Crema Marfil slabs: Manufacturing, formats and uses

Crema Marfil Slabs

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Sometimes, referring to Crema Marfil slabs can seem strange to those who are unfamiliar with the marble preparation process.

Slabs are only a semi finished product obtained from raw Crema Marfil marble, which is extracted from quarries in blocks.

Therefore, extraction is the start of the process to transform Crema Marfil into anything we want.

Slabs manufacturing process

We can establish two different production or preparation stages for the Crema Marfil slabs:

Multiwire block cutting
Slab strengthening and finishing

Block cutting

This stage begins when the Crema Marfil block arrives at the factory. If it meets the requirements in regards to size and regularity features, it will continue to be processed in a multiwire cutter. Otherwise, it will be processed by the block cutter. Our aim at this point is to reduce any waste of material by cutting the block while ensuring that it can be used as much as possible.

Now returning to the multiwire cutter, blocks are introduced by means of a platform that simplifies their handling.

Crema Marfil block on the platform prior to entering the multiwire cutter.

How long do you think it takes to cut a Crema Marfil block in a multiwire cutter?

Around 8 hours. However, this shall depend on its size.

And this is the final result:

Recently cut Crema Marfil marble block

Sawed Crema Marfil block

It is so amazing to be able to see the multiwire cutter in action! Although not quite the same, in this video you can see two blocks, a Crema Marfil and a Dark Emperador block being sawed.

Slab strengthening and finishing

After removing the sawed block from the multiwire cutter, slabs are taken to the production line for strengthening. This means that a mesh is added to the back of each slab in order to provide them with additional strength.

Our next step is to provide the slabs with a type of finish. To do this, we will use an abrasion system that achieves a specific type of finish, such as:

Polishing: Crema Marfil marble slabs are finished to a smooth, glossy surface.
Bush hammering: produces a coarser finish resembling the strikes of a bush hammer (a masonry hammer with teeth used to texturise stone).
Honing: in this case, slabs will be supplied shine free, with a matt finish.
Aged: our aim here is to reflect the passage of time upon the material. This finish is shine free, with a slightly coarse aspect.

Crema Marfil slabs ready for loading

Slabs format

Marble slabs can be cut to different thicknesses. Most usually, these are 2 to 3cms wide. However, they can be thicker depending on the project’s requirements.