Coastermatic cofounder Tash Wong visited our coaster factory recently and had a great time meeting our producer padres, and seeing how our/your coasters are made. The factory is located in the middle of the Midwest, making for equal shipping times within the US, no matter where orders are being sent. Day-to-day operations are run by a husband and wife team who've been making coasters for over 20 years!
Fun fact: the coasters are made entirely of US-sourced materials, meaning we're 100% US-made.
Here's a breakdown of how it happens:
1. The ceramic mix is made (it's a powder that looks kind of like dry plaster)
2. The powder is put into molds, then pressed by a giant machine that exerts a few ton of pressure
3. The blank coasters are baked in the kiln for a day or so
4. Once cooled, the coasters are sorted for size (they can vary about 1/4" in diameter). Ones of a similar size are grouped together so there's no major differences in a set
5. They go to the printer to have awesome Coastermatic images put on them!
6. They're transferred to big trays and baked in another, lower temp kiln, to make the ink permanent
7. They're allowed to cool again, and then Neoprene bottoms are applied
8. Your coasters are packed and shipped!
Check out some photos from Tash's visit below.
Now you've seen how our coasters are made, why not create your own set?!
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