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Manufacturing Techniques for Glass Tile

Glass tiles are aesthetic addition to the décor of a place. Different types of glass tiles are used to create interesting design details. Glass tiles are used for mosaics and surface applications.

The four common varieties of glass tiles are smalti, sintered, cast and fused. Each of these is manufactured using different techniques. It is the difference in techniques that gives them their different looks and textures.

  1. Manufacturing Technique for Smalti Tiles

    • Glass glaze is used to make smalti tiles. Glaze is basically melted silica with potassium or sodium carbonate. Different metals are added to the glaze to stabilize it. Metal oxides are added to the paste to give color to the tiles. The paste is heated at high temperatures. Traditionally the molten glass was rolled out into a thick slab. The thickness of the slab could go up to 6 inches. The slab was then cut into small tiles by hand. Mass production of smalti meant that the process soon became mechanized. The glass is in molten state and is poured into flat trays. The tiles are now only about ½-inch thick.

    Manufacturing Technique for Sintered Tiles

    • Sintered glass tiles are made from glass powder. The glass powder is pressed into dies and then heated. Color may be added at the time of heating. The dies are heated till the glass particles fuse together. Colors may be applied topically after cooling, too. These scratch resistant tiles are uniform in color.

    Manufacturing Technique for Cast Tiles

    • Chunks of glass are used to make cast tiles. The chunks are put into molds. These molds are then heated until the pieces melt and fuse together to give a layered look. Color is added at the time of heating. The color permeates the glass. It is a common manufacturing technique used for making tiles from recycled glass.

    Manufacturing Technique for Fused Tiles

    • Flat glasses like float glass are used to make tiles using the fused technique. These flat glasses are cut into tiles and fired. You can use two different types of flat glasses to create a fused tile by placing them one on the other before firing. It is heated at 1450 degrees F and the temperature is increased by 600 degrees F every hour. Glass takes six hours to fuse and another six hours to anneal. Color may be added under or on top of the glass. The finished fused glass tiles are translucent and have an opaque layer of color. These tiles may be etched to increase their aesthetic value. Fused tiles are available in varying sizes and can be used for mosaic or surface application.

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