Is the production of paving slabs a profitable business? We buy equipment for the production of paving slabs. How much does it cost to produce paving slabs?

It’s not easy to make tiles, and it’s even harder to sell them. The market is overflowing with all kinds of offers. Tile manufacturers in last years a lot appeared. When opening a business, you must solve the problem: to whom and how to sell tiles. This is very important because after hiring work force and purchasing equipment, you will have more serious problems. And it’s even worse if at this time you have no distribution channels for your products.

"Production paving slabs— a business with a low barrier to entry. I bought a concrete mixer, a couple of molds, some raw materials, hired workers - that’s the whole business. Such mini-productions are opened even in garage conditions,” says Alexandra Leonidova, deputy. Development Director of CJSC Irkutskzolotoproduct.

“The competition in our business is so great that, despite the rise in cement prices by 30%, we are forced not to increase prices for tiles,” says Mikhail, one of the tile manufacturers.

In addition, most products are far from ideal in quality. Saving at the start, manufacturers purchase cheap equipment and use simple production technology using vibration casting. As a result, their products are much inferior in quality to those produced by companies with expensive and technologically advanced equipment.

Therefore the only thing the right way today is to produce high-quality tiles at an affordable price (not higher than the market average). This is the only way to ensure that your products will be in demand.

It is also worth considering the fact that the production of paving slabs is a seasonal activity. It is produced when the construction market revives, that is, in the spring. At other times of the year it will not be possible to sell tiles, especially if production is open in northern regions. For this reason, for many enterprises this is more of an additional profile of activity rather than the main direction.

How much can you earn?

Income from the production of paving slabs, even with the same selling price from two different manufacturers, can differ dramatically. And the reason for this is cost. The costs of producing paving slabs greatly depend on technology and raw materials. For example, the vibration casting method, which traditionally requires more manual labor, will increase labor costs, hence the cost of the finished product will also increase.

A lot depends on the type of raw materials used. To produce a high-quality product that will have increased frost resistance, it is necessary to use washed sand. But such raw materials are several times more expensive than ordinary sand. This again increases the cost of production. It is not advisable to save on components: due to low-quality raw materials, your tiles will crumble in 2-3 years, which will damage the company’s reputation. There is only one thing left - to optimize production processes and survive due to the volume of output.

The average cost of paving slabs produced by vibration pressing is 270 rubles/sq.m. The sales price is about 350 rubles/sq.m. Profit per square meter is only 80 rubles. It turns out that in order to earn 80 thousand rubles a month, you need to sell 1000 sq.m. finished products. This is from 15 to 20 buyers per month.

Equipment and technology

The cost of purchasing equipment depends entirely on the technology used. Today, two main technologies for the production of paving slabs are known: the vibration casting method and the vibration pressing method.

The first option is more often used by beginning entrepreneurs who do not have large investments. To start a business using vibration casting technology, you will need to purchase a minimum set of equipment: a concrete mixer, a vibrating table, a set of molds, as well as available tools: mittens, shovels, buckets. The cost of the entire set, including the purchase of raw materials, will amount to no more than 150 thousand rubles.

To produce one square meter of tile, 40 to 50 molds are required. The mixture poured into molds is kept for about 2 days. Thus, for continuous production You will need at least two sets of forms. This technology allows you to organize a business virtually at home, and involve family members and relatives in the labor process.

Experienced market players point out several disadvantages of this technology:

1. Very low performance. One square meter will take two days to dry, but what if you receive an urgent order for 100 square meters? To perform such work, you will have to purchase an incredible number of forms (several thousand), as well as have a large staff of workers. Many people note this method and considerable losses of cement. Hence the high cost of production.

2. Low quality of the resulting products. The tiles produced using this technology have low frost resistance, and their service life is no more than 4 years.

“The production of paving slabs using the vibration casting method cannot be called a serious business,” entrepreneurs say.

Video of the production process of paving slabs using the vibration casting method:

Another technology - the vibrocompression method - is designed to eradicate all the shortcomings of the above method. The essence of this technology is that the tiles are produced by vibration compaction of a mixture with big amount water. The equipment used is special installations (mini-factories) - brick presses. Concrete produced by vibrocompression has a low cement to water ratio. This means that this reduces the consumption and loss of cement, increases the strength and frost resistance of finished products. The main advantage is the productivity of the line. With the help of even a small Russian-made brick press you can get from 20 to 30 sq.m. tiles per hour. Accordingly, in an eight-hour work shift, 160 – 240 sq.m. can be produced. tiles At the same time, only 3-4 people are enough to service the installation. With such capabilities, you don’t have to worry about even the most urgent orders.

The method has only one drawback - investment in starting a business. Purchasing a new installation - line will cost from 850 thousand rubles, depending on the productivity of the line and the types of products produced. For example, the Rifey Udar brickmaking press (Zavod Stroytekhnika LLC) will cost about 1.7 million rubles:

Expensive, but the machine is universal and can produce not only paving slabs, but also lawn grates, curb, pillar, wall and facing stones. Thus, it is possible to expand the list of products and significantly increase the capabilities of the enterprise.

Production of paving slabs using Condor installations

Who is the client and how to sell tiles

Buyers for paving slabs are different. It is bought by both owners of small summer cottages and pensioners, who take 2-3 sq. m. Shop owners buy from 20 to 40 sq. m. m., and the owners of the cottages - 60-70 square meters.

Selling products is a whole science, and each manufacturer has its own methods in this regard. You can offer goods to wholesale resellers, but they ask for the goods at a discount. Tiles can also be supplied to retailers, to construction markets and in retail chains, specializing in the sale of building materials.

For smaller, artisanal producers, the classic way of selling products may be suitable. You can stand by the road, lay out several product options and hang a “Paving Slabs” sign. If the road has a large flow of cars and there are large cottage villages, then the influx of buyers is guaranteed.

A more expensive, but most effective project is to create your own online store selling paving slabs and other building materials. Internet trade is gaining momentum today, which can be a promising channel for selling products. The creation and promotion of an online store will cost up to 150 thousand rubles. The service will also require hiring a certain number of sales managers and a web resource administrator.

Business development options

Some entrepreneurs combine production and laying of paving slabs to increase profitability. The price of one square meter of tile is on average 350 rubles, and its installation costs the customer 400 rubles per square meter. It turns out that having your own team of stackers, you can earn another 40 - 60% of the profit. But this is more often done by small manufacturers; large players are not interested in this process.

Almost everyone dreams of opening their own business. Indeed, working for yourself, managing your money and planning your activities is very tempting. However, choosing a profitable area can be very problematic. But those who decided to start organizing the production of building materials using vibration-compressing equipment did the right thing: paving slabs, curbs, and wall stones are now in great demand, this is a truly profitable enterprise that does not require huge expenses.

However, before starting a business, you need to understand how much investment will be required and in what time frame the business will begin to generate income. For example, let's look at the organization.

Manufacturing of paving slabs business plan

Now we will look at what you need to think about before starting tile production.

Room

The area of ​​the enterprise depends on the scale of production and the type of brick making machine. So, a powerful one requires an area of ​​250 m² - only 160 m².

The production can be located in an industrial zone or in the countryside. Special requirements no, the main thing is that it is comfortable and warm to work in.

Certification and licensing e

The business plan for the production of paving slabs does not provide for any licenses or certificates. A license is not required to produce and sell tiles; products are not subject to certification.

Equipment

The main thing needed for the production of tiles is a brick press. He alone is capable of performing many functions. The maintenance personnel are only required to monitor the equipment and perform certain actions (fill in substances, remove pallets, etc.). Even if the installation is small, for example, a “Condor” brick making press, it is enough to organize the production of tiles in large volumes. The cost of equipment is from 420,000 rubles to 3,100,000 rubles.

Operators

The number of workers depends on the equipment. Traditionally, a business plan for the production of paving slabs determines the minimum number of service personnel - 2 people, the maximum - 5. Special knowledge and skills are not required, brick making machines are easy to operate, you can learn how to operate them in one day.

Product cost

The cost of products is calculated based on the cost of one cube of concrete (it produces approximately 16 m² of tiles). Then a certain percentage is added to the resulting figure from the costs of renting and maintaining the premises, wages to employees, electricity, etc. Based on the results of all costs, the cost per square meter of tiles is calculated.

Paving slabs appeared in our country quite recently - in the 90s - and were a clear contrast to the materials that were used at that time, so they very quickly conquered the construction market and became very popular, as a result of which the business for the production of paving slabs and is very relevant today. The main advantages that explain the popularity of paving slabs are their ease of installation, elegant appearance and durability.

Here you will look at everything related to its production: equipment (vibrating table, machine, vibropress), molds, manufacturing technology.

Business plan

We have here summary items, market analysis and organizational plan We will not consider the production of paving slabs, because in all business plans they are almost identical, and we will consider only the most basic information with prices that will help you in drawing up your business plan, because it is different for each company.

If you don’t know how to write one, you can download a business plan template, which is the source for any example.

Necessary equipment

In this case, you will need the following minimum equipment for the production of paving slabs:

  • Concrete mixer;
  • Pouring vibrating table;
  • Stripping vibrating table with a set of frames for laying out;

The cost of such a minimum set of machines will be 100-500 thousand rubles. If you like convenience and speed, then it would be better to purchase a stationary brick press for the production of paving slabs - an automated and semi-automatic line for the production of tiles and similar concrete products, but it costs from 1.5 million rubles.

Vibropress for the production of paving slabs and other concrete products / Line price 1.5 million rubles

It is worth immediately noting that these machines and lines are not specialized, i.e. They can be used to make not only paving slabs, but also other similar products: various blocks, bricks, curbs. The only thing needed for this is manufacturing molds. All this is a huge advantage of this business.

In addition, you will also need a transformer, a hydraulic cart, a loader (in case you decide to transfer the finished mixture without your hands), shovels, trowels, wheelbarrows and similar little things.

It is not enough to have only equipment, because one of the key components is molds for the production of paving slabs. They are the main ones consumables. They look like this:

They are inexpensive - from 20 to 100 rubles apiece. The price depends on the complexity of their execution and the material spent on them. They are made of plastic.

Manufacturing technology

The process itself is quite simple and does not require any special skills. The entire technology for the production of paving slabs and the entire process looks like this (see video):

Concrete mixture recipe

  1. Textured layer. It provides the main quality indicators of the tiles. Composition of one cubic meter ready-mixed concrete: cement - 500 kg, crushed stone with sand (2:1), plasticizing additives - consumption depending on the additive used, dye - 7.5-12 kg.
  2. Base layer. It sets the paving slabs to the thickness you desire and is the main carrier of strength. Composition of one cubic meter ready-made concrete: cement - 250 kg, crushed stone with sand (1:1), plasticizing additives - consumption, depending on the additive used, dye - no.

Manufacturing process

Let's consider the technology using conventional equipment:

  1. It is necessary to prepare concrete with pigment in a smaller concrete mixer (see paragraph “Preparation of pigment”), and in a larger concrete mixer without pigment.
  2. We lay out the forms of paving slabs close to each other on a vibrating table.
  3. It is necessary to spread colored concrete in a layer of 1-2 cm (covering as much as possible the bottom of the form). When making regular gray paving slabs, no dye is required.
  4. Next, you need to turn on the vibrator for 5-10 seconds. During this time, the concrete will cover the bottom with an even layer. The vibrations of the vibrating table top should be moderate.
  5. Add concrete without pigment to the molds up to their edges. Turn on the vibrator for another 5-10 seconds. Excess concrete must be cut off with a metal corner, aligning it along the edge.
  6. After filling the paving slabs with concrete and finishing the vibration, thoroughly smooth (trowel) the solution in the molds. If the amount of concrete is not enough, then you need to add it to the solution and rub it in without vibration. Place the smoothed shapes of the tiles on pallets in layers, laying each layer with sheets of plastic. The total number of layers should be no more than 10.
  7. Cover pallets with filled forms plastic film. This is to prevent it from drying out. They are allowed to be moved no earlier than 48 hours after the procedure for pouring the tiles.
  8. Before knocking out tiles for sidewalks, it is necessary to heat them to 60-70 degrees Celsius in a water bath, keeping each one in it for no more than 2 minutes. The heated form is placed on a vibrating table for knocking out paving slabs. It should be noted that stripping without preheating shortens the life of the mold by approximately 30% and can lead to defective finished products, especially for thin tiles.
  9. Drying of finished products under natural conditions occurs within 2 days. Pallets with products can be moved no earlier than 48 hours after pouring.
  10. After stripping, the paving slabs are laid on Euro pallets face to face, tying them with packing tape. To ensure further hardening of the concrete and preserve the presentation of the products, they must be covered with polyethylene shrink or stretch film.
  11. In summer, paving slabs are released when they reach 70% of the design strength, which approximately corresponds to 7 days of concrete hardening, counting from the moment of its manufacture. In winter, tempering must be done when 100% of the design strength is reached (28 days from the moment the concrete is prepared).

Preparation of pigment

Inorganic powder pigments must be mixed with water before use until a uniform, creamy consistency is formed. Then this mixture is infused in this form for at least 1 hour. This is necessary to increase the dispersion of pigments, the value of which characterizes the coloring ability of sidewalk tiles.

Remember that this is a rather expensive component of concrete; in addition, an increase in its content deteriorates the quality of concrete; therefore, a decrease in its proportion in concrete with sufficient saturation is desirable. This prepared dye can be stored for a long time, because... has a stable formula, but the color can become even brighter during storage, which makes its addition to paving slabs a little economical, because there will be an increase in pigment dispersion. Before adding concrete to the mixture, it must be mixed.

PS: Plastic molds for the production of paving slabs are usually washed in a weak solution of hydrochloric acid (5-7%). You can use higher concentrations, but this will be dangerous for you. After washing in acid, you need to rinse them with additional water.

Organization of a workshop for the production of paving slabs using vibration casting technology: production of floor street tiles, curbs, gutters, as well as provision of services (both intermediary and direct) for laying.

 

Russian roads, as before, remain one of the sore subjects, and this applies to both roadways and pedestrian areas. The first problem in the aspect under consideration is of little interest to us, but the second option may be quite interesting in terms of prospects for the development of your business. The fact is that the asphalt, most of which was laid back in Soviet times, has long been in need of replacement. In many large cities, starting with the capital, this process has been going on for a long time, and other settlements are next. In recent years, paving slabs have become an alternative to the old coating. Its production will be discussed.

Of course, it would be naive to assume that luxurious municipal contracts will go to a novice businessman, but Moscow was not built right away. On the contrary, participation large manufacturers gives small owners a chance to fulfill bulk orders. Since laying paving slabs is seasonal event, then in the spring-autumn period, under favorable circumstances, you can find a sufficient number of clients by completing small orders in the private sector. In addition, owners of small shops open cafes and other small businesses are more willing to place orders from modest entrepreneurs like themselves. Therefore, the likelihood that you will be left without orders is very small.

Related business areas for the production of paving stones

— What types of activities will you most likely have to engage in besides the production of paving slabs?

Planning own business for the production of paving slabs, it is necessary to take into account the multi-vector nature of this type entrepreneurial activity. All other directions are also related to construction work, they can be considered interdependent. Among the most likely activities are:

Providing services for laying paving slabs.

You can hire a team or do it yourself with your employees, it all depends on the volume of incoming orders for the first initial stage. It should be noted that There is no point in abandoning the development of this direction in no case.

  • Firstly, you will simply lose profits.
  • Secondly, downtime is possible due to technological features production of paving stones, and in order not to incur losses because of them, it is necessary to insure yourself.
  • Thirdly, customers of small volumes of products prefer to deal with those who provide a full range of services.

Production of related products

The technological base and available equipment allow us to establish not only the production of paving slabs, but also curbs, gutters, facing stones and fences. All these products are in demand in construction. Considering that the ennoblement adjacent areas in the private sector has been in full swing in recent years, you can make very good money on it. As in the case of laying paving stones, it is a good idea to engage not only in the manufacture of the above listed products, but also in the cladding of building facades, as well as the installation of European fences.

Ways to promote products

What steps should you take to study the market?

All the rosy prospects described may remain in dreams if small steps are not carried out. marketing research. Yes, even for such a small business they are necessary, since their results determine, first of all, the size of your investment and the guarantee that it will not be in vain.

This event is not anything extremely complicated, but spend time on study of potential demand and calculation of market capacity will have to be done. There is no need to hire anyone for these purposes, nor do you need to pay for an abstruse analysis of the construction market. It is enough to independently study the information about the volume of sales and production of paving slabs in your region to understand whether it makes sense to do this, and what the start should be.

How to properly search for clients at the initial stage?

Successful search for clients at the initial stage can be considered no less important than the availability of your own start-up capital. Perhaps the first point is even more important than the second. The specificity of this type of business is such that in order to attract customers it may be necessary to the most effective and efficient simple ways .

Posting notices in public places

Modest announcements with an offer for the production and laying of paving slabs can provide you with more customers than expensive advertising. Naturally, the place where you leave them plays a huge role. Much more valuable in this sense are places where people living in the private sector gather: shops, bus stops, railway stations of country and suburban villages. Most likely, this is where your first clients will be found, even if the initial volumes will be small, but, as they say: from the world one by one...

Free advertising on Internet bulletin boards

However, it should not be ignored modern methods informing the population of your region about the services you provide. Weekly newspapers with advertisements have been replaced by advertising and information sites. By resorting to their help, you can reach a large audience, and also, which is very important, provide maximum information about your enterprise.

Examples of advertisements on the Internet sale and production of paving slabs:

What is important is that Internet technologies allow people who see your proposal to familiarize themselves not only with the textual content, but also look at photographs of previously completed work. Such visualization does its job, since the saying is better to see once than to hear a hundred times for a reason - this is consumer psychology. It will be great if the images are yours best works will reinforce a good “catchy” text.

Booklets with examples of work

It also doesn’t hurt to order a batch of printed products. Booklets will not ruin you, a batch of 3000 pieces will cost about 4000-5000 rubles. Even if 3 people contact you, the costs of printing and distributing them will more than pay off.

Examples of booklets with paving slabs for clients

True, you need to be able to present yourself in a favorable light and convince the reader to call you. In this case, you can use the well-founded fears regarding the relatively short service life of the tiles. After all, each of us has repeatedly seen crumbling paving stones; all customers are afraid that the same thing will happen to their coating.

Such fears can be used to your advantage. In fact, a considerable percentage of paving slabs become unusable not because of poor quality, but due to improper care. Provide people with comprehensive information about this problem in your brochures and offer your company's help to solve it. This move will help you increase the number of orders.

Technology

— At the initial stage of business to Which tile production technology should you choose and why?

Clinker tiles

There are several basic technologies according to which tiles are produced. The highest quality and most expensive is clinker paving stones, which is made by firing high-quality clay. Despite all the excellent quality characteristics, demand for it is limited due to high price, which is dictated by the high cost of production of this type of product.

Appearance clinker paving stones

In addition, difficulties may arise with the uninterrupted supply of raw materials. In addition, there is a psychological factor: not every client is ready to overpay, even for a very high-quality and durable coating, preferring a more modest option. This mental peculiarity of fellow citizens is caused by uncertainty about the future; too few people are ready to invest in long-term projects, and this applies to both business and any other projects.

Based on the above, we can identify three main reasons why a novice entrepreneur with limited start-up capital You shouldn’t immediately start mastering the production of clinker raw materials :

  1. Expensive equipment and raw materials.
  2. The need to obtain additional permits for firing products in furnaces.
  3. Limited number of customers - even if someone decides to purchase clinker paving stones, it is unlikely that they will trust a manufacturer without a name and reputation.

Paving slabs can also be produced by:

  • Vibrocasting with the addition of plasticizing and pigmenting additives (read more about the technology for producing paving slabs using the vibration casting method);
  • Vibrocompression hard cement-sand mixtures with low water content.

Appearance of paving slabs made using vibro-casting technology

These methods make it possible to organize the production of small and medium-sized batches of concrete tiles with low porosity. Although this product is inferior in its aesthetic and quality characteristics to clinker paving stones, it is quite in demand in the construction market.

It should not be considered an inferior product, which does not meet operational standards. If you follow technologies at each stage of the production cycle, you will be able to provide customers with paving slabs and related products at an affordable price, the service life of which is at least 25 years. This ratio of price, quality and durability suits most customers, which is why small businesses choose these technologies. Moreover, in the overwhelming majority of cases, preference is given to the casting method, since it is believed that it makes it possible to achieve more High Quality tiles at the lowest cost.

Premises requirements

What factors are involved in choosing a suitable production facility?

Temperature

This process is based on the gradual hardening of a porous cement-sand mixture with special additives. First, this happens in molding containers, and then the paving stones and other products reach their condition on pallets. It should be taken into account that temperature in the workshop for tile production should not fall below +15 °C, therefore the room must be heated. Despite the seasonal nature of the work at the initial stage, you must take into account the prospects for the development and expansion of the business, when in winter the necessary supplies are prepared for intensive work on laying tiles and facing the facades of buildings in the spring-autumn period.

Production area

Room area must be at least 60 square meters, and this is only minimum required- the more spacious the workshop, the better. But still, when choosing, first of all, profitability should be taken into account. If you are going to rent a room, then paying rent and heating for empty space in the hope of further development is not practical. You need to be completely confident in a rapid and significant increase in orders. In all other cases, it is recommended to make do with the necessary minimum space required for manufacturing, drying, and storing finished products and raw materials.

Communications

Since this production is based on vibration casting technology, it requires continuous feed a considerable amount of water. Therefore, the presence of communications capable of providing your workshop with it in the required volumes is prerequisite. It is also necessary three-phase power supply. The factor of manual loading and unloading of raw materials and finished products must be taken into account. Many people start their business this way, so you need to try to choose a room so that this process is as easy as possible.

Equipment

In order to start making paving slabs, you don’t need any overly complex equipment. Equipment for the production of paving slabs. Moreover, you can either make almost everything you need yourself or order it from local Kulibins. This feature makes this business even more attractive and cost-effective. The scale of such savings in comparison with factory products can be understood by analyzing the list of all devices:

Two concrete mixers - 17,000-20,000 rubles
Forms for pouring tiles. There are three types of material from which they are made: polyurethane, PVC (plastic) and rubber. Rubber is the most durable. It can withstand about 500 cycles, while plastic - 250, and polyurethane - about 100. The cost of molds for one square meter starts from 250-300 rubles.
Forms for borders and gutters - from 150 rubles per square meter
Packaging equipment: a combined device for tensioning the tape and clamping staples, PP or metal tape, stretch film - from 3,000 rubles without the cost of strapping and packaging material.
Hydraulic rokla - from 7,000 thousand rubles.
Reinforced PVC film for covering molds - from 45 rubles per linear meter
Vibrating table
Stripping table
Racks for storing tiles in molds
Pallets

The items presented in paragraphs 6-11 can be made independently. For their production, used metal is used, which significantly reduces their cost, and all other components can be purchased at a much lower price. In addition, ordering equipment from private individuals eliminates a whole string of trade and transport surcharges, which allows you to minimize your costs. To get acquainted with the price of everything, visit the selection of equipment for the production of tiles using the vibration casting method.

Pallets (pallets) are also made independently: there should not be any special problems with wood anywhere in Russia. Naturally, for of this equipment It is quite difficult to name even approximate prices, since there are too many individual characteristics and special cases.

Purchase of raw materials

— What are the features of purchasing material and choosing a supplier?

Strict and strict adherence to the proportions of the composition of the initial mixture and the technological process is the key to the production of high-quality, durable products. The success of all your endeavors primarily depends on these factors. For making paving stones it is necessary to use such starting materials:

  • cement;
  • sand;
  • granite crushed stone fraction 5-10 mm;
  • plasticizer C-3;
  • air-entraining SNV additive;
  • pigment.

In principle, it is simply unrealistic to give any specific recommendations regarding mutually beneficial cooperation with suppliers. All issues are resolved locally during the first months of work. It is advisable to achieve from trade organizations regardless of a flexible form of payment, but this becomes possible only after some time; no one will immediately provide discounts and the possibility of deferring some of the payments to a beginning entrepreneur, at least this happens in the vast majority of cases.

When purchasing materials, preference should be given to the same manufacturers, this is especially important when completing a large order. Changing the brand of any of the components can lead to a change in the color of the tile, which can lead to all sorts of problems and losses.

Manufacturing process

— What are the main stages of the paving slab manufacturing process?

Since this material is not intended to teach anyone a new craft, detailed description technology is of no use here. Moreover, there are different techniques and secrets that you will need to independently comprehend from the very minute you make the final decision regarding the type of your business activity. However, it is still worth highlighting the main stages of the production cycle so that an interested person can understand what we are talking about we're talking about, and whether he is capable of running such a business. Production of paving slabs using vibration casting method happens as follows:

  1. A cement-sand mixture is prepared in concrete mixers;
  2. The finished composition is laid out in forms on a vibrating table;
  3. The mixture in the molds is given the required density on a vibrating table;
  4. Forms with compacted composition are put on racks, covered with PVC film and kept for 24 hours;
  5. The molds with the frozen mixture are heated in a bath of warm water;
  6. The products are being stripped;
  7. Paving slabs are laid on pallets, where they are kept for a certain period until they are completely ready.

Packaging, storage and transportation of finished products

As noted just now, the distribution of paving stones to clients and their installation may not be carried out immediately. In summer, products acquire the necessary characteristics within a week, and in winter period- after 28 days. After stripping, the tiles are stacked on pallets in the “front - back” sequence, wrapped with stretch film and reinforced with PP fastening tape.

It is clear that moving such a mass without the use of rigging equipment is simply unrealistic; for these purposes, they are used rokly. In addition, it is important to properly arrange the loading area. Removing finished products from the workshop area by manually transferring paving slabs into the back of a truck is very time-consuming and labor-intensive. Therefore, this final stage of the production cycle should be carefully considered.

Development prospects

Having mastered all the intricacies of production and earned a reputation, you can think about expanding capacities, as well as the types of services provided. At the beginning of the article it was already mentioned what you can do at the same time, making tiles for sidewalks. In addition, you will be contacted with other questions and requests regarding the improvement of local areas and the construction different types buildings

To make your business more profitable and withstand competition, sooner or later you will need to purchase more advanced equipment that will increase your capabilities. Such possible acquisitions include:

  • A high-performance conveyor-type installation for the production of tiles and building blocks using the vibration pressing method.

Despite the significant costs when compared with initial costs, the mentioned acquisitions are much more profitable for business in all respects than attracting additional labor and expanding production according to the original model. At this stage you need to think strategically, and if you are not ready for this, then someone will definitely get ahead of you.

Paving slabs are by far the most popular building material. With its help it is created beautiful view on the streets, in courtyards, parks and squares, and it looks better than asphalt, even the highest quality.

Many businessmen who know a lot about production and sales are increasingly choosing it for their products.

There are quite a lot of advantages in this business, but there are also disadvantages:

  • Firstly, tiles are increasingly being purchased for the beautiful decoration of cities and private homes. Customers often do not look at the high cost of paving stones, so the prospects for their production are quite clear. But you need to remember that many people want to make money, so competition here is high.
  • Secondly, registering such a business is as easy as shelling pears. There is no need for documents stating that this product has special certificates, and the owner of the future production in this case only needs. He may not even have a complete understanding of production technology and the construction industry in general. If the manufacturer wants to present documents about the quality of the product to its customers in the future, then a special certification service will help him with this by conducting a special study. There they will check all the properties of the product and enter them into the quality passport.
  • Thirdly, the production facility can be located anywhere, and when purchasing high-quality imported equipment and with a small footprint, the staff can consist of only three people.

Anyone can produce tiles simple process its manufacture. You just have to know that workers will be doing boring and monotonous work. With all this, this business, when built correctly, is highly profitable and quick payback, although orders may be seasonal.

Types of material

You can find only two types of coating on the market:

  • Vibrocast tiles can be bought everywhere due to the ease of its manufacture. You need to choose it for laying in those places where the paths are expected to bear a small load.
  • Vibro-pressed and hydro-pressed tiles It is laid where there is expected to be heavy traffic with a large impact on it.

Paving stones also differ in the material from which they were made:

  • Most often it is made made of concrete, as from the cheapest substance, and this material is the only one for the production of vibrocast tiles.
  • Clay- This is another raw material for the production of vibro- and hydro-pressed paving stones. It will cost more, but the quality will be higher, comparable to roofing tiles.
  • The most expensive type of high-strength paving slabs is produced from various natural stones, such as granite.

Required premises and equipment

Special equipment for the vibrocompression process will cost about 30 thousand dollars and include brick press, concrete mixer and punch. Equipment for vibration casting is much cheaper. Vibrating table, forms and concrete mixer will cost its owner about 5 thousand dollars.

After choosing the production method, you need to find a suitable room with an area of from 70 sq.m. The higher the expected production volumes, the larger it should be. The room can be located anywhere, it all depends on the choice of the owner. It is worth choosing an industrial zone with convenient access routes. Warehouses with production areas will be the best option. Saving on the delivery of necessary raw materials is not only possible, but also necessary. This is feasible if the future workshop is located near cheap raw material bases.

The main thing is the characteristics of the room. The electrical voltage in it must be at least 360 V. It’s great if it is always heated. It is necessary to have a sewerage system with cold and hot water.

You also need to remember about a constant temperature of 35 to 45 degrees Celsius in the chamber for drying finished products and in the warehouse. There should be a warm floor, and such conditions should be maintained year-round.

Necessary raw materials and their purchase

Concrete mixture is the starting material for the production of paving slabs. It consists of cement, which is its main component, crushed stone (granite screenings) with a fraction of 5 to 10 mm and construction sand with a grain size of up to 5 mm.

Additional components that may be present in the mixture are a plasticizer, various additives to increase its strength, resistance to cold and water resistance, and coloring pigments. With their help, tiles of small architectural forms are painted: paving stones, artificial stone, paving options.

All products should be produced only from high-quality raw materials and the production technology should be followed as accurately as possible.

All purchases should ideally be made from the same manufacturer, especially with a large order for all types of materials. If you replace trademark or any component for production, then not only the color of the product may change, but even important characteristics. This is fraught with various problems with customers and large losses.

Types of production technologies

Paving slabs are made in three ways:

  • Vibration pressing. With its help, not only paving stones are made, but also stones for walls and partitions, as well as borders. The technology of such production consists of three stages and includes:
    • preparing concrete in a concrete mixer;
    • molding using vibrators and a punch. The material located on a special pallet is compacted in a few seconds due to the impact of vibration pulses. Later, the matrix and punch are removed, leaving almost finished paving stones on the pallet;
    • drying The pallet with the products must dry either under the influence of ordinary water vapor, or simply indoors. Ready-made concrete gains the required strength within 5-8 hours.
  • Hyperpressing similar to vibration pressing, only here instead of vibration strong pressure is used under hydraulic press, compacting the mixture. In this way, you can make a lot of tiles without requiring the presence of large quantity people due to complete automation. Absence human factor reduces costs and also has a positive effect on product quality.
  • Vibrocasting- This is the third method of production. During the process, you need to prepare a concrete mixture and place it in special forms located on a vibrating table. These molds are placed on pallets and left for 48 hours directly in the production room. Then the finished tile is heated to 60-70 degrees for 2 minutes and carefully knocked out of the molds on a vibrating table. Of course, with this method of production, especially when using cheap equipment in conjunction with manual labor There will be much more chips and cracks than with vibration pressing. It is worth considering in advance the use of low-quality paving slabs in other sectors of construction.

You can learn more about the product manufacturing process in the following video:

Product sales channels

Advertising is the engine of progress! It all starts with her, especially in this type of business. You can resort to its traditional methods: advertising on television (preferably on popular channels, although this will be a little expensive), in magazines and newspapers on construction topics, on the Internet, on billboards, in transport and other crowded places.

It is also worth contacting managers directly construction companies and offer them your cooperation. This will help establish sales channels and recoup the costs of starting a business in the first half of the year. The main thing is not to sit still, actively promote and advertise your product, talking about its advantages.

Total costs

Starting a business is always fraught with waste of money. The production of tiles can be done in a relatively small amount:

  • Certification of compliance with high quality standards - from 100 to 300 dollars. It is not necessary to go through it, but it is worth doing to maintain the prestige of your product.
  • Rental cost for production premises depending on their location, condition and area - from 500 to 1000 dollars per month.
  • The cost of the selected equipment is from 3,000 to 30,000 dollars.
  • Salary to employees per month is from 1000 to 2000 dollars.

Total start-up capital will be from 4500 to 33 300 dollars.

Profit calculation

When calculating income from the sale of tiles, it is worth considering:

  • volume of its sales per month (in sq. m.) * cost of 1 sq. m. m.;
  • minus cost (expenses for production of goods);
  • minus turnover tax (it is 6%).

So, making paving slabs is enough profitable project. With the right consistent actions and high-quality technological process the payback in six months to a year will be 100-120%. Everything mainly depends on the size of production and established distribution channels.