How Do We Customize a Marble Waterjet Medallion?

by Julia
Last updated March 15, 2023

Have you installed a marble waterjet medallion in your home, or are you a designer preparing the space for your client?

Either way, manufacturing and customizing a medallion is a subject of curiosity, especially with the seamless results.

To summarize, these are the steps that our factory performs in customizing marble waterjet medallions:

Confirm the medallion specifications
Select the marble slabs
Create a CAD for the waterjet medallion
Consult the CAD to the client and edit if necessary
Translate the CAD into a G-code using CAM
Cut the marble slabs with the waterjet machine
Double-check the parts of the marble medallion
Arrange the marble waterjet medallion
Quality inspection of the products

This article explains the medallion manufacturing process entirely in this article, including how we incorporate the product into interior design.

Process of Customizing Marble Waterjet Medallions

Confirming the Medallion Specifications

Before cutting the medallion pieces, one of the first steps is to have the client dictate their complete expectations of the product.

This may be overwhelming for some. That’s why in other factories like Sinodec, we have our designers that can help arrange ideas when it comes to aesthetic details. We will need the desired type of marble and colors to aid in selecting suitable slabs.

Specifying the dimensions of the marble medallion is also essential so we will know what to indicate in the computer-aided design (CAD). This goes for both project-based orders and bulk ones to be released in the market.

Selecting the Marble Slabs

After getting information about the marble waterjet medallion’s expected outcome, we selected the correct marble slabs for manufacturing.

In this step, we encourage our clients to select marble slabs with us. This way, they can see the quality of the stones we will use for the medallion and feel involved in the whole operation.

It’s also possible that the client will see other marble colors—and we have a lot—which will cause them to change their mind.

If the clients can’t be present during the slab selection, they can send their sourcing agents or ask us to send pictures of the chosen marble slabs.

Creating a 2D or 3D Design Using CAD

Computer-aided design (CAD) software is the most efficient way to bring the client’s design expectations to life. Our CAD drawings must contain the following:

the finished marble waterjet medallion
the parts of the medal with specific dimensions and measurements (also called the “parts template”)

The CAD for the finished medallion is precisely as it sounds, and the parts’ template is what makes the product.

Since we utilize high technology in manufacturing medallions, the machine also bases its cuts on the accuracy of the drawings. We like to label each piece in the parts’ template and indicate the size and dimensions.

Imagine a red marble flower carving that we must stick to the rest of the mosaic. This flower is also in the CAD drawing with the specified length, width, and height and matched with the space meant for it.

Showing the Medallion’s CAD Design to the Client

Yes, it’s essential to always consult the client, especially with the CAD drawing of their waterjet medallion.

While they might focus on the drawing of the finished medallion product, we must explain the parts’ template to ensure that we (client and manufacturer) are still on the same page.

There might be some minor adjustments that they want us to perform, although most of the clients at this stage are already satisfied with the drawings.

Using CAM and the Waterjet Machine’s CNC

If you’ve seen our article entitled “A Detailed Guide to Stone Waterjet Products,” we elaborated that abrasive waterjet machines have computer numeric control (CNC) that takes charge of the cutting process.

After we confirm that the drawing in the CAD is accurate and ready, we can now have the computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) translate it into a G-code. The latter is the code that the CNC of the waterjet machine will read to cut the marble.

Next is nesting, where the software arranges the parts’ template the machine has to cut, following the size of the slab. This is to use the marble efficiently and avoid wasting space in the material.

Cutting the Marble Slabs

Once the CNC has read the G-code produced by the CAM and the nesting is finished, the abrasive waterjet can now begin cutting the marble.

The machine can do all the work by following the CAM’s directions. We don’t have to worry about the following:

cutting direction
cutting speed
depth of pierce
cutting type

These factors are included in the machine’s functions and other necessary cutting adjustments to achieve the desired shape.

However, we still observe the cutting process even though the waterjet machine does most of the work.

Checking the Medallion Parts

Using the machine already provides us with smooth and perfect edges, so we can usually arrange the pieces as they are.

Although, we still take the time to check all the marble waterjet medallion parts in case we need to smoothen the edges with an angle grinder.

Arranging the Marble Medallion

The final part of customizing a marble waterjet medallion is assembling its parts. Sometimes when a piece is intricate, we polish the edges to fit it better.

We place the medallion parts on a mosaic tile mesh of woven fiberglass. While we can install it directly on the floor or walls (direct installation), clients prefer pre-arranging it since it’s easier to implement.

Pre-arranged waterjet medallions are also preferred in the market, which we supply because the buyers range from experts to simple homeowners who often do DIYs.

After we arrange all the pieces on the mesh, we use a transparent adhesive to stick them together.

Product Quality Inspection

Quality inspection of the finished product is as necessary as the earlier inspections. We encourage our clients to personally check the marble waterjet medallion before we arrange it for shipment.

If being physically present is not possible, we recommend the following options:

your sourcing agent will perform the quality inspection
we will send you a product sample (costs apply)
we will send you photos of the product

Once we confirm that there is no quality problem, we can perform the packaging for shipment and calculate the latter’s costs.

Incorporating Waterjet Medallions in Interior Design

Interior designers find marble a quality material in terms of sustainability, durability, and aesthetic characteristics. Since the point of designing is to make the space efficient and pleasant to the eyes, they can use marble waterjet medallions.

We can best install it as the focal point of a space, creating a radial balance, emphasis, and contrast. Depending on the interior designer and how they will apply the owner’s preferences, it can be on the floor, wall, or ceiling.

Conclusion

Customizing marble waterjet medallions involves using an abrasive machine that does all the intricate cutting of the marble slab. But before this stage, we first need to do the following: