Those problems put the product quality of giftware / ceramic figurines producers at risk and increase the costs a lot (bigger clayware waste, bigger plaster consumption because of
shorter mold life, etc…). That's where Lafarge Prestia wants to help !
Lafarge Prestia solves
many technical problems, 
such as...
normal plasters can not keep the details
of figurine shape after more than a few casts; the clay will erode the plaster and therefore the working molds will be quickly useless.
Benefits with Lafarge Prestia plasters
- Lafarge Prestia plasters for giftware industry are designed to reproduce the finest details and therefore fit for very precise molding
- They offer the best combination of optimum fineness (which yield excellent surface smoothness) and very high abrasion resistance (which means that working moulds cast with Prestia plasters have a very long life cycle)
- Lafarge Prestia plasters offer high absorption, through use of specific chemical agents and specific process adjustments, in order boost the productivity of your casting lines
- Our plasters have no harmful impurities (iron, hard particles) because they are made with the purest gypsum, perfectly cleaned and we have more than 60 magnetic separators on our production lines
- They have a perfectly consistent setting time, through formulation know-how, on-line process parameters control, high frequency quality testing and ISO 9002 warranty
- Lafarge Prestia offers plasters with convenient setting time; our technical support team will help customers get the best casting performance, whichever their way of mixing plaster and water (hand mixing, conventional mixer (high speed or low speed), vacuum mixer, etc…)
- Our packaging is specially designed to prevent water to get in contact with plaster powder and form hard lumps in bags
Lafarge Prestia Products range
Prestia Superfine
Prestia Superfine
has been designed to reproduce perfectly the finest details. It offers very high abrasion resistance and therefore offers remarkably long mold lives. Its purity
is unrivalled, since we use the purest raw material and further refine the plaster purity throughout the process.
We will be glad to send you data sheets upon request. Please contact us now.Prestia Cast and Prestia Fine
We will be glad to send you data sheets upon request. Please contact us now.Prestia Case
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here We will be glad to send you data sheets upon request. Please
What is the best for a company ? plaster X at 70 local currency/ton which gives a mold life of 40 cycles or plaster L at 90 local currency/ton which gives a mold life of 60 cycles ?
Would you like to gain the benefits of Plaster L ? Please 
About real cost savings with plaster in your business
A brain teaser...
Too simple answer : plaster L because the cost per mold is only 1.75 local currency
where as "cheaper" plaster X gives a cost per mold of 2 local currency. More professional
answer : there is a difference on direct costs (2 local currency vs 1.75 local currency) but there is a bigger difference in total costs as Plaster L will yield higher productivity,
lower labor cost per mold (in the mold shop), less clayware waste and less stock of plaster. So Plaster L brings much more benefits than simply the lower direct cost/mold.
Our standard payment terms are Telegraphic Transfer before delivery or irrevocable Letter of Credit. We are currently preparing the
possibility for customers who find it more efficient to pay through internet with credit card. We will be glad to give you a price quotation. Please Meet our team on our Any other question ? Please Storage
Notes About Mould Casting Temperature Contamination Setting time and viscosity (fluidity) Absorption
The control of the hemihydrates and the knowledge of formulation allow us to provide at the advised water / plaster ratio, a fine and homogeneous capillary structure with a high absorbent effect, combined with a high water storage capacity .
These performances will be optimized through a controlled drying atmosphere. Strength Mixing equipment Mixing ratio Mixing ratio variations can definitely affect the performances of the moulds, especially their wear resistance and absorption.
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To obtain the best from Prestia plasters, rigorous and precise mixing conditions are essential. Any variation can modify plaster setting mechanisms and affects the porosity
and mechanical strength of the moulds.
The mixing water temperature significantly impacts on porometry and therefore absorption characteristics of the moulds. To maintain consistent performances, we recommend
working at constant temperature.
It is preferable to use a water as clean as possible in order to limit the introduction of
soluble salts which could be prejudicial to the moulds quality. It is recommended to work with drinkable water.
As well as consistency, the Prestia range of plasters offers a wide choice of setting times and fluidities. The control of the setting time (short or long) is essential to meet the needs and requirements of the mold shop.
Prestia industrial plasters cover a wide absorption range, the most absorbent being able to increase the number of casts per day by delaying the saturation point of the moulds .
The homogeneous and compact structures of Prestia plasters allow a high mechanical
strength development and will commonly give 50% superior shelf life, as compared to that of ordinary plasters. Moreover, the use of Alpha plaster gives the possibility to increase
the mixing ratio and to contribute to a better mould strength.
Mixing equipments should be in stainless-steel, in good shape and clean before use.
Use preferable a propeller with axial flow (boat propeller type) or with 4 blades at 45 to pull down the mixed plaster slurry without turbulence.
The motor power should be strong enough to provide a constant rotation speed.
Ideally, the motor should be equipped with a speed variator in order to adjust the propeller speed to the slurry viscosity and completely mix it (no stagnant area on the surface).
The necessary quantities of plaster and water must be carefully weighed on a regularly calibrated scale.
A customer's story… on how a (cheap) low grade plaster can cost a lot to a giftware producer… We recently asked Mr. B., General Manager in a medium size giftware plant located in South-East Asia why he had switched back from a competitor's plaster to Lafarge Prestia plaster. Here is his
answer : "(…) The Asian economic crisis has forced us to develop our export markets, especially towards America and Europe, where we can supply high quality figurines. (…) In January 1998, our customer 'WD' in the USA sent me
an inquiry for the production of a huge quantity of porcelain dolls with very fine details. We were in competition with many other companies, all eager to get this big and prestigious contract. So I had to minimize my costs as much as possible
to get the job. I then decided to try a low-grade plaster instead of Lafarge Prestia product because it was slightly cheaper and I thought it would help me decrease my raw materials purchasing costs. We finally got the contract and the
lower grade plaster, but all we got afterwards were problems and more problems ! Mostly because of the plaster quality inconsistency, which made our job more difficult, created much more waste in our workshop and delayed our production. To
the extent that I could not send my first shipment to WD on schedule… Our company then suffered penalty for that and -worst of all- WD cancelled the next order… After a few months, we convinced our customer that we had taken all
measures to prevent the problems to happen again and that our production would run smoothly. In that goal we had decided to go back to Lafarge Prestia plaster. WD finally decided to order again from us. And we enjoy smooth productivity,
high quality of finished figurines and quite profitable sales. I have to agree that Lafarge Prestia plays a role in that performance."
Australia |
12 to 15 days |
Bombay |
10 to 15 days |
Jakarta |
7 to 9 days |
Kuala Lumpur (by truck) |
3 days |
Manila |
9 to 14 days |
New Dehli |
18 to 20 days |
Seoul (Inch'on) |
11 or 12 days |
Shanghai, Guangzhou |
7 to 12 days |
Singapore |
3 or 4 days |
Sri Lanka |
10 to 15 days |
Taiwan |
7 to 9 days |
Tianjin |
7 to 12 days |
Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka |
10 to 12 days |
Viet Nam |
3 to 4 days |
Our logistic know-how, our flexibility in production and our location very close to Bangkok harbor (Laem Chabang) enable us to offer short delivery time to Asian countries. Examples of shipping time between Laem Chabang and…
Sprinkling and soaking Mixing Casting Drying - a fixed and homogenous temperature at all points, Moulds are typically dried face down and, where possible, boxed and strapped to limit their deformation. The drying phase is finished when mould weight is constant. Moulds should then be cooled slowly, to avoid any thermal shock,
which could cause damage. Mould storage
An up-to-date stock inventory should be done to ensure a good rotation of moulds. Putting the moulds into service
This step is important, as it allows
the powder to wet slowly and releases entrapped air. This improves the final mixing.
Mixing conditions must be controlled in order to avoid any variations in the mould quality. They are adjusted (speed and
duration) to obtain a good and complete circulation of the slurry. The uniform dispersion of the plaster grains will give a homogeneous mix with no lumps.
With appropriate mixing equipment, speed should be between 300 and 500 rpm (and
never exceed 800 rpm except for small mixers).
The case mould should first be soaped on all working surfaces with an appropriate demoulding agent.
To avoid any air entrapment, the mixed slurry should be cast slowly at
constant speed. The pouring lip should be close to the case mould and the slurry should be poured on one side of the case mould.
Drying is an important step in mould making. It allows the extraction of surplus
water and helps the moulds to achieve optimum porosity and mechanical strength. The drier must combine:
- a rapid and uniform air circulation (space out moulds),
- a controlled humidity (permanent renewing of the air) .
Moulds should be stored in dry conditions and away from moisture, dust and heat, in order to avoid any fungal growth and to limit their ageing.
The moulds should be cleaned before the first usage to ensure the success of the first casts.
Influence of the different parameters on the final performances
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Thanks to their formulation, Prestia plasters are less sensitive to working conditions than ordinary plasters. However, it is recommended to follow rigorous working procedures in
order to maintain a constant level of performance. Here is a summary of the influence of the main parameters on setting time, fluidity, absorption and mechanical strength :
P/W % |
140 |
150 |
165 |
180 |
140 |
150 |
165 |
180 |
140 |
150 |
165 |
180 |
W/P % |
71 |
67 |
60 |
55 |
71 |
67 |
60 |
55 |
71 |
67 |
60 |
55 |
Water (L) |
Plaster (kg) |
Total weight (kg) |
Total volume (L) |
35 |
49 |
52.5 |
58 |
63 |
84 |
87.5 |
93 |
98 |
54 |
55 |
57 |
58 |
45 |
63 |
67.5 |
74 |
81 |
108 |
112.5 |
119 |
126 |
69 |
71 |
73 |
75 |
55 |
77 |
82.5 |
90 |
99 |
132 |
137.5 |
145 |
154 |
85 |
87 |
89 |
92 |
65 |
91 |
97.5 |
107 |
117 |
156 |
162.5 |
172 |
182 |
100 |
103 |
105 |
108 |
75 |
105 |
112.5 |
123 |
135 |
180 |
187.5 |
198 |
210 |
115 |
118 |
121 |
125 |
85 |
119 |
127.5 |
140 |
153 |
204 |
212.5 |
225 |
238 |
131 |
134 |
138 |
142 |
95 |
133 |
142.5 |
156 |
171 |
228 |
237.5 |
251 |
266 |
146 |
150 |
154 |
158 |
105 |
147 |
157.5 |
173 |
189 |
252 |
262.5 |
278 |
294 |
162 |
166 |
170 |
175 |
115 |
161 |
172.5 |
190 |
207 |
276 |
287.5 |
305 |
322 |
177 |
181 |
186 |
192 |
125 |
175 |
187.5 |
206 |
225 |
300 |
312.5 |
331 |
350 |
192 |
197 |
202 |
208 |
135 |
189 |
202.5 |
223 |
243 |
324 |
337.5 |
358 |
378 |
207 |
213 |
218 |
225 |
145 |
203 |
217.5 |
239 |
261 |
348 |
362.5 |
384 |
406 |
223 |
229 |
234 |
242 |
155 |
217 |
232.5 |
256 |
279 |
372 |
387.5 |
411 |
434 |
239 |
245 |
250 |
258 |
Purchasing conditions
For export markets, we prefer to ship 21 tons per containers (except in Korea where maximum container load is 17 tons and Tokyo harbor where maximum load is 20 tons)
Purchasing conditionsTechnical tipsWeight and volume in relation with the mixing ratio and more tips
Influence of different parameters on the final performancesA customer's story… on how a (cheap) low grade plaster can cost a lot to a giftware producer…
The data presented in this document are in accordance with the present state of our knowledge, but do not absolve the user from carefully checking all supplies immediately on receipt. We reserve the
right to alter product constants within the scope of technical progress or new developments. The recommendations made here should be checked by preliminary trials, because of conditions during processing over which we have no control,
especially where other companies' raw materials are also being used. Prestia is a registered trademark of
For any information or reclamation about this Website kindly contact our webmaster@lafargeprestia.com .