Design of a machine to rectify ceramic tiles for laboratory tests

Abstract

The tile rectification process, also called squaring, consists of machining the edges of the tile to make them straight, parallel two by two and perpendicular to the other two in addition to controlling the size of the tile (calibrating). The current industrial lines are based on multiple heads (abrasive wheels) where the characterization of the process in terms of product quality and power consumption is hard to be conducted. In this work we present a laboratory machine equipped with a single grinding wheel to be used for testing and simulating the working conditions of a conventional rectification tile. The specifications of the machine that are required and the analysis of the different functional systems designed (clamping and motion, cutting, cooling, structure/enclosure, and electrical/control system) is reported. This machine may lead researchers to characterize the rectification process and propose actions for improving the efficiency and the sustainability of the industrial process.