If you have been working in the artificial stone or solid surface industry for a long time, you might have noticed that China’s factories have been shrinking over the past few years. It’s because the Chinese government is now paying more and more attention to the environmental protection of manufacturing enterprises. The factories that didn’t pass the environmental assessment will be forced to close temporarily until they get the environmental certification from the government.
Finding a reliable and certificated overseas supplier for Artificial Stone is not that easy, especially for an experienced manufacturer who has advanced types of equipment and mature fabrication abilities, as so many out there and they all have different features and functionalities. In this way, I start writing articles to help constructors, importers, distributors, and wholesalers on purchasing Acrylic Solid Surface Products from China.
What is Acrylic Solid Surface?
Solid surface is an advanced composite product used as an architectural and design material in a variety of residential and commercial applications. Especially widely used for bathroom vanities and shower room wall panels, kitchen countertops, dining tables, bar counters, and many others by fabrication.
You probably have seen a very nice design reception desk in a star hotel lobby, an extremely modern and very long reception desk in a bank’s lobby, or just a small but elegant display stand in a jewelry store. They are all made of Acrylic Solid Surface Sheets.
There might have a question coming up in your head: “Under what circumstances should I choose a solid surface?”
“Well, I know what solid surface can be used for and its characters, actually, I’ve already purchased it before. I prefer to know how can I choose a trusted supplier?” Don’t be impatient, let’s continue the reading.
Watching the manufacturing operation is a fast way to understand a product and a manufacturer. You can clearly understand it from the source, and find out the important factors which are affecting the quality of the finished product.
SOLID SURFACE PRODUCTION PROCESS
From the production process, we find out some steps are very important for the quality of the solid surface sheet. I’ve summarized the following THREE points.
1. THE RAW MATERIALS
The raw materials are a very important factor that will affect the anti-pollution ability and the service life of finished solid surface sheets. By using different raw materials, the solid surface sheets can be divided into the following types:
The 100% Pure Solid Surface Sheet
- Ideal material for making special shaped/bent products.
- Its PMMA/Polyvinyl Resin content is Higher than the Composite Solid Surface Sheet.
(A curving reception desk made of 100% solid surface sheets)
The Modified/Composite Solid Surface Sheet
The “MODIFIED/COMPOSITE” is in common with the “PURE” in the production process, but with less PMMA/resin. In most cases, the modified slabs are good enough for flatness products. However, it also can be made for irregular products while using a mold, and it is more affordable and competitive in price.
2. THE PRODUCTION PROCESS AND MACHINES
* The vacuum: All the original fluid-solid surface liquid in the mold needs to be put into the vacuum machine to pump out all the air. This is a necessary step to make sure the solid surface sheet is non-porous because only the non-porous acrylic solid surface slabs can resist the penetrative of the contaminant.
* The oven: Instead of using a simple and crude oven, we already upgraded our oven machines and use it for years, it’s a hundred meter long oven with a constant temperature baking function. The vacuumed solid surface sheet can be evenly baked here and it will be truly ‘solid’ two hours later.
* Polishing, thickness determination, and edge trimming: Solid surfaces will be seamlessly joined into various dimensions. However, they do have a “standard size”, just like all molded products do.
The width and length are adjustable when required. How is the dimension and thickness of acrylic artificial stone been accurately settled? – Polishing & thickness determine the machine, and the edge trimming machine in the required range, then we will have the proper size solid surface slabs.
* Drying: Solid Surface Sheets will be blown to dry when they are slowly passed under hot air equipment to ensure the big slabs are free of watermarks and stains before attaching a protective PE film. After all the processes, we have at least 30 pieces of solid surface sheet now.
(PS: I believe most of the number you have heard from vendors for the MOQ is thirty. This is because the capacity of the raw materials container is for making 30 pieces at a time. In this case, the MOQ is unworkable for 1 or 2 pieces. However, we support customers for 10 pieces as a start.)
3. QUALITY CHECKING – What a Qualified Solid Surface Sheet looks like?
- The touch feeling of the surface is smooth and soft.
- Non-porous and has no black spot on the surface.
- Flexibility strength is top grade, not easy to break.
- For texture solid surface sheets, the surface pattern should be evenly distributed but they all have their own patterns at the same time. Just like each leaf has its own veins. Besides, they also have texture veined on the transection surface.
4. PACKAGING
After all the processes, we have the finished solid surface sheet, it’s time to pack them in a safe way and deliver them to our clients.
The Safety Seaworthy Packing
- PET film for each slab
- Paperboard angle bead/ wooden angle bead(bulk cargo).
- Steel belt to reinforce
- No need for fumigation of wooden pallets.
Congratulations to you on finishing reading this Ultimate Solid Surface Procurement Guide. However, the artificial stone industry and solid surface products are more than this. I will keep on helping my customers to find the products they want, and show them what a Chinese solid surface factory can do in an unreserved and visualized way.
FAQ for solid surface sheets:
- What is the guarantee period? 10 years warranty since the day of our delivery, the solid surface stone is easy to maintain.
- Can I have your samples? Yes. All you need to do is contact us and tell us and send your address for delivery.
- Do you have fabrication solid surface products? Yes, we produce finished solid surface stone products such as countertops, tabletops, reception desks, and basins. https://eshinestone.com/product-category/table-top-worktop/
Welcome to contact us to know more about solid surface products!
Cheers!
