what is detected by the detector, how much the pressure belt is used and/or how many times the pressure belt is fitted into and/or removed from the machine.

The invention relates to a method for the mass decoration of ceramic products, comprising the following steps: spreading, superposed on one another, a layer (L) of granular or powder material and a decorative layer (3) on a support surface (2); transferring the layer (L) from the support surface (2) to an accumulation belt (T1), contiguous and aligned to the support surface (2), which is located at a lower height than the support surface (2), wherein the accumulation belt (T1) is mobile in advancement at a speed that is different from the advancement speed of the support surface (2), so that a variation in the thickness and longitudinal extension of the layer (L) is produced; pressing the layer (L) and the decorative layer (3).

An apparatus for forming compacted powder products. The apparatus includes a powder supply system and a compacting station. An emitter emits an input X-ray beam having a predetermined emission intensity. An output detector detects an output parameter representing an output intensity of the X-ray beam which passes through the powders. A reference detector detects a reference parameter representing the effective intensity of the X-ray beam generated. A control unit is programmed to compensate the output parameter by means of the reference parameter and to generate a control signal representing the density detected and to control the powder supply system by means of the control signal.