Brick-making involves gathering materials, mixing them with water, molding the mixture into shapes, drying the bricks and then subjecting them to high heat. The process has evolved over time, from manual labor to automated machinery. Bricks have been used in construction since 7500 BC.
There are about five different steps in a typical brick-making process, starting with gathering the appropriate materials and ending with applying high heat. Bricks are usually made from a mixture of sand and clay which contains small amounts of lime, iron oxide and magnesia. These materials are mixed together with water and are then pressed into shapes or extruded. After the raw materials are molded into brick shapes, they are typically left to dry for a set amount of time. The final step in the brick-making process is subjecting the bricks to extreme heat, which has the effect of removing most of the remaining water content.
Bricks are ceramic blocks that are a common component of masonry building projects. The earliest bricks have been dated to at least 7500 BC and the precise methods of brick making have changed somewhat over the centuries. Brick-making was once a labor-intensive industry, as the clay had to be quarried and prepared by hand. This is the first step in the brick making process and involves removing all large rocks and other inconsistencies from the clay. In the 19th century this preparation was often done in powered pug mills, and modern brickmakers typically use automated machinery to accomplish the same task.
After the raw materials have been mixed together, the next step in brick making is the molding process. This was originally made by pressing the clay into shapes by hand, although a number of techniques are in use today. The extruded bricks are forced through an opening and then cut with wires. This method is often used to create bricks that contain holes or other empty spaces. Bricks can also be pressed with steel formwork and hydraulic presses.
Before green bricks can be fired in a kiln, they must be allowed to dry. Failure to do so may destroy the bricks or produce a poor product. Industrial operations sometimes use specialized drying equipment or place green bricks in close proximity to kilns that are undergoing the cooling process. This can take up to two days, depending on the physical composition of the bricks.
After the green bricks contain a low enough percentage of moisture, they can undergo a firing process. Modern brick-making operations sometimes make use of rail kilns, which allow for continuous operations. Wagons loaded with bricks slowly pass through this type of kiln and undergo the entire heating and cooling process in one continuous motion. Other operations use kilns that are brought to the right temperature, then allowed to cool before the bricks are removed.
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