A Better Toilet Supplier—How to Classify Products?

The classification in this article is not aimed at the quality of raw materials, but at the defects and repair technologies in the production process of the toilet industry, as well as our internal treatment methods for defective products. The raw materials used by our company belong to the high-standard materials of the industry leader. Foshan clay has high viscosity, and the fired ceramics have good density, low water absorption (can be lower than 0.2%, far better than the national standard of 0.5%), fine glaze, and strong stain resistance. After a variety of raw materials are mixed to form a slurry, it is molded by high-pressure grouting and fired at a high temperature of more than 1280℃. It has a high degree of vitrification and strong stability. The formed toilet has lower water absorption, higher density, and higher speed and efficiency of high-pressure grouting. It is the benchmark of leading quality in China's toilet industry.

1. Defect classification 

Defects in the production process of toilets can be defined from the following perspectives: appearance defects, functional defects, and structural defects. Appearance defects refer to glaze defects, such as surface pinholes, color differences, and non-penetrating cracks that may cause water leakage, size deviations, and size deviations of drain outlets and toilet bottoms. Repairable functional defects refer to situations such as slight looseness of the toilet seat, displacement <1mm, failure of water pipe fittings, and repair of UF cover. For structural defects of products, repair costs exceeding 50% and major safety hazards such as embryo rupture should be directly scrapped and prohibited from circulation.

2. Repair technology

For appearance defects, we can use local glazing: spray glaze repair, secondary low-temperature firing or high-temperature re-making. Through grinding and polishing to eliminate bubbles and scratches, it is necessary to pay attention to matching the original glaze composition; after polishing, anti-fouling coating treatment is required, the gloss of the repaired area is reduced, and the stain resistance is reduced; long-term use may turn yellow. For dimensional deviation, mechanical calibration can be performed: adjust the position of the toilet base or drain outlet, and fill correction: use ceramic glue to fill the gap. After calibration, the water seal height (≥50mm) and drain pipe diameter (≥41mm) need to be retested, and the structural strength will also be reduced; the interface is prone to water leakage (need to strengthen the sealing test). For functional component failures, such as water circuit component replacement: replace the valve core, float, etc., the water circuit components must comply with the ASME A112.19.2 standard. Cover repair: Fill the gap of the UF cover with epoxy resin; the cover repair needs to pass 50,000 opening and closing tests. The life of the components will be shortened after the repair, and the probability of secondary damage to the smart toilet circuit board will also increase after the repair. For minor structural damage, nano-ceramic glue can be used for bonding: used to repair micro-cracks in the blank, and reinforced by high temperature: local re-firing (above 1200℃) requires the filler temperature to be consistent with the original firing curve; after bonding, it is necessary to pass a 10kg static load test. If the density of the repaired area is uneven, the impact strength will be reduced; there is a risk of secondary cracking in a long-term humid environment.

3. Product classification

We classify superior finished products into one category, with minor appearance defects and other functional parameters qualified, and can be sold as superior products after repair by the original factory process. Products with dimensional deviations and repairable functional defects can be classified as qualified products after repair, and the repaired parts and quality reports are marked at the same time. They can be sold in the form of marked repaired parts with a shelf life. Products with structural functional defects should be scrapped directly and prohibited from circulation. We strictly abide by quality inspection. On the premise of ensuring high-quality products and high production, we increase the quality inspection process by improving the production process, perfecting the rework process, classifying defective products and informing customers, etc., to meet customers' needs for different grades of products.