Natural paving stone has become today’s topmost choice when it comes to outdoor surface coverings. Dimensional pavers either individually or in pre-defined combination gives a great appeal to the outdoor floor.
But do you know the making process of these natural stone pavers? Get more familiar and read out the journey of natural paving stone from raw product till final stage:
EXTRACTION PROCESS
The first and foremost step towards any final product is the extraction of the raw stone from the quarries. The quarry may be an open pit or underground. Stone is extracted from the natural quarry in the form of giant blocks. The blasting technique is used to remove the block of the rock. Firstly small holes are dug into the pit to add explosives and then the blasting process is carried out. On other hand, sometimes a small motor consisting of fuel and air is injected into the pit to get out the block of the rock. Natural stone pavers are generally found in the North and south quarries.
FROM QUARRY TO FACTORY
Carrying giant stone blocks from the quarry to the processing site is a challenging task. Each block weighs approx. 15 tones which are carried with the help of wheel loaders and then placed safely into the off-highway trucks (rock trucks). Sometimes crusher is required to reduce the size of the rock block for a safe landing to the factory unit.
PRODUCTION PROCESS
Once the raw stone block has been delivered to the factory, the process towards its final production start. The giant block is cut into several small blocks and the process is commonly known as slabbing. These fragments are further hand split and processed in the cutting machine to make the uneven edges saw cut. The cutting machine gives a sleek and desired finish to the stone pavers. Pavers always have a top natural surface. The upper surface is not refined to give any texture or veins.
CALIBRATION PROCESS
All natural stone pavers varied in thickness and size. To get the desired thickness, natural stone pavers are undergone a calibration process. It takes a variable thickness and cuts the same through a strip mill. Natural stone paving with bottom calibrated and top natural bring the rustic charm. Bottom calibration also helps in the easy installation of the stone paver due to defined thickness.
PACKING OF FINAL PRODUCT
After the calibration process, the finished pavers which are ready for the installation came out. These are then packed into wooden crates depending upon the number of pieces or square feet. Proper stuffing of the pavers is done with the help of belts to avoid chances of breakage. Natural stone pavers are fully wrapped with waterproof plastic. Then fumigation process on the container takes place as a safety measure.
All these steps conclude the hard manufacturing process of natural stone pavers from the quarry to the warehouse.
