How to start a metal door production: a detailed guide

Metal entrance doors today are found in almost every apartment and many houses. This is a popular product, available in the product range of many factories. The number of manufacturers is constantly growing.

Unlike an interior door, a full-fledged entrance door is difficult to make in artisanal conditions, without the appropriate equipment. What functional parts does the equipment for the production of metal doors consist of, and what does it cost?

Production of metal doors as a business: relevance of the idea

The business of manufacturing steel entrance doors is relevant today. The demand for products is increasing from year to year, this is due to the growth in construction volumes. More and more new buildings, cottages, and office buildings are appearing in cities, each of which needs to be equipped with doors.

Attention! The main advantage of the metal door manufacturing business is the growing demand for the product. There is no similar product on the market yet that would surpass the reliability and quality of metal products and at the same time remain in an affordable price range.

Anyone can open their own production of steel doors. This business is good because you can start with minimal investment (80,000–100,000 rubles). The main thing is to be able to work with metal. Many successful entrepreneurs started their journey by making iron doors in a garage using hand tools. After some time, they were able to expand and move to a higher level of sales.

Standards and basic requirements

According to the requirements for the production of fire doors in accordance with GOST, such structures must be an effective obstacle to the advancement of fire. The door must create a temporary reserve sufficient not only to carry out evacuation measures, but also to prepare for extinguishing fires.

Also, the requirements for fire doors prescribe not only the mandatory containment of the spread of fire, but also the ability to prevent the penetration of smoke, which poses a fairly high danger in the event of a fire.

When producing fireproof structures, compliance with all the rules set out in GOST is strictly mandatory. Products are classified according to the following parameters:

• The time period from the beginning of the impact of the elements on the door until the first destruction of the door leaf, as well as at what temperature this occurs;
• Fire resistance under normal conditions;
• Heat transfer resistance;
• Soundproofing.

When marking manufactured products as a result of testing a fire door, the above characteristics have special letter designations.

“E” - indicates the time period after which, in the event of a fire, the canvas will begin to lose its integrity. “I” is the time period after which the heat-insulating material located inside the fire door structure will lose its properties or burn out. “R” - records the final state of the door leaf as a result of exposure to fire.

Market analysis and competition assessment

The target audience of this project is diverse. The main consumers of steel doors are local residents with average incomes:

• developers;
• residents of new buildings;
• townspeople who are renovating their apartment;
• office owners or tenants.

In Russia, the majority of the entrance door market (80%) is made up of inexpensive products aimed at the middle class of the population. The price of such a standard size product is 10,000–15,000 rubles. The remaining 20% ​​are armored doors, with beautiful wood trim, made according to individual customer orders. Such products are equipped with expensive fittings; their price ranges from 25,000–80,000 rubles.

Before deciding to start producing metal doors, you need to conduct research on competition in the city and region. It is important to find out:

• what products are manufactured by similar companies;
• what price segment they work in;
• what additional services are offered to clients.

It is important to study reviews of existing enterprises. This information will allow you to identify their weaknesses and create your own competitive advantages in order to stand out from them. For example, fulfill orders faster, equip doors with better quality locks and fittings, use thicker blades. Other “tricks” of the company that will help you find your buyer:

• unusual door design;
• the possibility of manufacturing products of non-standard shape or size - arched, double-leaf, with sidewalls, etc.;
• acceptable cost.

Selecting a room

The organization of a workshop for the production of metal doors depends on the project budget and planned turnover. Many people rent workshops of former factories or hangars to make iron doors.

Since the door manufacturing process consists of a full range of operations, the common room should be divided into the following areas:

• metal rolling shop;
• assembly shop;
• paint shop;
• office - department for customer service, documentation storage;
• storage warehouse.

Steel door production technology

Metal products must comply with GOST requirements:

• GOST 31173-2003;
• GOST 23118-99;
• GOST 5089-97.

You need to familiarize yourself with the requirements for metal products in advance. When the production process is launched, the entrepreneur will have to obtain a license confirming the quality of the product. Its registration will cost 35,000 rubles.

The technological process consists of several stages. Let's look at it in order:

1. Raw materials are sorted and checked for defects. Scale and traces of corrosion are removed from metal sheets.
2. The sheets that have undergone primary processing are marked and cut.
3. The plates intended for the manufacture of a door frame are processed on a special bending press, giving them the desired shape. Then the profile blanks are cut into fragments of the required length. The edges are filed, removing irregularities.
4. Next, the door leaf is sent to a stamping machine, where it is used to punch holes for installing fittings.
5. The door parts are assembled using welding equipment. To give additional strength, stiffening ribs are installed between the profile guides.
6. Insulation is placed inside the door leaf - mineral wool, polypropylene or polyurethane foam.
7. Hinges are attached to the door leaf.
8. Paint is applied to the cleaned and degreased elements of the product.
9. Next, the canvas is covered with decorative elements - MDF, veneer, thermal film, clapboard, chipboard, etc.
10. The final stage of manufacturing a metal door is the insertion of the lock, latches, handles and seal sticker.
11. The quality of the finished product is checked at the stand, after which it is packaged and sent to the warehouse.

Attention! The optimal sheet thickness for making a door is 1.5–2 mm. Using thicker metal will place additional stress on the hinges. With every extra millimeter, the weight of the finished product increases by 7–8 kg.

Product certification

Based on the regulations on technical requirements for fire safety, certification of fire doors is carried out according to specially developed schemes. Each of them represents a certain sequence of actions under strictly defined conditions. Such schemes are mandatory for all manufacturers of door structures that position their products for fire resistance. For the same reason, a certificate for each of the manufactured fire-resistant structures is also required. Any of the manufactured products can bear the name of fire protection only after receiving the appropriate document issued by an accredited certification organization.

Checking a fire door of any possible design, be it an all-metal, partially or fully glazed door, is carried out according to the same schemes. The choice of the scheme itself is carried out by manufacturing companies or door importers.

Tests on prototypes are carried out by installing a large number of thermal sensors on the surface of the door leaf. The reverse side of the door is exposed to open fire. Thus, the temperature affecting the door leaf, its integrity and the time of resistance to the elements are recorded.

The production of fire doors can be either serial or limited edition. The order of testing depends on this.

Organizing a business step by step

The first step of a novice businessman is to choose a business format and legalize it. After receiving the documents in hand, you can begin to resolve organizational issues - search for premises for a workshop, purchase equipment, and recruit personnel. Another task is to find reliable suppliers of steel and fittings.

Business format: small workshop or large enterprise

You can enter the market in different ways - organize a home production, a mid-level workshop or a large factory. It all depends on the amount of investment the entrepreneur has.

Having a small capital, it is worth opening a production in the garage. In this case you will have to use hand tools. In this way, you can make 2-3 doors in 1 working day. Even with small volumes of products sold, you will be able to earn from 50,000 to 70,000 rubles per month.

If an investor has 500,000–700,000 rubles at his disposal, with this amount he can open a small plant by purchasing semi-automatic equipment. In this case, production volumes per day are higher – 10–20 products.

Those who have an amount of more than 5,000,000 rubles should open a large enterprise in which all production processes will be automated. To accommodate such equipment, an area of ​​1,500–2,000 m2 will be required, as well as huge storage facilities. Such a plant produces an average of 200 metal doors per day.

Company registration

How to register a business depends on the chosen format. A large enterprise is registered as an LLC. This is necessary to be able to cooperate with legal entities. In other cases, an individual entrepreneur will be a suitable organizational form. Registration is carried out at the tax office at the place of registration. Documentation:

• passport;
• TIN;
• receipt of payment of state duty (800 rubles for individual entrepreneurs and 4,000 rubles for LLC);
• application for registration of an individual as an individual entrepreneur in form 21001 (for LLC form 11001).

If the choice falls on a limited liability company, in addition to the listed documents, you will also need the Charter, the founder’s decision to create an LLC and the minutes of the founders’ meeting.

It is important to immediately decide on the taxation system and write an application to switch to it, otherwise the entrepreneur will automatically be assigned a special taxation tax. For an LLC with one founder and individual entrepreneur, rates are available (if the annual income does not exceed 60,000,000 rubles):

• 6% of income;
• 15% of the difference between the income and expenses of the enterprise.

During registration, you must indicate OKVED codes that allow you to engage in activities for the manufacture and installation of doors:

• 25.12;
• 43.99.5.

Workshop space

To organize the full operation of the enterprise, you will need a large production facility. It may be located outside the city, the main requirement is sufficient area to accommodate several workshops:

• acceptance of metal and preparation for work;
• rolling shop;
• welding and assembly;
• painting;
• room for decorative finishing of products;
• finished goods warehouse.

The room is equipped with a ventilation system and must meet fire safety requirements. To start production, you will have to obtain permission from the State Fire Inspectorate and the SES.

Purchase of equipment

Having decided on the production format, you need to select equipment. It is divided into 3 categories:

• automatic – not requiring human intervention;
• semi-automatic – involves the participation of machinery and labor in the production process;
• mechanical – doors are manufactured manually.

Automatic lines

This equipment is suitable for large enterprises. It allows you to produce 1 door in 2–3 minutes (200–500 in 1 day), thanks to fully automated processes. In this case, human intervention is minimal - he only controls the operation of the machines.

Semi-automatic lines

Most entrepreneurs choose this type of equipment, since it is relatively inexpensive - 400,000–700,000, does not require huge areas and allows you to produce up to 20 units of products in 1 day.

Required set of production line elements:

• hydraulic guillotine shears or laser machine for cutting metal;
• press brake;
• welding machine;
• spray gun;
• compressor.

Mechanical equipment

This option is suitable for those who want to open a mini-shop for the production of steel door blocks in their garage and produce 2-3 products per day. Equipment costs in this case will not exceed 90,000 rubles:

• Bulgarian;
• mechanical guillotine;
• milling machine;
• lathe;
• other tools.

Raw materials

To make a metal door you will need sheets of steel. Recommended metal thickness is 1.5–2 mm. High demands are placed on the fittings, because the safety of customers depends on the reliability of the lock. It is worth giving preference to Russian, Hungarian, and Turkish manufacturers of fittings. Chinese locks are cheaper, but they break quickly.

In addition, you will have to constantly purchase:

• eyes;
• loops;
• latches;
• night valves;
• mineral wool or other insulating material;
• electrodes;
• loops;
• paints;
• solvent;
• primer;
• material for decorative door trim;
• cutting and grinding wheels.

Attention! The cost of a metal door of a standard size 2180x1040 mm is on average 7,000–7,500 rubles.

State formation

Having opened a business for the production of steel doors, you will have to provide the enterprise with qualified personnel. Vacancies:

• technologist - his work can be performed by the project organizer himself, if he has special skills and knowledge;
• 3 workers;
• 2 welders;
• installer

In order not to include an accountant on the staff, conducting financial transactions and preparing reports should be outsourced to a remote specialist.

Business registration

To legally register a business, you need to register as an individual entrepreneur or LLC, select a taxation system indicating the type of OKVED:

• 75.21 “Production of armored or reinforced safes, fireproof cabinets and doors”;
• 25.4 “Installation of metal building structures.”

The manufacture and installation of metal entrance doors requires a special construction license, without which further actions will be considered illegal. It will cost 35 thousand rubles to complete the full package of documents.

Advertising and Marketing

The production of doors itself will not bring profit to the entrepreneur. It is important to find buyers for the product, otherwise it will simply sit in the warehouse. Finding distribution channels is one of the main tasks of a businessman.

Buyers of metal doors can be both individuals and organizations. It is beneficial for a business owner to conclude several contracts with developers, construction supermarkets and wholesale warehouses; this will allow them to sell their products in large quantities. In order for as many potential customers as possible to learn about the company, you need to use different advertising methods:

1. Website creation. On the Internet, the easiest way to find clients is by running ads in Yandex Direct.
2. Distribution of leaflets and booklets with offers to order doors at a discount.
3. Placing advertisements on paid and free platforms and in local media.
4. Advertising in transport will help you find clients among individuals who are planning to change their front door.

It will take several months to develop a client base and build the company’s reputation. The main thing is to try to do your work efficiently, reduce the percentage of defects to a minimum, and not let customers meet deadlines; this is the secret of the company’s success.

Serial release

For structures manufactured serially and in large quantities, there are 4 quality control schemes. They have certain conventions.

2c – certification activities are carried out by analyzing production, as well as by testing on a standard sample in a special accredited laboratory.

3c – the sample is tested in an accredited laboratory. Additional inspection control is carried out for products with an expired certificate.

4c – the issuance of a document of conformity occurs after testing fire doors on a product sample, followed by inspection of the production process itself.

5c – certification of structures is carried out as a result of testing a sample and measures aimed at establishing the quality of the product with subsequent control inspections.

Company financial plan

The profitability of a business is assessed by comparing the costs of opening and maintaining a project with the expected income of the enterprise. This information is contained in the financial section of the business plan.

Business investment and operating expenses

The costs of starting a mid-level business include:

• registration of individual entrepreneur – 800;
• license – 35,000;
• equipment – ​​700,000;
• advertising – 30,000;
• purchase of raw materials for the first time - 500,000.

Total: 1,265,800 rubles.

Current expenses include expenses to maintain the operation of the enterprise:

• rent of a workshop with an area of ​​300 m2 – 20,000;
• Payroll – 130,000;
• advertising – 25,000;
• depreciation of equipment – ​​10,000;
• raw materials – 2,625,000;
• utility bills - 15,000;
• tax 15% of the difference between income and expenses.

Total: 2,825,000 rubles plus tax deductions.

Income and profit calculation, payback and profitability

A medium-sized enterprise produces about 15 doors per work shift. Accordingly, in 1 month it produces 15 x 25 days = 375 products. The cost of 1 standard size metal door is 7,000 rubles, and the selling price is 9,000 rubles.

The average monthly revenue of the enterprise will be 9,000 x 375 = 3,375,000 rubles. To calculate the plant’s profit, you need to subtract expenses and tax deductions from this amount.

Let's do the calculations:

1. 3,375,000 – 2,825,000 = 550,000 is the company’s dirty income.
2. 550,000 x 0.15 = 82,500 rubles - this is a tax.
3. 3,375,000 – 2,825,000 – 82,500 = 467,500 rubles – the company’s net profit.

Calculations show that if the plan is fulfilled - 15 products per shift, the enterprise receives a good profit. Even if sales decline by 30%, the company will be in the black. The payback period of the project, if successful, will not exceed 7 months. On average, investments in a business of this format fully pay for themselves in 6–12 months. It is important to constantly work on attracting new clients, looking for wholesale customers at the door. Experienced entrepreneurs advise hiring a good marketer on staff.

Opening your own production of metal doors is one of the most promising and economically viable ideas for business. There is always a demand for these products, despite growing competition. Having proven itself well in the market, the company will quickly reach the break-even point and begin to receive a stable profit in the amount of 300,000–600,000 rubles monthly.

Recruitment

The number of workers depends on the total production volume.

Let's consider the composition of a workshop specializing in the production of metal doors:

• technologist (performs the functions of a manager);
• master;
• machine operator – 2 people;
• general workers – 3 people;
• driver;
• manager (responsible for reporting, advertising, promotion).

Since the repair and manufacture of doors is a production process, at the beginning of work it is necessary to carry out instructions and observe labor safety standards during work.

Initial training should include the following areas:

• occupational Safety and Health;
• safety precautions;
• Fire safety;
• electrical safety.

How much money do you need to start a business?

To start a business you need to have about 800 thousand rubles. The main expense items will be:

• Purchase of equipment (150-250 thousand).
• Purchase of raw materials and accessories for production (50-100 thousand).
• Advertising campaign (20-30 thousand).
• Monthly wage fund (70-100 thousand).
• Registration of permits (40 thousand).
• An additional financial fund that can be spent on compensation for transport and expenses, defects and other force majeure (300 thousand).

Materials

Before starting the production of entrance doors, you need to decide on the material. A metal door can be made from different types of black rolled metal.

The cost and safety of the structure depend on this. Inexpensive options are made from pipe bending steel - angles, pipes, channels. The frame is covered with steel sheets 2 millimeters thick. More durable doors are made from steel sheet 1.5 - 2 millimeters thick.

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Opportunity to work as a franchise

Today, well-known manufacturers of metal doors provide the opportunity for cooperation. By concluding an agreement, you receive a ready-made, established business and work on behalf of a well-known, advertised company.

To get started you need:

• complete the documentation and pay the fee for using the franchise;
• find a warehouse for storing products;
• purchase finished goods;
• open your own metal door store or install exhibition stands in other retail areas to make sales;
• hire personnel for installation and installation of doors (2 people with their own car are enough).

Working conditions depend on the specific franchisor company. As a rule, the entrance fee for using a franchise is 50-150 thousand rubles. Monthly payments may be absent or be a small percentage of sales.

Production stages

As you know, one of the most important evaluation criteria is workmanship and durability. And our products fully meet these criteria and meet all quality standards. This is due, first of all, to the fact that only experienced and specially trained personnel are involved in production. In addition, the manufacture of structures by the company assumes full control at all stages of the process. The following areas of work are especially responsible and require high precision in this matter:

• Assembly and welding of the door base - frame
• Installing locks on armor plates
• Installation of reinforcing elements and additional safety features, such as anti-removal pins
• Filling the space between the outer and inner parts of the canvas with heat and sound insulating filler.
• Sheathing of the outer part with steel sheet and finishing with special materials (MDF panel, solid wood, laminate, and many others) of the inner panel
• Finishing the front part of the canvas and installing seals. What is especially important here is that all the work mentioned above is performed only on modern high-tech equipment. Thus, welding is performed spot, which ensures high strength, reliability and prevents warping of the metal, which is possible with seam welding.

Creating a technological map

A technological map is a mandatory document for almost any production. It contains the following.

• Requirements for the quality of materials and raw materials.
• Rules for receiving, storing and transporting material.
• A step-by-step description of the production process until the finished product is received.
• Technical requirements for each individual process.
• Methods of quality control and verification.
• Rules for storage, packaging and transportation of finished doors.

All this allows us to create uniform rules in production and obtain a high-quality product at the end.