A manufacturing method of the honeycomb structure has a forming step of forming a honeycomb formed body having partition walls defining a plurality of cells; a convex end portion forming step of forming a convex end portion including a convex end face in the obtained honeycomb formed body; a mounting step of directing downward one end face on which the convex end portion is formed and mounting the honeycomb formed body on a shelf plate; a firing step of firing the honeycomb formed body mounted on the shelf plate to form a honeycomb fired body; and an end face grinding step of grinding one end face of the honeycomb fired body to remove the convex end portion.

A manufacturing method of a honeycomb structure include a forming step of extruding a kneaded material including a forming raw material by use of a horizontal forming machine include a forming die in which latticed slits are formed in a kneaded material discharge surface, to obtain a round pillar-shaped honeycomb formed body having latticed partition walls; and a firing step of firing the obtained honeycomb formed body to prepare the honeycomb structure. In the forming step, there is used the forming die in which there are formed the slits different in lattice shape between a central portion and a circumferential portion in the kneaded material discharge surface, and the forming die is disposed in an orientation in which an inclination of one row of the latticed slits formed in the central portion is within an angle of 10 to a vertical direction, to extrude the kneaded material in a horizontal direction.

A system (100) for manufacturing an extrudate (10), such as a honeycomb body, is provided. The system comprises an extruder (102). The extruder is configured to form an extrudate from a wet mixture, such as a ceramic forming mixture. The system further comprises a radiative heat assembly (104). The radiative heat assembly is configured to heat the extrudate. The radiative heat assembly comprises one or more IR light sources (112). The one or more IR light sources are arranged as one or more rings around the extrudate. The system further comprises a differential pressure assembly (108). The differential pressure assembly is configured to remove at least a portion of water vapor from around the extrudate. The differential pressure assembly can direct an air flow out of a chamber (136) formed by a housing (132) surrounding the radiative heat assembly. Alternatively, the differential pressure assembly can direct an air flow into the chamber.

Disclosed herein is a method and apparatus for back end control of translation and rotation of green ware (e.g., producible from ceramic extrudate). A green ware handling system (102) includes a back end assembly (129) that contacts a back end face (118B) of a green ware (116) and moves to push the green ware (116) along the support channel (114). In certain embodiments, the green ware handling assembly (102) includes a leading end assembly (128) to pull the green ware (116) and then transfer control to the back end assembly (129), which translates and also optionally rotates the green ware (116). This handoff increases the overall production rate of the green ware (116). In certain embodiments, the back end assembly (129) penetrates the back end face (118B) of the green ware (116) with cleat penetration features (312) to provide a secure engagement with the green ware (116) to rotate and translate the green ware (116) while also decreasing a depth of damage to the green ware (116).

A ring tray for honeycomb substrate firing, the ring tray supporting a honeycomb substrate having cell flow channels partitioned by cell walls, so that the flow channel direction is vertical during substrate firing, the ring tray including a ring-shaped frame part, a support part further inside than the frame part, and a connecting part connecting the frame part and support part, and the ring tray being configured so that when the honeycomb substrate is mounted on the ring tray, the support part does not contact an outer peripheral edge of a lower end surface of the honeycomb substrate, and contacts a portion of an internal region of the lower end surface of the honeycomb substrate, and is thus able to support the lower end of the honeycomb substrate, and the frame part and the connecting part do not contact the lower end surface of the honeycomb substrate.

There is disclosed a method capable of effectively suppressing deformation when a honeycomb formed body formed by horizontal extrusion is supported by a cradle, and supporting even a large honeycomb formed body so that cell wall buckling hardly occur and a high shape accuracy is kept, wherein the lowermost end of a supporting surface of the cradle is located below the lowermost end of the honeycomb formed body immediately after extruded through the die during the horizontal movement, and a distance in a vertical direction between the lowermost end of the honeycomb formed body immediately after extruded through the die and the lowermost end of the supporting surface of the cradle is from 5 to 15 mm during the horizontal movement when a honeycomb formed body extruded through a die in a horizontal direction by extrusion is supported by a cradle.

The present invention relates to a support structure configured for drying clay forms while being supported thereon. The support structure comprises a rectangular support surface provided with perforations, having two short and two long perimeter edges, and four support walls extending perpendicularly from the perimeter edges in the same direction. Each support wall is provided at its edge facing away from the support surface with a support wall flange extending parallel to and beneath the support surface. Optionally, the support structure includes a U-shaped reinforcement profile extending parallel to the long support walls between the support walls extending from the short perimeter edges. The ends of each leg of the U-shaped reinforcement profile are provided with securing elements extending perpendicularly to the legs, by which the reinforcement profile is attached to the support surface.