Over the past decade, the appearance of city streets has firmly become accustomed to sidewalks, squares, huge squares and modest paths laid with multi-colored tiles.

And paving stones are one of the most acceptable, from a practical and aesthetic point of view, street design options.

Scheme for the production of tiles by continuous rolling: 1 - Electric hoist, 2 - Charge loader hopper, 3 - Direct heating bath furnace, 4 - Glass melt converter, 5 - Rolling machine, 6 - Annealing furnace, 7 - Installation for setting mosaic tiles into a carpet, 8 - Cart.

A wide choice of materials, tools and advanced technology allows you to produce material of the most different colors and forms. Both in the city limits and in backyard construction, there is always a place for it.

The process of production of paving slabs and paving stones is regulated by the technological map for the production of concrete paving slabs, which includes the following steps:

• preparation of concrete;
• molding concrete slabs;
• exposure and drying of products;
• demoulding;
• organization of storage.

Preparation of concrete mix for the production of paving slabs

The mold is made in production using both traditional and the latest technologies.

The concrete mixture for the production of paving stones and paving slabs is prepared from Portland cement M 500 D0 without additives (GOST 10178-85) for pavement, sand with a size of at least the second particle size module and fine granite rubble with a fraction size of 0.5-0.1 or screenings, taken in a ratio of 1: 1, mineral supplements plasticizer and dispersant, which significantly increase the quality of finished products, as well as pigments made on the basis of iron oxide compounds for the preparation of colored paving slabs. The concrete mix preparation technology includes the following steps:

Preparation of a mixture for the front layer. The concrete for this layer must provide high wear resistance and provide a glossy appearance. Erasure should not exceed 0.7 g/cm2. The achievement of these guidelines is ensured by strict observance of the proportions:

• 1 part cement;
• 2 parts of a mixture of crushed stone and sand;
• 0.02 parts of dispersant;
• pigments.

High-quality vibropressed paving slabs will last for decades.

When preparing concrete for the front layer of paving stones and paving slabs, it must be taken into account that the various conditions cement has a different effect on color shade. Therefore, it is desirable to use cement from one manufacturer for production. The amount of pigment is selected empirically, depending on the desired color intensity. The pigment is mixed with cement in a dry form. This technology allows you to get a more uniform color. The dispersant is poured before use hot water(about 60 ° C) in a ratio of 1: 2.5 and is added at the end of concrete preparation. It liquefies the concrete, which ensures that the mixture flows evenly over the shape and glossy surface finished product. Direct preparation of the solution is carried out in the following order:

• 1 part of water, 3 parts of screenings with sand, 3 parts of cement and 3 more parts of screenings with sand are poured into the concrete mixer. The solution is kneaded for 10-12 minutes;
• a liquid dispersant is added to the composition prepared in this way and the solution is kneaded for another 3-5 minutes until final readiness.

The consistency of the finished solution should be similar to thick sour cream.

To prepare the second layer, 1 part of water is poured into the concrete mixer, then 5 parts of a mixture of sand and screenings, 3 parts of cement, 4 parts of screenings with sand and 0.01 part of a plasticizer prepared using the same technology as the dispersant are added. The mixture is stirred for 10-15 minutes.

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Formation of paving stones and paving slabs

The machine for the production of paving slabs is designed for the production of concrete pavers, as well as for the replacement of shaping equipment.

In the production process of paving slabs, molding is of paramount importance. Routing provides for laying paving stones with vertical edges. Otherwise, the paving process loses its rhythm, and the quality of the sidewalk becomes low. Therefore, it is necessary to begin work on the formation of paving slabs with careful preparation of forms.

They must be cleaned and lubricated before being put into operation. Can be used as a lubricant vegetable oils, but it is better if these are special lubricants. Emulsol СЯА-3 of English production and OPL-1 of Russian production has proven itself well. The lubricant is applied at a temperature not lower than 18°C, in a very thin layer, almost like a film, otherwise shells may appear on the surface of the tile. Polymer (polyurethane) and rubber molds generally do not require lubrication. However, practice shows that for large sizes exceeding 40 cm, inner surface Forms better lubricate. In this case, the process of removing the finished product from the mold is greatly facilitated. It is absolutely unacceptable to use lubricants containing petroleum products, this leads to the destruction of the working surface.

After preparation, the molds are placed on a vibrating table and the first front layer of the concrete mixture is laid in them. The amount of mixture to be laid is determined based on practice. It is important that it turns out to be at least 1.5-2 cm. Wear resistance and resistance to fading depend on this. Tampering by vibration is carried out within 2-3 minutes. This time is enough for the solution to fill the entire volume and displace air bubbles.

Before filling the second layer, sometimes alkali-resistant glass, polyamide or polypropylene fibers up to 2 cm long and up to 50 mm in diameter are laid. Such reinforcement slightly increases the cost of the final product, but significantly improves it. specifications: wear resistance, impact resistance and durability.

The second layer is compacted on a vibrating table for no longer than one minute, otherwise mixing of the layers may occur and full-fledged, high-quality paving stones will not work. With a properly prepared solution of optimal consistency, vibration compaction for 30 seconds is sufficient.

The process of making paving slabs at home is not as complicated as it might seem at first glance.

Of course, this will require some special equipment in the form portable concrete mixer, vibrating table and a certain number of various forms for paving slabs.

In addition, you will need a picking shovel to mix the composition in the right proportion, a 10-liter bucket for the working mixture, pallets for finished tiles, work gloves.

All these efforts and expenses quickly pay off, because, due to the high demand for this material, the production of paving slabs at home can not only satisfy your own needs, but also become a profitable business!

In addition, with certain skills and dexterity, you can do without a vibrating table or make it on your own.

You can proceed in the same way to the manufacture of molds into which the working composition is poured.

In addition to equipment, no less important is the raw material, the use of which provides for the technology for the manufacture of paving slabs at home.

As a rule, for the manufacture of paving slabs at home, the following materials and components are used:

• cement brand A-Sh-400 or higher quality;
• plasticizer (optimally use C-3);
• pigment-based concrete dye;
• granite screenings;
• special compound for mold lubrication.

In addition, you need suitable premises, which will carry out work on the production of paving slabs.

It should be equipped with an additional layer of noise insulation so as not to annoy the neighbors.

Recall that according to the Housing Code of Russia, the use of residential premises for production purposes is illegal.

Process sequence

By itself, the technology for creating paving slabs is quite simple, the method of its manufacture will not cause confusion even for a non-professional.

The process begins with the preparation of forms required size and desired configuration.

For the manufacture of molds, a special composition is applied to the inner surface of the mold, which facilitates stripping, while at the same time extending its service life, which can reach 500 cycles.

In principle, a similar composition can be prepared independently if you mix engine oil and water in a ratio of 50 grams per 1.5 liters and mix thoroughly.

At the same time, it must be remembered that an excessively greasy lubricant can lead to the formation of shells in the finished tile and send the entire batch of the finished material to marriage.

To achieve higher quality molds, it is best to wash them thoroughly before each pouring of the working mixture.

Then you need to prepare the concrete mix. You need to start with the preparation of the concrete mixer. It must be rinsed and poured out with water.

The fact is that concrete for the production of paving slabs must be wet - this is a feature of this production technology.

This directly affects the quality and durability. finished products, as well as the period of exposure of concrete in the forms.

In addition, the wet walls of the concrete mixer allow for better mixing of the composition, while protecting the equipment from frequent blockages.

The next step should be the preparation of the plasticizer, as well as the dye of the concrete mixture.

The classic proportions used in the manufacture of paving slabs at home (as, indeed, in industrial production) imply that the composition of the components should include no more than 0.5% of the plasticizer.

Thus, for 40 liters of concrete mix there should be 200 grams of plasticizer. But you can not add it in dry form.

The specified amount of plasticizer is diluted in 1 liter of water, and the temperature should not be below 70-80 degrees Celsius. The plasticizer must dissolve completely and without sediment.

After that, they proceed to the preparation of a pigment dye for concrete. Its share should be at least 2% of all components of the working mixture in dry form.

Often, due to the high cost of the dye, they try to save on it, which is fundamentally wrong.

Insufficient saturation of the tile with pigment components leads to the fact that after 2-3 years the tile loses its appearance, fading.

At the end of the complex preparatory work proceed to the direct creation of tiles. To do this, the components mentioned earlier are reduced to a single composition of the working mixture, poured into the mold.

At the same time, if the proportions of the mixture are properly observed, then the composition takes a deceptively liquid form.

This is what main secret, which makes it possible this way preparation of concrete for paving slabs in conditions of limited space.

The fact is that the concrete mix for the manufacture of paving slabs must be sufficiently wet.

But the paradox of preparing such a mixture is precisely that its composition visually looks very dry.

Therefore, when diluting a sand-cement mixture, two buckets of water are enough for three buckets of cement.

The resulting suspension must be thoroughly mixed, while avoiding the formation of bubbles and inclusions of large foreign particles and elements.

As a rule, for greater strength and faster setting, in the process of mixing, granite screenings are carefully added to the working mass, which serves as an additional binding component.

Formation of paving slabs at home

Now it remains to carry out the final process of manufacturing paving slabs, which should not cause any difficulties if the previous stages of the sequential algorithm described above have not been violated.

Prepared and thoroughly mixed to the state of an emulsion (or "milk", as they say in the people), the composition is placed in a mold and placed on a vibrating table.

Such equipment, as already noted, can be built on its own.

In fact, the method of manufacturing such a unit is very simple - just take a simple (preferably metal) table, equip it with several independently placed springs and make the structure work from any engine.

This is one of the main secrets that distinguishes this method of making paving slabs at home!

If the equipment is working correctly, then the liquid contained in the concrete in the process of making the tile is very deceptive - the composition seems to be fluid, but it is worth turning the mold over to make sure that the mixture does not tend to the ground.

The secret of such a physical paradox lies in the fact that the molding container, firstly, is lubricated with a special compound.

Secondly, the plasticizer gives the concrete that has not yet hardened increased viscosity.

Thirdly, vibration provides a high relationship between molecules.

All that remains is to wait for the mixture placed on the vibrating table to appear white coating(or film).

In this case, it is necessary to make sure that there are no large pores, bubbles, any cracks and other defects in the suspension.

Once the necessary conditions are observed, the molds are removed from the vibrating table, they are referred to the final work area, where their contents are laid out on a dry surface.

Such a product dries in record time - sometimes in 1-1.5 hours. Having achieved the purity of the forms, you can proceed to the cycle of creating the next batch!

The feasibility and profitability of the production of paving slabs

The production of paving slabs on your own at home is associated with a number of inconveniences, time, effort and finances.

It is much easier to buy it in a store and use it for your own needs. However, if we compare the cost of production with prices in stores, then the conclusion suggests itself.

Moreover, by organizing the production of tiles at home, you can not only save significant financial resources for your own needs, but also organize a completely successful business!

This is a unique way to combine business with pleasure.

It is enough to compare the cost of equipment, material and components with the cost of paving slabs in any store!

Moreover, independent production such a sought-after material, which is gaining more and more popularity, provides, unlike finished products offered by stores and building supermarkets, an almost limitless variety of shapes, textures, textures and colors.

On this, the process of manufacturing paving slabs can be considered completed. The technology of its manufacture is not complicated and does not require special qualifications.

With our help, your area near the house becomes neat and well-groomed. Or maybe our idea will be a great opportunity to develop your own business.

It remains only to wish you good luck!

The manufacture of paving slabs is a simple process that is quite feasible in a home workshop.

The equipment that will be used for the production of tiles can be selected at an affordable cost, the material is also inexpensive. The most expensive item, which will need to be bought in preparation for the manufacture of tiles - this is a concrete mixer.

What will be needed in the manufacture of tiles?

Let's take a closer look at what will need to be purchased by those who decide to make tiles at home:

1. vibrating table (you can buy, but it is quite possible to make it yourself);
2. forms for tiles (the cost depends on the material of the form, its size and type of execution);
3. shovel for selection;
4. a bucket (it is better if it is metal, for 9-12 liters);
5. flights for placing blanks;
6. gloves.

After the line for the production of tiles is formed, it is possible to make a purchase raw materials, which will go directly to home production:

• cement (it is better to choose a brand higher than A-Sh-400);
• dye for cement (shade depends on your preferences);
• plasticizer (preferably grade C-3);
• granite screenings;
• tool for lubricating molds for workpieces.

Manufacturing steps

The process of preparing molds for further vibrocasting

Forms are important to prepare correctly at the beginning production process. To do this, lubricate the selected forms special grease so that further demoulding goes smoothly.

Among other things, lubrication allows you to increase the life of the plastic mold by several hundred cycles. An important nuance is that it will be necessary to wash the molds from grease after stripping, in anticipation of the next cycle.

Theoretically, the lubricant can be prepared independently from engine oil and water, but the proportions must be ideal, otherwise the lubricant can ruin the entire batch of tiles.

If the grease is too greasy, then there may be shells in the finished tile. If the fat content of the lubricant is insufficient, then problems may arise during further stripping.

Forms for the production of tiles can be made by hand. In ours you can read about how to do it.

Preparation of components for future concrete

Before making concrete mortar directly, it is important to prepare a concrete mixer. Inside, rinse the concrete mixer with plain water. For the production of tiles are usually used semi-wet concrete therefore it is important that the walls of the concrete mixer are wet.

From how wet the concrete will be, its further strength and the period of exposure of the blanks in the molds depend. Humidity of the walls will not only ensure high-quality mixing, but will also help prevent premature contamination of the interior of the concrete mixer with mortar.

Next, we prepare dye for concrete and plasticizer. The approximate proportion of plasticizer in the total mass of dry concrete solution is 0.5%. Approximate marking of the ratio of concrete mix to plasticizer - 40 liters per 200 g.

The plasticizer must not be added to dry concrete.

It is necessary to dilute 200 g of raw materials in 1 liter of very hot water (80-85 ° C). The plasticizer must dissolve well, the formation of a precipitate is unacceptable. Therefore, water temperature and uniform mixing are very important.

Let's prepare pigment dye for the future concrete solution. The dye is not more than 2% of the total composition of the mixture, which is in a dry state. Given that the cost of the dye is quite high, everyone is trying to save on its consumption, thereby reducing the cost of the tile. But, the appearance of the tile for a long time depends on how high-quality and intense the coloring of concrete was. Therefore, you should not save, otherwise the tile will lose its rich shade in a year.

To produce dye savings and not harm the color of the finished product, you can use the double fill method. This method involves filling plastic molds about halfway with a colored solution and instantaneous pouring of colorless concrete already up to the edges of the molds. This method of pouring will allow not only to reduce the consumption of the dye by 2 times, but also to increase the strength of finished products.

Approximately 800 g of dye is thoroughly mixed in 3 liters of water at a temperature of 45-50°C. The dye is added in portions, the formation of a precipitate is also unacceptable. Even a small lump of dye sediment, which will be on the front of the finished tile, will spoil the whole appearance of the finished product. The sink formed due to the precipitation of the dye also affects the strength of the tile, significantly reducing its market value.

Production of tiles by vibrocasting

After the molds and the concrete mixer have been prepared, the dye and plasticizer have been prepared, we proceed to the direct mixing of the concrete mixture. In the manufacture of concrete mortar for the production of tiles, there are certain nuances This is a very low moisture content for concrete.

It is on the ratio of the amount of water and concrete that the further strength of the finished product will depend. Moisture in the mortar should be 30% of the total cement content. Thus, for 3 buckets of cement, you will need 2 buckets of water and this volume is already with dye and plasticizer. Such a solution is not easy to knead, which is why a concrete mixer with wet walls is needed.

1. pour a measured dose of water into a working concrete mixer;
2. pour cement, mix;
3. add dropout;
4. pour in pre-prepared dye and plasticizer.

Carefully mixed mixture of even color is poured into pre-prepared forms. We place the blanks on the vibrating table. It is necessary to choose the number of blanks installed on it in proportion to your table. Weakness is unacceptable in the springs of the table, but congestion harms them.

Vibration intensity table entirely depends on the number of blanks. The concrete mixture in the forms on the included table begins to melt. There will be empty spaces in the blanks that will need to be filled. The vibrating period of the molds on the table is approximately 5 minutes.

When a white film appears on the blanks, this will mean that the process was successful and all excess air was removed from the concrete mix. Then the forms can be removed.

Exposure and subsequent stripping of concrete products

In a room where there is no sunlight, the tile dries approximately during the day. Such rapid drying is due to the low moisture content and the presence of a plasticizer in the composition, which, among other things, increases the strength of concrete tiles.

We produce stripping of finished products And don't forget to wash the molds. Plain water will most likely not be able to clean paving molds, but a high-salt saline solution can help in this process.

Some more details in the video:

The production technology of paving slabs is quite simple. You can perform it at home. For the manufacture of paving slabs, you will need fairly affordable equipment. Judge for yourself, the most expensive thing you will have to buy is a concrete mixer. The vibrating table can be made by hand. Tile molds will have to be bought, but they are not as expensive today as they used to be. A good shape made of quality material can be bought at a price of $ 1 apiece. The price of the form is determined by the quality of the material, the size and design style of the form itself. To complete the line, you need to purchase a picking shovel, a good metal bucket of 10 liters, flights that will be filled with finished tiles, rubber gloves for safe work. When you have a complete line for the production of paving slabs, you can purchase and deliver raw materials for production:

• cement grade not lower than A-Sh-400;
• plasticizer C-3;
• pigment dye;
• screening granite;
• mold lubricant.

The production cycle itself can be divided into several stages:

• preparation of plastic molds;
• preparation of colored concrete;
• vibrocasting process daily;
• excerpt;
• stripping and new training forms.

Paving slabs are made according to a simple technological process

Preparing molds before manufacturing vibrocast products. Paving slabs are made on simple equipment:

• vibrating table;
• concrete mixer;
• forms.

Here detailed instructions for manufacturing concrete products vibrocasting method. At the beginning production cycle you need to prepare forms for filling. It is better to use plastic molds. The technology provides for the nuances in the molding and stripping of vibrocast products. Prior to manufacturing, we lubricate the molds with a special lubricant for high-quality stripping. Lubrication also extends the service life of molds up to 500 cycles and more. Lubricated forms are best washed after stripping before the next pour. This is also very important. For beginners, it is better to purchase a special lubricant. You can make your own lubrication if you wish. But here it is important to clearly guess with the proportions. Grease for plastic molds is done like this. 50 grams of engine oil should be diluted in 1.5 liters of water. It is necessary to shake such a mixture very well and for a long time. Experiment very carefully with the proportions of the lubricant. It is important for you to choose the perfect balance of fat content. Too much grease will ruin your entire batch. After a very greasy lubricant, shells are obtained in the tile. This paving slab is more like a shell. Weak fat content in the lubricant will not give the desired effect when demoulding. After lubricating the molds, concrete can be prepared.

Preparation of composite components for the preparation of concrete. Before preparing the concrete mix, it is required to prepare the concrete mixer itself. Rinse the nutria concrete mixer with a bucket of water. Be sure to pour out the water. The walls where the concrete will be mixed must be wet. For the manufacture of paving slabs, it is necessary to make half wet concrete. Its strength and the duration of exposure of products in the molds depend on this. Wet walls will mix the concrete composition better and will not allow the concrete mixer to be heavily clogged with mortar deposits. Next, prepare the plasticizer and concrete dye. The plasticizer should be 0.5% of the amount of all components of the solution in dry form. For 40 liters of concrete you will need 200g. plasticizer. In no case can not add a plasticizer in dry form. It must be cooked first. We dilute 200g. plasticizer in 1 liter of hot water 70-80 degrees Celsius. The water must be hot so that the plasticizer dissolves well. V hot water from a measuring cup, chopping well, add plasticizer powder in small portions. It should not be allowed to precipitate; it should dissolve well. Next, we prepare the pigment dye for concrete. The percentage of dye should be at least 2% of all components in dry form. If you make high-quality paving slabs, you cannot save on dye. You should end up with a rich concrete color that will hold its hue for years. Pigment dye is quite expensive and many are trying to keep the cost of production by saving on plasticizer costs. But this approach is not justified. After a year or two, the tile will lose its color. Two years after the rain, wet tiles will look like new, but when dry, the color is almost invisible. To justify saving the dye, it is better to use the technology of pouring in two layers. Half fill the forms with colored concrete and immediately colorless. Such a tile will be even stronger. Only the intervals between filling the layers should not exceed 20 minutes. So you can save expensive dye by 2 times. Dilute 800 g of dye in a 3 liter jar with water at a temperature of 40-50 degrees. Just mix thoroughly and add in small portions. In no case should precipitation be allowed in the dye. This sediment can reject your tiles. A small lump of dye residue in the face of a tile makes a sink. So paving slabs can lose their presentation and strength due to poorly diluted dye. If the pigment dye is poorly diluted, it will not give the proper color for the tile.

The technological process of manufacturing vibrocast tiles. When our forms are lubricated, the plasticizer and pigment dye are diluted, the concrete mixer is moistened, we can nail the concrete. The manufacturing technology of paving slabs has its own characteristics for the preparation of concrete. This is the low composition of water. The strength of concrete products depends on the ratio of cement and water. It is only necessary to add more liquid by 30% and the concrete will lose its strength by 2 times. The tile mortar, as mentioned above, should be half wet (like wet earth). It may seem too dry to you, but as soon as it hits the vibrating table, it already seems too wet. This is the trick that awaits you in the process of making paving slabs. Therefore, we add water less than cement by 30% of the volume. It takes 2 buckets of water for 3 buckets of cement, and this is inclusive of plasticizer and dye. Such concrete is quite difficult to knead. To do this, you need to pre-moisten the concrete mixer. Well, now we turn on the concrete mixer and, first of all, fill in the measured portion of water while without dye and plasticizer. Then add a portion of cement and mix to get a homogeneous emulsion (people say milk). Then we add screenings and we already get a solution. Mix well and add pre-diluted components: plasticizer and dye. And we knead all this well until we get a homogeneous mass that is beautiful in color.

This semi-dry concrete recipe is intended for vibrocasting thin-walled concrete products or for the production of cinder blocks on a home-made machine.

When we have concrete ready, we fill in the forms and put them on the vibrating table. The number of molds on the table plays an important role in the intensity of the vibration. The table springs must not be too overloaded or too loose. Vibration should be in a certain intensity. As soon as you put the forms with concrete on the table and turn on the vibrating table, the magic begins. Dry concrete begins to turn into liquid. More and more space appears in the forms and more should be filled in. It seems that the forms on the vibrating table already contain liquid concrete, but if you turn the form over, its contents do not fall out, but stick tightly to the edges of the form - it means that you are doing everything right. The duration of the vibration should last approximately 4-5 minutes. With proper vibration, do not turn off the vibrating table until white foam appears on the concrete in the forms. This indicates that all the air has come out of the concrete. Then remove the molds and take them to a room protected from sunlight. The tile dries in just a day. This is helped by the low water content and the plasticizer, which is part of the tile. The plasticizer not only gives elasticity during formation, but also effectively dries and enhances the strength of the concrete product. The next day, you can do the stripping and you have a finished tile. She needs 5 days to rest before selling. This will give it maximum strength. Molds must be washed after stripping, even though they have been oiled. The concrete is so tenacious that it still leaves marks on the plastic molds. You can't wash them off with plain water. It is better to use a lot of salt. Prepare a high concentration saline solution in advance. This makes cleaning much easier and faster. plastic molds for paving slabs.

Calculation of profitability in the technology of manufacturing paving slabs

In order to produce 1 square meter of paving slabs, we need:
One bucket of A-Sh-400 cement - price per bucket $ 1.5
Three buckets of screenings - the price for three buckets is $ 0.4 (the cost of screenings for 4 tons with delivery = $ 32)
Plasticizer 200g. - price for 200g. $ 0.4 (price per bag of plasticizer 25kg = $ 47).
Pigment dye 400g. (subject to two-layer filling of forms color / colorless) - price $ 0.9 (bag of 30 kg = $ 62)
TOTAL: $1.5 + $0.4 + $0.4 + $0.9 = $3.2, and the cost of one square meter of colored paving slabs = $7.5.
The profitability of the business is 135%. Sufficiently tangible income is brought by the production technology of paving slabs. Of course, a certain percentage of culling is possible. But the marriage of such material will always find its application at a construction site. With such a profitability, you can give in to a competitive price under various conditions. For example, when ordering 1000 squares, a 30% discount. In colorless paving slabs, the level of profitability is at the same level. But it's harder to sell. Colorless tiles can be offered to create budgetary patterns when laying. Thus, you can save and embellish the tiling.

Equipment for the production of paving slabs and prices

To make paving slabs, you need to buy equipment.

Name	Photo	Price
Concrete mixer.		The price depends on the volume in liters, on average $ 1.5 per liter. Concrete mixer 300 l. will cost $450. The larger the volume, the cheaper the price per liter.
Vibrating table.		You can do it yourself, it will cost you $ 180 maximum. A new one will cost from $500. I highly recommend making a vibrating table with your own hands, there is nothing complicated.
Forms for the manufacture of paving slabs.		Forms are best taken from good thick-walled plastic. The cost of such forms is from $ 1 per piece. For one square meter of rocky-shaped coverage, 25 pieces will be needed. And for the square of the “brick” shape, you need to buy 50 shapes. It all depends on the size of the tile.
Bucket. Shovel. Latex gloves.		Available to everyone.

To calculate the payback period, we need the following indicators: equipment cost in dollars productivity square meters per day the cost of production in dollars per 1 sq.m. profitability in percent (%).

Calculating the payback period of a business is better to start with performance indicators

Let's say we want to produce 40 sq.m. tiles in the form of "rocky" per day. We will need a 300 liter concrete mixer (this will be about 6 mortar injections) worth $450. Homemade vibrating table $180. Forms 1 $ * 25 pieces per square meter "Rocky" * 40 sq.m. = 1000$. Bucket, shovel, rubber seals = $20. The total cost of purchasing equipment is $1000 + $450 + $180 + $20 = $1650. The selling price of forty squares of the finished product will be 40 square meters. * $7.5 (price per 1 sq.m.) = $300. And the cost of a tile is 40 sq.m. * $3.2 = $128. With an established sales market, the turnover balance (net profit) is $300 - $128 = $172 per day. It is important to note that the cost of production does not include the cost of wages to workers. The plan is designed for the work of one person. So, you will need to prepare 1000 forms. Preparation can take up to 5 days. For this reason, your true balance per day will be $172 / 5 days = $34. Therefore, the fair payback period for the equipment will be: $1650 (purchase of equipment) / $34 (net profit) = 50 days. If you plan to work with holidays, then 50 days / 22 working days = 2.5 months.

Pros and cons of a paving slab business

In general, the business looks very attractive. Advantages of a business idea: The idea does not require specialized investments to start High percentage of profitability Simple technological process of production Short payback period. Of the minuses, it is worth noting. Business is highly dependent on seasonality. A rather long and boring process of preparing forms (all forms must be washed with salt water from concrete and treated with grease). Anyone can start this business. It can be made both the main and additional source of income. Also, the production of vibrocast products can be used to save money. For example, consider as an alternative to buying tiles for laying near your home.

If you have a construction site, then you probably already have a concrete mixer. You will make the table yourself, but you need to buy the forms. In cases of marriage, products can be used for other purposes at a construction site. If you are very careful person and are not ready for risks, then get a couple of forms and try your hand at meager costs. I assure you that everything works out for you. paving slabs it is a sought after product in the market building materials. This is a consumable item. This is the most practical cover for the yard. For example, asphalt emits toxic fumes when heated. Concrete cracks at sub-zero temperatures. The mobility of the tile coating allows you to freely replace worn areas. Believe in the product you are selling and people will buy from you.

The construction segment today is inferior in terms of the introduction of new technologies only to the telecommunications sector. Literally every day they talk about “new breakthroughs” and the emergence of new “unique” technologies. Such activity does not always correspond to real needs and even more real market opportunities. Practice shows that good old technologies remain not only in demand, but also give excellent chances to start your own business with little investment. The realities of small business in 2015 show rather illusory prospects for the construction market, but the question remains, what should construction teams do, how to look for an alternative to earn money?

The answer can be found in related areas, in the optimization of the business itself. As one of the alternatives (in truth, the option is good for organizing a new business), you can consider organizing the production of paving slabs using the vibrocasting method.

How much is it worth to be engaged in the production of paving slabs

The level of depreciation of fixed assets is not just high, but very high, this applies to all aspects, including sidewalks. If we talk about the roadway, those same roads, then the situation is no better, this issue belongs to the sphere of interests of the “big” bosses, as a result, they are being repaired at the very least. A completely different situation develops with sidewalks, money for them is not particularly allocated, the specifics of their repair does not allow much acceleration. From practice, I can say for sure that from one square meter of the road you can "appropriate" 3-4 times more. Most sidewalk repairs in cities, small towns, and private households are left to small businesses. What does this mean in practice?

At organization of a full cycle from production to laying of paving slabs, the business receives significant benefits in the form of:

• - flexible pricing policy. The final price of the finished product will not include the price of an intermediary (as retail- 20-50%, the cost of the foreman's services - 20-30%). In fact, this means that tiles can be installed at a 50% discount without losing the average profitability.
• - individual approach to the client. Selection of shape, color, it is possible to take into account individual characteristics site.
• - a full range of services. Considering that for the mini-shop itself, raw materials (screenings, cement) will be purchased at wholesale prices from well-established suppliers, then de facto the client pays, and really gets everything at once at the best price.

By by and large it is such a complex option that makes it possible to talk about the paving slab production business as an option for construction teams in reprofiling.

Do not forget about the profitability of the business, two main points:

• - the production of pavement tiles has a profitability of 40-50% for wholesale sales and about 80-90% for retail sales;
• - using the same equipment (with the exception of molds) it is possible to produce a very wide range of products, and not just tiles.
• - profit from pavement laying also reaches 50%.

In total, due to the full cycle, it is realistic to obtain about 100% profitability, and due to the wide range of products, “smooth out” seasonal fluctuations in demand.

For example, for the period of the "winter season" to change their profile to the manufacture of concrete countertops, figures.

Technologies for the production of paving slabs

If we consider the market as a whole, we can distinguish three main technologies:

1. Clinker tiles.
2. vibrocasting
3. Vibrocompression

Relatively clinker tiles, one thing can be said, expensive. Moreover, in all other respects, high-quality clinker products are better. Such products are made from clay, followed by firing at high temperatures. Such production is expensive to organize, requiring special permits, high-quality raw materials. In the end, it turns out to be expensive, this technology goes into the field big business. According to their technology, they also have a lot of nuances, ranging from the availability of really high-quality raw materials (not every clay is suitable), to the need to maintain a constant technological cycle. Here, recently, a friend’s “light” was turned off for a couple of hours, so then for a week the frozen clay was “picked out”.

One more technology for the manufacture of paving slabs is vibrocompression. The method is undeniably good and has its advantages:

• - Firstly, the opportunities for the widespread use of automatic processes. If you have money and desire, about 90% of all processes are done by machines.
• - secondly, higher wear resistance.

True, there is a downside:

• - Expensive equipment. Such a workshop cannot be called small, its organization will require quite a lot of money, as a result, it is necessary to immediately aim for large sales volumes.
• - the cost of such products is higher than that of tiles made by vibrocasting.
• - higher stability shows itself effectively only in cases of intense loads. For example, if you use tiles as paving stones on a road with heavy traffic (cars) or a very large flow of people.

Vibrocasting - in this version of the production of paving slabs, we are talking about traditional casting using a vibrating table, this option is suitable for a home business. The technology itself simply does not require any additional and especially special equipment, except for the table itself. In fact, the procedure is a chain:

Concrete (cement-sand mixture) is prepared in concrete mixers, consisting of:

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

Ready concrete is laid out in forms on a vibrating table;

The mixture in the forms is given the required density on the vibrating table;

Forms with the solution are removed on the racks, covered with PVC film and kept for a day;

The molds with the solidified mixture are heated in a bath of warm water;

Stripping of products is carried out;

Tiles are laid on pallets, where a certain period of time is maintained until they are fully ready.

pros

• - low cost of the finished product;
• - small initial investments;
• - maximum business flexibility. Products can be made in small batches of any shape and color.

Minuses

• - high level manual labor;
• - Rigid binding of the volume of production to the area of ​​the shop.

What equipment is needed

The total area for a small workshop should be about 60 square meters, plus premises for the final drying of paving slabs. The main condition is:

• - Availability of electricity and water.
• - heating. To obtain a strong product, it is imperative to observe the drying conditions, in cold periods it is necessary to “raise” the temperature, and to reduce it in hot weather. Drying too fast will result in loss of quality.

Among the equipment it is necessary to highlight

Concrete mixer - about 20,000 rubles.

Forms for pouring tiles. It must be emphasized that today there are four variations of forms on the market:

metal forms. The most expensive, from the pros the possibility of long-term use, from the minuses the cost.

Rubber, used up to 500 cycles.

Plastic - 250 cycles

Polyurethane - up to 100 production cycles.

Which forms to buy is a rhetorical question, practice shows that when choosing forms, one must be guided by one principle - rationality. Expensive more durable rubber or metal molds will work for popular molds. But in the manufacture of non-standard or one-time orders, it is worth buying cheap and short-lived plastic or polyurethane.

vibrating table. Its cost largely depends on the size, quality, and supplier. For the most part, you can make your own.

Demoulding table. Just an indispensable thing and helper, especially in conditions of seasonal intensity.

Bath for washing forms. All forms after the manufacture of tiles must be thoroughly cleaned, the "dirty" form is almost 100% defective.

Rokla hydraulic. Also, at first glance, a rather unnecessary thing, but when working with working volumes of a tile, its transportation and transportation without rokla is a tedious, time-consuming process of palletizing.

and activities

It is very difficult to calculate the real cost without having specifics about the region, the availability of a raw material base, it can even be said unrealistic. On average, the market profitability level of production is about 30-45%, while it varies significantly depending on the remoteness of the resource base, here it is the presence of cement plants, granite and sand pits. The closer, the cheaper the feedstock, the higher the level of profitability. One of the most significant factors for a small mini-shop of paving slabs is low dependence on fixed costs, which allows you to “freeze” production very quickly, just as quickly start it, while not using significant financial resources.

Advertising and marketing of finished products

Very often, small businesses (especially if the business belongs to the category of home business) do not attach much importance to advertising and beautiful presentation of their product, this is perhaps one of the most common mistakes, as a result of low sales volumes at the beginning of the project. Subsequently, “popular rumor” with “word of mouth” do their job, but this happens later. And I would advise you to take product advertising seriously and offer the following options:

• - first. Preparation of bright advertising booklets. Moreover, the booklets should contain high-quality photos, a large selection of various forms (you can take it from sites selling ready-made forms for paving slabs) and colors. The fact is that even a small order can always be saved and you can buy cheap molds made of plastic or polyurethane. Plus, the cost of a few thousand promotional brochures won't cost that much. When distributing brochures, the main thing is to choose the right place and contingent.
• - second. Advertising in newspapers is obligatory, especially since you will have the opportunity to lay tiles. For a small workshop for paving slabs, you can rent a large banner, again, the main thing is to choose the right location.

Alternative and related activities

A small production of paving slabs has another significant advantage, these are the opportunities to expand the range of products and services offered, in particular:

• - services in laying of a tile.
• - production of fences, curbs, gutters.
• - using almost the same set of equipment, you can make concrete garden figures or kitchen countertops, window sills, and even fountains.
• - minor modernization and it is possible to arrange the production of cinder blocks, and if there is money, then foam concrete (you need to buy a high-speed concrete mixer).

The list can be continued, today there is a huge number of concrete products on the market, most of which can be produced at home, including paving slabs and paving stones.

Video example of the production of paving slabs with your own hands

DIY paving slabs

We organize a small mini workshop with our own hands for the production of paving slabs