What is Rockbeam? A reporter from China Ceramics Network searched the Internet and found that there was only a definition of ultra-thin rock slabs in a certain subject, and there was no definition of rock slabs. We all know that the English name of slate is "SINTERED STONE", which is translated as "sintered dense stone". However, there is still considerable controversy over what slate is. The reporter found that there are roughly two definitions of slate in the industry: First, some people think that slate mainly comes from imported brands, and some regard slate as a single category of independently operated enterprises, and will clearly distinguish slate from ceramic tiles. ; Secondly, some people think that rock slabs are mainly produced by domestic ceramic companies. They think that rock slabs are actually large ceramic slabs, or a type of ceramic slabs.
A report from a city newspaper described it this way: Many rock slab companies have not yet drilled rock slabs. Before the concept of plates, they were mostly named after thin plates. Spanish company Desaix said frankly that slate is a thickened thin plate, and slate is actually explained from the perspective of performance. Only by changing the thickness of the slate can greater application possibilities be unlocked.
Looking at it this way, to be honest, it doesn’t seem to matter what a rock slab is. What’s important is why it’s so popular!
1. Rock slabWhat’s so popular
1The future market for rock slabs is broad
From the large-scale international home furnishing exhibitions such as Bologna Exhibition and Milan Exhibition in recent years Look, the application of slate has become popular; from a domestic perspective, a strong slate trend has also started last year. Both material manufacturers and home furnishing brands seem to want to take advantage of this trend to take the lead in the domestic slate market. The popularity of slate has extended from the interior design field to the home design field .
▲Picture source: Lamis Building Materials and Home Furnishing Co., Ltd.
Wang Weimin, Design Director of Shenzhen Xinyihua Architectural Decoration Design Wuxi Branch once stated, When competent designers recommend bricks to owners, they first consider the product color and texture, and then choose the brand. Because the R&D costs of brands and non-brands are different, the quality of the products will definitely be different.
We know the colors and varieties of slate slabs, and each product has patterns, The quality is controllable and consistent, and the paving effect is more natural and smooth. Before slate products were “hot”, some designers had already learned about or found slate through imported ceramic tile brands. At this stage, slate products are still favored by high-end owners, especially for villa basements, which have more advantages. Lv Jianghong, general manager and design director of Dayou Mingtang Institute of Beautiful Things, said that at the end of 2018, a 200-square-meter basement of a villa was built, and the products used for the walls were imported slate slabs. Its functionality first meets the needs of the basement. Although the cost is high, the "temperament" displayed by the slate satisfies the owner, so it can replace stone.
Su Yang, design director of Nanzhu Space Design, revealed that it had used The slate imported from Spain was used as the countertop for the owner's home. At that time, the market price was 1,000 yuan/㎡. Later, due to market demand, the price increased to 2,000 yuan/㎡.
It can be seen that the era of rock slabs is coming or has already arrived. Its future cannot be ignored or estimated. Its future is bright. It will become one of the most favored products by designers and consumers.
2. Stone board is a new type of decorative material
Recently, China Ceramics Network learned that in Chinarock The board has been used as a new type of decorative material. It is the best material that science and technology can produce in the industrial production of building materials and home furnishings. Its emergence means the upgrading and development of traditional ceramic manufacturing technology. What does the process and technology used to make rock slabs say? It shows that domestic ceramic companies are opening up a new direction in the application of ceramic materials. They want to change the direction of use of ceramic materials and are preparing to open up new users and market segments.
"The emergence of rock slabs means that all areas that have not been explored so far in the ceramic industry, Now it has become easier to enter the application. Changing the use direction of ceramics, rock plate can be used as a material, so it has great room for development in the future," said Li Xiaosheng, general manager of LAMIS.
It is reported that there were 7 domestic slate production lines last year. As more and more brands and companies enter the slate market, a large number of ceramic tile processing supporting companies that mainly focus on deep processing will be born. This trend and business opportunity has begun to be taken seriously by enterprises.
▲In 2018, domestic production can be 1200×2400 (mm) and above 7 production lines for standard products (pictures from the Internet)
It is understood that the new exhibition hall of Wuxi Yinuo Ceramic Tiles will be used to display New slate products; although the new Guanzhu Ceramics exhibition hall in Xihu Home Art Center has not yet opened, slates have been used in a chain of hot pot restaurants; Changzhou Gold Medal Asia has entered into private high-end slate customization; DK·MY has won the global The Chinese agency rights for LAMINAM XL20, the originator of slate; Xinpai Building Materials and Hengzuo Home Furnishing jointly invested in the establishment of Foshan Lamis Building Materials and Home Furnishing Co., Ltd., which will jointly bring slate into the large home furnishing field...
It can be seen that slate will be a ceramic tile brand, especially in design It is a "sharp tool" for ceramic tile brands in the division channel to take a new route of product differentiation.
Liu Wei, executive partner of DK·MY, said that for the development of rock slabs , both "Apple" and "Xiaomi" are needed. That is to say, the company must not only build high-end customers, but also insist on making the most cost-effective rock slabs in the industry, and only pursue a more reasonable part of its own profits.
3. Three main application directions of rock slabs< /span>
We know that slate is a new type of decorative material, and its< strong>The core key lies in processing technology and processing technology. So, what are its design applications? The reporter visited several companies and found that the main design and application fields of slate are as follows:
( 1). Application as a plate
After the slate is produced, it can be stored as a plate and can be stored using the Internet and terminals Need to be connected. After the terminal orders are summarized, they are deeply processed according to the design application areas, such as cabinets, wardrobes, countertops, furniture, home appliances, background walls, etc. due to the different sizes of the design applications. After automatic cutting, they are shipped to the terminal for paving. In addition, it can implement mixed line production and mixed line cutting for orders from dozens of users at the same time, and then divide the orders into the logistics link.
(2). Application of prefabricated building materials
With the country’s strong implementation of energy conservation, emission reduction, and green environmental protection policies, the assembly The style of architecture presents clear goals. Natural stone is a non-renewable resource. As the demand for modern construction increases, the resource will gradually be depleted; in addition, natural stone contains radioactive elements, which may endanger people's health under certain conditions (the extent of its radiation will be limited if the production company can If it is controlled within the maximum radiation standard allowed by the country, it will not harm the human body), so there is an urgent need for new environmentally friendly materials to emerge and replace it.
At present, slate can replace natural stone, wood, artificial stone, In the field of glass, metal and other curtain walls, its emergence seems to have just expanded an untapped area in the domestic industry. It seems understandable that rock slabs can be so popular. As for whether it can become a new green building decoration material in the 21st century, it remains to be tested by time.
(3).Stone slabs are used as home decoration materials< /span>
As a home decoration material, slate can be used in background walls and cabinets , wardrobes, furniture, tea sets, bathroom cabinets, sinks, doors, etc. Among them, the most attractive part is the kitchen stove panel. In the past, if someone cut vegetables directly on the countertop, they would definitely be considered as doing something wrong because it was very unhygienic. With people's continuous pursuit of exquisite life, in order to better match the use of Western kitchens, some high-end quartz stone material companies launched food-grade products as early as a few years ago. Nowadays, slate appears and is used on countertops, and people can also directlyFood is processed on it.
4. The future development trend of rock slabs
As a decorative material, rock slabs are plate-based products and can be made into to flexible customization. This is conducive to meeting the personalized needs of customers in a targeted manner and is conducive to customers' experiential consumption. The reporter mainly presents the future development trend of rock slabs from the following three aspects.
(1) Countertop application: Purely natural materials, non-toxic and non-radiative, clean and neat, can be in direct contact with food , which demonstrates not only high-quality life, but also an attitude towards life.
(2) Bathroom application: Neat and elegant, integrated fashionable appearance, excellent antibacterial and antibacterial properties, zero penetration and easy to clean, the application of slate in It is vividly displayed in the bathroom space.
(3) Kitchen and restaurant applications:No fear of high temperatures, it is sintered at a high temperature of 1250℃. It does not change color when burned at high temperatures, does not emit smoke, and does not release harmful substances. It is fire retardant. Does not fade when burned.
In addition, the reporter also interviewed several terminal dealers and designers about Yan view of the board.
Opinions on slate from terminal dealers:
Wu Jinxian, a Wuxi dealer of Inno Ceramic Tiles, is interested in Huaxia Home Furnishing Port The slate display in the new exhibition hall shows: "Using slate will raise the level of the exhibition hall. It's just that during the sales process, the slate needs to be processed later to achieve its functionality, such as integrating with cabinets. In addition, after the customized home is realized, transportation issues must be considered. ”
Xu Zhinen, a dealer of Guanzhu Wuxi said:< /strong>"In the past, slate products were only available from imported ceramic tile brands, but The selling price is very high, and some designers have been looking for this product for several years because the seams of the rock slabs are small and they can realize their design cases.”
"The furniture boss above me spent 3,000 on renovating his daughter's villa. Wan. She came to ask me if I had large-size slates at the beginning. I told her the truth: I didn’t have this product. Then she probably went to an imported ceramic tile brand. Not many rich people in Changzhou actually use bricks. They use a lot of stone, and slate may be an emerging material in their opinion, combining the luxury label of stone with the functionality of ceramic tiles. "A marble tile dealer in Changzhou said.
From the designer’s understanding of slate:
Wang Weimin, design director of Shenzhen Xinyihua Architectural Decoration Engineering Wuxi Branch, said: "A good designer is an engineer for product application. If It is not possible to know the popular materials on the market, so material manufacturers also need to give recommendations. Slate is a new material for domestic ceramic tile brands. It requires post-processing to achieve, which is more reflected in the craftsmanship level. ”
Stone slabs do have many advantages as bathroom or kitchen countertops, background walls, etc. For example: anti-fouling, heat-resistant, scratch-resistant, durable, UV-resistant, no secondary surface treatment required, etc. However, judging from the current situation, it also has some shortcomings that everyone needs to pay attention to. The reporter compiled some information comparing slate with stone, metal, glass, natural marble and other materials to facilitate everyone to have a more comprehensive understanding of its advantages and disadvantages.
2. The advantages and disadvantages of rock slabs
1. Advantages of rock slabs
Comparing slate and stone:High strength, stronger resistance to acid, alkali and weathering.
Compared with metal: The traditional spraying process is easy to oxidize and is greatly affected by climate conditions, while the chemical properties of rock slabs are more stable and have a longer life. Alternatively, use rock slabs for exterior walls.
Compared with glass: The performance is more stable, there is no light pollution, and there will be no safety hazards caused by self-explosion.
Compared with natural marble:Natural marble is hard, but it is more than hard and not elastic enough, so it cannot be made over 1 meter. Countertops are prone to breakage when exposed to heat or impact. In addition, natural pores make the product itself susceptible to contamination, bacterial growth, penetration and staining.
Compared with quartz stone:Quartz stone is hard in texture, with Mohs hardness reaching level 5 or above, and is scratch-resistant and corrosion-resistant. , high anti-fouling performance, green and environmentally friendly, no radiation. But it will change color when exposed to high temperatures, and A2 and B1 will smell like paint when burned in an open flame. Slate is hard in texture, with Mohs hardness reaching level 6. It is also anti-fouling, anti-bacterial and anti-penetration, wear-resistant, anti-slip and high-temperature resistant. It is not afraid of acid and alkali corrosion, is environmentally friendly, has no radiation, and meets food-grade standards.
2. Disadvantages of rock slabs
One disadvantage is Stone slab is different from stone and other countertop materials and does not have the characteristics of continuous texture. At present, the patterns of rock slabs are basically printed on the surface. Of course, rock slab manufacturers are also working hard to realize the overall design of rock slabs. Judging from the reporter's visit, some companies have already achieved remarkable results. For example: Lamis Slate and other companies. Another disadvantage is thatit is difficult to find suppliers at this stage, to find manufacturers who understand the materials. We are in the stage of bold exploration and development of domestic rock slabs, which are not yet mature, so the market is limited. As a result, it is currently difficult to find suppliers and manufacturers, and prices can vary. But overall, finding a manufacturer with competitive prices should be achievable.
As people’s pursuit of green and healthy life deepens, this strong trend Slate style is a product of the times. Stone slab as a new type of decorationSurface decoration materials are used in different fields, and its performance can realize various design cases of designers;In addition, it can also meet consumers' personalized needs for products, which is beneficial to enterprises. Products are flexibly customized and provided with personalized services.
In the past, slate products were only available from imported ceramic tile brands, but The selling price is very high, and now as more and more brands and companies enter the slate market, even many domestic companies have begun to pay attention to it. Our company can produce and sell it by itself without going to foreign countries for OEM. Therefore, there is still a lot of room for development of rock slabs, and the market is also in an unsaturated state.
▲Positioning:In front of an imported ceramic tile exhibition hall at the entrance of Suzhou Jialeju
Of course, this slate trend is coming very fiercely. As for it Whether it can break through all the areas that our industry has not explored so far, and whether it can change the direction of ceramic use, let us wait and see what happens!
