Today, artificial stone is a very popular building material. It is widely used both for facing the facade of houses, and for laying out paths in areas, creating tiles and even fence elements.
The variety of colors, greater strength and lower price make this material more affordable and more popular among professionals and among people who just planned to repair. Due to the fact that the price of equipment for the production of decorative stone is quite affordable, the technologies are not secret, the manufacture of artificial stone can be an excellent business for the development of your own business.
A stone of its own production will be cheaper than purchased, and the owner can choose and improve the texture and quality independently. All that is needed is to figure out the details: what material and how much to buy, what forms are needed for the production of decorative stone, to get a convenient room for manufacturing and the entire set of required equipment.
Production room
Like any others, the stone manufacturing process requires compliance with certain technical and thermal conditions.
So the area of the main production room can be from fifty to one hundred square meters.
There must be a warehouse for storing raw materials separately from the workshop.
The temperature in the room should not exceed 25 degrees. Heating can only be done in the production workshop. Lighting should be both general and local in those places where there are machines for the production of decorative stone. In the room it is necessary to carry out water supply and equip sewage. Be sure to install a high-quality ventilation system to ventilate the workshop.
Necessary equipment
When the room is ready and equipped in compliance with all safety standards, the next step will be to choose what equipment will be needed for the production of decorative stone. Such devices are often used:
- Vibrostol (cost from 50,000 to 70,000 p.).
- Concrete mixer (5,000 - 13,000 p.).
- Electronic scales (15 000 - 25 000 p.).
- Several desktops.
- Tanks for bulk materials.
- Construction mixer (2 500 - 5 000 p.).
- Molds for stone that you can buy or make yourself.
- Pallets for molds.
- Various small appliances, such as shovels, dustpan, wheelbarrows, trowels, etc.
Vibrostol is needed in order to remove air bubbles from the solution by vibration. You can buy such a table or make it yourself according to the drawings and separately purchase a vibration motor for table movement.
Polyurethane forms can also be made by ourselves, which will save money at the beginning of production. But the properties of the product, its durability and aesthetics directly depend on the quality of the form itself. Therefore, it is better not to save on the quality of polyurethane. Experts advise using the product of German and American manufacturers.
Raw materials
It is important to determine the material from which the stone will be made: from gypsum or from concrete, and then purchase all the necessary mixtures. You may need:
- Cement is white and gray.
- Sand (river or quartz).
- Pigment and dye.
- Plasticizers for plaster and concrete.
- Gypsum, gypsum polymer.
- Chemical mixtures.
- Fiberglass.
Artificial stone can be painted in various colors. To do this, use a compressor with nozzles and spray guns.You can also apply brushes of various shapes to achieve the desired texture and color. Pigment can be added both to the finished surface of the stone, and to the mixture itself.
Finished products
Acquired equipment for the production of decorative stone can be used for personal needs or for the manufacture of products for sale. It is advisable to pack finished stone in order to protect it from damage during transportation and during storage in warehouses. It is better to pack in cardboard boxes, laying the stone in layers. Each layer must be separated by a layer of cardboard or packaging film.
Production technology
Decorative stone can be made in several ways. The most common are vibrocasting and vibrocompression. Both methods are good in their own way and have a number of special advantages.
Equipment for the production of decorative stone is cheaper to manufacture by vibrocasting than to purchase a vibrating press. This technique is easier to work with and configure. Making this way will save more moisture in the product, since there is no need to steam the stone; as a result, the finished product is more saturated coloring. The vibration casting process takes place in several stages:
- Preparation of a mixture of cement, pigments, modifying additives and mineral fillers. The mortar can be kneaded with both a hand-held construction mixer and a special concrete mixer.
- Pouring the solution into finished forms mounted on a vibrating table. The product must be in shape for at least 48 hours.
- Separation of the product from the mold, removal of chips, packaging of the finished material.
Vibrating press, in turn, allows you to produce less expensive material at cost. This process can be almost completely mechanized, which will increase productivity. Thanks to this choice, the future production owner can decide for himself which technology will be used depending on the expected performance.
