| Drying operations relate to plastic forming | | | | operations incorporating built-in driers, the slip must |
| operations and casting operations. Forced drying in | | | | be controlled as to particle size, specific gravity, |
| controlled driers expedites production and | | | | and viscosity. The slip must be in the flocculated |
| guarantees continual controlled production | | | | state during filter pressing and subsequent |
| flow.Driers are usually built into automatic casting | | | | operations. If not controlled, the ware may not |
| machines and roll forming machines. The drier is | | | | dry properly after forming and the operations can |
| often designed to accommodate the different | | | | be drastically slowed down. Drier losses due to |
| stages of drying. Airflow is adjustable throughout | | | | cracking or distortion can be dramatic. Airflow |
| the drier.When a piece of ceramic ware is first | | | | control by adjustable jets can eliminate |
| formed, the particles are separated by a water | | | | losses.Drying of cast ware is less critical except |
| layer which can be easily and safely removed. For | | | | for automatic casting machines. Slip control is |
| that reason, excessive heat can be supplied at | | | | again the most important function to prevent |
| this stage of drying.Once the particles touch, the | | | | loss.See the reference for more information on |
| process becomes diffusion controlled and the | | | | the drying process, slip control, and industrial |
| water molecules must move slowly through the | | | | driers.John T. Jones, Ph.D. (, a retired VP of R&D |
| body matrix.Finally, the last tightly held water | | | | for Lenox China, is author of detective & |
| must be removed.These last two steps require | | | | western novels, nonfiction (business, scientific, |
| careful heat and humidity control in the drier. | | | | engineering, humor), poetry, etc. Former editor of |
| Airflow must be controlled locally. See Ceramics: | | | | Ceramic Industry Magazine, Jones is Executive |
| Industrial Processing and Testing by John T. Jones | | | | Representative of International Wealth Success. |
| and M. F. Berard.For automatic plastic forming | | | | He calls himself "Taylor Jones, the hack writer. |