STONE MASTERS – Cutting DEKTON / Sintered stone
Posted by Ocean Hsish
Dekton is a megaforce being unleashed by the makers of the quartz surface giant Silestone.
Why is Dekton going to take over from Silestone?
Dekton is an ultra-compact surface that is virtually scratch and heat proof, thus making it a sure fire hit amongst architects, designers and other specifiers.
The colours and designs are spectacular, such as the ultra realistic marble patterns, and the realistic wood effect. These porcelain type surfaces also work very well in a matt or textured finish, giving it an edge over traditional stone worktops or quartz.
Are there other stones like Dekton? Yes – Neolith, Lapitec and Laminam are all alternatives that are similar. They can all be considered as Sintered materials.
Why do you need a waterjet to cut it? Whilst you can use traditional granite saws to cut these extra hard surfaces, the wear on the machines and calibration required is so great that no serious manufacturer can afford to manufacture like this day in day out.
Our waterjet uses a thin stream of water with sand travelling at 3 times the speed of sound to get through the material like butter!
Waterjet for mitred edges Most sintered materials like Dekton are not full bodied – that means they are printed on the top surface and the pattern does not run through the surface. This means any edges are plain looking.
You can mitre the edges and thicken the edge like the image above to have the pattern on the edge, however the machining is very tricky. Without a waterjet, the slabs crack and chip for a very poor finish. The waterjet actually measures micro changes in slab thickness and compensates, giving you a perfect mitred edge for a perfect finish.
The waterjet actually measures micro changes in slab thickness and compensates, giving you a perfect mitred edge for a perfect finish.
Our waterjet machine
A thin stream of water with sand cuts through any material at a speed of Mach 3! It cuts sintered materials like Dekton far better than any other machine.
Neolith outdoor barbeque
Neolith, like Dekton and Lapitec are perfect for outdoor areas like barbeques or swimming pools. They do not discolour in sunlight nor get affected by weather.
Automated machining Our London factory has 2 CNC machines, 2 automated cutting saws, a polishing line and of course our new waterjet machine.
