Plastic bags are not only a terrible headache for all environmental organizations around the world, but also extremely convenient packaging, the popularity of which does not think to come to naught.
Therefore, the idea to establish the production of such products is an excellent start to their own business. Of course, huge profits with small volumes of production should not be expected, but the costs of organizing will require very little.
Easiest option
If you want to organize a small production, which will cover only the needs of a small enterprise for the production of semi-finished products, then it makes no sense to buy equipment for a full technological cycle. In this case, you will have to purchase only the film itself, as well as equipment for sealing it.
And when you plan to establish the production of plastic bags starting with the processing of raw materials, you need to purchase a complete set.
Full cycle production
If you plan to buy polyethylene in granules, then you will need the following set of equipment:
- an extruder used to process granules into sleeves;
- a molding machine that brews and cuts the resulting bags using a special soldering iron for plastic bags;
- punching press, which is useful in the production of "t-shirts";
- equipment for applying to the finished packages of company logos (if necessary).
Description of the production cycle
First, the polymer in granular state is loaded into a special compartment of the extruder, from where it is taken by a screw mechanism. Moving along the auger, it undergoes gradual heating.
When polyethylene turns into a homogeneous mass, it is fed to a rolling machine, which forms a film or a finished sleeve.
Please note that modern extruder models allow the production of films of different thicknesses in one stream, as a result of which the production of plastic bags becomes more cost-effective.
The simplest cutting and soldering machine immediately produces bag without handles, suitable for packaging many types of food products. If you need bags with handles, then they should be skipped under a punching press. This equipment for the production of plastic bags is relatively inexpensive, and its operation does not differ in any increased complexity.
The advantage of such a business is that only one line allows you to arrange the production of plastic bags of various sizes, colors and volumes. Note that if you want to make products with drawings printed on them, you will need to purchase flexographic equipment.
What raw materials are used?
As we have already mentioned, granular polyethylene is used as raw material. However, the use of other types of plastic is quite acceptable. It should be noted here that this depends only on the type of products you produce, on their purpose and equipment capabilities.
Most often, the production of plastic bags uses LDPE, as this raw material is universal, suitable for containers intended for food and non-food products.
Polypropylene is quite common in the West, but in our country it has not gained such popularity due to higher production requirements. And its cost also exceeds that of standard polyethylene.
Manufacturers say it’s the cheapest way to buy raw materials in South Korea. Nothing human is alien to the Koreans, and therefore, with large volumes of production, it is quite realistic to agree with them on direct supplies of raw materials.
What determines the quality of finished products
Surprisingly, the production of plastic bags (more precisely, the quality of products) depends solely on the characteristics of the raw materials. Of course, equipment also plays a role, but its importance is not so great. It is best to use the same granular polyethylene in the form of raw materials, and the diameter of the granules should be within 5 mm.
Note that a considerable part of the products in question in our country is made from recycled (recycled) polyethylene.
But for food products, such raw materials for the production of bags are strictly forbidden, since there are too many toxic and simply harmful components that are formed during processing. For trash bags such polyethylene is ideal. Note that from recycled raw materials, products always turn out to be worse in quality than if primary polyethylene were used.
However, HDPE packages for packaging non-food products and garbage, which are used in large volumes by industry, do not always differ in ideal characteristics that they simply do not need.
A bit about dyes
It is absolutely impossible to imagine a modern container that would not carry the logo of the manufacturer. As a last resort, its trademark coloring is used. Roughly speaking, a kilogram of dye can cost the manufacturer in the amount of 5 to 20 dollars. Of course, these numbers vary greatly: for example, HDPE packages from unknown Chinese manufacturers are generally painted with such compounds that cost 50 cents.
Requirements for premises and staff
There are few requirements for the premises, except for the required ceiling height, which should be at least eight meters. This is due to the impressive size of the extrusion machines.
There are no special requirements in the sanitary-epidemiological vein. Of course, you will have to carry out sewerage to ensure a centralized flow of waste fluids, as well as ensure normal operating temperature in the workshops.
Square meters and more
However, with a small size of the production workshop, it is quite possible to do with point heaters only. Given that the required area is about 100 square meters, this will be enough.
Of course, a powerful ventilation system, as well as the corresponding fire extinguishing system, must necessarily be present in the workshops.
By the way, the premises should by no means be gas and moist: polyethylene granules absorb gases and moisture perfectly, so that the finished product may ultimately differ in disgusting quality.
Choose a location
But the location will have to think a little longer. And this question is far from idle, since not only tax payments, but also the security of the local population depend on this parameter. We are talking about the fact that the production of “T-shirt” packages, even of food orientation, involves rather unpleasant emissions, albeit in small volumes.
In a word, you don’t have to invent anything: the workshops are best located on the outskirts of the village. So you not only protect yourself from the issues of environmental organizations, but also greatly save on rent. However, in this matter it all depends solely on the specific city.
If we talk about the staff, then it is considered that one person is required to service one such machine. By the way, the equipment for the production of plastic bags is so unpretentious in operation that it is allowed to hire low-skilled personnel who are easily trained already in the process.This point of view is also supported by the device manufacturers themselves, who often conclude contracts for the training of workers.
If we talk about the total number, then practice shows that it is quite enough to have about six people on staff. In particular, it requires four workers, as well as a technologist and accountant who can combine their work with the activities of a manager. The manager in most cases will be the direct owner of the enterprise.
And what about the payback and the justification of investing in their shops? If you correctly determine the sales markets, then, provided the lines are busy at least 65-70%, you can easily “beat off” all your costs in just a year and a half. Agree that such a return on production is a rarity in our domestic business.
As for the correct establishment of sales, we strongly advise you to worry about this even at the initial planning stage of production. Of course, taking into account the specifics and volumes of products, you will have to work almost exclusively with wholesale consumers. An exception is the production of garbage bags, which are sold in large quantities in retail chains.
If it is possible to print logos on products, you will not have a hang-up from large retail chains that prefer to order packaging containers with their own symbols on the side. Considering that the number of those only increases every year, oblivion of your company is unlikely to threaten.
Cost
According to experts, the cost of used equipment rarely exceeds ten thousand dollars. The price of a new one varies greatly depending on the country of manufacture. So, the Chinese counterparts of European cars are not much more expensive than used ones. In a word, you can organize your production without even getting into bonded loans, which is extremely important for our country.
Just keep in mind the growing importance of service ...
As we have already said, if you need to produce colored bags with logos, you must buy a flexo printing machine. That's just worth the professional printing equipment from $ 60,000, so when developing your business, it is not too appropriate to buy it at first. At the promotion stage, it is much better to just order printing for other companies.
However, some large package manufacturers openly say that even in the case of increased profits and the conclusion of contracts for the supply of products, messing with the installation and commissioning of such equipment, not to mention the cost of software for it, is generally silly. It’s easier and cheaper to give everything to third parties. Oddly enough, in this case, the package business becomes much more profitable.
Which is better to release?
Beginner manufacturers usually have difficulty choosing the type of product. What is better to produce: standard plastic bags or something more original? To answer this question clearly is almost impossible, since everything here depends solely on the demand conditions of the region in which you begin to develop your own business.
As a rule, the production of standard packages is very justified to start in the area where large livestock or poultry farms are located nearby. Plant growers, who are in no small part interested in inexpensive and beautiful packaging for their vegetables, are no exception. If you establish cooperation, then your line for the production of packages certainly will not stand idle.
Large retail chains do not use regular logo packages often, but they need a lot of brands with brands. Naturally, all operations with logos should take place under the strict control of lawyers, so that no one would be tempted to accuse you of theft.
