Moulding machines are used when a large number of bricks are to be manufactured within a short time. Machine-moulded bricks are heavier and stronger than the hand-moulded ones. These bricks have a sharp regular shape and size, a smoother surface and sharp edges.
There are two types of machine moulding, viz., plastic method and dry method.
(i) Plastic Method
In the plastic method, pugged earth is used. The machine adopted for the plastic method contains a rectangular opening of size equal to the length and width of the brick. The pugged earth is placed in the machine and a beam of the moulded earth comes out. This is cut into strips of width equal to the depth of the brick by wires fixed in the frames. These bricks are also known as wire-cut bricks.
(ii) Dry Method
In the Dry Method, the machine first converts the hard earth into a powder form. A small quantity of water is added to the powder to form a stiff plastic paste. The plastic paste is placed in the mould and pressed by the machine to form hard and correct-shaped bricks. These bricks are called pressed bricks. Such bricks do not require drying and can be sent directly to the burning section.
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