Intlabathi enemibala yendalo ivela ngqo eMhlabeni. Ivela ematyeni nakwiiminerali eziqulethe imibala yendalo. I-iron oxide yenye yezona zinto ziqhelekileyo zombala wendalo, ezibangela imibala ebomvu, eorenji, nemdaka ebonakala kwiintlabathi ezininzi zemibala yendalo. Umzekelo, imibala ebomvu-mdaka yentlabathi ethile yasentlango ibangelwa ngumxholo we-iron oxide. I-Manganese inokungenisa imibala emnyama okanye emfusa, ngelixa iikhompawundi zobhedu zinokubangela imibala eluhlaza neluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka. Ukukhutshwa kwentlabathi enemibala yendalo kuqala ngemisebenzi yokumba kwiindawo zokumba okanye kwiindawo zomlambo apho ezi ndawo zinombala zikhoyo. Nje ukuba zimbiwe, izinto eziluhlaza zidlula kuthotho lwamanyathelo okucubungula. Ukutyumza kuqhekeza amatye amakhulu abe ziingceba ezincinci, kulandele ukuhluza ukuze kwahlulwe isanti ibe ziinkozo ezahlukeneyo. Emva koko kuhlanjwa ukuze kususwe ukungcola okufana nodongwe, uthuli, kunye nezinye iinxalenye ezingafunekiyo, ukuqinisekisa ukuba isanti inomgangatho ophezulu wobunyulu kunye nobukhali bombala obufunekayo.

Intlabathi enemibala eyenziweyo, ngokuchaseneyo, yenziwa ngeenkqubo ezenziwe ngabantu. Ngokwesiqhelo, izinto ezisisiseko, ezidla ngokuba yintlabathi ye-quartz ngenxa yobuninzi bayo, ubulukhuni, kunye nombala ongathathi cala, zisebenza njengesiseko. Iindlela eziphambili zokufaka umbala zisetyenziswa ukugquma okanye ukudaya amasuntswana esanti ye-quartz. Abavelisi basebenzisa imibala esemgangathweni ophezulu kunye neearhente zokubopha ezichanekileyo ukuqinisekisa ukuba umbala unamathela ngokuqinileyo kwiinkozo zesanti. Iindlela ezikhethekileyo zokugquma zinokwenza umaleko wombala ofanayo nohlala ixesha elide, ovumela uluhlu olubanzi lwemibala enokuba nzima ukuyifumana ngokwendalo. Ngolawulo olucokisekileyo lwenkqubo yokuvelisa, intlabathi enemibala eyenziweyo inokufikelela kumgangatho wombala ohambelanayo kunye nokusasazwa kobungakanani bamasuntswana, ukuhlangabezana neemfuno ezingqongqo zamashishini ahlukeneyo.