Method for continuous manufacture of inorganically bonded materials, especially material slabs

A method for continuous manufacture of slabs of material based on inorganic binders which cure by hydration, comprising the following steps:

• forming an aqueous mixture including at least one inorganic binder which cures by hydrate formation and at least one reinforcing agent, said binder being selected from the group consisting of plaster and cement;
• said mixture having a pourable and spreadable consistency;
• extruding said mixture continuously in the form of a slab;
• compressing said extruded slab in a compression device, before hydration of said inorganic binder begins to occur, by application of pressure which is sufficiently high that the thickness of said slab after compression is less than the thickness specified for the finished extruded slab, and the density of said slab after compression exceeds the density specified for the finished extruded slab, the degree of compression being sufficiently large that after removal of the compressing pressure, restoring forces in the compressed extruded slab are sufficient to increase the thickness of the slab to such a value, greater than the final thickness specified for the slab, that the slab is calibratable to its specified final thickness and density in a calibration device which is capable of passively resisting residual restoring forces in the slab without active application of pressure;
• removing the compressing pressure after hydration of said inorganic binder has begun and before hydration is complete;
• and
• calibrating said extruded slab to a specified final thickness and density after removing the compressing pressure, by keeping said slab at the thickness specified for the finished slab until hydration is complete, in a calibration device which passively resists residual restoring forces in the slab without active application of pressure.