Industrial equipment for flocking. Flocking as a business. He is different

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

But before you bet on the flock, you need to understand all the intricacies of this case. Without going deep into technology, let's try to figure out what it takes for a business to be successful.

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

The fact is that if you make flocked, for example, clothing items, designer shoes, souvenir products, apply fleecy patterns on leather goods, bottles for cosmetics, paintings, decorate bottles, Christmas decorations or flower pots, - for this, first of all, you need an artist. Technological process any assiduous and attentive person can master, but to make a drawing beautiful, harmoniously combined with the product on which it is applied - here you need artistic taste and the ability to draw. Ideally, of course, if the creator himself brings his ideas to life, but more often it happens that it is simply not economically feasible to use a high-class designer for drawing work.

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

It is 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 perform the whole process from finding customers to making ready-made coatings himself) is not worth it. The fact is that glue and specially processed viscose, polyamide, acrylic, polyester and other fibers are used here, which are suitable for electroflotation. Therefore, the room should be well ventilated, and you need to work in special protective clothing. In addition, the air in the room should not be too dry, otherwise the pile dries up and lays down incorrectly. In principle, a garage or warehouse may well come up.

List of equipment to be purchased, is determined depending on

the direction that was originally chosen. However, as a rule, it includes the actual electroflocator (cost about $400), air compressor ($200 - $500), infrared dryer ($200 - $1500), 3D flocking camera ($250), 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 for a fairly large-scale production. Do not be afraid that with the development of your business you will have to regularly purchase new technical devices, they last a very long time and quickly pay for themselves.

But you have to buy regularly - these are consumables. First of all, it is actually a flock and glue, which serves as the basis for its application. Estimated price glue - $ 20 per kilogram, and the price of flock - from $ 35 for the same amount. 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 catches all the subtleties of the technology. Then purchases are made depending on the volume of planned work.

The consumption of material per 1 m2 is approximately 180 g of flock and 180-200 g of glue, that is, the cost of materials per processed square meter will be about $10. To this amount, you need to add the cost of paying the designer and craftsman, renting the premises, equipment depreciation, and marketing and advertising costs. But at industrial scale these costs will seem insignificant, and in the manufacture of designer features, the cost of work is estimated to be several times higher than the cost.

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 stream and start your new business!

Flocking. Buying a flocking device (flocator)

The action of the flokator is to give the particles of the flock an electric charge and eject them to the surface. This is due to the high-voltage emitter built into the device. Units for creating flock surfaces are industrial and manual. For small business more often use manual flokatory. They are suitable for working with any surfaces and are much cheaper than industrial ones. The ideal characteristics of a manual floccator are: maximum voltage 70kV, current strength 20-25 microamperes.

Some manufacturers increase these figures, while emphasizing that their models have increased performance. Indeed, the escape velocity 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 clogging density suffers, the coating turns out to be heterogeneous - either with bald spots or with lumps. In addition, in this case, the consumption of material increases significantly.

A good floccator does not need to be shaken for it to work.. On the contrary, the movements when working with it should be smooth, then the flock lies evenly, creating a velvety surface. The exception is those cases when the work has to be carried out by holding the flocking device “upside down”, when the flock does not fall on the emitter. In such cases, the floccator really needs to be shaken occasionally. You should also pay attention to the size of the bunker. If you have to coat hard-to-reach places, such as inside a safe, it will be more convenient to work with a hopper small size. 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 on batteries, it is much more convenient to work with such a flocking device than with mains-powered models. 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 adjustment. To make the right choice, you need to study the characteristics of the models presented and the reviews of the flockers who dealt with them based on your budget.

Flocking. Workplace preparation

The room in which the flocker 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 indoor air, the ideal humidity is 50-60%. 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 powder fire extinguisher in the room.

The main workplace for flocking is the table, so it must be equipped first. For convenience of work, the height of the table 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 items, then the size of the tabletop can be approximately 1m long and 0.6m wide. If it is planned to flock, for example, the interior of a car, 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 during operation, bumpers can be made on the table.

To do this, slats about 0.3 m high are nailed to the tabletop from 3 sides. This height is the most optimal, it will be enough to hold 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 floktor, do not forget about safety, that's why be sure to ground the table. To do this, it is covered with a galvanized sheet that matches the size of the countertop, and a copper or aluminum wire, with a cross section of about 0.5 cm, connecting the second end to the ground loop (radiators and water pipes cannot be used for these purposes).

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

The table should be placed so that it can be approached from all sides, in addition, it should be well lit. Having nailed a shelf under the table, you can organize a place to store the flokator 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 scope of work and the size of the products. High volume production or some adhesives may require forced drying. Then you need to equip the 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 get to work.

Flocking. Surface preparation

The preparation of a 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. Such 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 the glue is then compatible with this primer.

Surfaces are best primed with pentaphthalic enamels. Of the currently produced paints, PF-226 brown-yellow is considered the best. In order to remove the yellowness from this paint, PF-115 black is added to it in proportions with PF-226:Pf-115 as 3:1. For uniform application, you should not take paint that has already 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 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. Such paint will be a good primer and even with repeated application it will become a good adhesive for flock. But before applying a second time, you need to wait until the primer is completely dry. If you flock laminated surfaces, then such products do not need a primer.

2. Products made of plexiglass and plastic products . Such products must be thoroughly rubbed before applying glue. detergent composition from fatty contaminants migrating during storage of products to the surface of the constituent plastics. Trisodium phosphate can be used as a degreaser. 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. Hardware . Such products must also be degreased with white spirit or turpentine. Large surfaces are recommended to be primed as in the case of plastic products.

4. Glass surfaces. These surfaces, like plastic ones, should be degreased with detergents.

Flocking. Flock application

The flock coating is applied after the preparation of the surface 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 smudges and sagging. You also need to decide in advance how to apply the flock.

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

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

As a result, it is seen that:
The lint firmly adhered to the polymer binder film after curing and accordingly penetrated deeply into the adhesive layer;
The villus was not firmly fixed, as it penetrated only a small part of its surface, and most likely it will fall out during further use of the product.

The flocking process should be provided that after the first time it is necessary to blow off the unattached villi with a vacuum cleaner, and then repeat the procedure again, i.e. flocking of the product, but only without applying glue. This process will allow new fibers to take up free places in the glue layer. In the event that the selected product has a complex configuration, the flocking procedure can be repeated one more time.

Depending on the drying mode of the glue that was selected, it is also necessary to dry the product itself. 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 details

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

Let's consider each of them in order.

First - this is a small-circulation production, this will include single products, for example, parts for finishing a car interior.
This method of production is characterized by the usual application of solvent-based adhesives by brush or roller. It should be noted that the glue should dry very slowly. The flocking itself is done using a manual flocker.
Drying of these products is carried out in open space while maintaining room temperature throughout the day.

Second – this is the production of a medium circulation of products, for example, flocking bottles.
Here the production starts with the same method of applying the glue, but it is also a good idea to perform a dip, 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 bulk flocking chamber.
Drying with this method is also possible open at room temperature or using a drying cabinet.

Third - this is a large-circulation production, here cases and special boxes for jewelry will serve as an example. The method of applying water-dispersion adhesive is best used by spraying. Flocking is carried out on a stationary flock machine.
Drying of such parts should be carried out in a special continuous oven.

by the most the best conditions for flocking processes in the premises are: 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 indoors.

Flocking result.

		Flocking technology is becoming more and more popular every day. After all, everything new is a well-forgotten old! Everything that catches your eye falls under the flock, it all starts, of course, with home furnishings! These wonderful bottles are no exception, which, after flocking, have become at least several times more expensive! And live, these items look even more attractive! And by the way, this work was done by our friend, who at that time was just beginning to master the technology of flocking! We wish him success in this business!
Device: Manual flokator RF-U03 Material: Flock Italy - 1 mm, Glue Tubikol

Flocking. Necessary equipment to start a business

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

With the help of flocking, you can create exclusive bottles, souvenirs and other unusual items.

For organization production process you need to purchase a manual flokator and consumables - flock and glue. You also need to have production room with a desktop and racks, having grounding. Room temperature in the room should be constant at a humidity of no more than 75%.

Flocator.

For electrostatic flocking, you can use a manual flocker (for example, U02M). It is equipped with a high-voltage generator, mains adapter, flock hopper and hopper nets. Personally, I have RF-U03, I bought it for 11,000 Russian - now it may already have risen in price.

Glue.

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

Flock.

For flocking products, a polyamide flock with a length of 0.5-1 mm is usually used. It is possible to achieve the color scale desired by the customer by mixing several colors. Their compatibility, proportions and the resulting shade are determined experimentally. Excess flock spilled on the working table can be reused by pouring it into the flokator bunker.

The flock is stored in a dark room in a tightly closed container, as it becomes unusable when it freezes, heats up and gets wet.
The average flock consumption is 150-200 gr. per 1 sq. m.
Finished products must be dried during the day, which will require special racks.

Suppose a person has never flocked, but immediately wants to buy a flocking machine. I warn you right away, IF YOU DONT KNOW WHAT A MANUAL FLOCTOR IS, NEVER WORKED WITH IT, DO NOT POOK INTO INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENT. Nothing worthwhile will come of a person who suddenly bought a Formula 1 car, but never drove a car. In the first turn, he will be killed on x..r. Nothing worthwhile will also work for a person who has never flocked and has not seen this process. He simply does not understand what industrial equipment is for and how it works with flock; And not because he's dumb, but because THIS IS ALWAYS HAPPENING. He, not knowing the nuances of the work, will ruin the equipment or, worse, get injured.

No matter what questions a person asks, it's all in vain. And therefore the further narration is only for people with experience in flocking. The rest - buy manual flokators, 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., go the same way as the rest, without embarrassment, 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. (Won already 1-room Khrushchev costs as much as a house of 200 square meters in Germany, 40 km from Berlin.)

A BRIEF EXCURSION TO HISTORY.

In 1978 Maag (Germany) and Aigle (Italy) were at the peak of competition in Europe for the collection of flocking equipment. It is this year that Maag makes a "knight's move" with the introduction of its ERO-FLOCK 70kV manual flocculator. Initially, the manual flocker was not intended directly for manual flocking in its current sense, but was auxiliary device for industrial flasks. In exactly the same way, for example, a 60 * 40 cm rotary heat press is now supplied with a two-meter calender heat press for conducting 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 floccator was made for work in order to optimize the work with industrial floccators. But later it turned out that there is a demand for manual floccators too. This didn't scare Maag at all, they just made two extra bunkers for their flokator and started selling it as a separate unit. It was very expensive, although when buying an automatic flocking line ERO-FLOCK sometimes it was a gift. The bunkers were so well made that almost every major flokator manufacturer either bought bunkers from Maag or made their own very similar to the original. What happened next, I will tell you some other time. For now, just remember that a manual flocker is a must for getting familiar with industrial flocking and getting to know the processes and nuances of work. Even in 1978, this was understood.

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 only thing in common 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 simply begs: Which equipment is better - Maag or Aigle? Good question, dear readers. But the answer will be simple. Everything related to pneumatics is better with Italians. Everything that concerns mechanics is more thoughtful and better by the Germans. Yes, and they produce different machines according to their functions. More on features later.

The Italians had everything in plain sight, they are not embarrassed by anyone, they show the equipment to everyone - they just don’t turn it on. Included just only in Poland and Germany; and then in Poland we just got under the order. And in Germany, we didn’t understand each other, since I don’t know German, and they decided to launch a multi-color flocking carousel anyway, so that I would probably understand something in German.

And yet, I managed to consider everything and even photograph the knots I needed only in Italy. A person who is going to produce equipment himself naturally really wants to use other people's developments. We still bought Electrostat in Germany. And I honestly said that I want to disassemble it and assemble the same one. But they didn't understand because 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 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 you very much for the warm welcome.

Industrial equipment for flocking is elementary. I say with all responsibility that I can personally assemble any robot that will take the part, flock it, dry it, clean it and pack it (you can even make one that will spit on the packaging and rub it with your elbow to make it shine). Robots in general (in finished form) are sold so much that at least a dime a dozen. Call FESTO in Moscow, come there or go to the site. They have hundreds of ready-made robots for various kinds activities are sold that have already been tested, programmed and configured. It remains only to insert the flokator (large or small, brush or pneumatic). There is nothing complicated, they work like clockwork. And when you explain all this to a person from the street, he does not believe. But it's true, I subscribe to every word. There are already millions of these robots in all enterprises, there are plenty of them, you just need to find a use for them. In Europe, they have long understood 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 SMART. It's just a matter of price. Are you ready, dear Russian industrialist, to pay for this robot?

Let's get it right. Industrial flokators (their high-voltage part) are a special thing, requiring the concentration of the client's attention, requiring trained personnel. If, for example, with a manual flocker you can put some untrained person and tell him what should be flocked, in what quantity and how much he will receive for it, then such a number will not work with industrial equipment. 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 person came from the street, they showed him what needed to be done, demonstrated the process, and he completed the task. Several of our clients in Moscow work in this 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 manual flokators and the number of workers. The most illustrative example in this case would be the work of the Deaf Society in Moscow, which has 20-25 floccators in production and produces bottles for shampoos, gels, or some other liquid products. Actually, this approach is smart. The largest manufacturer of plaster figures from Nizhny Novgorod has about 50 floccators in its production and does not worry at all about purchasing any industrial line. Although, in my opinion, 50 floccators in production is already too much. With such extensive growth, it makes more sense to switch to flocking equipment that can be operated by 2-3 people.

The high-voltage part is the topic of a separate article. I note that this knot was initially studied by us with special care. There were huge experiments, which not every company can afford. A huge number 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 narrative, I will write briefly what the flocking line consists of. So:

• Gluing.(Not just "gluing", but GLUING 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 that needs to be flocked. Do you understand? Everything gets more complicated. Glue machines are not cheap; your transition from one type of product to another can cost you a lot. To clearly define, you need to work with some kind of glue, you need to try out different products that you will have to flock in the future, compare the results. NOTHING WILL WORK WITHOUT A MANUAL FLOCATOR.
• Flocking. Flocking can be: manual, pneumatic, brush, in the chamber, from bottom to top, from top to bottom, etc. Do not forget about the consistency of the actions of the device for gluing with the actions of the device for flocking. When changing the equipment of one stage, the equipment of the second stage will be upgraded, or both will be replaced. If anyone is already sad, please move from this article to more optimistic ones. In general, a person far from flocking does not need to read further - this person should first read the early articles on flocking on this site. In a year or two, you can return and read this text again.
  However, there is comforting news: if there is no automatic glue application, then there is only one drawback - the speed of work drops to manual option. Thus, two or three people with manual flockers will easily have time to flock the product while the glue is being applied. Your competitor, who has a few cheap workers, will easily overtake you and surpass you in quality with manual floccators. Scary? This is just the beginning.
• Drying and cleaning. Moreover, drying and cleaning of the flocked product are interconnected. 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 depend on the product and are collected under the product. Drying and cleaning should be linked to the gluing and flocking equipment. The replacement of the first two will lead to the replacement or modernization of the subsequent circuits of the line.
• Delivery and removal of the product. This is already redundant. It, of course, eliminates working hands, but it is not cheap. But it is the simplest to implement, since there are already so many ready-made robots that you can assemble an “iron man” in your garage, it remains only to come up with 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 in the state, 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 bunker are additional options that are useful, but not cheap. In order not to be distracted from the main thing, we will deprive these options of attention for now.

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

When choosing industrial equipment, it is simply necessary to imagine how the flocking process will take place. A lot depends on your choice: productivity, payback, cleanliness of the room, staff training costs, equipment maintenance and repair costs, and much more. The person who evaluates the whole process more thoroughly will outperform the person who bought the first sample that came across without delving into the production process. Accordingly, the first 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 a car panel. He wants a machine that would do everything himself. Do you understand? He wants to press a button, and the machine must block everything. He has never flocked, and already wants to buy a machine gun. The first question I ask such a client is how will the adhesive be applied? After all, 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 application machines cost differently and are used differently. Gluing machines are not our speciality. Our profile is flocking. We can give recommendations, advise companies, even buy the right automatic glue applicator for the client. But we do not plan to produce automatic machines for applying glue in the near future. There are very expensive American nozzle devices, there are Chinese ones, there are good Italian and German machines. It all depends on the financial situation of the client, and his quality requirements. Auto panel gluer 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 flock serially car panels - there will not be enough money. Here you can flock bottles or flower pots. There is no need for high-quality glue, and glue can be applied elementarily - dipped in a bucket of glue and that's it. The dashboard of a car is a different story. We need quality here. Here is an example for you 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 flocker in a productive direction.

Often the customer will suggest to lower the applicator and go directly to flocking. But after all, the flocking machine will outpace the application of glue manually. Do you understand? Why, then, a flocking machine, if the speed of work will be slowed down by gluing anyway? With a manual flocker, you can then flock quite successfully. Not satisfied with the speed - take two flokators and apply a flock with both hands. That's what I did, nothing out of the ordinary.

What happens in the bunker of an industrial flocculator?

There are simply chambers in which there is no electronic component, and they serve as nothing more than a flock loss limiter. There are chambers that are used to charge the flock, and the product does not fit into such chambers. On the contrary, the product remains outside such a hopper (chamber), and the flock, by means of limitation, often a mesh or a window, gets in the right amount onto the adhesive layer. There are also chambers that have an electronic component, and the product is flocked inside such a chamber. There are nozzles in which the flock is rubbed through the mesh; some nozzles flock from bottom to top. There are various chambers with pneumatic and vibratory 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 purity. Each of these methods has its purpose and application. In each case, you should choose the most suitable option, consistent with your capabilities and needs.

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

What is flocking?

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

Flocking is used in many areas, for example, flock can be applied to clothes, furniture, bottles, walls, but most of all this direction 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 where it is necessary to hide flaws or damage on surfaces.

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

Starting a flocking business

This direction is not yet very common, little known in wide circles. Opening your own flocking business is promising: there is not much competition on the market yet, consumer demand is growing due to 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, you need to purchase a flocking machine, additional equipment and consumables. Considering narrow profile services and low prices for consumables, the business makes a good profit.

Where is flock used?

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

And so, where flocking is used:

• Cars. Flock panel, roof, doors. Particularly creative car enthusiasts cover some details of the exterior 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. Wall flocking can be added as an additional service to the list of interior finishing or decoration.
• Furniture. As a way to restore dull or worn surfaces. If there is a suitable resource, then there is a prospect of development in the direction of furniture manufacturing.
• Nails. The velvety pattern on the nails attracts the beautiful half of humanity. Flocking nails is considered as an additional service in a nail salon.
• Souvenirs. Decoration of bottles, photo frames, boxes, notebooks and more. Especially popular as wedding props. Can be added to the list of services of souvenir shops or holiday agencies.
• Gadgets. A completely new direction is decorating tablets and smartphones using flock. Perfectly hides scuffs and gives individuality. In combination with other services for decorating gadgets, it will definitely become a 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 occurs.

Flock application technology

To learn how to apply a flock, there is no need to take training in specialized courses. The flocking technology is not complicated, but requires special care. Application steps:

1. Prepare the selected surface.
2. Apply a pattern (in the case of designer flocking).
3. Lubricate with glue.
4. Apply flock.
5. Dry.

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

The flock is applied using a special device - 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 dried well. And so, having dealt with the technology of applying flock, you can judge what equipment you will 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 surely pay for itself over time, but there will be no problems with dissatisfied customers. For flocking you will need:

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

The flocator itself happens different types. To begin with, you can buy a manual flokator, 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 electrostatic field), adapter, flock compartment - bunker and net. In addition to the standard set, several more bins of different sizes are available. When working with a device such as a manual flokator, grounding is required, as it is working with open electricity.

Glue must be selected depending on the surface with which work will be done more often. For example, if you need to decorate car interiors, then 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.

An integral part of the process is a consumable, so you definitely need to buy a flock for flocking.

It varies:

• color;
• with long or short pile;
• with particles glowing in the dark;
• impervious to water;
• special for furniture;
• special for nails.

At the initial stage, it is worth purchasing several colors of universal flock. Over time, you can learn to work with a 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 doctor blades, foam rubber, stencils. In the process of working for yourself, you may find that there are still some additional tools missing, which makes it easier for someone to work with. In the future, you can purchase a stencil machine, a machine for applying a 3D flock pattern, and other devices that expand business opportunities.

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

How to choose a room?

The technology of the process implies the need for a separate room, since the glue has an unpleasant odor, and working with electricity requires grounding. You can choose your own garage for the room, as long as 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 mounted additionally.

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

There must 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 you need to count on.

The cost of starting a business

At the initial stage, you will need the very minimum of equipment and materials that you can imagine. The costs will be used to purchase equipment and Supplies, renting premises and hiring staff, since it is difficult to apply glue and hold the floccator alone. Another question is that the positions of a 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 room rental, staff salaries and advertising costs, as it is minimal. The price of a floktor can be higher or lower, depending on its functionality and quality. To start your own business, the listed items of expenses will be enough. The cost of the service can be calculated taking into account what materials were used for flocking, 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 in such a business.