Industrial flocator. How to open a flock service and make money on it. So, in order to open a business, you need

Suppose a person has never flocked, but immediately wants to buy a flocking machine. I warn you right away, IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT A HAND-HELD FLOKATOR IS, I NEVER WORKED WITH IT - DO NOT GO INTO INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENT. A person who suddenly bought a Formula 1 car, but has never driven a car, will not succeed in anything good. In the first corner he will be killed by x..r. A person who has never flocked and has not seen this process will also fail to achieve anything worthwhile. He simply won't understand what industrial equipment is for and how it works with flock; and not because he is stupid, but because THIS IS ALWAYS HAPPENING. He, not knowing the nuances of work, will damage the equipment or, worse, get injured.

Whatever questions a person asks, everything is in vain. And therefore further narration, only for people with experience in flocking. The rest - buy hand-held flockers, read previous articles, study, then welcome back.

A special request to industrialists who have some kind of equipment for printing, silk-screen printing, any conveyors, production lines, mass production, etc., to go the same way as the rest, without hesitation, and without imagining that having experience or money will save you in this situation. YOU WILL NOT GET ANYTHING. Experience is of course important, but experience should be in flocking, and now everyone has a lot of money, they don't know what to do with it. (A 1-room Khrushchet already costs as much as a 200 square meter house in Germany, 40 km from Berlin.)

A BRIEF EXCURSION INTO HISTORY.

In 1978 Maag (Germany) and Aigle (Italy) were at the height of competition in Europe for assembling flocking equipment. It was this year that Maag made a knight's move with the introduction of its ERO-FLOCK 70kV hand-held flocator. Initially, the manual flocator was not intended directly for manual flocking in its current understanding, but was an auxiliary device for industrial flockers. In the same way, for example, in a set with a two-meter calender heat press there is now a rotary heat press 60 * 40 cm for experiments with various kinds of materials. And, for example, when buying a mill, it is recommended to purchase a laboratory mini-mill for experiments with grain crops of different classes and varieties.

Initially, the manual flocator was made for work in order to optimize the work with industrial flockers. But later it turned out that there is also a demand for hand flockers. This didn't scare Maag in the least, they just made two more bins for their flocator and started selling it as a separate unit. It was very expensive, although when buying an automatic flocking line ERO-FLOCK it sometimes came as a gift. The bunkers were so well made that virtually all major flocator manufacturers either bought bunkers from Maag or made theirs very similar to the original. What happened next, I'll tell you some other time. For now, just remember that a hand-held flocking device is a must for getting acquainted with industrial flocking and getting to know the processes and nuances of work. Even in 1978 they understood this.

I am very glad that I came to Italy being familiar with the equipment, in contrast to my visits to Polish and Hungarian small businesses. Of all the equipment that I saw, the common thing that immediately caught my eye was the German Electrostat from Maag. It was he who stood everywhere (in Italy, the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, of course in Germany. But in Italy he stood under the Aigle brand). I will immediately answer the question that just begs: Which equipment is better - Maag or Aigle? Good question, dear readers. But the answer is simple. Everything about pneumatics is better with Italians. Everything related to mechanics is more thoughtful and of better quality from the Germans. And they produce different machines according to their functions. More about functions later.

The Italians had everything in sight, they were not ashamed of anyone, they show everyone the equipment - just do not turn it on. It was included just in Poland and Germany; and then in Poland we just got under the order. And in Germany we did not understand each other, since I don’t know German, and they decided to launch a carousel of multicolor flocking, probably so that I could understand something in German.

And yet, it was only in Italy that I managed to see everything and even photograph the nodes I needed. A person who is going to produce equipment himself naturally really wants to take advantage of other people's developments. We bought Electrostat in Germany. And I honestly said that I want to disassemble it and assemble the same one. But they didn’t understand, as I said it in English. I really did not want to invent the control panel myself, and least of all I wanted to experiment with pneumatics, since very precise dimensions are needed there, and the dimensions depend on many parameters, which in turn depend on the product. The Italians are very friendly with pneumatics, everything is done so competently that there is nothing to improve and comment on. Thank them very much for the warm welcome.

Industrial flocking equipment is elementary. I say with full responsibility that I can personally assemble any robot that will take a part, flock it, dry, clean and pack (you can even make one that will spit on the packaging and wipe it with an elbow to make it shine). There are so many robots (ready-made) sold that even a dime a dozen. Call FESTO in Moscow, come there or go to the website. They have hundreds of ready-made robots for various activities for sale that have already been tested, programmed and configured. It remains only to insert a flockator (large or small, brush or pneumatic). Nothing complicated, they work like a clock. And when you explain all this to a person from the street, he does not believe. But this is so, I subscribe to every word. There are already millions of these robots in all enterprises, there are a lot of them, you just need to find a use for them. It has long been understood in Europe that it is not profitable to pay a worker, it is profitable to install a robot. They have been installed for several decades, they do everything, they are reliable, they are thoughtful. It's just a matter of price. Are you ready, dear Russian industrialist, to pay for this robot?

Let's take everything in order. Industrial flockers (their high-voltage part) are a special thing that requires the concentration of the client's attention, requiring trained personnel. If, for example, you can put some untrained person with a manual flocator and tell him what to flock, in what quantity and how much he will get for it, then with industrial equipment such a number will not work. It will take some time to train the worker.

With manual flokators, the question of personnel in general, in my memory, has never been raised. A man came from the street, they showed him what to do, demonstrated the process, and he completed the task. Several of our clients in Moscow work in such a simple way. I don’t know how things are in the regions, but the growth of the flocking firms we know is to increase the number of hand flockers and the number of workers. The most indicative in this case will be the example of the work of the society of the deaf in Moscow, which has 20-25 flockators in production and produces bottles for shampoos, gels or for some other liquid product. Actually, this approach is competent. The largest manufacturer of gypsum figurines from Nizhny Novgorod has about 50 flockators in its production and does not care about purchasing any industrial line. Although, in my opinion, 50 flockers in production is already too much. With such an extensive growth, it is already more logical to switch to flocking equipment, which can be operated by 2-3 people.

The high-voltage part is a topic for a separate article. I would like to note that this site was initially studied by us with great care. There were huge experiments that not every company can afford. A huge mass of people participated in the analysis process, a huge amount of money and time was spent. You will soon learn about the results for free on this site.

To clarify the further narration, I will write briefly what the flocking line consists of. So:

Gluing. (Not just "gluing", but GLUEING OF SPECIAL GLUE FOR FLOCKING). Accordingly, it may not work with other adhesives. But there are more than a dozen adhesives for flocking. Therefore, the glue applicator is selected for the product to be flocked. Do you understand? Things get complicated. Automatic gluing machines are not cheap; your transition from one type of product to another may not cost you cheap. To be clear, you need to work with some kind of glue, you need to try out different products that in the future you will have to cover with flock, compare the results. WITHOUT A MANUAL FLOKATOR, NOTHING WILL HAPPEN.
Flocking.Flocking can be: manual, pneumatic, brush, in the chamber, from bottom to top, top to bottom, etc. Remember to align the applicator with the flocking machine. When changing equipment of one step, the equipment of the second step will be upgraded, or both will be replaced. If anyone is already sad, please switch from this article to more optimistic ones. In general, a person who is far from flocking does not need to read further - this person needs to first read the early articles on flocking on this site. After a year or two, you can go back and read this text again.
However, there is some comforting news: if there is no automatic gluing machine, then there is only one drawback - the speed of work drops to the manual option. Thus, two or three people with manual flockers will easily manage to cover the product with flock while the glue is being applied. Your competitor with a few cheap workers will easily overtake and surpass you in quality with manual flockers. Fearfully? This is just the beginning.
Drying and cleaning.Moreover, the drying and cleaning of the flocked product are interrelated. Either it is drying, then cleaning, or vice versa: cleaning and then drying. It all depends on the task facing the client. Also drying and cleaning depends on the product and is collected under the product. Drying and cleaning should be linked to the gluing and flocking equipment. Replacing the first two will result in the replacement or upgrade of subsequent circuits in the line.
Submission and removal of the product.This is already overkill. It, of course, eliminates labor, but it is not cheap. But it is the easiest to execute, since there are already so many ready-made robots that you can assemble an "iron man" in your garage, all that remains is to invent a thermonuclear reactor and the Terminator is ready. There is one component to consider here - operating costs. It is not enough to buy a robot, you need to install it, connect it and, sometimes, repair it. If you do not have a specialist on staff, then you should carefully calculate everything.
Packing and unpacking the product, transporting it along the line, collecting the fallen flock and automatically feeding the flock into the hopper are additional options, useful, but not cheap. In order not to be distracted from the main thing, we will ignore these options for now.

It is necessary to distinguish between methods of flocking in industrial equipment.

When choosing industrial equipment, you just need to imagine how the flocking process will take place. Much depends on your choice: productivity, payback, cleanliness in the room, training costs, equipment maintenance and repair costs, and much more. The person who begins to evaluate the whole process more thoroughly will outperform another who bought the first sample that came across without delving into the production process. Accordingly, the former will be more competitive.

Here is a short example of our communication with a client. A very typical case. A person is interested in flocking the auto panel. He wants an automaton that would do everything himself. Do you understand? He wants to press a button, and the machine must block everything. He has never flocked, but already wants to buy a machine gun. The first question I ask such a client is how will the glue be applied? You need to understand that flocking is gluing, and then flocking. Then you have to explain to the person that gluing can be different. Different glue applicators cost differently and use differently. Automatic gluing machines are not our profile. Our profile is flocking. We can give recommendations, advise companies, even buy the necessary automatic gluing machine for the client. But we are not planning to produce automatic glue applicators in the near future. There are very expensive American nozzle devices, there are Chinese ones, there are quite good Italian and German machines. It all depends on the financial situation of the client, and his requests for quality. The machine for applying glue to the car panel is almost an automatic painting station. You can imagine how much it will cost. Therefore, it will no longer be possible for a simple car tuning salon to serially flock car panels - there will not be enough money. Flocking bottles or flower pots is possible. There is no need for high-quality glue, and you can apply glue in an elementary way - dipped it into a bucket of glue and that's it. The car dashboard is a different matter. Quality is needed here. Here's an example of different tasks. Such communication with clients happens very often, it was just necessary to write this paragraph in order to direct the thoughts of the future flocking operator in a productive direction.

Often the customer suggests to lower the applicator and go directly to flocking. But the automatic flocking machine will outpace manual glue application. Do you understand? Why then an automatic flocking machine, if the speed of work will be slowed down by gluing anyway? You can then flock quite successfully with a hand flocator. Speed \u200b\u200bdoes not suit - take two flockers and apply flock from both hands. I did this, nothing unusual about it.

What happens in the hopper of an industrial flocator?

There are simply cameras in which there is no electronic component, and they serve as nothing more than a flock loss limiter. There are cameras that are used to charge the flock, and the product does not fit into such cameras. On the contrary, the product remains outside such a hopper (chamber), and the flock, by means of limitation, often of a mesh or a window, falls in the required amount onto the adhesive layer. There are also cameras that have an electronic component, and the product is flocked inside such a camera. There are nozzles in which the flock is wiped through the mesh; some nozzles flock upwards. There are various chambers with pneumatic and vibrational flock movement, as well as combined chambers with combined methods of flock movement in the desired direction. There are so-called “pure flocking” plants in which flocking speed is sacrificed for quality and cleanliness. Each of these methods has its own purpose and application. In each case, you should choose the most suitable option, in accordance with your capabilities and needs.

Flocking is the transformation of any surface into a velvety and pleasant to the touch. This niche is free to start your own promising project, since popularity is just emerging. This type of business requires a minimum of investment, both material and mental. For this business, there is no need to graduate from courses or get a higher education, but all costs will be paid off in the shortest possible time.

Flocking of a car interior is the process of applying small drags of cotton, wool or velvet using an electrostatic field. This procedure is carried out using a special device - a flocator. This is a generator that generates a low voltage and supplies it to the electrode.

Ultimately, the flock for the flockator flies out with the necessary force and is evenly distributed over the working surface. For high-quality fixing on the material, the surface is covered with high-quality glue.

Our business valuation:

Initial investment - 50,000 rubles.

Market saturation is low.

The complexity of starting a business is 1/10.

What do you need to start your own business?

Before starting work, you should study, select and buy flocking equipment: flocking device, flocking glue
and material. If you live in a big city, then there will be no problems with this question. Otherwise, you will have to purchase materials through the Internet in large cities, since many in small villages do not know about such a project.

The choice of premises for work is no less important issue. It is highly discouraged to work at home, as the glue has an unpleasant specific odor and dries for a long time. It is important that the selected room is warm and dry. Otherwise, you can work in the winter. When designing a room, it is necessary to install a work table with grounding, as well as normal ventilation. Quality lighting is important. All this will require minimal costs, which will pay off in the shortest possible time. How much does it cost to open this business? Investments here are minimal and limited to the need to purchase materials for work.

It takes practice to work quickly and efficiently. It is with her that experience and skill will come to you. This way you can spend a minimum amount of time on preparatory work. If you are a creative person, you can be very creative with ideas for work and offer clients unique projects. Otherwise, the Internet will help you, where there are a lot of interesting ideas and suggestions. So how to do flocking yourself?

The flocking technology is simple, but practice is required to ensure that the products are flawless. Different materials have their own length of villi, density and fit of application. It will take some time to do the job efficiently and quickly, and experience will come.

What can you offer your clients?

flocking of walls;
auto flocking;
flocking of photo frames;
flocking of bottles and paintings.

What do you need to know about the flocking process?

Flocking originated in China, where the entire process was done by hand. Today, work is carried out using a flocator, which gives the villi a negative charge and sprays them over the surface, securing the result with strong glue. You can buy a flocator in specialized stores or online.

The work includes the following steps:

choice of coating surface;
drawing a picture;
glue application;
flock application;
product drying process.

It is important to do all actions as carefully and accurately as possible. Only in this case the final result will look perfect and not have any flaws. Practice will help you with this and over time your work will be flawless the first time. Be aware that the price of a flocator depends on the power and manufacturer.

The nuances of choosing equipment

We recommend a Russian-made manual flockator. It is easy to use, has an optimal cost and meets all the necessary parameters of quality and reliability. It is necessary to choose a product based on its power. The device must be able to adjust it. In this case, you can work with both small and large surfaces, which will expand the scope of your activity.

Glue is an essential part of the job. His choice should be taken seriously. It should be selected based on the surface on which the work is planned: glass, ceramics, metal, plastic or furniture.

And the most important element is the flock itself. You can buy flock for flocking on the Internet. It can be of several types:

multi-colored;
with elements that glow under ultraviolet light;
for use in nail design;
furniture;
water repellent.

Flock must be of good quality and it is desirable to give preference to foreign manufacturers. As practice shows, they are more reliable, and the material will be durable and of high quality.

What are the advantages of flocked surfaces?

Excellent surface appearance for a long service life. Flocking is able to make an original thing with an attractive appearance from an old thing. You can also change the color scheme of your favorite item and give it a new look;
Flock does not spoil during temperature fluctuations and look great even in the heat, even in the cold. Protective functions allow it to be used under any conditions.

Today flocking is gaining popularity and demand in the market. It is you who can organize a profitable business with minimal investment, which will bring you an adequate level of income. When choosing materials for flocking, pay attention to reviews.

Where is flocking applied?

The application is wide enough and it is difficult even to cover all areas where this direction is relevant and in demand. Let's consider the main options:

Business prospects and features

The flocking business is a business where there are no limits. If you learn to create simple coatings, then the question will only be in the perfection of your skill. You can move on to more complex design projects that have a higher cost and value.

Flock wall decoration is becoming fashionable today, where you can show imagination and design vein. With a finish made of this material, surface defects can be hidden. It is very pleasant to the touch and looks original. If you can use it to create 3D pictures, then you are guaranteed success. Love your job and put your soul into it. It is important to choose a quality flocking machine.

Advertising campaign and search for potential customers

First of all, you can offer your services in various stores and shopping centers, where the maximum number of people passes. It is also quite logical to create advertising pages on social networks and on local platforms. After the start of practical work, with high-quality performance, advertising will go in the form of word of mouth, where clients will tell their friends and acquaintances about your activities. It will be superfluous to distribute flyers to attract your first customers.

Flocking as a business can be quite promising. This topic is interesting, not very common, but arousing interest among consumers. Rarely, when faced with a coating that is unusual in texture, soft, pleasant to the touch, does not touch it with his hand and does not think - how is it done? Upon closer acquaintance, it turns out that the production is not so difficult, the equipment for flocking is relatively inexpensive, with a low cost of materials, given the unusualness, the result can be sold with a good profit. And if it's profitable - you can start!

But, before betting on flock, you need to understand all the intricacies of this matter. Without going deep into technology, let's try to figure out what is needed in order for a business to be successful.

The first thing to think about is how we will position our service - as creative, design, or as a craft, akin to finishing work. The final cost of the finished product for the consumer, the requirements for its quality, and the planned amount of work per day depend on this.

The fact is that if you make flocked, for example, items of clothing, designer shoes, souvenirs, apply fleecy drawings on leather goods, bottles for cosmetics, paintings, decorate bottles, Christmas tree decorations or flower pots - for this, you first need artist. The technological process can be mastered by any diligent and attentive person, but to make the drawing beautiful, harmoniously combined with the product on which it is applied - you need artistic taste and the ability to draw. It is ideal, of course, if the creator himself brings his ideas to life, but more often it happens that it is economically simply inexpedient to use a high-class designer for drawing work.

If the focus is on flocking large surfaces (wallpaper, interior surfaces of drawers in furniture, billiard and table tennis tables, cladding of car or yacht interiors, floors and walls in recording studios that require increased sound insulation), then other specialists are needed, here accuracy and responsibility are more important than artistic skills.

It's not worth making a workshop from your own apartment (even if you decide that there will be no hired employees, and the business owner will carry out the whole process from finding customers to making finished coatings himself). The fact is that glue and specially treated viscose, polyamide, acrylic, polyester and other fibers are used here, which are suitable for electroflocking. Therefore, the room must be well ventilated, and you need to work in special protective clothing. In addition, the room should not have too dry air, otherwise the pile will dry out and lie down incorrectly. In principle, a garage or warehouse may well be suitable.

List of equipment to be purchased, is determined depending on whether

the direction that was initially chosen. However, as a rule, it includes an electroflocator itself (cost about $ 400), an air compressor ($ 200 - $ 500), an information-red drying ($ 200 - $ 1,500), a 3D flocking chamber ($ 250), a silk-screen machine ($ 200 - $ 500), as well as spray guns and sets of painting tools and squeegees. This equipment can be used both in a small workshop and in a fairly large production. Do not be afraid that with the development of your business you will have to regularly purchase new technical devices, they serve for a very long time and quickly pay for themselves.

But you will have to buy regularly - these are consumables. First of all, it is actually flock and glue, which serves as the basis for its application. The approximate price of glue is $ 20 per kilogram, and the price for flock is from $ 35 for the same quantity. You need to have an assortment of pile colors - at least 7 - 10 items, and if the line of business is decorative design, then more. In general, to get started, you need to spend about $ 300 on materials. Some part will have to be spent on trial work until the master acquires stable skills in working with equipment and grasps all the subtleties of the technology. Then purchases are carried out depending on the amount of planned work.

Material consumption per 1 m2 is approximately 180 g of flock and 180-200 g of glue, that is, the cost of materials per square meter processed will be about $ 10. To this amount must be added the costs of salaries for the designer and foreman, rental of premises, depreciation of equipment, and marketing and advertising costs. But on an industrial scale, these costs will seem insignificant, and in the manufacture of designer pieces, the cost of work is estimated several times higher than the cost price.

The fact is that the calculation of the price for the buyer is not per square meter, but per square centimeter, and its cost, depending on the region, season, artistic value, originality and demand, can be up to $ 0.5 per cm2 (and in a square meter 10,000 sq. Cm!). But even without taking into account the work of the designer, for example, the cost of flocking one car interior is on average about $ 500 (a little more or less depending on the model).

Therefore, we can say with confidence that this type of business, while it is not yet very common and in demand, with a competent approach can become very profitable. Especially on the eve of the New Year, when the demand for souvenirs, toys, cute unusual trifles is increasing, it is quite possible to get into the jet and start a new business!

Flocking. Purchase of a flocking device (flocator)

The action of the flokator is to impart an electric charge to the particles of the flock and release them to the surface. This is due to the high-voltage emitter built into the device. Aggregates for creating flock surfaces are industrial and manual. For small businesses, manual flockers are more often used. They are suitable for working with any surface and are much cheaper than industrial ones. The ideal characteristics of a hand-held flockator are: maximum voltage 70kV, current 20-25 microamperes.

Some manufacturers increase these figures, while emphasizing that their models have increased performance. Indeed, the rate of escape of particles in this case increases, but they do not have time to receive a charge, because of this, they fly out chaotically and settle on the surface without really fixing themselves. Consequently, the blockage density suffers, the coating turns out to be heterogeneous - either with bald spots or with lumps. In addition, in this case, material consumption is significantly increased.

A good flocator doesn't need to be shaken to work... On the contrary, the movements when working with it should be smooth, then the flock lays down evenly, creating a velvety surface. The exception is those cases when the work has to be carried out holding the flocking device "upside down" when the flock does not fall on the emitter. In such cases, the flocator does need to be shaken occasionally. Also pay attention to the size of the hopper. If you have to apply the coating to hard-to-reach areas, such as the inside of a safe, a smaller hopper may be more convenient. When processing large areas, a large hopper is useful. The density of the packing also depends on the material from which the emitter is made. It is best if it is made of aluminum.

An additional advantage of the flocking device will be the ability to work from batteries, it is much more convenient to work with such a flocking device than models powered by a network. Also, given that the device is still manual, you should pay attention to its weight. Also, additional, but not mandatory, characteristics include the presence of power control. To make the right choice, you need, based on your budget, to study the characteristics of the models presented and the reviews of the flockers who dealt with them.

Flocking. Workplace preparation

The room in which the flocking machine will work must be spacious enough. Due to the toxicity of the materials used in the process, it is desirable to create forced ventilation.

The quality of flocking depends on the humidity of the air inside the room; humidity of 50-60% is considered ideal. It will also be a plus if a constant temperature of about 20-25? C is maintained in the room. For safety reasons, there must be a dry powder extinguisher in the room.

The main workplace for flocking is the table, so it must be equipped first. For convenience, the table height should be about 1m.

Its surface area is determined by the nature of the manufactured products. If these are figurines, flower pots or other small objects, then the size of the countertop can be approximately 1m long and 0.6m wide. If you plan to finish with flock, for example, of a car interior, then the dimensions should be at least 1.6 m in length and 1 m in width. Any part of the car, including the ceiling, will fit on such a table. To reduce the loss of flock, which scatters in the process of work, sides can be made on the table.

For this, slats with a height of about 0.3 m are nailed onto the tabletop from 3 sides. This height is the most optimal, it will be enough to retain the bulk of the tissue particles and, at the same time, it will not interfere, even if you have to move around the table during work.

When working with a flockator, do not forget about safety, so be sure to ground the table... To do this, it is covered with a galvanized sheet that corresponds to the size of the countertop, and a copper or aluminum wire with a cross section of about 0.5 cm is taken off from it, connecting the other end to the ground loop (for this purpose, radiators and water pipes cannot be used).

Then the entire table, including the sides, is covered with thick polyethylene. This is done for the convenience of work - the table will be easy to clean of glue, flock particles will not get stuck in cracks.

The table should be positioned so that it can be approached from all sides, in addition, it should be well lit. By nailing a shelf under the table, you can organize a place to store a flockator and other tools. In addition to the table, you will need a place for drying products. For these purposes, you can use racks or shelves. Their sizes depend on the amount of work and the size of the products. For high volume production or with some adhesives, forced drying may be required. Then it is necessary to equip a drying cabinet. For this, a cabinet frame with shelves is assembled, and a heater is placed inside. This completes the organization of the workplace, now you can start working.

Flocking. Flocking surface preparation

The preparation of the flocked part primarily depends on the part itself, or rather on the material from which it is made.

Consider the options:

1. Wood and plaster surfaces... These products should be primed as they have many pores. You can not prime the product, but if it does not exceed the size of 10x10 cm. Any primer can be used, but only so that later the glue is compatible with this primer.

The surfaces are best primed with pentaphthalic enamels. PF-226 brown-yellow paint is considered to be the best of those produced today. In order to remove yellowness from this paint, PF-115 black is added to it in proportions with PF-226: Pf-115 as 3: 1. For uniform application, do not take paint that has been stored for a long time, since the solvent evaporates and the paint itself becomes viscous, which greatly complicates the process. But if there is no other option, then such a paint can be diluted with white spirit.

Too liquid paint is also not good - it is a bad base for floco. Therefore, a lot of attention is paid to viscosity! 40-50 it should be according to the viscometer. This paint will be a good primer and even when reapplied it will be a good flock adhesive. But before applying a second time, you need to wait until the primer is completely dry. If you flocking laminated surfaces, then such products do not need a primer.

2. Plexiglas and plastic products... Before applying the glue, such products must be carefully rubbed with a cleaning composition from fatty contaminants that migrate during storage to the surface of the plastic components. Trisodium phosphate can be used as a degreasing agent. It should be dissolved in warm water in a ratio of 5: 1 liter. The degreasing process itself can be done by dipping the product or using a rag. Before applying glue and flock, the surface must be completely dry.

3. Metal products... Such products must also be degreased with white alcohol or turpentine. It is recommended to prime large surfaces as in the case of plastic products.

4. Glass surfaces... These surfaces, in the same way as plastic ones, should be degreased with detergents.

Flocking. Flock application

The flock coating is applied after the surface preparation and the flock itself.

Paint or glue should be applied in an even layer on the surface of the product that you have chosen, without streaks and sagging. It is also required to determine in advance how to apply flock.

So that it is not difficult for the flock to stick into the glue and so that a film of glue with changed surface tension does not form on the surface of the product itself, you need to start flocking no later than 3-4 minutes after the glue is applied.

In the picture you can see two different results: the result of flocking within 3-4 minutes after applying the glue and the result within 10 minutes.

As a result, it can be seen that:
The villus adheres firmly to the polymer binder film after curing and, accordingly, penetrates deeply into the adhesive layer;
The villi is not securely fixed, since it has penetrated only a small part of its surface, and most likely it will fall out during further use of the product.

The flocking process provides that after the first time it is necessary to blow off the loose villi with a vacuum cleaner, and then repeat the procedure again, i.e. flocking the product, but only without applying glue. This process will allow the new villi to take up the empty spaces in the adhesive. In the event that the selected product has a complex configuration, the flocking procedure can be repeated again.

Depending on the selected drying mode for the glue, the product itself must be dried. After completing the procedure, you need to wait until the product (glue) is completely dry and only then carry out quality control, cleaning and packaging.

Flocking. Drying parts

Drying of manufactured parts by flocking is determined depending on the choice of one of three types of production.

Let's consider each of them in order.

The first - this is a small-circulation production, it will include single items, for example, parts for finishing a car interior.
This manufacturing method is characterized by the usual application of solvent-based adhesives using a brush or roller. It should be noted that the glue must dry very slowly. The flocking itself is carried out using a manual flocking device.
Drying of these products is carried out in an open room while maintaining room temperature for 24 hours.

Second – this is the production of a medium-volume product, for example, flocking of bottles.
Here production starts with the same method of applying glue, but it is also a good idea to dip it, which will allow the use of a special glue with a drying time of up to five minutes. Flocking is carried out both manually and in a volumetric flocking chamber.
Drying with this method is also possible open at room temperature or using an oven.

Third - this is a large-circulation production, here an example will be cases and special boxes for jewelry. The best way to apply water dispersion adhesive is to use a spray adhesive. Flocking is carried out on a stationary flocking machine.
Drying of such parts should be carried out in a special continuous oven.

The best conditions for carrying out flocking processes indoors are: a humidity level of 50-60 percent with a temperature of 25 degrees. To control and maintain such conditions, it is best to use special devices in the room.

Flocking result.

Flocking technology is becoming more and more popular every day. After all, everything new is well forgotten old! Everything that catches the eye gets under the flock, it all starts of course with home interior items!

These wonderful bottles, which, after being treated with flock, have become at least several times more expensive, are no exception! And live, these items look even more attractive! And by the way, this work was done by our friend, who was just beginning to master the flocking technology at that time! We wish him success in this business!

Instrument: Manual flockator RF-U03

Material: Flock Italy - 1 mm, Glue Tubicol

Flocking. Necessary equipment to start a business

Flocking is a technology for creating a velvety shell on various surfaces. This business idea has not yet gained widespread acceptance. But flocking of phones, car panels, laptops and safes is in demand. It is fashionable, aesthetically pleasing and quite modern.

Flocking can be used to create exclusive bottles, souvenirs and other unusual items.

To organize the production process, you need to purchase a manual flockator and consumables - flock and glue. You also need to have a production room with a work table and shelves, which is grounded. The room temperature in the room should be constant with a humidity of no more than 75%.

Flokator.

For electrostatic flocking, you can use a hand-held flocator (for example, U02M). It includes a high-voltage generator, mains adapter, flock bin and bunker mesh. Personally, I have RF-U03, I bought it for 11,000 Russian ones - now it may have risen in price.

Glue.

The first stage of work is the application of an adhesive base to the product. For high quality flocking, glue of the German company SNT is used, which has a high electrical conductivity. It is applied to the product with a brush (in some cases, full immersion in the glue is used). Flock is sprayed onto the adhesive layer using a flockator.

Flock.

For flocking products, a polyamide flock with a length of 0.5-1 mm is usually used. You can achieve the color scheme desired by the customer by mixing several colors. Their compatibility, proportions and the resulting shade are determined experimentally. Excess flock spilled on the worktable can be reused by pouring it into the flock bin.

Flock is stored in a dark room in a tightly closed container, as it becomes unusable when frozen, heated and wet.
Average consumption of flock is 150-200 gr. for 1 sq. m.
Finished products must be dried within 24 hours, which will require special racks.

There are not many people who have experienced flocking. This direction is only gaining popularity now, so opening a flock decorating business is a profitable business. In order to establish yourself as a good contractor who does his job well, you need to carefully study what it is, what the flocking technology looks like, what consumables and equipment are needed.

What is flocking?

Sooner or later, any person can be visited by an idea, to give individuality to the car interior or the interior of the house, to update the atmosphere, add new colors to everyday life. It is not necessary to completely redo everything, it is enough to change the color or texture of some details. In this case, many resort to flocking. It is the process of giving a velvety texture to surfaces using a material called flock. Such elements add elegance, comfort and luxury to the atmosphere, help to create an extraordinary charming design, pleasing not only in appearance, but also in touch.

Flocking is used in many areas, for example, flock can be applied to clothes, furniture, bottles, walls, but most of all this trend has gained popularity in car decoration. The velvet surface on the details in the car interior looks chic and gives individuality. Many car enthusiasts prefer to flock the car interior also in cases when it is necessary to hide imperfections or damage on surfaces.

This procedure is, in principle, feasible in a garage. Therefore, you can think about how to do flocking with your own hands or even open your own business in this direction.

Starting a flocking business

This direction is not yet very widespread, little-known in wide circles. Opening your own flocking business is promising: there is not much competition on the market, consumer demand is growing due to the growing interest. Flocking businessmen have the opportunity to occupy an empty niche in their direction. The technique of applying the material to the surface is simple; it is necessary to purchase a flocking apparatus, additional equipment and consumables. Given the narrow profile of the service and low prices for consumables, the business is profitable.

Where is flock applied?

Before you start to act, you should think about which direction to develop. There are many options for using flock. Start with 2-3 directions, in the future there will be an opportunity and funds to purchase additional equipment in order to develop in all areas where flock is used.

And so, where flocking is used:

Cars. Flocking panel, roof, doors. Particularly creative car enthusiasts cover some of the exterior details of the car. In this case, it can be combined with other auto-tuning services.
Walls. With the help of flock, unusually beautiful 3D images are made on the walls. Flocking walls can be added to the list for interior decoration or decoration as an additional service.
Furniture. As a way to restore dull or worn surfaces. If there is a suitable resource, then there is the prospect of development in the direction of furniture manufacturing.
Nails. The velvety pattern on the nails attracts the beautiful half of humanity. Flock application to nails is considered as an additional service at the nail salon.
Souvenirs. Decorating bottles, photo frames, boxes, notebooks and more. Especially popular as a wedding props. You can add to the list of services of gift shops or holiday agencies.
Gadgets. A completely new direction is the decor of tablets and smartphones using flock. Perfectly hides scuffs and adds personality. In combination with other services for decorating gadgets, it will definitely find success.

It is difficult to please everyone, but by choosing, for example, flocking cars and furniture, you can already attract a fairly large audience. To get started with flock, you must first understand how this procedure works.

Flock application technology

There is no need to take specialized courses to learn how to apply flock. Flocking technology is not complicated, but it requires special care. Application steps:

Prepare the selected surface.
Apply a drawing (in the case of designer flocking).
Coat with glue.
Apply flock.
Dry.

The surface to which the flock is to be applied must be thoroughly cleaned and degreased. In order for the material to lie flat, the glue must be applied in an even layer. Since it has a transparent structure, it is easy to mistake the amount applied to the prepared surface. Many flockers specially tint the glue before starting work to avoid unevenness.

Flock is applied using a special apparatus - a flocator. It creates an electrostatic field, with the help of which the flock fibers are attracted to the glued surface. To fix the result, the product must be well dried. And so, having figured out the technology for applying flock, you can judge what equipment you need to open your own flocking business.

Necessary equipment and consumables

In order for the start of a business to be successful, it is better to purchase high-quality modern equipment. It will certainly pay for itself over time, but there will be no problems with customers dissatisfied with the quality. For flocking you will need:

compressor;
glue;
flock for flokator;
drying;
other consumables.

The flocator itself is of different types. For a start, you can buy a manual flocator, but in the future, with the development of your business, it is better to buy a stationary device. The kit for any flokator also includes a generator (for the formation of an electrostatic field), an adapter, a flock compartment - a hopper and a net. In addition to the standard set, several other bins of different sizes can be purchased. When working with an apparatus such as a hand-held flocator, grounding is required, since work is underway with open electricity.

The glue must be selected depending on the surface from which work will be done more often. For example, if you need to decorate car interiors, you will often have to work with plastic and leather. The whole work as a whole depends on the quality of the glue, since everything rests on it. Therefore, it is better not to skimp on glue.

Consumables are an integral part of the process, so you definitely need to buy a flock for flocking.

It can be different:

color;
with long or short hair;
with particles that glow in the dark;
impermeable to water;
special for furniture;
special for nails.

At the initial stage, it is worth purchasing several colors of the universal flock. Over time, you can learn to work with pile of different lengths and textures.

For the convenience of applying glue and flock, you will also need other materials, such as paints, brushes, sandpaper, painting tools and squeegees, foam rubber, stencils. In the process of working for yourself, you may find that there are still not enough additional tools, for whom it is easier to work with. In the future, you can purchase a stencil machine, a machine for applying 3D flock drawing, and other devices that expand business opportunities.

Before you buy equipment for flocking, you need to decide on the room where the application process itself will take place.

How to choose a room?

The process technology implies the need for a separate room, since the glue has an unpleasant smell, and working with electricity requires grounding. You can choose your own garage for a room, the main thing is that it is dry and warm enough. You need a lot of space to work, it is better to choose more spacious rooms, preferably with ventilation, otherwise it will have to be installed additionally.

The air humidity in the room should be at approximately the same level - 50 or 60%. This is necessary for better adhesion of the adhesive. The air temperature should also be at the same level - 20-25 degrees Celsius.

There should be no flammable objects in the room. There must be a fire extinguisher for safety. Now that the equipment and premises have been selected, it is worth thinking about how much all this costs, what costs should be expected.

Cost of starting a business

At the initial stage, you will need the very minimum of equipment and materials that can only be assumed. The costs will be spent on the purchase of equipment and consumables, renting premises and hiring personnel, since it is difficult to apply glue alone and hold a flockator alone. Another issue is that the positions of designer, accountant and marketer can first be combined in one person.

So, in order to open a business, you will need:

This list of costs does not include the point of renting premises, staff salaries and advertising costs, since it is minimal. The price of a flocator can be higher or lower, depending on its functionality and quality. To start your own business, the listed cost items will be enough. The cost of the service can be calculated taking into account what materials for flocking were spent, in what quantity, how much labor and electricity per square centimeter was spent. On average, you can set the price at 30 rubles, but vary it depending on the complexity of the pattern and the surface of the product. Due to low competition and growing popularity, you can make very good money on such a business.

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