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Views: 0 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2025-08-15 Origin: Site
SPC flooring machines are specialized manufacturing systems designed for producing Stone Plastic Composite (SPC) flooring, a popular hard-surface flooring material known for its durability, water resistance, and cost-effectiveness. SPC flooring, mainly composed of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), calcium carbonate (a stone-derived filler), and stabilizers, requires precise processing to achieve its signature strength and aesthetic versatility. These machines transform raw materials into finished flooring panels through a series of automated, high-precision steps, serving as the core of modern flooring production lines.
Essentially, SPC flooring machines are integrated production lines covering multiple links: material preparation, extrusion, lamination, cooling, cutting, and surface treatment. Unlike traditional flooring manufacturing equipment, they are engineered to handle high-calcium formulations (with calcium carbonate content up to 70%), which endow SPC flooring with rigidity and impact resistance. Modern systems are usually equipped with smart technologies such as IoT sensors and computer control systems to monitor quality and optimize efficiency, which is crucial for meeting the strict standards of commercial and residential markets. They come in various configurations, ranging from compact production lines suitable for small-scale producers (with an output as low as 200 kg/h) to large fully automated systems capable of producing over 1000 kg per hour to meet mass market demands.
The production process of SPC flooring involves several key stages, each completed by dedicated components within the machine, with precise coordination between stages to ensure product consistency and quality:
The production process starts with mixing dry raw materials: polyvinyl chloride resin (adhesive), calcium carbonate powder (reinforcing filler), plasticizers (to enhance flexibility), heat stabilizers (to prevent degradation during high-temperature processing), and occasional additives such as UV inhibitors or colorants. As shown in Figure 1, this mixture is fed into a high-speed mixer. In the mixer, rotating blades generate friction and heat (up to 120°C) to form a uniform mixture. SPC flooring machines typically adopt a dual mixing system - first, a hot mixer is used to fully mix and activate the raw materials, then a cold mixer (equipped with a cooling jacket) is used to reduce the temperature of the mixture to about 40°C. This step is crucial: overheating may cause premature melting of PVC, while insufficient cooling may lead to uneven flow during extrusion.
The cooled mixture is fed into a twin-screw extruder, which is widely regarded as the core of the SPC flooring machine. Figure 2 shows a typical twin-screw extruder. Unlike single-screw extruders, the twin-screw design uses intermeshing screws to shear, mix, and convey materials with extremely high uniformity, which is crucial for the uniform distribution of calcium carbonate, and the distribution of calcium carbonate directly affects the strength of the flooring. As the mixture passes through the extruder barrel, it is gradually heated to 160 - 190°C and melted into a viscous molten mass. This molten material is then pressed through a die - a precision-engineered metal plate with a rectangular opening - to form the core layer of the flooring, which is usually 2 - 5 mm thick. Some advanced machines are also equipped with a second extruder for co-extrusion: a thin (0.1 - 0.3 mm) wear layer, usually made of high-impact PVC, is added to the core layer. This wear layer acts as a protective barrier, resisting scratches, stains, and daily wear and tear.
After extrusion, the semi-molten core layer (still plastic due to residual heat) enters the calendering unit, where a series of polished steel rolls press it into a flat, uniform sheet. At the same time, a decorative film printed with ultra-realistic patterns (wood grain, marble texture, or tile patterns) is fed into the calender and laminated to the core layer at a temperature of 80 - 100°C and under pressure. Figure 3 shows the lamination and texturing process. This lamination step is closely synchronized with the extrusion speed to avoid wrinkles or misalignment. To enhance realism, embossing rolls then imprint three-dimensional textures on the surface - from subtle wood knots to rough stone surfaces, matching the pattern of the decorative film. This texturing not only improves aesthetics but also increases friction, making the floor safer to walk on.
In the SPC flooring production process, UV treatment is a key link to improve the performance and aesthetics of the flooring. The UV coating is mainly composed of epoxy resin, acrylic resin, polyurethane resin, photoinitiators, solvents, additives, and cross-linking monomers. Its working principle is to use ultraviolet light to cure the liquid UV ink on the floor surface. On the dedicated UV coating equipment (as shown in Figure 4), dust cleaning is first carried out to ensure the floor surface is clean, creating good conditions for subsequent coating adhesion. Then, the UV paint is evenly applied to the floor surface through a double-roll coating system. After coating, the floor passes through a ten-meter-long leveling area to make the coating more uniform and flat. UV coating has multiple important effects on SPC flooring. On one hand, it can significantly enhance the wear resistance of the floor surface. The alumina component contained in it can effectively resist daily scratches, especially in environments with pets or children at home, which can greatly reduce scratches caused by cat claws and the like. On the other hand, the UV coating can prevent the floor from fading under sunlight, and can keep the floor color bright for a long time in indoor environments with sufficient light such as near windows. In addition, by adjusting the UV coating, the gloss of the floor surface can also be controlled, making the reflectivity of the floor surface reach a comfortable 5 - 8 degrees, improving the visual effect.
After completing the above steps, the SPC flooring needs to undergo slitting and grooving to meet the needs of different installation scenarios. The slitting process uses a multi-blade saw to cut the continuous floor boards into predetermined lengths (refer to Figure 5). For example, common floor specifications such as 1200mm and 600mm are achieved through precise slitting operations. Grooving uses vertical and horizontal grooving equipment to perform edge forming processing on the 四周 of the floor boards. Through grooving, the floors can be tightly joined during installation, forming a stable and beautiful floor paving effect. The slitting and grooving process requires strict control of precision to ensure that the size and groove specifications of each floor are consistent; otherwise, the installation quality and overall aesthetics of the floor will be affected.
To meet the market demand for soundproof flooring, many SPC flooring production lines will attach soundproof materials to the products. A common practice is to attach cork or IXPE soundproof mats to the back of the flooring (refer to Figure 6). Soundproof SPC flooring is particularly suitable for commercial spaces with high noise control requirements such as libraries, elderly care institutions, and medical institutions, as well as home decoration that pursues a quiet and comfortable living environment. During production, through special attaching equipment, the pre-prepared soundproof materials are accurately attached to the back of the flooring. Take a soundproof SPC flooring with built-in sound-absorbing cotton that can absorb and reduce the longitudinal noise of the flooring as an example. The sound-absorbing cotton is stably installed in the internal groove of the flooring, and at the same time, a mat is attached under the flooring, which not only can reduce contact surface noise but also avoid direct contact between people and the SPC flooring, effectively reducing stepping noise and improving the overall use experience.
