A. 50% white cement B52

B. 30% white marble powder or white sand

C. 20% white marble mosaic, grain size 6-8 mm

D. Water as needed, temperature-wise.

E. Water glass (sodium silicate)

F. Titanium dioxide

G. Iron oxides (black, brown, dark brown-cream, red, etc.)

CASTING TECHNOLOGY FOR VIBRATED PREFABRICATIONS

A. CASTING PREPARATION

• Check the ABS mold in which the aggregate will be poured; it must be clean and free of impurities inside the mold.

• Also, check that the ABS mold has a 1 mm gap on each side in the form (metal or wood), and the mold should not be squeezed by the form.

• Check the concrete mixer; it must be clean and free of any dried concrete residues or impurities.

• Mix 10 liters of water with 1 liter of water glass (sodium silicate) in a bucket, stir well, then pour it into the concrete mixer over the aggregates mentioned above.

• For excellent white color, it is recommended to use 150 grams of titanium dioxide or white iron oxide for one working concrete mixer.

• For any other concrete color, use the corresponding iron oxides and adjust the dosage from less to more oxide for the desired color, by weighing the oxide.

• Prepare and mix the aggregates in the concrete mixer; the concrete (aggregate) must be uniform and well-mixed, ready for pouring.

• Spray the ABS mold with ecological mineral decofrol before pouring the well-mixed aggregate from the concrete mixer.

• Decoform is essential for casting vibrated prefabrications. By spraying the molds with decofrol, micro-cracks are avoided in polymer molds, which extends the life of ABS molds by up to three times. Instead of 200-300 de-molding cycles, using decofrol can increase it to 600-800 such cycles.

• Decoform eliminates bubbles and impurities on the surface of the cast prefabrications; also, the molds no longer need to be washed after de-molding, only wiped and blown.

• Ecological mineral decofrol is the CHEAPEST product for spraying polymer molds. One liter of concentrated decofrol is diluted with 25 liters of water, resulting in a cost of ONLY 1.1 RON per liter of ready-to-spray decofrol.

• Avoid greasing or spraying ABS molds with diesel, vinegar, various oils, etc., as this creates micro-cracks in the molds, which will dull and crack much faster. This will also make the prefabricated piece more brittle, and you will spend more money in the production process, resulting in a lower-quality prefabrication. 1 liter of diesel costs > 7 RON, 1 liter of vinegar or various oils costs > 3-4 RON, while 1 liter of dissolved decofrol will only cost 1.1 RON.

• After spraying the ABS mold with decofrol, take a handful of iron oxide (black, red, green, blue, brown, etc.) and scatter it randomly on the bottom of the mold, leaving streaks. These streaks will form the veins in the marble imitation.

• Wear gloves and safety glasses during the application of iron oxide in the molds.

• After randomly scattering the iron oxide in the ABS mold, add the aggregate with a scoop in layers, 2-4 cm thick, to the bottom of the mold, and then pour the remaining aggregate until the mold is filled.

B. CASTING THE CONCRETE

• Pour the concrete into the ABS mold up to half the height in the first phase and reinforce it with welded mesh or steel wires both lengthwise and widthwise. After reinforcement, pour the remaining concrete into the mold to fill it completely.

• We recommend using 4 mm welded mesh for flat prefabrications and ribbed steel wires for pillars and long, very long elements.

C. VIBRATING THE PREFABRICATED PIECE

• Usually, the mold filling with aggregate is done directly on vibration tables.

• Vibration must be gentle and should not last more than 10-15 seconds. The process should be smooth, like the buzz of bees, until we see the air bubbles come out of the prefabricated piece.

IMPORTANT

• Small series of prefabricated pieces can also be poured without a vibration table.

• After filling the mold with casting aggregate, the full mold is shaken left-right, forward-backward, until the air bubbles come out of the aggregate.

D. COVERING WITH FILM

• If we want to have a high-quality prefabricated piece made of concrete, mosaic, plaster, marble imitation, or granite imitation, immediately after vibrating the concrete, place the mold on a flat, level surface and cover it immediately with a film (plastic) of any kind.

• For 24 hours, the ABS mold with the covered aggregate must stay for hardening.

• Pouring aggregates of any kind is prohibited at temperatures below +10 degrees Celsius.

• After 24 hours, de-mold the piece by flipping the mold onto a table and gently shaking it until the prefabricated piece comes out of the ABS mold.

• The flatness of the curing surface is vital, as it will help you or your clients to have easy and high-quality installation.

• The curing areas for prefabricated pieces are typically specially arranged and checked to ensure a high-quality finished product.