Page 215 - Haddonstone Gesamtkatalog 2018
P. 215

The stone is gradually packed into the mould using a number of
                  ingeniously crafted tools. Whilst this is normally done by hand, some
                  moulds can be packed using pneumatic hand rammers. Once packed,
                  the stone is left in the mould until the next working day. The process
                  of delaminating or stripping is probably the most visually rewarding of
                  the entire production process, particularly for a fibreglass mould. The
                  fibreglass case is first stripped away, leaving the rubber around the
                  stone. The rubber is then carefully peeled away to reveal the stone






















                                                                              The How It’s Made TV crew filming stone being packed into a mould at
                                                                              Haddonstone’s Northamptonshire manufactory.
                                                                              exists at the company’s US manufactory in Colorado. In the UK and USA,
                                                                              Haddonstone also manufactures products, including structural designs,
                                                                              by a wet-cast process called TecStone. Here, the mix is poured into
                                                                              the mould. This process gives a finish, once acid etched, much more
                                                                              akin to Coade stone and is ideal for larger products, complex statuary
                                                                              and contemporary designs where clients prefer a surface finish which
                                                                              does not weather quickly. Most recently, Haddonstone has developed
                                                                              an artificial stone reinforced with glass fibres, called TecLite. Products
                                                                              made by this process have thinner walls and are consequently lighter.





                  Trowelling off a carefully packed mould in the dry-cast production area.
                  design in all its glory. No finishing is required as the quality of mould
                  manufacture ensures that the design is perfect, although seam marks
                  are sometimes unavoidable.  It is at this stage that the first of many
                  quality control checks is undertaken and the product is given a bar code
                  label, which will remain with it until delivery to the customer. The stone is
                  now strong enough to be transported outside the production area.

                  Like other companies in the industry, Haddonstone originally relied
                  on the vagaries of the English climate to ensure that the stone cured
                  correctly. However, the effects of temperature, precipitation and
                  wind made this an imprecise science. For this reason, the company
                  introduced a vapour curing system in 1999 that gives the stone the
                  equivalent of fourteen days strength overnight. Not only does this give
                  the company a guaranteed curing system, it also reduces delivery lead
                  times and storage issues.

                  Although some customers opt to collect their orders in the UK, most rely
                  on Haddonstone’s own transport fleet, the majority of which include a
                  demountable forklift to aid off-loading on site.  Haddonstone (USA) Ltd
                  uses common carriers, whilst export orders are dispatched by container
                  or in specially constructed wooden crates.

                  A similar operation to Haddonstone’s manufactory in Northamptonshire   Stripping the rubber away to reveal an exquisite Corinthian Capital.

                                                                                                                                          215



        HADD CAT Jan 18 ARTWORK 211-222.indd   215                                                                                   12/03/2018   13:59:49
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