USITC Staff Report: Quartz Surfaces from India and Turkey staff report USITC | Page 23

to the mixing system. The mixing system blends all the ingredients into a consistent mixture,
resembling damp sand. 41
Dispensing, molding, and pressing
Next, the blended mixture is dispensed into a rubber mold. The rubber mold is passed
through a distributing mechanism that shapes and forms the mixture into the desired
dimensions. The distributing mechanism utilizes continuous weight control to ensure an even
distribution. Robotic arms are used to create designed patters onto molds. 42 A spray creates a
top layer visual effect. A pressurized spray creates the veining effects.
The shaped mixture is then transported to the pressing operations. The material is
placed into a vacuum‐sealed chamber with a vibration system. Shaking the mixture removes
gases from the slab that would otherwise weaken the structural integrity of the finished slab.
The material is simultaneously compacted and shaken to the desired density to form a slab.
Curing and cooling
After compression, the slab is then baked at 90 degrees Celsius for 45 minutes. 43 The
baking process hardens the slab to form the solid quartz surface. After being baked, the slab is
inserted into a damper system to control the rate of cooling. Once cooled to a stable
temperature, the slab is air cooled in a storage area for 24 hours.
Polishing and inspection
After cooling, the slabs are measured, calibrated, and further worked to ensure they
meet the desired dimensions. Disk and milling drills sand‐off excess material. The company’s
logo and other identifying information are then stamped onto the bottom of the slab. After the
slab is machine polished, the final product is examined for quality‐control purposes. The final
inspection checks for condition, shine, tone, color, aspect, and size. After final inspection, the
finished slabs are sent either to a warehouse for storage or to a workshop to be cut to
customer specifications.
Fabrication process
The fabrication process transforms slabs of quartz surface products into products ready
for installation. According to respondents, there are at least 10,000 fabricators operating in the
41
Granite Countertops Seattle, "Manufacturing Process of Quartz," July 5, 2015,
https://www.granitemarblewa.com/the‐manufacturing‐process‐of‐quartz/ (retrieved March 9, 2020).
42
***
43
Aggranite Quartz Countertops, "About," https://www.aggranitequartz.com/about (retrieved March
9, 2020).
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