How To Manufacture PVC Marble Sheet

How to Manufacture PVC Marble Sheet

Production Process and Technology : PVC marble sheet is a popular decorative material that mimics the texture and appearance of natural marble, while offering advantages like low cost, light weight, corrosion resistance, and easy processing. Its manufacturing involves a series of systematic steps, from raw material preparation to final product inspection. Below is a detailed breakdown of the production process and key technologies.

1. Raw Material Preparation

The core of PVC marble sheet lies in its raw material formula, which directly affects the product’s performance (e.g., hardness, flexibility) and appearance.

Main Raw Materials:

PVC, or polyvinyl chloride, is a durable, versatile synthetic plastic polymer used in PVC marble for its cost-effectiveness, resistance to moisture and chemicals, and ease of processing into marble-like finishes.

Heavy calcium carbonate/caco3 is a natural calcium carbonate product obtained by crushing, grinding, and processing natural limestone, marble, chalk, etc., with high purity, stable chemical properties, and wide application in industries such as plastics, rubber, papermaking, and building materials.

PVC process-aided ACR is a type of acrylic copolymer additive used to improve the processing performance of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) during manufacturing.

Stabilizer cazn is a non - toxic and environment - friendly PVC heat stabilizer, mainly composed of calcium salt, zinc salt, lubricant and antioxidant, etc., which is widely used in flexible and rigid PVC products such as window profiles, pipes and cables for its good thermal stability and lubricity.

Stearic Acid is a saturated fatty acid commonly used in cosmetics, soaps, and pharmaceuticals as an emollient, thickener, or lubricant.

Key Requirement:

Raw materials must be dried (moisture content <0.1%) to avoid bubbles in the final sheet.

2.High-Speed Mixing

The goal is to uniformly blend all raw materials and preheat them to facilitate subsequent processing.

Equipment: High-speed mixer (with a stirring speed of 800-1500 rpm).

Process Flow:

1. All raw materials are weighed according to the recipe ratio and poured into the automatic feeder.

2. After the raw materials enter the hot mixer, the internal blades begin to rotate at high speed until the temperature reaches approximately 150°C.

3. After the hot mixer reaches the set temperature, the raw materials are released into the cold mixer and cooled to 40-50°C (to prevent thermal degradation during storage).

3. Extrusion

This step melts the mixed material and extrudes it into a continuous sheet.

Equipment: Conical twin-screw extruder

Process:

1. The cooled mixture is fed into the extruder hopper via an automatic feeder.

2. The screw, heated in sections, conveys, compresses, and melts the material.

3. The screw rotates at high speed, pushing the molten material into the T-die, forming a sheet of uniform thickness (controlled by adjusting the die gap).

4. Calendering and Texturing

This process can improve the thickness, smoothness, and flatness of the sheet material, and can also create 3D textures such as stone or wood grain, depending on the application.

Equipment: Three-roll or four-roll calender (adjustable speed and pressure).

Process Flow:

1.The extruded sheet enters the calender and passes through multiple heated rollers (temperature: 160-180°C).

2. The roller spacing and speed (synchronized with the extruder) control the sheet 

thickness (typically 0.5-6 mm).

4. Marble Texture: Use PET transfer film (0.03 mm) or PVC film (0.12 mm) with a  marbled design. If desired, embossing rollers can be used to create a 3D stone texture.

5. Cooling and Shaping

This is used to fix the sheet's shape and prevent warping.

Equipment: Chilling roller set.

Process:

The rolled sheet passes over the cooling rollers, slowly cooling in ambient air. Special products can be equipped with a long fan for auxiliary cooling.

6. Trimming and Cutting

The continuous sheet is trimmed to remove uneven edges and cut into standard sizes.

Equipment:  Trimmer and automatic cutter (with length sensor).

Process:

1. Trim the sheet's sides to ensure uniform width.

2. Cut the sheet into fixed lengths (e.g., 2440 mm) based on market demand.

7. Surface Treatment (Optional)

To enhance durability or aesthetics, additional treatments may be applied:

Coating: A layer of UV-curable resin or acrylic is applied to improve scratch resistance and gloss.

Lamination: Attach a protective film to prevent surface damage during transportation.

8. Quality Inspection and Packaging

Inspection Items:

Thickness deviation (±0.1 mm).

Surface defects (bubbles, scratches, uneven color).

Mechanical properties (tensile strength, impact resistance).

Pattern consistency (matching the design).

Packaging: Sheets are stacked with interleaving paper to avoid friction, then wrapped in plastic film and packed into wooden pallets for storage and transportation.

Key Technological Considerations

Temperature Control: Excessive temperature causes PVC degradation (yellowing), while insufficient temperature leads to poor fusion (bubbles).

PVC marble sheets are widely used in interior decoration (walls, floors, furniture surfaces) due to their versatility. With advancements in automation, modern production lines can achieve high efficiency (up to 50-100 meters per minute) and consistent quality, making them a cost-effective alternative to natural marble.