Polyurethane foam, or foam rubber, is a very common material that is successfully used in construction, furniture manufacturing and other areas of life. In order to choose the right equipment for the production of polyurethane foam, it is imperative to understand what materials are needed for the job, what type of product you will produce.
Product classification
So, the presented material can be divided into 2 types:
- Elastic. This type of material is most often used in the manufacture of sponges, washcloths, furniture upholstery or in the manufacture of shoes.
- Hard. The presented type of polyurethane foam is used in construction for building insulation.
It should be noted that foam can also be used during packaging of fragile things: dishes, electronics.
Material advantages
Before you purchase equipment for the production of polyurethane foam, you must definitely understand the advantages of the presented product. Among them are the following:
- Consistently high customer demand, especially since own production facilities cannot provide the consumer 100%, so your business will quickly pay off;
- light product weight;
- the possibility of manufacturing different in size and stiffness of polyurethane foam, which will allow you to sell it for completely different purposes;
- low cost of the product.
What equipment is needed for work?
Naturally, now you have to choose equipment for the production of polyurethane foam. Try to buy it at certified points of sale. Of course, the equipment should be very high quality. Therefore, give preference only to those manufacturers who have already established themselves in the technology market on the positive side. Naturally, try to carefully inspect the technical condition of the devices at the time of purchase.
Standard equipment for the production of polyurethane foam includes such machines:
- a machine for foaming the mixture;
- a device with which grinding and mixing of raw materials with all necessary additives is performed;
- automatic dispenser;
- molding unit;
- apparatus for the production of polyurethane foam, which ensures the cutting of the finished product into elements;
- device for packaging and storage of material;
- a machine that ensures the grinding of waste in order to launch it into a new production.
The most important device is a foam generator, in which all the necessary components are mixed (polyol and isocyanate).
In addition, such equipment can be divided into low and high pressure devices. In the first case, you will not need to spend a large amount of money. In the second - the equipment is equipped with various sensors and automatic control.
What raw materials are necessary for work?
Naturally, for the manufacturing process you will need not only equipment, but also, in fact, the material from which you will make the final product. That is, you will need to purchase such raw materials for the production of polyurethane foam:
- liquid polyurethane;
- hardeners;
- special additives for foaming raw materials;
- isocyanate component;
- various catalysts;
- water.
In principle, such components are not too hard to find.
Product Manufacturing Technology
Presented material is produced continuously or periodically. The second method is most suitable for those firms that have just opened and have not yet expanded their capacities. In addition, periodic production of the product allows you to constantly monitor the market and sell it fast enough so that it does not lie in the warehouse.
During the manufacture of polyurethane foam, you must be extremely careful, since a very dangerous substance is used for the chemical reaction - polyol, as well as some catalysts and foaming agents. However, subsequently they decompose and become non-toxic. Therefore, the final product will not cause any harm to health.
The technology of manufacturing the product itself is very simple. The installation for the production of polyurethane foam is filled with all the necessary ingredients: the reaction takes place there. It should be noted that the feedstock is in a liquid state. Naturally, it is necessary to strictly dose the number of components. After the foam is formed and stays in shape for some time, it is sent to another unit, where it is cooled.
Polyurethane foam is cut in 24-72 hours using a special band saw. Further, the finished product can be sent to the customer. If necessary, foam can be stored and stored for a long time. That's all the features of manufacturing polyurethane foam. Good luck
