Page 3179 - Flipbook_SolidDesignSoutheast2020

CaseStudy
40

Januar y 2019

Rare Earth Magnetic Grates

Purify Raw Clay Material

W
When it comes to making intricate pottery pieces for
a loyal base of customers, Bryan Hopkins is a perfec-
tionist. As the owner of Hopkins Pottery — based in
a renovated building in Buffalo, NY — Hopkins has
been creating eye-catching artwork for more than
20 years, all the while perfecting his craft and tech-
niques.
From his 600-sq-ft studio with a built-in kiln,
Hopkins creates about 50 pieces a month for custom-
ers, craft shows, and exhibits. The majority of the
pieces are made from porcelain, which Hopkins has
been producing from scratch for five years because
of his need for pure product.
In his quest for perfection, Hopkins was finding
it challenging to remove iron spots from the raw
clay materials used in making his own porcelain.
Hopkins explains that purity is vital to achieve the
white, glass-like finish of properly-made porcelain.
He ultimately found a solution by installing an Eriez
ProGrade rare earth grate magnet at the bottom of
a home-made hopper where all raw materi-
Magnet with iron spots
als pass before they are mixed to-
gether. The self-made artist and entrepreneur discov-
Eriez grate magnet “The worst complaints ered Eriez while on the hunt for an efficient and
I hear about affordable way to detect and eliminate metal par-
porcelain ticulates in the raw clay ingredients. “Someone
is that told me about certain bar magnets that are used
it con- to extract very fine particulate from dry clay
tains iron materials — particulate so fine that it passes
spots,” through a 60-mesh screen,” Hopkins recalls. “I re-
Hopkins says. membered that conversation and starting to look
“These are flaws that around for a supplier. I contacted Eriez and pur-
make a piece second chased the 6 x 6 in. ProGrade magnet. The mag-
quality, and I don’t sell sec- net is a purity enhancer and confidence restorer.
onds. Those pieces are given It has become an invaluable part of my studio
away or crushed into bits, wasting process and production.”
valuable studio time and money.”
Eliminating Iron Spots in Finished Products
Purifying Porcelain Metal contamination that is not eliminated early
with a Grate Magnet in the process can show up as iron spots or specks
The raw clay material Hopkins purchases during the firing stage, which is when an unfin-
includes four basic ingredients: silica, feldspar, ka- ished piece is placed in a kiln and heated up to
olin, and plasticizer. Each dry material is portioned 2300ºF.
out and then dumped into a homemade hopper “Some artists don’t mind iron spots in their fin-
constructed from coated plywood and corrugated ished product, but I don’t find anything attractive
PVC material. The Eriez 6 x 6 in. grate magnet is about having specks in my pieces,” Hopkins says.
mounted at the bottom of the hopper. “The Eriez magnet has made my clay cleaner and
“All the dry material passes through the magnet whiter and allows me to be more confident that
and the amount of impurity it attracts is amazing,” the pieces I create will not go to waste because of
Hopkins says. “I have found almost all the magnetic iron spots.”
impurity comes from silica, but feldspar is also a cul- Hopkins describes that he has tried
prit for metal contamination.” many different methods to eliminate iron spots