Ceramic mugs are great for holding tea and coffee. The material allows for drinks to stay hot for long periods of time. Ceramic mugs are both cheap to customise and manufacture which makes them a great choice as a corporate gift. Companies can leverage customised ceramic mug corporate gifts to highlight their company brand to their customers and prospective clients. Below will describe the process of how modern day ceramic mug corporate gifts are created.
Introduction
Traditionally, ceramic mugs were handmade by using a potter's wheel. A potter's wheel is a horizontal rotating disc that can be used to mold wet clay into ceramic mugs, round objects or pots. This method of making ceramic mugs is both time consuming and inconsistent as it gives rise to differently shaped sizes and shapes. In modern times, this is not a viable method to mass manufacture ceramic mug corporate gifts due to time constraints and lack of precision during the manufacturing process. Currently, ceramic mugs are made by the slip casting method to product the best results.
Slip Casting
Slip casting is a ceramic forming method for making shapes that are not easily made on a potter's wheel. A liquid clay body (known as the slip) is poured into a plastered mold; this then forms a layer (known as the cast) inside the walls of the mold. After it's been settled, the excess slip is poured out of the cast leaving behind the mug. One major advantage of slip casting over pottery is that the mould is already made in advance and can be subsequently used. However, to have consistent results its important to prepare a slip that has the right combination of thickness and fluidity. If not carefully prepared, the slip may be too thin, too thick, lumpy or contain pinholes as well as other unwanted characteristics. Both ceramic mugs and porcelain mugs can be made through slip casting. Slip casting is the best method for ceramic mug corporate gift making.
How to Slip Cast
Not only is the slip cast method carried out by commercially but it can also be done personally at home. Below is a summary of the steps needed to carry out the slip cast method.
step1
Prepare the Mold and Slip Line the two pieces of mold that has your dedicated mug shape. Tie the two mold pieces together with adhesive tape to provide stability and reduce leakage. Stir the slip until it has a consistent texture.
step2
Pour the Slip Steadily pour the slip into the mold in one motion until it covers the stop. Wait for 20 minutes to allow the slip to settle and thicken. Allow extra time to have thicker mug walls or allow less time to have thinner mug walls. After waiting, pour the excess slip out back into its original container to save for future slip casting. Wait a further 30 minutes to make the cast harden.
step3
Removing the Cast After waiting some time, check if the slip is hard. If its sticky, the cast is not ready. Once the cast is dry, remove the tape surrounding the mold pieces and turn the mold on its side. Take off the other mold piece and remove any small fragments from the cast with a brush or pin. Allow the mug to continue to dry once fully removed from the mold.
Conclusion
The making of round objects and pots were traditionally made through pottery, this was an effective method particularly for making ceramic mugs. However, as demand for consistency, accuracy and speed has come an important demand in manufacturing ceramic mugs, slip casting has evolved to become a preferable method over the potter's wheel. Corporate gift ceramic mugs have become a popular choice for businesses to advertise their business brand to their customers. Thus, it is practical to know how the manufacturer is producing a large quantity of mugs as production time and precision is dependent on their manufacturing method.
FAQ
Slip casting is better than pottery. Slipping casting provides more accuracy, consistency and is more faster than pottery.
Ceramic mugs are made by slip casting. Traditionally ceramic mugs were made through the potter's wheel.
Graduated with a Masters degree from Ireland with a Masters degree in Business Information system. English native speaker specialising in business and data analyst. Currently enrolled in Tunghai University's language centre for studying Mandarin Chinese and undertaking a student marketing internship at SourceEC. My role involves content writing, SEO analysis and web page optimisation After my studies and completion of this internship, I am hoping to pursue a career in data analytics in the digital marketing field in Asia.
