In Russia, the woodworking business has enormous prospects. The resources for this are limitless and the profits are high. Many people process and sell wood flour. These are finely crushed, dried particles less than 2 mm in size. This material is in demand in many industrial fields. It is in great demand and ensures the growth of the polymer market in our country. Competition in this area is low as there are only a few large processing organizations. Entrepreneurs are also opening small workshops for the production of wood flour. Such a business requires lower costs and pays for itself in a matter of months.
To create a company for the production of wood flour, you need not only money, but also knowledge in the field of woodworking. We need to find good distribution channels. Technical equipment is also important. And also the processing process itself. In this article we will tell you how to competently open such a business. What equipment, raw materials and premises are needed. In addition, we will make approximate cost calculations.
What is wood flour?
Wood flour has a number of qualities, has its own characteristics and that is why it is in great demand in many areas of production. Flour is wood ground to a certain fraction (no more than 1.5 mm). Flour is obtained from wood waste and sawdust. The main condition is that the materials must be properly dried. Chips and sawdust must be dry, otherwise it will simply not be possible to grind them to the desired state.
Wood flour can be of different brands. The brand is determined primarily by the particle size. The larger the assortment, the greater the profit and demand, so this fact must be taken into account when starting your own business.
The quality of the resulting material depends on the raw materials used. If it is necessary to obtain a high-quality product, then the raw material should be wood of good species, and not sawdust and straw. Sawdust and wood straw are used to produce lower grade flour, which also has its own consumer.
Making wood flour in a large production plant
Wood flour is obtained by grinding wood. This material is used as polymer fillers. Its main suppliers are large processing plants. They have well-established channels for sales, well-equipped workshops with automated equipment and appropriate volumes of finished products. But to create large-scale processing, funding is needed. Therefore, we do not have many such factories. Most simply cannot withstand heavy financial stress.
Raw materials for production
Wood recycling is a waste-free process. Large elements are used for smaller ones, etc. The last product is flour. To obtain it, they purchase wood waste remaining from enterprises with other directions. The raw materials are the following waste:
- Branches;
- wood chips;
- straw;
- sawdust.
The type of raw material directly affects the color of the finished flour. To obtain a high-quality wood product, the base must be wood, not straw.
Equipment for the production of
Many people think that grinding wood is a simple technology. In fact, these are not only equipment costs, but also electricity costs. After all, technology must be of high power and functionality. Woodworking companies use the following equipment:
- Conveyor. There are linear and coupling conveyors. Linear systems are typically used in factory installations. This is a special line on which the equipment is located;
- crusher. The hammer installation is most often used. Has a heavy hammer capable of breaking wood into crumbs. It works by impact, grinding waste into flour. This is a large-sized equipment, equipped with a huge tray for filling raw materials;
- Dryer. There are drum and linear types. Semi-automatic and automatic. Factories prefer automated drum dryers. An automatic machine that dries the ground flour with high temperature and dry steam;
- equipment for transporting raw materials and finished flour: tractors or KAMAZ vehicles equipped with scoops.
Modern factories use processing lines. This is a complete set of equipment. It includes a crusher and dryer. The entire process is automated. All you need is an operator to control the process.
Production technology
After purchasing raw materials, they are initially dried. Since in a crusher the process of processing raw wood is slower than dry wood. The following is a step-by-step scheme:
- The machine scoops wood waste into the crusher container. There is grinding going on. The material is poured out of the container onto a special platform and falls under a huge hammer. The result is fine wood dust.
- Again, the technique collects the resulting flour and sends it to the dryer. The powerful unit dries up to 800 kg in an hour. wood waste. During the operating cycle, it removes up to 70% of moisture. Wood is dried in hot air. Its temperature is up to 350 degrees. After 3-5 hours, drying is stopped and the finished products are transported to warehouses in special containers. In some factories, it is customary to immediately deliver the material to customers.
Scope of use
Wood flour is an absolutely natural material, so its areas of use are different. First of all, this material is used:
- construction - production of linoleum, glue, bricks;
- production of phenoplast - a cheap type of plastic;
- in foundry production;
- pharmaceutical industry - production of sorbents;
- agriculture - animal feed additives, soil fertilizer;
- production of WPC - wood-polymer composite.
There really are a huge number of areas of application for this material and it is simply impossible to list them all. It is the demand for this material and its low price that makes the production of wood flour as a business quite profitable and profitable.
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Brands of wood flour and their scope of application
The scope of application of the finished product depends on the characteristics of the raw materials. Thus, for the production of electrode cellulose, a product of the lowest grade is suitable, while the production of components of construction adhesive compositions will require the use of high-grade material.
Various types of flour are used in the oil and gas industry for the production of drilling cement slurries, as one of the components of wood-polymer composites, a base for dry mixes and grouts, a filler for putties, to restore soil fertility, and as a material for mulching when growing plants.
Scope of application based on brand
In addition, wood can be processed not only into powder, but also crushed into large fractions, from which fuel pellets and materials for thermal insulation are then produced.
Wood flour production: technology and equipment
The production of wood flour, in fact, is not a complex process, but here it is necessary to adhere to certain requirements and standards. Only in this case will we obtain truly high-quality material that will be in demand.
To produce flour you will need the following equipment:
- Dryer;
- mill for grinding raw materials;
- packaging equipment.
The equipment line can be manual, semi-automated or automated. Naturally, semi-automated and manual equipment will be cheaper. If you want to save money, the equipment can be purchased separately. If manual equipment is used, then labor will also be needed, so the most profitable option, especially in the initial stages of starting a business, is to purchase semi-automatic equipment and minimize the number of employees.
You will have to spend at least 700,000 rubles to purchase such equipment. Also keep in mind that the mill does not have high power, so productivity will be minimal. At the initial stages it will be quite enough, while the sales market has not yet been established.
For beginners, an excellent option would be to buy used equipment, which is sometimes 40-50% cheaper.
In the process of business development, it is still recommended to purchase automated equipment, which has increased power and allows you to minimize manual labor. The purchase of such equipment will cost at least 5,000,000 rubles. With such equipment, the productivity will be approximately 0.5 tons of flour per hour.
Finding premises and hiring staff
A crusher for the production of wood flour and other low-power equipment will not require too large areas. But in addition to the workshop itself, it is also necessary to provide a warehouse for storing raw materials. The minimum area required to launch a low-productivity enterprise is 70 m2.
Look for free workshops outside the city - this way you will reduce the monthly costs of renting premises. You will be producing flammable material, so the workshop must have all the conditions for safe work. When registering a business, you cannot avoid inspections by supervisory authorities.
As for the working personnel, you can produce wood flour yourself. But in this case, do not expect large profits - you will not produce large volumes of goods alone. To launch a full-fledged workshop, you will need to hire at least 4 workers to prepare raw materials, load them into machines and package them.
Organization of wood flour production
Not every novice businessman knows how to properly approach the organization of production. Initially, you need to purchase the minimum equipment that will be needed - a mill and a dryer. The right premises are also the key to success.
In the room where wood flour is produced, a certain temperature and air humidity must be maintained at all times. Failure to comply with rules and technological standards can harm raw materials, as well as finished products.
Depending on the scale of production and the type of equipment, it is necessary to take care of the staff. At the first, initial stages, a minimum staff may be needed. If the equipment line is fully automated, then in this case the production will not be in dire need of labor.
Particular attention will have to be paid to fire safety, since the production of wood flour is quite dangerous in terms of safety. It will also be necessary to complete all relevant paperwork and undergo other necessary checks before commencing production.
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Production Features
The technology allows the use of any wood waste and many plant material residues that have not been treated with flame retardant or antiseptic chemicals.
Raw materials are supplied to the machine shop for grinding using crushers with different operating mechanisms.
The most effective method is considered to be dynamic self-comminution under the influence of powerful air currents. Unlike crushing by shock waves, the formation of small particles in the air flow in automated plants occurs faster and easier due to the specific structure of cellulose fibers.
An important condition for obtaining high-quality products is compliance with control of temperature and chemical composition of air in the production room.
If the process is well organized, the product after grinding can only be packaged and sent for storage to warehouses.
Production premises must have supply and exhaust ventilation, without which working with fine suspended matter is hazardous to health. Proper installation of electrical equipment and its grounding are of great importance, because wood waste powder can easily ignite when a spark appears.
Supply channels for raw materials and sales of finished products
For beginning entrepreneurs, you can initially establish sales to enterprises and agricultural farms located in close proximity to production. This is necessary to minimize initial costs. Afterwards, you can look for other distribution channels; they will depend primarily on the region.
A good option is wholesale deliveries to trusted companies. Initially, explore the situation, find out which enterprises located in the immediate vicinity need wood flour and offer your products. In the first stages, 1-3 distribution channels are enough, after which rumors about production will gradually spread and sales will increase on their own.
You should not ignore retail buyers, for example, private farmers. Wood flour is necessary in everyday life - for the garden, vegetable garden, farm animals, and growing mushrooms. For small businesses, retail customers can become the main source of sales for finished products.
Business profitability
There are few competitors in the wood flour production market, so the business can be quite profitable. Initially, it will be necessary to invest some financial resources - from 300,000 to 7-8,000,000, depending on the scale and price of the purchased equipment. You should not invest huge sums if the sales market is not thoroughly established; this may turn out to be an unjustified investment.
With proper operation and a good sales market, the payback of the business will occur in 1-1.5 years, which is quite acceptable. You can gradually expand your business and purchase more expensive and modern equipment.
Profit depends, first of all, on the quality of the product and the number of distribution channels (the number of products produced). It is worth thinking about launching the production of various types of wood flour - this will increase the number of sales.
How to draw up a business plan for organizing a business
If you doubt your own abilities, when drawing up a business plan, it is best to take the help of professionals, although in fact there is nothing complicated here:
- You need to realistically assess your financial capabilities - decide on the size of the rented premises and equipment.
- Purchase and installation of equipment, bringing the premises into proper shape.
- Decide on the required number of workers and hire them.
- Launch and production.
If you don’t have a sufficient amount, and this is at least 300,000, it’s not worth the risk. If you have the amount, then you should approach opening a business and purchasing equipment responsibly. For a minimum amount, purchase only the necessary equipment or used equipment, gradually enter the market and establish sales, look for new buyers.
For this type of business, a couple of months of productive work is enough - and even then you can talk about success and achievements.
Review of equipment for the production of wood flour
