Innovative Technologies in Large-Format Tile Production

Technologies changing the industry

Ceramic tile production has come a long way from the hand-making of clay tiles to the high-tech production of giant porcelain stoneware slabs. Modern technologies make it possible to create materials that seemed like science fiction 20 years ago: tile only 3 mm thick yet stronger than granite; tile of 160×320 cm without a single defect; tile that imitates marble, wood or even fabric perfectly. Understanding these technologies will help you make an informed choice and assess what you are paying for.

M-STONE follows the latest technologies in tile production and constantly updates its knowledge. We help clients find their way through the variety of modern materials and choose the best solutions for their projects.

The evolution of ceramic tile production

From traditional to modern

Traditional production (before the 1960s)

Manual forming
Firing in wood-fired kilns
Limited sizes
Unstable quality

The industrial revolution (1960s-1980s)

Conveyor production
Gas kilns
Standardised formats
Mass production

The technological breakthrough (1990s-2000s)

Porcelain stoneware
Digital printing
Rectification
Formats up to 60×120 cm

The modern era (2010s to today)

Large-format slabs (up to 160×320 cm)
Thin porcelain stoneware (3-6 mm)
Photorealistic printing
Full-body technology
Antibacterial surfaces

Technology of producing porcelain stoneware

Raw materials

The main components

Component	Share	Function
Clay (kaolin)	25-30%	Plasticity, forming
Feldspar	40-50%	Melting, strength
Quartz sand	10-15%	Hardness, structure
Pigments	3-5%	Colour
Additives	up to 5%	Special properties

Requirements for the raw materials

Purity (no impurities)
Stable composition
Fine grinding
Controlled moisture

Production stages

1. Preparing the body

Wet grinding:

Mixing the components with water
Grinding in ball mills (12-24 hours)
Obtaining a uniform suspension (slip)
Controlling density and dispersion

Drying:

Atomisation (spraying in a drying tower)
Obtaining a granular powder
Moisture 5-7%
Uniform granules

2. Pressing

Technology:

Hydraulic presses (pressure 350-500 kg/cm²)
For large formats, special presses
Even distribution of pressure
Forming a dense structure

For large-format tile:

Higher-power presses
An increased pressing area
Precise control of thickness
Continua+ technology (continuous pressing)

3. Drying

Parameters:

Temperature 150-200°C
Time 30-60 minutes
Residual moisture below 0.5%
Even drying of the whole area

4. Decorating

Traditional methods:

Dry application (sprinkling)
Wet application (pouring)
Screen printing (stencil printing)

Modern digital printing:

Inkjet technology
A photorealistic image
Millions of design variations
More detail in the next section

5. Firing

Parameters:

Temperature 1200-1300°C
Time 40-90 minutes
Tunnel or roller kilns
A controlled temperature profile

What happens during firing:

Sintering of particles
Formation of a glassy phase
Closing of pores
Gaining strength and hardness

6. Finishing

Rectification:

Trimming the edges to an exact size
With diamond blades
A deviation of less than 0.5 mm

Polishing (if required):

Abrasive treatment
Achieving a mirror shine
Or lappato (semi-polishing)

7. Sorting and quality control

Control parameters:

Geometry (dimensions, flatness)
Water absorption
Strength
Colour and shade
Visual defects

Sorting:

1st grade (less than 5% defective)
2nd grade (5-10% defective)
3rd grade (over 10% defective)
Calibration (grouping by size)

Digital printing: a revolution in decoration

The principle of the technology

Inkjet printing: microscopic droplets of ceramic paints (inks) are applied to the tile surface digitally.

System components

A print head (piezo or thermal)
Ceramic inks (metal oxides)
A tile feed system
Computer control

The evolution of digital printing

The first generation (2000s)

4 colours (CMYK)
A resolution of 180 dpi
Basic patterns

The second generation (2010s)

6-8 colours
A resolution of 360-400 dpi
Realistic imitations

The third generation (2015 to today)

Up to 16+ colours
A resolution of 600+ dpi
Photorealism
Synchronisation with relief

The fourth generation (today)

Full HD printing
Metallised and special-effect inks
Printing on relief
An individual design for each tile

Advantages of digital printing

Realism

Reproduction of the finest details of stone
Natural colour transitions
Imitation of texture

Variability

Tens or hundreds of different ‘faces’ in one collection
A minimum of repeats
The effect of a natural material

Production flexibility

Quick design changes
Small batches
Customisation

Economical

Reduced costs for stencils
Less waste
Quick set-up

Synchronising the print and the relief

Digital Surface technology

The tile surface has a relief that exactly matches the printed pattern.

How it works:

A 3D model of the stone/wood surface is created
A corresponding relief is formed on the tile
The print is applied exactly onto the relief
A visual + tactile effect

The result:

Marble veins are recessed
Wood knots are raised
Absolute realism

Large-format technology

Production challenges

Technical problems

Even pressing of a large area
Transport in the kiln without deformation
Even firing
Controlling geometry

Continua+ technology (Sacmi)

The principle: continuous forming of a ceramic ribbon instead of pressing individual slabs.

The process

The powder is fed onto a conveyor belt
Compaction by rollers (instead of a press)
Forming a continuous ‘ribbon’
Cutting to the required sizes
Decorating
Firing

Advantages

Unlimited slab length
Lower internal stresses
More stable geometry
The possibility of producing slabs of 160×320 cm and more

Lamina technology (System)

An alternative technology for thin porcelain stoneware.

Features

Thickness 3-6 mm
High bending strength
Light weight
The possibility of bending (limited)

Thin porcelain stoneware: a revolution in thickness

What thin porcelain stoneware is

Characteristics

A thickness of 3-6 mm (instead of the standard 9-12 mm)
The same or better mechanical properties
Much lower weight

Comparing weight

Thickness	Weight of 1 m²	A 120×240 cm slab
3 mm	7-8 kg	~20 kg
6 mm	14-15 kg	~40 kg
10 mm	23-25 kg	~70 kg
12 mm	28-30 kg	~85 kg

Production technology

Features

Special raw material (finer grinding)
Modified pressing
Increased density
Reinforcement (for some kinds)

Popular brands

Laminam (Italy)
Kerlite (Cotto d’Este)
Slimtech (Lea)
Maximum (Fiandre)
Techlam (Levantina)

Uses of thin porcelain stoneware

Walls

Easy installation
Less load on the structure
The possibility of installing over existing tile

Furniture

Kitchen fronts
Countertops
Doors
Wardrobe floors

Building facades

Ventilated facades
Light weight
Large formats

Floors

Over an existing surface
A minimal rise in level

Limitations

A higher price
Harder to cut
More sensitive to impact
Not for zones with impact loads

Full-body porcelain stoneware

What it means

Traditional glazed porcelain stoneware

A base of one colour
A decorative layer on top (1-2 mm)
The difference is visible at a chip

Full-body porcelain stoneware

The pattern runs through the WHOLE thickness
A chip is not visible
Like natural stone

Production technology

Methods

Colouring the body:

Multicoloured powders
Mixing before pressing
A pattern through the whole thickness

Veined technology:

Applying veins at different levels
Imitating the depth of marble
A 3D effect of veining

Advantages of full-body

Chips are unnoticeable
The possibility of grinding (restoration)
Greater realism
Premium quality

Disadvantages

A higher cost
More complex production
A limited choice of designs

Functional coatings

Antibacterial tile

Technology

Silver ions in the surface
Or titanium dioxide (photocatalysis)
Killing bacteria by up to 99.9%

How it works

On contact with bacteria, silver ions destroy their cell structure
Under the action of light, titanium dioxide breaks down organic matter

Application

Hospitals
Food production
Children’s establishments
Bathrooms

Popular technologies

Microban® (silver ions)
Livingstyle Antibacterial (Ceramica Castelvetro)
Hydrotect® (TOTO): photocatalysis

Anti-slip coatings

Methods of achieving slip resistance

Mechanical:

A relief surface
Notches
Structuring

Chemical:

Special coatings
Microporosity

Classification

R9-R13 (dry conditions)
A, B, C (wet bare feet)

Self-cleaning surfaces

Technology

A hydrophilic coating
Water spreads in a film, washing the dirt away
Or hydrophobic: droplets roll off together with the dirt

Application

Building facades
Floors in public places
Pools

Antistatic coatings

Purpose

Draining static electricity
Protection of electronic equipment

Application

Server rooms
Operating theatres
Electronics production
Laboratories

Innovative formats and shapes

Non-standard formats

Hexagons

A decorative effect
Different sizes
Combining colours

Chevrons and parquet shapes

Imitation of parquet
Ready-made shapes for herringbone laying
No need for trimming

Curved shapes

CNC cutting
Individual projects
Mosaic compositions

Variable thickness

Tile of variable thickness

A thinner edge for overlap
Or a thicker centre for strength
Special use

Flexible ceramic tile

Technology

Ultra-thin ceramics (1-3 mm) on a flexible base
The possibility of wrapping around surfaces
For columns, furniture, non-standard shapes

Environmental innovations

Recycled raw material

Use of secondary materials

Recycling of production rejects (up to 40%)
Recycled glass
Industrial waste

Certifications

LEED
Green Building
Ecolabel

Energy-efficient production

Directions

Heat recovery from kilns
Solar energy
Optimising firing
Reducing CO₂ emissions

Durability as eco-friendliness

Porcelain stoneware is one of the most durable materials:

Service life of 50+ years
Does not need replacing
Fewer resources in the long run

How to choose technologically advanced tile

What to pay attention to

The manufacturer

Well-known Italian and Spanish brands
Their own R&D centres
Investment in technology

Technical characteristics

Water absorption below 0.05%
Bending strength over 45 MPa
Surface hardness 7+ on the Mohs scale

Certifications

ISO 13006 / EN 14411
Greenguard (low emissions)
LEED contribution

Technologies

The latest generation of digital printing
Synchronised relief
Full-body (for premium)

Technology leaders

Italy

Fiandre / Iris Ceramica Group
Laminam
Florim / Magnum
Emilgroup
Marazzi

Spain

Porcelanosa
Venis
ITT Ceramic
Apavisa

Contact information

M-STONE: we know all about modern tile technologies

📞 Phones: +38 068 100 27 96, +38 050 914 18 99 📧 Email: [email protected] 🌐 Website: https://mstone.ua/

Social media

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Geography of work

Kyiv: all districts Kyiv region: Brovary, Irpin, Bucha, Vyshhorod, Vyshneve, Boiarka, Kozyn, Koncha-Zaspa and others All of Ukraine: travel to projects

M-STONE’s advantages

✅ Knowledge of technologies: we will help you choose the best solution ✅ Work with innovative materials: thin porcelain stoneware, large formats ✅ Installation experience: we know the features of each type of tile ✅ Consultations: we will explain the difference between technologies ✅ Access to new products: cooperation with leading suppliers

The current cost of work for your project can be calculated in the online calculators or confirmed by the manager: it depends on the material, the slab format and the condition of the substrate. The consultation is free.