Selling metal tiles can bring good income. But you can earn much more if you set up your own production of metal tiles. To do this, you will have to purchase the appropriate equipment, which costs considerable amounts. However, these expenses can quickly pay off if you organize your business correctly. The big advantage of this type of activity is its all-season nature. The production and sale of metal tiles will always bring high profits.
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However, an entrepreneur who has chosen this direction for himself must understand that the production of roofing materials is a very complex and multi-stage task. It will take time to understand all the intricacies of this process, so a businessman will have to either learn a new profession himself or hire specialists for this.
Metal tiles or corrugated sheets are the most popular roofing material today; for their manufacture, a metal base is used, on which a polymer coating is applied. The result is a roofing element similar to conventional tiles, but cheaper and more practical. Metal tiles are widely used in the construction of cottages, dachas and any other buildings.
What equipment to choose for the production of metal tiles
Purchasing special equipment for the production of metal tiles will be expensive, but it will definitely pay off. Moreover, this is a prerequisite for the production of metal tiles. Experienced entrepreneurs recommend immediately purchasing equipment that can be used to produce the most popular types of metal tiles, for example, according to GOST 14918 and GOST 30245-94. The thickness of the workpieces for products in this case will be 0.45 mm. This is the kind of corrugated sheeting that most builders choose.
Line (machine) for the production of metal tiles
To equip a line for the production of metal tiles, you need to purchase a machine for bending a metal profile. This is the most important attribute of production. However, the production process may differ slightly. For example, what is most often called corrugated sheeting is simply rolled through a special machine. In the case of metal tiles, it is necessary to additionally give the sheet characteristic curves. Therefore, different technologies require different equipment.
It’s worth noting right away that the equipment for the production of metal tiles is quite complex and without certain knowledge it will not be easy to understand. Therefore, you will have to hire a team of professionals to ensure that they do the job of producing roofing materials efficiently.
The machine can be divided into three types. This can be standard equipment, with more complex technical characteristics, as well as luxury models. The first type is considered the simplest. This machine will cost less than others, but its productivity is lower than that of more high-tech models. The rest, accordingly, allow you to create more metal tiles in a shorter period of time. In addition, on expensive machines it is possible to produce roofing material with different waves and different sheet thicknesses.
Diagram of a line (machine) for the production of metal tiles
The cost of the cheapest machine (line) for the production of metal tiles will be 1,200,000 rubles. This is the average price of the most technologically simple equipment. Luxury models can cost twice as much, but to begin with, you can limit yourself to simpler options.
Metal tile production technology
The production of metal tiles consists of several important stages. To begin, the master rolls a galvanized steel sheet. Next, passaging is carried out, that is, a special protective coating is applied, and then spraying - which is the application of a polymer layer. The final stage will be the formation and profiling of metal tiles. Here the finished sheet is given the desired shape. After this, the metal tiles are cut and packaged. For all these processes one or more machines can be used.
The production technology of metal tiles involves the use of mainly galvanized steel in rolls. Metal has special requirements. The thing is that the lightness of the finished product depends on the correct choice of thickness, which is very important for some buildings. For Russian entrepreneurs, the most common option is steel thickness from 0.45 to 0.54 mm. Foreign manufacturers often use thinner materials. For example, a popular Swedish company uses 0.4 mm metal sheets as a basis.
Some manufacturers also use a thicker layer of steel. If the sheet thickness exceeds 0.55 mm, this will create the need to use special non-standard equipment.
As for the coating, 3 types of polymer are most often used:
- Polyester is applied in a layer of up to 25 mm. This type of metal tile coating has many advantages, such as a high level of wear resistance and resistance to temperature changes. Polyester metal tiles are easier to produce than other options, which makes them the most popular among manufacturers. Moreover, this material allows you to make finished products inexpensive and of high quality.
- Pural is a thin coating that can replace polyester. It has a very pleasant appearance and allows you to create a unique home design. Working with pural is not easy, as you need to carefully monitor the applied layer. Thick coating can crack easily.
- Plastisol withstands difficult weather conditions well and allows the production of metal tiles in various shades. But here you need to remember that dark colors will fade very quickly in the sun and heat up the room. Of all this variety, the most popular, affordable and durable is polyester.
It is impossible not to notice that the entire process is carried out on special equipment, but requires direct human participation. Even those machines that are considered fully automatic can produce defective products, so the role of a professional craftsman is extremely important here.
Equipment for the production of metal tiles, which is included in the production line
For the production process you will need:
- Unwinder.
- Rolling machine.
- Hydraulic Press.
- Guillotine.
- Reception table.
Unwinder. A device into which a roll of galvanized steel is installed. It is needed for the subsequent supply of rolled sheets to the rolling mill for metal tiles. The unwinder can operate in automatic, manual and reverse modes. As a rule, the power consumption of the unit is 2200 W with a load capacity of 8 tons. The unwinder blade expansion parameter is 51–61 cm. The unit, depending on the customer’s wishes, can be equipped with a hydraulic or mechanical drive.
Rolling machine. A unit for rolling sheets from galvanized steel coils using rollers of a certain shape. To increase the speed and accuracy of rolling, the device is equipped with an electromechanical motor, which consists of several servos. The maximum rolling speed is 12 m/min.
Hydraulic Press. A device for creating transverse waves on flat galvanized sheets. The lower and upper dies of the press have a stacked type of design.
Guillotine. This device is necessary for uniform and high-precision cutting of metal tile sheets. The guillotine can be equipped with a hydraulic or mechanical drive.
Reception table. A unit for receiving and discharging the product onto a special platform. This table is needed to eliminate the possibility of damage to the decorative coating layer of the product when laying it. It is equipped with a drive with a power of 570 W.
To organize the work of production, in addition to equipment for the production of metal tiles, the enterprise must have lifting industrial equipment (forklifts, overhead crane or hoist) and transport in the machine production line.
Prospects for the metal tile production business
Experts assess the business of producing roofing materials as promising, especially for the production of metal tiles and corrugated sheets, since they are considered the most popular among Russian consumers.
The thing is that materials of this type have many advantages over other types of roofing. This concerns a significant reduction in loads on the rafter system, increased environmental friendliness of products, simplicity and ease of use, as well as a wide range of colors and types of material. Considering that with metal tiles or corrugated sheets you can create an interesting roof design that will decorate the entire house, such roofing materials are in great demand.
But here it is worth noting that the production of metal tiles also has a serious drawback. The thing is that recently too many entrepreneurs have decided that this type of business can be as profitable as possible. As a result, serious competition arose. Therefore, it is worth opening your own workshop for the production of metal tiles only if this niche is still quite free in the region.
At the moment, there are more than 250 large manufacturers in the Russian Federation, which provide customers with the necessary products in abundance. They offer a wide range, that is, there is nothing to surprise customers here. Moreover, foreign manufacturers are also doing well on the Russian market.
At the moment, the best option for those who have decided to create a business for the production of metal tiles is the production of cheap material. Moreover, a good way to offer consumers inexpensive roofing materials is to have your own point of sale.
That is, if the products are supplied directly to retail outlets or to the customer, bypassing intermediaries, this will reduce prices as much as possible. These are the products that customers are most interested in right now.
Advantages and disadvantages of metal tiles
Advantages:
- environmental Safety;
- strength, lightness, long service life;
- ease of installation, maintenance and repair;
- low cost of work;
- the ability to carry out work in the cold season;
- wide selection of profiles and colors.
Flaws:
- increased noise level in rainy and windy weather (eliminated by the use of sound and heat insulating materials);
- high thermal conductivity, the need for thermal insulation;
- susceptibility to corrosion when protective layers are damaged;
- holes and cuts require additional painting;
- additional material consumption for complex types of roofs;
- Installation requires special tools.
In matters of choosing modern materials such as metal tiles, another aspect is important - the point of view of the craftsmen who work with them, their practical experience. It will be very useful to get to know their opinions and assessments. This is due to the fact that many manufacturers carry out their own developments to obtain better characteristics and higher quality materials, on the basis of which they release new private brands. The specifics of their production, of course, are not disclosed and are kept secret. However, they all stand the test of time and show their qualities, which experts know and will willingly share with the future owner.
