ION ONEFLOW
The Connected Stone Factory
From raw slab to finished surface, one connected flow.
What is ION ONEFLOW?
ION ONEFLOW is an integrated production concept connecting slab storage, material handling, resin treatment, controlled curing, polishing and finished-product management within one coordinated factory architecture.
The objective is not simply to automate individual machines. It is to create a factory in which production orders, slabs, equipment and process data move together through a continuous and traceable workflow.
Explore the Five ONEFLOW Pillars
One Factory. One Production Flow.
In conventional stone-processing factories, production is often divided into separate departments. Slabs are repeatedly loaded, unloaded, transferred and stored between operations.
One of the most significant interruptions occurs between resin treatment and polishing. After resin application and initial curing, slabs are normally removed from the line and stored until the epoxy reaches sufficient hardness. This increases handling, lead time, work in progress and floor-space requirements.
ION ONEFLOW connects resin treatment directly with polishing through an extended and controlled thermal-curing process.
The Five-Tower Curing Concept
At the centre of the ONEFLOW architecture is an additional polymerisation tower positioned between resin treatment and polishing.
In the reference five-tower configuration, this additional curing capacity extends the time slabs remain within a regulated thermal environment. The resin can continue penetrating fissures, pores and cavities while polymerisation develops under controlled temperature and airflow conditions. Depending on line capacity and process settings, the system can provide approximately 320 minutes of controlled residence time before polishing. This makes it possible to complete resin treatment and polishing as one continuous production process without intermediate curing storage.
ION ONEFLOW does not rely on rapid UV activation to bridge these stages. Its architecture provides the controlled time and thermal conditions required for progressive epoxy polymerisation before polishing.
Controlled Thermal Processing
ION curing towers use close-coupled airflow, with heated air distributed through diffusers positioned near the slab trays. Airflow guides retain circulation within the effective treatment area, while insulated construction reduces unnecessary thermal loss. This supports:
- uniform slab temperatures
- consistent treatment across tray levels
- controlled moisture removal
- efficient use of heating power
- stable curing before polishing
Integrated Resin Treatment
Each ONEFLOW resin-treatment line is configured according to the stone characteristics, required treatment and production capacity. A typical system may include:
- automatic slab loading
- cyclic or static drying towers
- mesh and resin application
- vacuum or hyperbaric treatment
- slab buffers and turning systems
- intermediate honing
- front-face treatment
- cyclic or static curing towers
- extended final curing
The configuration is developed around the required process sequence rather than a fixed standard layout.
Direct Connection to Polishing
Once the required curing condition has been achieved, the slab moves directly into the polishing section. This eliminates the need to unload the slab, transfer it to temporary storage, wait for ambient curing, locate it again and reload it onto the polishing line.
The result is lower material handling, reduced work in progress and a more predictable production schedule.
Storage and Material Movement
ION ONEFLOW can integrate automated storage for raw slabs, work-in-progress materials and finished products.
Slabs may be organised by stone type, thickness, finish, treatment, production order or destination. The system can retrieve the required material according to the production schedule and transfer it to the appropriate loading station.
AGVs may also connect storage areas, resin-treatment lines, polishing lines, inspection zones and finished-slab storage, reducing repeated forklift and overhead-crane movements.
Factory-Wide Control
The individual machines can be connected through a coordinated control architecture incorporating:
- ERP or MES connectivity
- production-order transfer
- slab and batch identification
- barcode or digital tracking
- recipe management
- line-status monitoring
- production-data recording
- alarms and maintenance information
- automatic routing and priority management
Operators retain responsibility for supervision and production decisions, while routine material transfers and machine coordination can be managed automatically.
Open Integration Architecture
ION ONEFLOW is not limited to equipment manufactured by ION Meccanica. The system can integrate:
- ION Meccanica resin-treatment machinery
- ION handling and automation systems
- existing customer machinery
- selected third-party polishing equipment
- scanners and identification systems
- AGVs and automated storage
- factory software and ERP platforms
ION Meccanica develops the overall production architecture, coordinates the interfaces and integrates the selected technologies into one operating system.
Main Advantages
- Continuous production
- No intermediate curing storage
- Reduced material handling
- Shorter production lead times
- Lower work in progress
- Better use of factory space
- Controlled process conditions
- Greater traceability
- Modular factory development
Proven Production Concept
The integrated resin-treatment and polishing concept has been implemented in three stone-processing factories in Türkiye. Two installations have operated since 2019 and a third since 2023. These systems connect resin treatment, extended thermal curing and polishing within a continuous production architecture, providing the practical foundation for ION ONEFLOW.
Build Your ONEFLOW Factory
Every stone-processing factory has different materials, production targets, machinery and available space. ION Meccanica develops each ONEFLOW project around the customer's actual process and production requirements.
From raw slab to finished surface, one connected flow.