Vacuum vibration press for forming engineered composite stone slabs

A lightweight, energy efficient, low cost vacuum vibration press for forming engineered stone slabs by simultaneously compressing and vibrating under vacuum a slab mixture, the press comprising:

• a vacuum chamber;
• a vibration table having a planar surface configured to support the slab mixture, said vibration table being located within the vacuum chamber;
• a pressing mechanism that is configured to compress the slab mixture between the pressing mechanism and the vibration table, said pressing mechanism being located within the vacuum chamber;
• a first vibration device attached to a bottom of the vibration table;
• and
• a second vibration device attached to a top of the pressing mechanism;
• the pressing mechanism and the vibration devices being configured to apply at least 8 psi of compressional force and at least 0.6 kw per square foot of vibrational force to the slab mixture to force the stone granules in a slab mixture having between 88% and 94% stone granules and stone powder, and between 6% and 12% resin into a configuration in which the resin and stone powder fill substantially all voids between the stone granules.