Production of expanded polystyrene and - profitable businesswith an average entry threshold. Expanded polystyrene is widely used in various fields - in construction, in the food industry, in the automotive industry.

This article will consider in detail both units for the manufacture of conventional expanded polystyrene and equipment for the production of extruded polystyrene foam, you will learn what elements the production line consists of, and the main aspects of the technology for manufacturing this material.

1 Production technology of expanded polystyrene

The technology for the production of expanded polystyrene is quite simple, and can be implemented even if the required minimum production equipment.

However, an important factor is the strong dependence of the quality of the final product on the fulfillment of all technology requirements, since even the slightest overdrying of expanded polystyrene, or, conversely, an attempt to cut insufficiently dried, raw material, can cause the entire batch of products to be rejected (even if it is even).

In general, the technology for the manufacture of expanded polystyrene consists of several successive stages.

At the first stage, the raw materials from which expanded polystyrene (polystyrene foam) is produced - expandable polystyrene granules (PSV), with their own hands, or with the help of automated equipment, are loaded into the pre-foam container.

In the pre-frothers, the granules are heated, as a result of which they inflate, increase in volume, and turn into hollow balls filled with air.

Foaming can be carried out both once and several times. When re-foaming, the process is completely repeated - the raw materials do-it-yourself (or automatically) are re-immersed in the pre-foamer, warmed up, and increased. Re-foaming is used when it is necessary to obtain expanded polystyrene with a minimum density.

Its strength characteristics and weight depend on the density of expanded polystyrene. In some cases, high-density expanded polystyrene is required to insulate facades, and similar load-bearing structures, however, as a rule, due to the lower cost, low-density expanded polystyrene is in great demand.

The density index of the material is measured in kilograms per cubic meter. Strength is sometimes referred to as actual weight. For example, expanded polystyrene with an actual weight of 25 kilograms has a density of 25 kg / m³. This is much better than.

Polystyrene raw materials, foaming of which is performed once, guarantees the final density of expanded polystyrene in the region of 12 kg / m³. The more foaming processes have been performed, the less the actual weight of the product will be.

As a rule, the maximum number of foaming processes per batch of raw materials is 2, since multiple foaming due to repeated foaming greatly deteriorates the strength of the final product.

On the second production stage, expanded polystyrene enters the holding chamber, where it is kept for 24 hours. This process is necessary to stabilize the pressure inside the air-filled granules.

Each time the foaming process is repeated, the aging process must be repeated. To create expanded polystyrene with a density of up to 12 kg / m³, the raw material is subject to several repeated cycles of foaming and aging.

After the raw materials have matured for the required amount of time, foam blocks are formed from the semi-finished product. This happens in a block form, inside which the granules are treated with steam supplied under pressure.

After the block is formed, the foam is re-aged for a day - this is necessary so that moisture leaves the foam, since when cutting a raw block, the edges of the product will be torn and uneven, after which it goes to the cutting line, where the blocks are cut into plates of the required size and thickness.

2 Production equipment

The production line for the production of expanded polystyrene includes the following elements:

  • Storage and inspection area for raw materials;
  • Foaming unit;
  • Aging container;
  • Unit for forming blocks;
  • A machine for cutting polystyrene into;
  • Storage area for finished products;
  • Waste processing unit.

2.1 Raw material storage and inspection area

It is important that the polystyrene raw materials used for the production of expanded polystyrene meet all quality standards, since the characteristics of the finished polystyrene foam strongly depend on it.

As a rule, the main domestic and foreign manufacturers use raw materials from the following companies for the production of expanded polystyrene:

  • Xingda (China);
  • Loyal Chemical Corporation (China);
  • BASF (Germany).

Technological requirements allow the reuse of waste (recycled expanded polystyrene plates). The amount of recyclable materials should not exceed 10% of the weight of the final product.

Bags with polystyrene are unloaded by an electric car, or, in the case of small packing, by hand. Raw materials should not be stored for more than three months after the date of their production. The temperature regime for storing polystyrene is from 10 to 15 degrees.

2.2 Foaming machine

This production line consists of a pre-foamer (usually of a cyclic type), a block for drying expanded polystyrene granules, a pneumatic conveyor, and a control element.

Do-it-yourself polystyrene from the bags is unloaded into the pre-frother, into which hot steam is supplied under pressure (with a temperature of about 95-100 degrees), under the influence of which the primary foaming of the raw material occurs.

The process is controlled by computer equipment, which, when polystyrene reaches a predetermined volume, stops supplying steam, after which the semi-finished product enters the block for drying.

2.3 Curing container

The granules, from which the excess moisture has been taken, are transported to the aging container. Through conditioning, the container is constantly maintained at a given humidity and temperature and air humidity.

At temperatures ranging from 16 to 25 degrees, the granules are kept for about 12 hours. During this time, the hollow foam granules are filled with air.

The re-curing technology, which is carried out in the case of re-foaming, is similar to the method described above and is carried out using the same equipment.

It is the volume of the container in to a greater extent sets the nominal productivity of the production line, therefore the number and size of bins must be carefully calculated based on the desired production volume.

2.4 Machine for forming polystyrene blocks

From the curing container, the expanded polystyrene granules are pneumatically conveyed to the intermediate chamber, which is equipped with a filling sensor.

When the required amount of pellets arrives, the raw material is transported to the forming unit. The block mold is an airtight container that closes after filling with granules. Hot steam is fed into the block mold through the supply valve.

In the process of heat treatment under pressure, secondary foaming of the granules occurs, which expand, and when the set temperature is reached, they are sintered into a monolithic block of expanded polystyrene.

Cooling of the formed polystyrene foam occurs in the same unit by pumping air from the chamber with a vacuum pump. To stabilize the internal air pressure in expanded polystyrene granules, the block is kept at room temperature for 24 hours.

2.5 Machine for cutting polystyrene foam

After the required time has elapsed, the polystyrene foam block enters the cutting unit. The cutting line is a complete equipment that is capable of cutting both horizontal and vertical planes.

This equipment has two modes of operation - an automatic mode for implementing a given program, and a self-controlled mode. As a rule, the whole process takes place automatically.

The cutting element of the equipment is heated strings of refractory steel, which are able to quickly and efficiently form foam plates of the required shapes and sizes.

The electronic control system of the installation makes it possible to adjust the heating temperature of the strings, the speed of their movement, and the size of the final product with your own hands.

2.6 Waste recycling unit

Polystyrene foam materials damaged during production are not disposed of, but must be recycled. The processing of expanded polystyrene is carried out in a unit, inside which crushing hammers rotate, which crumble the foam plates into individual granules.

The raw materials obtained during the processing are fed by pneumatic transport to the storage hopper, from which the granules enter the block mold in an amount not exceeding 10% of the weight of the primary raw material used for production.

2.7 Production of extruded PPP

The difference in the production line for the production of extruded polystyrene foam, in comparison with the above-described technology for the production of conventional polystyrene foam, lies in the presence of an extruder.

Extruder - equipment for the production of extruded polystyrene foam, which has forming dies through which the polystyrene melt is pushed.

The extrusion head gives the polystyrene foam the required structure, as a result of which monolithic products with closed cells with a diameter of 0.1 mm are obtained at the output, which are superior to ordinary polystyrene foam in terms of hydrophobicity and vapor permeability.

This technology provides a different approach to foaming of raw materials, which occurs due to mixing of granules with a foaming agent in a nitrogen environment.

2.8 Foam production technology (video)

Plan

Foam production

About foam density

Where do you buy raw materials for production?

How to make foam with your own hands

The main properties of foam and its application

Styrofoamis a building material that consists of gas-filled granular masses. Today, foam is widely used in the repair and construction industry. In particular, it is used as a sound - heat insulating material for warming rooms and decorating interior walls. The first foammade in Europe in early twentieth century, later its industrial production was established. The finished foam product has excellent heat and sound insulation qualities, is resistant to temperature extremes and atmospheric precipitation, does not emit any harmful substances, does not decompose upon contact with microorganisms, environmentally friendly and non-toxic.

The range of applications for this product is quite wide. Therefore, foam quickly took the leading position in the market. building materials... For example, foam plates are used as heat-insulating and structural materials in the field of construction, car and shipbuilding, aircraft construction, and also used as packaging and electrical insulating material.

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Foam plastic is a plastic, lightweight and easy-to-process material that is actively used by modern artists and designers in their art, in animation and cinema. With the help of this material, you can create, for example, whole art objects of almost any shape and texture. In addition, you can cut out different figures from the foam, paint them with paints, in the end you get original toy or a fake with your own hands made of polystyrene, which will be a wonderful gift for family and friends for any occasion.

Foam production

Foam manufacturing steps:

1.Foaming of expanded polystyrene. The raw material is placed in a special container, where the material is treated with steam of low-boiling liquids.

As a result of foaming, the granules increase in volume from 20 to 50 times. After reaching required level pellets, the steam flow is stopped, and the working material is removed from the tank. The process itself takes about 4 minutes.

The next stage is drying. After foaming, the granules must be dried from excess moisture. Drying takes place under the influence of hot air from below and continuous mechanical agitation. Drying time takes approximately 4 minutes.

3.

Aging. After drying, the material is sent to a special maturation bin, according to the brand (15, 25, 35 and 50), where the maturation process takes place. The time of the whole procedure takes from 4 to 12 hours, depending on the size of the granules and the environment.

Sintering or forming of granules. All action takes place in a special block form, where the foamed granules are fed. There, under high temperature and pressure, the granules are sintered and take the form of a block. The process takes 6 - 12 minutes.

5. Curing of blocks. The prepared blocks are sorted by brands and stored.

At first, the blocks can still give off the remaining moisture. The ripening period of blocks takes from 12 to 30 days. 6. Cutting of foam blocks.On a special foam machine, string cutting of foam blocks into plates of specified sizes is performed. Standard sizes are 20, 30, 40, 50 and 100 mm, other sizes are possible, determined by an individual order.

The final stage is the processing of the residual material. The production of expanded polystyrene is waste-free, since all residual materials are subjected to a crushing process and are added to pre-foamed raw materials in proportions of 1: 8. At the exit, you get a finished product - polystyrene - modern, competitive insulation material, which, undoubtedly, is in demand in the consumer market of building materials. About the density of foam. Finished polystyrene foam of high quality has uniformly spaced granules of the same size. If the material is of a low-quality type PSB, in this case a fracture is formed at the contact points of balls of different sizes. Expanded polystyrene consists of fine-celled granules sintered together. There are micropores inside the expanded polystyrene granules, and there are voids between the granules.

The mechanical properties of the material depend on the density. The higher the density, the higher the strength and the lower the water absorption, hygroscopicity, vapor and air permeability. The density of the foam depends on the kilogram per cubic meter. Usually, for foamed polymers, this coefficient is not more than 50, but often it varies from about 15 to 35.

For example, in ceramic bricks average density close to 1,800 kg per cubic meter. Of course, the higher the density of the material, the higher the rate of transfer of thermal energy between its particles. For comparison, the thermal conductivity of the same brick is 18-20 times higher than that of foam. On the other hand, its mechanical strength also depends on the density of the material, only in this case a direct relationship is visible: the higher the density, the stronger the material. If the material is repeatedly foamed, the density of the foam will decrease.

Perhaps for this reason, foam is not used for the construction of load-bearing structures. As the name implies, foamed polymers are the result of a solidified foam polymer mass. Most of the foam is air, which is contained in the plastic cells. Therefore, such insulating properties and low density. Where do you buy raw materials for production? Currently, the production of raw materials is established all over the world.

For example, such European manufacturers as BASF (Germany), Dvorex Sintez (Poland), Italian companies. Korea, China, Turkey and Russia are also worthy producers of raw materials for the manufacture of foam plastic. Moreover, according to the observations of other manufacturers, the quality of the raw materials of the Chinese manufacturer has significantly increased recently, including the price / quality ratio. This fact encourages European producers to increase their competitiveness in the market, including the Ukrainian one.

The only drawback of cooperation with China, we can consider that the delivery time can take up to 1.5 months. How to make foam with your own hands Making foam at home is still not a safe process. This activity is best done in special rooms, such as a workshop. And also prepare the necessary equipment in advance. All you need is polystyrene in the form of granules (they are quite small, therefore they are called beads) and special equipment. To make foam with your own hands, you need a sufficient number of small polystyrene granules. After that, these balls should swell and stick together.

This procedure is carried out by processing polystyrene granules with hot steam. As a result of this heating, the pellets will begin to swell, and after the pellets are swollen, they will release gas, which will push them towards each other. At the next stage, the granules are connected to each other, taking the form of the container in which they are located.

After the resulting mass has cooled, the foam can be considered ready, but it should be borne in mind that the quality of such a handmade foam can be very mediocre. For the production of high-quality foam, it is necessary to use special equipment that will provide the entire production technology. And besides, experiments with such high temperatures in domestic conditions, can harm not only health, but also the living quarters itself. Preparatory work The production of expanded polystyrene, which is one of the varieties of polystyrene, requires the presence of an appropriate room.

Styrofoam blocks are empty boxes made of Styrofoam. The size of such a block is 25 cm in height and width and 95 cm in length. It is worth remembering that although this process is simple, it belongs to the category of chemical and is accompanied by the release of volatile formaldehyde substances. Having reached a certain concentration, they can poison both the manufacturers themselves and all around. Scheme and equipment for the production of foam: 1 - raw materials; 2 - pre-frother; 3 - aging hopper; 4 - block form; 5 - finished products; 6 - cutting foam blocks; 7 - pneumatic transport; 8 - steam receiver; 9 - compressor; 10 - steam generator; 11 - waste crusher. Making polystyrene foam with your own hands must be accompanied by very good ventilation. Therefore, it will not work to deploy the production process in a city apartment. We need a separate room.

The best for this purpose is a hangar or barn on summer cottagelocated farther from the living quarters. You will also need certain equipment that will have to be installed in this room. For the manufacture of expanded polystyrene, we need: granular polystyrene; a steam generator; a steam accumulator; a compressor; a hopper for curing granules; a form for forming blocks; pneumatic transport; a machine for cutting the finished product into plates; check scales; measuring utensils. Dimensions of a block made of polystyrene. To purchase equipment you need spend approximately 500 thousand rubles.

Therefore, it is necessary to organize the production of expanded polystyrene only if a sufficiently large volume of products will be produced. For personal consumption, the production of material is unprofitable. The production process is preceded by the purchase of raw materials. In most cases, polystyrene granules are sold in bags weighing up to 25 kg. The main difference lies in size, product quality and country of origin.

In many respects, the latter factor plays a decisive role on the quality and consumer properties of the finished product. The smaller the size of the granules of the material, the more solid and dense polystyrene foam can be obtained from them. In the process of making products with your own hands, it is necessary to take into account the duration of the steam treatment and a number of other production technological nuances. In particular, you need to pay attention to the date of manufacture of purchased raw materials. For granules that have been in storage for a long period of time, the foaming process takes much longer.

Production technology

Some types of wall polystyrene foam blocks: Monolithic: 1 - ordinary, 2 - end. Collapsible: 3 - 200 mm wide, 4 - 300 mm wide. The process of making expanded polystyrene itself is divided into several successive stages. To do this work with your own hands, you need: hot steam; electric energy with a voltage of 380 V; cold water. First, the granules are poured with their own hands into a pre-foaming container, where they are processed with hot steam at a temperature of 120-150 ° C.

Steam is fed into the system at a pressure of 0.9 to 4.5 atmospheres and is generated in a steam generator that runs on solid or liquid fuels. To accumulate a sufficient amount of steam, a steam accumulator is used, where it is previously supplied from a steam generator. Already from it, the steam enters the pre-expansion tank. Under the influence of hot steam, the polystyrene granules begin to increase in volume. During the implementation of this process, it is necessary to carefully monitor.

A control weighing of a certain volume of manufactured products is applied. To carry out this work, you will need a check balance and volumetric dishes. After reaching the required density, the foamed granules from the pre-frothing container are fed into a special hopper for drying. The material is dried using air heated to a temperature of 60-65 ° C.

Then it is moved to another hopper for aging the finished product, where the product is stabilized. The enlarged granules absorb moisture and therefore require drying for an effective stabilization process. During aging, the final formation of the properties of the granules necessary in future blocks of expanded polystyrene occurs.

The time of this process depends on the size of the granules and the ambient air temperature. Overlapping device using ceiling polystyrene foam blocks: 1 - ceiling polystyrene foam blocks, 2 - mounting metal beams 3 - rib reinforcement, 4 - reinforcing mesh between ribs, 5 - mounting support post (1 rack per 1 m2 of floor), 6 - ordinary wall blocks, 7 - additional blocks.Next, you can proceed to the main process, which consists in baking and forming blocks of expanded polystyrene.In this process, it is necessary to use pneumatic transport, with the help of which aged granules are fed into the forming container ... After that, hot steam from the steam accumulator begins to flow into it. Under its influence, the block product is baked independently. The quality of the finished foam is directly influenced by both the temperature and steam pressure, and the duration of its supply.

After the completion of the process, the hopper doors open, and the resulting block is taken out. Depending on the brand of expanded polystyrene, the whole process of baking with your own hands takes from 5 to 10 minutes. Ready-made blocks with your own hands are sorted by brand and folded in a dry room. Moreover, it is necessary in an upright position. The aged block is divided on a special machine into sheets of a given thickness.

The most popular sizes of foam sheets are 20, 30, 40, 50 and 100 mm. In a modern machine for horizontal cutting, strings are installed that allow you to divide the block into several sheets at once, cutting off the excess from the edges of the workpieces. Finished sheets are beaten off with their own hands on vertical cutting. If necessary, the blanks can be divided into sheets of the desired size.

Expanded polystyrene can not only be bought ready-made, but also made by hand without the need for sophisticated equipment. The real benefit from such work is possible if large-scale production is planned, for example, when building a house. If it is necessary to insulate a couple of walls, it is better to buy expanded polystyrene. Due to its thermal insulation properties, expanded polystyrene can be used as external thermal insulation of the roof, foundation and walls.

Preparation for work

To make expanded polystyrene with your own hands, you will have to complete a number preparatory workto do everything quickly and efficiently. Products can be made in the form of slabs or blocks.

It all depends on what kind of material is more convenient to use for work. For example, plates are used for insulation, they are glued to the surface. For the construction of any structural forms or for formwork, the use of blocks is required, they are additionally also reinforced.

After forming, the blocks have the following dimensions:

    width 25 cm; height 25 cm; length 95 cm.

Expanded polystyrene is 98% air, it is lightweight and inexpensive.

The process itself, how to make polystyrene foam at home, can be classified as simple, but demanding. The chemical reaction is accompanied by the release of formaldehyde volatiles. If you are not careful, then poisoning is likely not only for the manufacturer himself, but also for those around him.

Production scheme:

    availability of raw materials (it is required to purchase special granules, which are the basis for creating the material); pre-frother, with the help of which the mass is created; bunker for work, curing the material; block molds for expanded polystyrene; storage of finished products, cutting and sorting; pneumatic transport; steam generator ; compressor; receiver for steam; crusher for waste.

Good ventilation must be ensured during manufacture to remove all vapors generated during operation. It is recommended to carry out work in a separate room.

Back to the table of contents

Properties of expanded polystyrene.

Production planning:

    Organization of the workplace, preparation of the necessary equipment. Purchase of granular polystyrene, which will be used as the main raw material. The granules are poured into a container to create the material. Saturation of the mass with steam at a certain temperature, aging, baking blocks or plates.

Before starting work, you should ensure the availability of such tools and equipment as:

    container for mass; steam generator; steam accumulator (it is necessary to control the volume of steam); compressor; silos for granules, special forms for obtaining the material of the required parameters; machine for cutting material; pneumatic transport; volumetric dishes, scales for determining the finished volume.

Polystyrene foam panel diagram.

An important stage is the purchase of raw materials, i.e., polystyrene granules.

Today it is not so difficult to do this, manufacturers offer bags of granules of 25 kg each. It is important to choose the right size, mass quality, country of origin. It is best to take raw materials from a trusted company, whose product quality is distinguished by the necessary properties.

The choice of granule sizes depends on the type of polystyrene foam you want to make.

The smaller the granules, the harder the material can be obtained. Consider how long the pellets have already spent in the warehouse. The longer the raw material has been in the warehouse, the more time is needed for foaming and steam treatment.

Failure to comply with the rules can lead to a deterioration in quality, the material as a result will not be entirely suitable for use, and this is a waste of time and financial resources... It is required to correctly purchase raw materials, take into account the processing time, and fulfill all the conditions for baking. An important step is cutting, since the thickness of the slabs must be the same, discrepancies are not allowed.

Polyfoam is used in almost all industries, in particular:

  • in the production of building materials for insulation, sound insulation, decorative elements;
  • in the manufacture of packaging materials;
  • in medicine for the manufacture of heat-stabilizing containers;
  • in shipbuilding of small vessels for filling special compartments to ensure unsinkability.

The production of foam products is a fairly simple process, the technology does not require specialized education, although this, of course, is encouraged. Equipment manufacturers make mini-factories on a turnkey basis, which means that it is completely ready for operation, and also provide a complete description of the technological process, with all proportions.

Foam production

In Russia, there are not many factories producing foam plastic products, and foreign products are quite popular, which have a high cost. All this speaks for the big competitive advantages of this business, since demand in this industry exceeds supply, and, therefore, the owner can receive superprofits.

Components of the mini-plant, their technical characteristics

Today you can buy equipment of domestic production, Chinese and European. In terms of price category, Russian and Chinese are on the same level, but it is also necessary to take into account the cost of delivery and maintenance of equipment, because often questions about operation may arise or call a specialist-adjuster, and it is easier to do this with a Russian company.

The company "AVIS-GROUP" offers a mini-plant for the production of foam products of the following configuration:

pre-foaming agent - required for preliminary heat treatment of expanded polystyrene granules to a density of 10 to 50 kg / m 3. Characteristics:

  • power - 2 kW;
  • productivity - up to 200 kg / h;
  • hopper volume - up to 60 l;
  • dimensions - 220 * 900 * 1380 mm;
  • weight - 240 kg;

  • hopper for drying foamed granules - thanks to this process, the pressure in the mass is stabilized, a significant part of the moisture evaporates.

Characteristics:

  • productivity - 25 m 3 / h;
  • body material - galvanized steel;
  • dimensions - 500 * 1350 * 2000 mm;

  • automatic block mold - necessary for forming the foam sheet. The molding process is accompanied by vacuum cooling of the mass. Characteristics:
  • productivity - up to 18 m 3;
  • one cycle time - 5 minutes;
  • dimensions of the finished block - 640 * 1040 * 2040 mm;
  • dimensions - 1500 * 750 * 2300 mm;

  • Block-form automatic vacuum installation - it is necessary to remove excess air in the formed sheet, with its help the forming process is accelerated.

Characteristics:

  • power - 7.5 kW / h;
  • productivity - up to 3 m 3 / min;
  • receiver volume - 2.8m 3;

  • a machine for cutting polystyrene into sheets and various products of the required size. Characteristics:
  • productivity - up to 7 m 3 / h;
  • minimum sheet thickness - 20 mm;
  • dimensions - 1500 * Ф1300 * 4500 mm;
  • packing machine - wraps the finished product with PVC film.

Characteristics:

  • power - 1.5 kW;
  • productivity - up to 60 m 3 / h;
  • the dimensions of the blocks to be restocked - 600 * 1000 * 1000 mm;

waste shredder - necessary for crushing scraps after cutting finished sheets. This process is necessary for the organization of waste-free production, since the waste can be reused by adding to the granules, but not more than 5%.

Characteristics:

  • power - 7 kW;
  • productivity - up to 5 m 3 / h;
  • dimensions - 830 * 800 * 1300 mm.

Such a plant will cost 2,500,000 rubles.


What is needed for production and where to buy raw materials

The basis of production is polystyrene granules - PSV-S. They are obtained by polymerizing styrene, the surface is treated with substances that prevent the accumulation of electrostatic charges, which greatly facilitates storage and transportation. In Russia, polymer raw materials are produced by the following companies:

  • Gazprom neftekhim Salavat;
  • Nizhnekamskkhim;
  • The ABC of Polymers;
  • Plastprom.

The cost of domestic raw materials is from 56 rubles per 25 kg.


Imported raw materials from Chinese and European manufacturers will cost twice as much, but are of higher quality. When organizing production, it is necessary to take into account that expanded polystyrene granules must be stored at a temperature not lower than +18 o С and humidity not exceeding 70%. Violation of storage conditions will directly affect the process of making foam.

In addition to granules, various chemical components can be added to the foam composition, which will additionally provide resistance to combustion. These are various chlorine and bromine-containing substances, but their amount should not be more than 5% of the total weight of the loaded granules.

Foam manufacturing technology

The technological production process includes several stages:


Calculation of the profitability of a mini-plant for the production of foam products

To calculate the profit, the following data is required:


  • the cost of raw materials - 56 rubles per 25 kg;
  • production of foam from polystyrene granules - 1: 1 - waste-free production;
  • raw material consumption - 52 m 3 per shift (8 hours), 1248 - per month (24 working days);
  • productivity - 12 kg / m 3 one sheet, 624 kg per day, 14976 kg per month;
  • with such a performance, 25 packages of granules will be required per day or 600 - per month;
  • cost price of 1 m 3 - 25 (packs) * 56 rubles / 52 m 3 (production per day) \u003d 26.92 rubles;
  • the cost of a sheet of polystyrene weighing 12 kg / m 3 is 1150 rubles;
  • profit from 1 m 3 of the finished product - 1150 - 26.92 \u003d 1123.08 rubles;
  • profit from the daily production volume - 58400, 00 rubles;
  • income per month - 58400 * 24 \u003d 1,401,600 rubles;
  • wages, taxes and social security contributions, utility bills and other expenses should be deducted from income - this is about 40%, that is, the business owner will have a monthly net profit of 840,960 rubles.

A mini-plant with technical characteristics that will ensure such a productivity costs 2 5000 000 rubles. With a stable monthly profit, which is ensured by an established sales system for finished products, the payback period may come in the first six months of the plant's operation. Of course, these are only preliminary calculations, it is clear that it takes time to establish sales and stable production, but with the right organization, you can get a net profit after the first year of operation.

Video: Foam production in the Urals

»Is an expert with a proven track record. For every client who strives to add variety to his life, using highly aesthetic products from expanded polystyrene for home, office space, trading floor, garden, the leading company "TOP-Penoplast" is ready to become a reliable partner and friend.

Our products will help not only draw attention to your company, but also make the exhibition brighter, interest potential customers through the use of a modern, bright, memorable and effective advertising product.

We will help make any of your imaginations a reality, using only expanded polystyrene. With its help, it is possible to recreate whatever you want, be it:

  • decorative elements for facades;
  • shop window logos;
  • theatrical scenery and ensembles of individual elements for performances;
  • volumetric letters in the form of the names of the newlyweds or signs for a photoset;
  • curly products for corporate events, New Year and themed holidays;
  • a dummy of the goods sold by your company with a construction height of up to three meters.

The company's specialists are ready to provide advice on the installation of finished structures and products from expanded polystyrene. If necessary, we can provide the installation services ourselves. In addition, TOP-Penoplast includes an item for creating an individual drawing based on the wishes of the client, taking into account the scope of application of the products.

Over the course of many years of activity, our company has managed to create its own unique concept for the production of polystyrene foam products, which provides beneficial and truly comfortable relationships with customers.

Advantages of the TOP-Penoplast company

Along with other competing firms, our company has a number of undeniable advantages:

Affordable prices

It is not our prerogative to artificially inflate prices, to profit from customers. We are “FOR” the production of high quality products at the lowest possible cost. Therefore, for many years of existence, we have a large base with clients who turn to again and again. In addition, we managed to significantly reduce the cost due to the use of more modern technologies in production.

Modern equipment

Installation of products

Short terms of work

Individual approach

The wishes of our customers and the needs of customers are of particular importance to us. Therefore, we approach each order with responsibility, striving to maximally take into account the taste preferences and the specifics of the business area. At the same time, for our clients, we leave a lot of opportunities for self-realization and implementation of conceived ideas, while simultaneously providing consultations at the request of the customer. Both legal entities and individuals who apply to our company can be directly involved in the creation and development of their own project, as well as make their own adjustments and supplement the drawings at any stage.

High quality products

Fast shipping

experience

Qualified specialists

The TOP-Penoplast company is a team of craftsmen who have professional experience and, which is important, love their work. Our team is represented by diligent craftsmen with knowledge of various specializations. These are professional sculptors with a diploma in higher art education, and creative marketers, and experienced designers. Also, the team is complemented by qualified employees of various specialties who are responsible for individual stages of its production, so that the products fully comply with the production standards and the client's wishes.

In this material:

The area of \u200b\u200buse of foam is very wide. The limits of operation are not limited to packaging, as most citizens think. Polyfoam is massively used in the construction and finishing industry, medicine, various industries, etc. This leads to the logical conclusion that the activity of producing foam is a profitable business project that even young entrepreneurs can implement. A prerequisite for a successful start is a business plan for an enterprise for the production of polystyrene, because without thoughtful step-by-step measures for organizing the project and financial calculations, the idea may collapse already at the preparation stage.

Description of a business idea, its relevance and benefits

The goal of the project is to set up a foam plastic business in a city with a population of 500,000 or more.

Project type - own mini-factory, 200 sq. m.

Funds - a loan or attraction of a sponsor. The minimum budget is 2.5 million rubles.

Payback - from 1 year.

The essence of the business idea is simple - investing in the organization of a mini-plant for the production of foam, purchasing raw materials and selling the finished product through wholesale networks.

The relevance of the business is simply explained, foam is used in such areas as:

  • metallurgical industry - creation of heat-insulated pipes and other metal structures requiring thermal insulation;
  • tailoring - use of foam as insulation;
  • medicine - manufacture of containers for various needs, including transportation and storage of medicines;
  • architecture - making models;
  • construction - the use of polystyrene as insulation and soundproofing material;
  • logistics, trade - packaging material;
  • other areas of production - furniture manufacturing, disposable tableware etc.

Despite the fact that there are several large plants for the production of foam plastic in Russia, the relevance of small and medium-sized businesses of regional importance in this area does not cease to be relevant.

Project advantages:

  1. Demand for products - foam, in fact, is considered consumableused for packaging and insulation. The wide demand is due to the low cost and massive use for various needs, which cannot be said about other materials with similar characteristics.
  2. Ease of production - modern equipment allows you to easily produce required amount products of any shape and quantity, depending on the wishes of the customer.
  3. Environmental friendliness - foam is made from environmentally friendly materials, which cannot be said about the chemical compounds of alternative products with similar characteristics.

Reference. The main advantage of the foam business is minimum costs for raw materials with a high margin on the final product. This results in high income and quick payback of the project.

Foam production technology

The production of foam is a fully automatic process requiring only the supervision of the machine operator.

The work process is as follows:

  1. Loading of raw materials - polystyrene granules are used.
  2. Pre-frother activation - the device delivers steam to achieve the desired volume of granules.
  3. Drying - the granules are moved to a special compartment for complete drying.
  4. Aging - after drying, the raw material should be aged for 12 hours.
  5. Shape creation - the pellets are transferred to a hopper where they are exposed to a vacuum that creates the desired shape.
  6. Unloading blocks - the finished foam is fed to the platform.
  7. Cutting - products are cut according to the specified dimensions.

Reference. The cut pieces of foam are not thrown away, but reused, so we can safely say that this is a waste-free production. The ratio of raw materials and finished foam for the manufacture of new products is 8: 1, respectively.

Raw materials

For the manufacture of foam, polystyrene granules are used. The most popular brand is PSB-S 25F, which has a long shelf life, aging period and quality of the final product, which is optimal for most types of use.

Other grades of polystyrene:

  • PSB-S15;
  • PSB-S25;
  • PSB-S50.

The cost of 1 kg of polystyrene ranges from 50–70 rubles, which depends on the supplier (China or Russia), as well as on the brand of raw materials. For the production of 1 cubic meter of foam, 15 kg of polystyrene is required. It is not difficult to calculate the cost of production - 15 * 70 \u003d 1,050 rubles.

In retail, the cost of polystyrene is from 300 rubles per sheet or 1,500 per package, which also depends on the thickness of the material. Again, it is not difficult to calculate the markup for the product and the payback period of the entire project in the presence of regular customers.

Market analysis: target audience, competition and risks

There are several ways to analyze the market of foam producers:

  • search for information on the Internet;
  • visiting large construction supermarkets in the city and getting information about the foam producer;
  • a combination of two methods.

As a rule, more than 80% of entrepreneurs involved in the sale of building materials purchase finished products from suppliers. Hence the high mark-up on the product, which includes the inherent costs of transportation, inflation, wages and much more. Such entrepreneurs cannot be considered competitors, although they end up selling the same product.

It is necessary to identify the direct producers of foam in the region, determine their level in business (term of operation, scale of activity, price segment) and compare with their indicators. If possible, it is necessary to set the price for products not higher than competitors, and best of all, 3-4% lower.

Target audience of the project:

  • construction companies;
  • metallurgical industry;
  • advertising business for the installation of external structures;
  • manufacturing enterprises of various types;
  • companies related to logistics;
  • businessmen who own catering outlets;
  • shops, supermarkets, shopping centers.

Depending on the scale of the project, a businessman can cooperate with both one intermediary and several at the same time, fulfilling orders for the production of foam for different areas of activity.

Possible business risks:

  • Poor quality raw materials - the problem is solved by changing the supplier, as well as by constant monitoring of product quality.
  • Failure or premature wear of equipment - the risk is typical for used equipment, as well as in the absence of a guarantee from the seller.
  • The human factor - violation of foam production technology directly depends on the employees of the enterprise, therefore, in order to exclude any abnormal situations, it is necessary to carefully select personnel, conduct training and periodic tests for knowledge of their duties.
  • Competition is a serious risk, especially if a competitor appears after the enterprise starts operating. In this case, the entrepreneur needs to revise in detail the financial plan of the business project, analyze the possibilities for reducing prices, as well as launch an advertising campaign and form new offers on the market.
  • Financial crisis in the country and in the world - the solution to the problem is to regularly monitor the state of the economy in the country, the exchange rate and other nuances, including the political situation, which can directly or indirectly affect business.

Reference: 99% of all existing and potential risks are absolutely solvable subject to the project's business plan, market analysis and competition both in the region of operation and in the country as a whole.

Organization of a business for the production of foam

Activity registration

The production of foam provides for work in the status of an individual entrepreneur or LLC. The choice between the two forms depends on the entrepreneur and the size of the business. For example, for a mini-factory with an area of \u200b\u200b200 sq. m, the status of an individual entrepreneur is quite suitable, but some problems with the sale of products may arise. Large companies fundamentally do not work with individual entrepreneurs, but in fact, multi-million dollar contracts are too tough for small businesses due to the limited project budget.

A legal entity (LLC) is optimal for the operation of a larger enterprise, which in the long term is aimed at reaching customers not only in the region of its location, but also in neighboring regions of the Russian Federation.

The procedure for registering entrepreneurial activity in both cases is practically the same - collecting documents, submitting papers to the tax office, waiting for a decision. The certificate of entrepreneurial activity is issued within 5 days.

OKVED code - 25.21 (manufacture of plastic products).

Taxation system - STS or UTII.

Production room

The optimal area for a foam plastic workshop is 100 sq. m. In this case, it is worth considering the administrative part of the premises (up to 25 sq. m.) and the warehouse (40-60 sq. m.). As a result, an entrepreneur needs to rent a building of at least 200 sq. m.

Room requirements:

  • lack of moisture;
  • absence of rodents and other pests (appropriate processing is carried out before starting production);
  • small remoteness of the enterprise from the city infrastructure - if possible, it is necessary to rent premises within the city limits, but the location is allowed up to 5-10 km from the settlement;
  • availability of a convenient access for freight transport, including multi-ton trucks;
  • availability of nearby municipal transport links for the convenience of staff.

Search for suppliers of raw materials

Polystyrene in Russia is produced and supplied by several large factories, as well as by intermediary firms. The exact addresses and contacts can be found on the Internet, as well as reviews of each supplier and supplied product.

An alternative option is to order raw materials from China. Today it is the most affordable option, and Chinese polystyrene is no different from domestic, but it is cheaper. An entrepreneur needs to choose, as always.

Equipment purchase

The technical equipment of the mini-plant for the production of foam plastic can be purchased as a set or separately. For a standard type workshop, the products of which are foam sheets of various thicknesses and shapes, you will need:

  • preliminary foaming agent;
  • bunker for receiving raw materials;
  • block compartment;
  • tables for cutting products;
  • steam supply devices;
  • shredders of unused foam;
  • vacuum device;
  • system control panel;
  • additional equipment for mounting the machine and equipping it with separate blocks.

Staff

For a mini-plant for the production of foam plastic with the number of equipment 1-2 units, at least 4 people of service personnel will be required. Provided that the work will be carried out in 2 shifts, the number of workers increases to 8 people.

Minimum staff:

  • handyman - 8 people;
  • technologist - 1 person;
  • accountant - 1 person;
  • cleaner - 2 people;
  • watchman - 3 people.

In the future, it makes sense to purchase freight transport and hire 2-3 drivers to deliver products to the customer.

Search of sales channels for finished products

There are several ways to sell foam:

  • wholesale trade with fickle customers;
  • retail trade through its own network;
  • production of foam to order.

Considering that more than 75% of the target audience of the business is the construction area, it is necessary to orientate in this direction. A wide advertising campaign will help in finding clients:

  • commercials on TV and radio;
  • own website;
  • outdoor advertising in the city and suburbs;
  • advertising in building catalogs;
  • leaflets, brochures in hardware stores;
  • getting in touch with construction companies.

Reduced prices, the availability of lucrative offers and high quality products will quickly find customers for a long time.

Financial calculations


Investment to start production

Initial investment (in rubles):

  • 150,000 - conclusion of a lease agreement for premises;
  • 200,000 - renovation and preparation of the building for work;
  • 1,000,000 - purchase of equipment;
  • 100,000 - arrangement of the manager's office, purchase of office furniture and equipment;
  • 150,000 - purchase of raw materials;
  • 15,000 - registration of entrepreneurial activity;
  • 50,000 - advertising;
  • 50,000 - market analysis and search for distribution channels.

Result: 1,715,000 rubles.

Running costs

First month spending:

  • 150,000 - premises for rent;
  • 400,000 - salary (15 people);
  • 40,000 - utilities;
  • 100,000 - reserve fund.

Result: 690,000 rubles.

Income and profit calculation

The income of a business for the production of foam consists of the volume of finished products and turnover. On average, the mini-plant produces 50 cubic meters of polystyrene per week. The cost of one cubic meter of products is 5,000 rubles. Profit per week - 250,000 rubles. The monthly income is 1 million rubles.

The net earnings of the enterprise are 200-250 thousand rubles, since it is worth deducting mandatory monthly expenses and taxes from 1 million rubles.

The payback period for the project will take 10-12 months.

When planning to open a business for the production of foam, you need to remember not only about the many positive aspects of the project, but also about the potential risks. Perhaps the selected region or specific settlement is not suitable for this kind of activity. It may be that the funds taken out on credit will not be enough to complete the activities begun. There are many nuances, so a business plan is not just an important and necessary thing, but a direct solution to potential problems.

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