Terraneo Production Stages

The production procedure at Terraneo’s Factory consists of the following stages:

Earth Sorting

Earth Sorting

The first stage is excavating the different soils at certain quarries in Peloponnese & Crete, where the soil is also roughly sifted before placed in mega-bags and loaded on the trucks to Mycenae.

Clay Preparation

When the different soil types arrive at the Factory, they are sifted & cleaned again and mixed together in specific proportions, so that the final soil mixture has the desired properties and is ready to be used in production. After that, the soil mixture is mixed with water and is processed by hand so that the trapped air is removed.

Clay Preparation

Mold-filling & Removal

In the second stage, experienced artisans form the pots by filling the molds with the appropriate quantity of clay by hand. After the clay has dried, the molds are removed.

Hand-finishing & Decoration

The third stage is after the removal of the molds, when the planters are hand-finished & decorated by hand on potter’s wheels. The type of decoration varies for each pot, following the traditional motifs of the Ancient Greek ceramic art.

Hand-finishing & Decoration
Drying & Monitoring

Drying & Monitoring

The fourth stage of the procedure is the required drying in a special drying area within the factory. This stage may last from a couple of days to several weeks, depending on the design and the size of each item; the final drying of the pots is achieved by frequent change of the position of the pots. During the procedure, which is actively monitored, the craftsmen may do minor repairs on the surface of the pots to enhance the final result.

Firing in Kilns

The fifth stage is when the planters have finished drying and are placed on certain wagons and are rolled inside the kilns; the firing process lasts between 24 to 36 hours and the firing temperature gradually reaches 1150ºC. No other terracotta in the world can withstand this temperature and still remain porous terracotta: normal terracotta melts at 850ºC - 980ºC!!!

Normally, firing at 1150ºC creates stoneware, which is water-proof and not porous; however, porous material is necessary for the plants’ roots to breathe. The frost-resistant quality of Terraneo’s products is a result of the high firing and the unique composition of raw materials.

Bathing

The sixth stage is removing the fired pots from the kilns and then placing them within metal cages in order to be bathed in the water basins; this procedure aims to neutralize the active destructive minerals (lime) in the fired pots.

Warehouse Packaging & Shipping

At last, the seventh stage is when the planters are transferred to the warehouse in order to be packed and prepared for loading on trucks or containers, and then shipped out from the Factory.

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