The exact name of the foam is "flexible polyurethane foam." It received its name during the Soviet Union, when it was produced by the foreign company Porolon. Foam rubber is a soft substance consisting of air cells. It serves as a softening and shaping material.
Application area
Foam rubber is used as:
- insulating material for heat and sound insulation;
- shock absorbing filler;
- packaging material for fragile goods;
- stuffing in the manufacture of upholstered furniture;
- material for the production of household goods (various sponges, mops); sports equipment and gear (simulators, pears, helmets, gloves, bandages, etc.);
- filler for soft toys.
Currently, manufacturers of foam rubber in Russia are quite in demand. Given the widespread use of this material and growth trends in its consumption, it is necessary to consider the direction of the business for the manufacture of these products. Today, the domestic production of foam cannot fully cover the needs of the market, so it is imported from other countries.
The volume of this material, even with a small mass, is large, which can negatively affect the total cost of the product after transportation. In this state of affairs, it is necessary to open your own factories for the production of these products in our country and expect high profitability from them.
The main feature of foam rubber production technology
Consider this issue in more detail. The production of foam rubber is associated with harm to human health, because this process occurs using polyol and aromatic diisocyanates, such as toluene diisocyanate or diphenylmethanediisocyanate, as well as foam stabilizers and catalysts.
Many of the components used in the manufacture of this material are toxic during evaporation, however, after decomposition under the influence of air and moisture, they become safe. All this requires equipping the production halls with good ventilation and running water, and providing workers with respirators and goggles.
The most popular is the application of manufacturing technology of the specified material on polyesters based on a six-component system. The basic mixture for the manufacture of foam rubber includes:
- main components (isocyanate and polyester components);
- modifying additives (catalysts, surfactants);
- water.
Material fabrication sequence
The production of foam is as follows:
- A certain dose of the necessary mixture of liquid chemicals is placed in the mixer.
- A special machine foams and quickly mixes it. The qualitative characteristics of the production of foam rubber largely depend on this mixing mode: its density, compressive and tensile stress, and deformation under loads.
- The resulting mixture is poured into special movable forms. They should be with hinged walls. Here a characteristic foam forms, rising to the edges of the mold.
- Procurement can withstand the allotted time (about 15-20 minutes).
- Then the form is disassembled, and the block itself is transported to the premises of the final formation. Here, the cooling process of the resulting product is carried out.
- After 1-3 days, the blocks are cut into sheets with a thickness of 5 to 150 mm on special horizontally located band saws.
Production methods of foam rubber differ in their features. For example, in a continuous process, the mixed reagents are poured not into special forms, but into a moving conveyor, where the foaming process is already taking place. There, whole layers of foam rubber are cut into blocks of a certain length, and after aging they are already divided into sheets of the desired thickness.
The production of this material inevitably results in waste in the form of small pieces that cannot be sold. These elements go through the processing process, and it turns out secondary foam rubber, which is successfully used in the manufacture of furniture, for example, for filling the armrests of chairs.
Methods of manufacturing this material
The production of foam can be carried out in two ways: this is a periodic method that is used for small and medium-sized production of the specified material, and continuous, used in the production of large volumes of products. Let's consider them in more detail.
- Continuous method. In this method, a certain amount of components is fed into the flowing mixing head by a filling machine, and from there the resulting mixture is poured onto a moving conveyor, where liquid foam is already foaming. Next, the layers of material are cut into blocks of the required length. Then they are kept for 3 days, as a result of which they are cooled. At this stage, all chemical reactions are completed. After that, the blocks are cut into finished sheets of the specified material of the desired thickness. This technology produces high-quality foam rubber, but its use will require large production areas and large investments. However, with the right approach, it can produce up to two thousand tons of this material per year. A small amount of foam is more profitable to produce using the technology of another method described below.
- The periodic method. In this case, the production of foam includes such processes. First, a mixture of liquid chemicals to produce a block of the specified material is dosed in the mixer of the desired volume. Then it is quickly mixed in a special foaming machine. After this, it is poured into a mold in which the walls open. Inside this container, a chemical foam formation reaction occurs. The resulting foam block is kept in shape for some time. Then it is removed and moved to a special place in which it is kept until fully prepared. A day later, the foam block is cut into pieces of the required thickness on special machines. After that, the resulting material is ready for implementation.
By this technology, elastic foam rubber is obtained, which is used mainly for the production of upholstered furniture. The specified process is economical in terms of equipment costs and does not require large areas for the specified action.
Today, the production of this material allows you to get different brands that differ in their physical and mechanical properties, color and other features, such as super softness, resistance to fire, high rigidity and others.
The necessary equipment for the production of foam
The required line for the manufacture of these products must be equipped with:
- a foaming machine;
- mold for hardening;
- band saw;
- pumping equipment;
- conveyor;
- various equipment for measuring the volume of products and weighing them.
After some time, to increase the volume of products may require the presence of a heat chamber, as well as a set of metering devices and tape-type machines.
Production of packaging foam
As already mentioned, the production of this material entails the appearance of scraps, deformed small pieces. There is a technology for the secondary foaming of these residues.As a result of this, high quality foam rubber is obtained, which is necessary for packing goods during transportation.
It is also an important material. Packaging foam is needed to protect goods fragile and breaking from mechanical impact, such as a variety of electronics, GPS-navigators and others, which need a soft gasket to protect them from breaking.
Requirements for the premises during the organization of this production
Most experts agree that the optimal area of the premises for the start of production can be 200-250 m2 (this should include workrooms and utility rooms). The optimal height of the ceilings is about 3 meters, there should be good ventilation and water supply, because during the production of foam rubber, substances toxic to humans are released into the air.
Another important requirement is the constant observance of the temperature regime in the room. The temperature of the zone in which the blocks are poured must be constant - 18 degrees heat. At lower temperatures, the manufacturing process is technically impossible. Next, you need to select equipment for the production of foam rubber.
Staff required
For the production cycle you need to hire:
- chemist-technologist with skills in this field of activity. He must know the technology for the production of foam rubber;
- 2-3 workers in the pouring shop;
- 2-3 people for loading / unloading finished products.
Prospects for this business
The cost of equipment for the production of foam rubber is calculated in this way: a low-power finished line will cost about 500-600 thousand rubles. Its installation and training of workers will require another 150-200 thousand rubles. Plus, it is supposed to pay the rent of premises and pay salaries to existing staff. This amount will vary depending on the region in which the business is organized, in the range of 500-700 thousand rubles.
Tip
If you successfully establish the sale of products, then after a year or a little less, the company can begin to make a profit. In this case, it will be profitable to sell and supply foam rubber for furniture.
This is important when starting this business. In other words, potential customers and buyers must be sought in workshops and enterprises that manufacture furniture. They are more in need of this material. Here, foam rubber for furniture is in high demand.
