Decking is a special terrace flooring, which is made of synthetic material and has a wooden surface. Most often, this element is used to decorate verandas or any flat surfaces.
Material advantages
Two main types of decking can be distinguished: soft and hard. However, any type of material has the same design. That is, the plate consists of the front part (wooden) and the substrate (most often plastic, although there are completely natural models).
Before you buy equipment for the production of decking, get acquainted with its advantages. Among them are the following:
- high strength;
- ecological cleanliness;
- ease of installation;
- resistance to abrasion and negative external influences (humidity, temperature changes);
- Possibility of use indoors and outdoors.
In addition, the described material has an affordable price.
What is the product made of?
Before buying equipment for the production of decking, you need to know what materials will be needed for this. So, for work you will use such raw materials:
- PVC (for substrate);
- tropical wood species (if you will lay the floor in a bathhouse, sauna, on the street or in such premises where you are going to walk in shoes);
- pine, spruce, larch, cedar (this material must undergo additional heat treatment);
- special impregnations that will protect the wood from damage by insects or other negative factors.
What equipment will be needed?
Now we can consider what kind of equipment for the production of decking is necessary. So, all actions are carried out in such devices:
- twin screw extruder;
- molding die;
- cooling chamber;
- on the calibration table.
In addition, you will definitely need a pulling device, cutters, with which you can divide the whole tile into elements or cut it in width. You should also purchase a stacker, press and packaging machine. The best option is a decking line. It is fully automated, therefore, requires minimal human intervention.
The selection of such equipment must be carried out carefully. Try to pay attention to those manufacturers who have long been working in the market and who have a solid reputation. If it is not possible to immediately purchase a complete set of equipment, then you can take it on credit or by installments. In addition, it is possible to buy used equipment. Only she must be in good condition.
Material manufacturing features
After the equipment for the production of decking is installed, you can proceed to the process itself. It consists of certain stages, the order of which cannot be violated. Decking involves the following activities:
- Grinding raw materials. For this, special crushers are used, which should be equipped with grids that allow you to divide the material into fractions of the same size. It should be noted that the quality of the finished product depends on how good the starting material is.
- Drying the resulting wood. This procedure is performed only if the material has a moisture index of more than 15%.
- Mixing all the necessary ingredients. This happens in the extruder. At this stage, you need to consider the ratio and quantity of ingredients.Naturally, various binders, as well as components that provide the basic technical characteristics of the finished product, are added to the feedstock. Even in the mixture, pigment is poured or filled in, which will give this or that shade to the finished product.
- Pressing. For this, a special decking machine is used, which forms the tile. At this stage, the resulting material can be immediately cut into pieces.
It should be noted that such equipment does not have large dimensions, so you do not have to rent large areas. An automatic line is the right decision if you want to be engaged in the manufacture of decking on an industrial scale.
