Lapping

Lapping is an industrial process that is performed on ceramic surfaces, to reduce the roughness and opacity of the same to ensure a better brightness and brilliance. The lapping process takes place through the aid of lapping machines, automatic machines equipped with diamond grinding wheels that work slowly (20 meters per minute) and at low pressure (approximately 2 kg / square cm). These machines use thin abrasive powders of diamond and alumina (aluminum oxide, cerium oxide, silicon carbide and boron carbide) which are impregnated in an aqueous solution to produce a pasty compound which is spread uniformly on a soft material disc ( pearlitic cast iron or copper), so that it can act delicately on the treated surface, removing "with cold operations" all the imperfections present on it. The lapping is particularly appreciated by workers and experts of the ceramic industry because it allows to reproduce significantly amounts of tiles with greater uniformity and surface sheen possible.

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