Brick slips are primarily made through two methods: cutting them from existing bricks or manufacturing them directly in a similar way to traditional bricks.
Cutting from Existing Bricks
This is the most common method for creating brick slips. Here's the process:
- Brick Selection: Full-sized bricks, either new or reclaimed (including handmade, extruded, and pressed varieties), are selected. The choice depends on the desired aesthetic and characteristics of the final brick slip.
- Specialized Cutting: Specialized machinery, typically equipped with diamond-tipped blades, is used to precisely cut the face (or sometimes multiple faces) off the brick. This ensures a consistent and even thickness for the slips.
- Quality Control: After cutting, each slip undergoes inspection to ensure it meets the required dimensions, appearance, and structural integrity.
Specially Manufacturing Brick Slips
Alternatively, brick slips can be manufactured directly, bypassing the need to cut them from larger bricks. This process closely mirrors the manufacturing of regular bricks:
- Clay Preparation: A mixture of clay and other materials (such as shale, sand, and water) is prepared, similar to the traditional brick-making process.
- Molding or Extrusion: The clay mixture is then molded or extruded into the desired shape and thickness of the brick slip.
- Firing: The shaped slips are fired in a kiln at high temperatures to harden and vitrify the clay, giving them their strength and durability.
- Finishing: After firing, the slips may undergo additional finishing processes to achieve the desired texture, color, or weathering effects.
In summary, brick slips are predominantly made by cutting slices from full-sized bricks or by manufacturing them directly using processes similar to traditional brick making.
