CLAY AND SHALE :: THE JOURNEY TO BECOMING A WORK OF ART
Below is a walk through of Whitacre Greer's manufacturing process.

A. Raw materials, shale and fireclay, are trucked into the facility daily from nearby pits. The material is stored until being sent to the grinding room where it is crushed into the proper size.		B. After the material has been reduced in the crusher, the fine material is screened through a series of screens where any larger material is caught and the rest is sent on to holding bins.
C. Crushed and screened material is dumped into a holding area where it is stored, waiting to be sent to the blenders.		D. The color blending station mixes the fine-ground clay and shale in varying proportions and adds the color-enhancing additives necessary to achieve Whitacre Greer’s wide variety of color.
E. Following blending, the fine material is sent to the presses. Mechanical type, 400-ton presses produce four 4x8 pavers with each stroke. Whitacre Greer products are dry-pressed, not extruded, which allows for the production of a variety of sizes and textures.		F. Kiln cars are loaded with the ‘green’ (unfired) brick and then placed in dryers to begin the firing processes. After 24 hours in the dryer the cars are moved to the kiln where they are fired at 2000 degrees. The firing process is a thermo-chemical that produces the strength and color of a clay paver. The firing process requires up to a week’s time to complete.
G. Kiln cars that have completed the firing process await unloading. Each car has firebrick on the bottom of the car and pavers stacked on top.		H. Paving brick are unloaded and placed on a conveyor belt where they are sent to the sealing and packaging machine. Whitacre Greer pavers are sealed in a bath of siloxane sealer.
I. Pavers are submerged in the sealing solution and then stacked and packaged.		J. Pavers are labeled and packaged for delivery.
K. Whitacre Greer custom blends standard colors according to project specification.		L. Whitacre Greer has a large inventory of both firebrick and clay pavers to meet all your needs.