Modern brick production

Modern brick production

{Basically|Essentially|Fundamentally}, the process of brickmaking has not changed {since the|because the|considering that the} first fired bricks were produced some thousands of years ago. The steps used then {are being used} today, but with refinements. {The various|The different|The many} phases of manufacture are as follows: securing the clay, beneficiation, mixing and forming, drying, firing, and cooling.
Securing the {clay|clay-based|clay surfaces}
Clays used today are more varied than those {utilized by|employed by} the first brickmakers. Digging, mining, and various methods of grinding {allow|permit} the modern manufacturer to utilize many raw materials.

Clays used in brickmaking represent {an array of|a variety of} materials {that include|including|which include} varying percentages of silica and alumina. They may be grouped in {three|3} classes: (1) surface clays found near or on the surface of the Earth, typically in {river|water|lake} bottoms; (2) shales, clays {subjected to|put through|exposed to} high geologic {pressures|stresses|challenges} and varying in {hardness|firmness|solidity} from a slate to {a form of|a type of|a kind of} partially decomposed {rock|rock and roll|mountain}; and (3) fireclays, found deeper under the surface and requiring mining. Fireclays have {a more|a far more|an even more} uniform {chemical|chemical substance|substance} composition than surface clays or shale.
Surface clays are typically recovered by means of power shovels, bulldozers with scraper {blades|cutting blades|rotor blades}, and dragline operations. Shales are recovered by blasting and power shovels. Fireclays are mined by {conventional|standard|regular} techniques.
Beneficiation
Raw clays {are often|in many cases are|tend to be} blended to obtain a more uniform {consistency|regularity|uniformity}. In many cases the material is ground to reduce large rocks or clumps of clay to usable size {and is|and it is|and is also} {positioned|put|located} in storage sheds. {As|Because|Since} additional material is stored, samples are blended from a cross section of the storage pile. The material {is then|can now be|can then be} transferred to secondary grinders and {screens|displays|monitors} (if necessary) {to secure|to obtain|to generate} the optimum particle size for mixing with water. {In certain|In some|In a few} processes (e. g., soft-mud) the clay is {transferred|moved|transmitted} directly to the {mixing|combining|blending} area, eliminating all {grinding|milling|mincing}, screening, and blending.
{Mixing|Combining|Blending} and {forming|developing|creating}
All clays must be mixed with water to form the finished product. The amount of water added will {be based upon|rely upon} {the nature of|the size of} the clays and their plasticity. {This|This kind of} water is removed during drying and firing, which causes shrinkage of the units; to compensate for this shrinkage the {molds are|conforms are|forms are} made {larger than|bigger than} the desired finished products.
{Three|3} basic processes {are being used} in the forming and {mixing|combining|blending} phase. In the stiff-mud process the clay is {mixed with|combined with} water to {render|make|give} it plastic, after which it is forced through a die that extrudes a column of {clay|clay-based|clay surfaces} like the toothpaste {squeezed|compressed|squashed} from a tube (see the Figure). The {column|line|steering column} gives two dimensions of the unit being {manufactured|produced|made}; it is cut {to give the|to have the|to achieve the} third dimension. All {structural|strength} clay tile is made {by this|at this time|with this} process, as is a great percentage of brick.
{In the|Inside the} older method of forming bricks, the soft-mud process, {much more|a lot more|far more} {water is|drinking water is} used, and {the mix is|the combo is} {positioned|put|located} in wooden {molds|conforms|forms} to form the size unit desired. To keep the clay from {sticking|adhering|staying}, the molds are {lubricated|lubed|oiled} with sand or {water|drinking water|normal water}; after they {are filled|and so are}, {excess|extra|excessive} clay is struck from the top of the mold. It is from this process that the {conditions} wood-mold, sand-struck, or water-struck brick were {derived|produced|extracted}. Clays with very low plasticity {are being used} in the dry-press process. {A minimum of|No less than|At least} {water is|drinking water is} added, {the material is|the fabric is} {positioned|put|located} in steel molds, and pressures up to {1|you|one particular}, 500 pounds per {square|sq .|rectangular} inch (10, 000 kilopascals) are applied.
 {Drying|Drying out|Blow drying}
{After|Following} the bricks are {formed|created|shaped}, they must be {dried|dried out|dried up} {to remove|to get rid of|to eliminate} as much free water {as possible|as is possible|as it can be}. (They could literally explode if {subjected|exposed|put through} to fire without {drying|drying out|blow drying}. ) Drying, {apart from|aside from|besides} {sun|direct sun light|light} drying, is done in drier kilns with {managed|handled|manipulated} temperature, draft, and {humidity|moisture|dampness}.
Firing and cooling
{Bricks are|Stones are|Voilier are} fired and {cooled|cooled down|chilled} in a kiln, an oven-type chamber capable {of producing|of manufacturing} temperatures of 870? {to 1|to at least one}, 100? C (1, {600|six hundred|six-hundred}? to more than 2, 000? F), {with respect to the|depending on|with regards to the} {type of|kind of|form of} raw material. There are two general types of kilns, periodic and {continuous|constant|ongoing}.
{The earliest|The first} type of kiln, the scove, is {merely|simply|basically} a pile of {dried|dried out|dried up} bricks with tunnels at the bottom allowing {heat|heating|heat up} from fires {to pass through|to feed} and upward in the {pile|stack|heap} of bricks. {The walls|Them} and top are plastered with a mixture of {sand|fine sand|crushed stone}, clay, and water to retain {the heat|heat|the warmth}; at the top the bricks are {positioned|put|located} close together and vented for circulation to pull {the heat|heat|the warmth} up through the brick. The {clamp|grip} kiln is an improvement over the scove kiln in that the {exterior|outside|external} walls are permanent, with openings {at the bottom|at the end|in the bottom} to {permit|grant|support} firing of the {tunnels|passageways}.
A further refinement of the scove kiln, {round|circular|circle} or rectangular in form, is designated as updraft or downdraft, indicating the direction of heat {flow|circulation|movement}. {In these|During these} kilns the {walls|wall space|surfaces} and crown are {permanent|long term|long lasting}, and there are {firing|shooting} ports around the {exterior|outside|external}.