D&J Tile

The answer is the Hydrofinish technology that allows processing the surface using a high-pressure water jet (up to 2,000 bar)

D&J Tile is an established Californian company active in stone processing for the production of flooring and cladding for large and prestigious building projects. Granite is one of the materials most used by D&J Tile: the company needed to safeguard the aesthetics of the finest granites as well as ensure the high productivity imposed by the fast pace dictated by
Californian construction contractors.

The machine is intended for surface processing aimed at creating both a different aesthetic surface and the roughness that is functional to the non-slip characteristics of stone floors. Traditional technologies such as flaming, which compromise the colour and brightness of the material due to the thermal invasiveness of the processing that removes gloss from the material and changes its colour, had to be replaced by an alternative and more modern technology that combined productivity and aesthetic protection of processed materials.

The answer is the Hydrofinish technology that allows processing the surface using a high-pressure water jet (up to 2,500 Bar). Unlike cutting, in this application the water jet exits the nozzle at a lower pressure and higher flow rate.

The water jet, propelled by the high efficiency 122 kW Waterjet Servo hybrid pump into a multi-nozzle rotating body
controlled by a PLC, is ejected thus carrying out the surface finish with an accelerated erosion action. The degree of erosion creates different surface finishes giving the slab the right degree of roughness, without compromising its chromatic richness.

The Hydrofinish technology for D&J Tile has been condensed into a Waterstone Compact model fitted with a 122 kW pump with automated loading and unloading system consisting of two tilting motorised roller conveyors that optimise the level of productivity – ranging between 30 and 50 square metres per hour. The machine is equipped with a very intuitive and user-friendly graphical interface to facilitate processing set-up operations: the type of material, the finish, and the size of the slab are selected and production is started in a few simple steps. The extreme automation of the machine does the rest.

D&J Tile’s decision to purchase a Waterstone Compact machine with a high-energy efficient hybrid pump stems from the company’s desire to equip itself with modern and eco-sustainable technology: traditional technologies, such as flaming, generate fumes, gases and other types of pollution that the company wanted to avoid. In addition, the Hydrofinish technology allows modulating the processing, by adjusting the nozzle height, speed, and pressure, thus obtaining different degrees of surface roughness, according to the application needs.

With Hydrofinish, D&J Tile is able to replicate the bush-hammering processing, which is very much in demand in the construction sector: the typical texture is obtained by insisting on pressure, creating a deeper roughness that resembles the bush-hammered effect.

The order was placed at the Verona exhibition in September 2021: negotiations had begun before then, but seeing the machine at work at the fair, convinced the customer of the quality of the performance, driving them to place the order directly at the venue.