Vinyl Record Pressing Shop

[mossboss]

Ok Lets see if this may satisfy the numerous request's that we get here in regards to setting up a Vinyl Record Pressing plant
This most likely takes a few post's so it will come in a few doses of ten points each
General Rules
First: One needs to establish what is going to be pressed in regards to sizes
Second: He needs to establish what qty he wants to produce on a daily basis and of each kind which of course determines if he will need one or two or three machines for each size record That is 7", 10" and 12"
Third: He needs to have a long term lease or own premises for the setup as it is a permanent installation
Fourth: The premises need to be in an industrial zone as the process needs lots of power as well as the ability to discharge waste water and chemicals from the process, besides the machines are noisy so a residential area may not cut it with the local authorities
Fifth: The decision to produce metal parts also needs to be made at the start so as to lay out the plant to take care of that processes as well
Sixth: If the plant will also cut on a lathe this needs special consideration as the lathe needs to be isolated from power surges, clicks introduced into the power lines from equipment going on and off, fumes, noise isolation, access for musicians and a few other considerations that need to be addressed in so far as a cutting room is concerned A subject in it's own right
Seventh: Need to make sure that access to transport as well as post office is close by as well as access to the plant for deliveries of raw materials The floor should be strong enough to take the weight of the machine(s) as well as a forklift with a one tonne capacity Presses are heavy even the smallest Alpha is about a tonne and an SMT is pushing 4 Tonne Vinyl pellets do come in 25KG bags but there is 40 of them in a tonne to shift from a high truck into the factory floor Besides the forklift will be handy for die changes and press repairs These things even at their lightest possible are still very heavy
An order for 500 Lp's at 180 Grams will weigh about 100 Kg packed Placed on a small pallett add another 40 KG
So need for a floor that will take the presses as well as fork lift even if that comes at a later stage it is an important requirement
Eighth: Establish the knowledge base required for the enterprise and identify the people who are going to be involved in the process wether as partners or as employes
Ninth: Make sure there are service companies in the area chosen as you are going to need them At least there should be an engineering come toolmaking firm around A hydraulics mob as well as a enough residents in the vicinity who are or have been exposed to manufacturing environments in the past There is no point in setting up in an area where there are lots of computer related activity while you are looking for a hydraulic press operator or a packer
Tenth: One needs to make a list of all the items required for the process and see if these items or most of them are available within close vicinity Transport cost's are already high You dont want to be paying on top This may be obvious but one will be surprised to find how many people do not look into this
So these are the basic first 10 points
These are certainly some of the requirements one needs to think about Sure there will be post's here that say But I just want to do a few 7" records and supply my friends which is fine but it does no harm to consider the whole picture and than choose
As I have started posting this I relised the complexity so I have decided to split this into two categories One for the serious and one as an absolute minimum set up for say the enthused future Vinyl Record Pressing Man
So next post will be for the enthused individual with the absolute minimum as well as some guestimates on cost's involved This of course is on the proviso that some of the above points are taken into account in so far as premises are concerned which is crucial in so far as cost's
As an example If there is already 3 phase power in the premises there is at least $3 K saved If that building has a cooling tower installed even an old abandoned one there is another $3-5K if it had a steam boiler in it's past life there will be piping still installed as well as steam traps and a boiler room will be there as well May be the boiler which will certainly be full of asbestos was left behind as it cost's more to clean up than the price one can get for the used boiler another great $5-10 K saving If you don't shift them you are allowed to use them after a little housekeeping
The list can go on but an astute future vinyl man will do well in identifiyng the premises first Taking the above into account he will be already half way there in the process
Conclusion:
Don't look for the presses first. Find the right premises FIRST, it will be easier on your back pocket as well as getting the required permits from the relevant authorities whoever they are as the building would most likely comply with most requirements Unless of course you can buy your way out of it
Cheers

[Aussie0zborn]

Good topic. Let's look at getting the machines into the factory.

You can do it yourself but I mostly got machinery removalists to do this for me. They bring a team of guys down together with all the lifting equipment. They get the machines off the truck and position them exactly where you want them. It can take all day and cost a few thousand dollars. Better to let the experts handle heavy machines as you dont want to be under one in case it falls over.

You would be very lucky to find a factory with existing pipework that you could use, and even luckier if the factory already had a steam boiler! So for steam pipes you need black steel and everything must be TIG welded (subject to your country's regulations). Allow a couple of thousand dollars for a good welder to do this for you. Then add the cost of pipes, fittings and mounting hardware. Then add the cost of the electrician and materials. Then add the cost of a hydraulics engineer and the cost of the hydraulic system (pump, tank, accumulator if the press doesn't have this built in like the American presses do).

After that, you have a few thousand dollars in incidentals, including the cost of pizza and beer for your enthusiastic friends who come down to help you with all this. When their enthusiasm wanes after a few weeks, you need to hire casual labour to help you with the mundane tasks even before committing to your first employee.

Getting back to pipework, you need an on/off valve at the entry to each press, a pressure guage and thermometer in the line somewhere, a steam trap at the end of the line, insulation on the steam pipes so the heat you generate is not wasted and so on and so on. All this adds up and you would be surprised what it can come to.

I've come to the conclusion that record pressing is not for the faint-of-heart and you need an endless stream of money to do it properly so that it works. If its set up properly and you run it well you can probably recover your costs. However in today's market that would be a very very long time. Before embarking on such an enterprise one needs to consider the total cost and look at what else you can do with that money. Could you buy a warehouse and rent it out for the rest of your life and sit back when you're retired collecting rent money? Can you sell the presses at the end of it all and get back what you paid?

So at the end of the day what's better... not working and collecting rent or never having a cent in your pocket but loving what you do, working with carcenogenic (cancer causing) vinyl compounds?

[thomas]

Hello,

Drycleaner shutting down and leaving a 10-20hp high pressure boiler in place. Depenging on zoning and utility, one press and rest of ancillary equipment would squeeze in. After production starts, rent out more space for materials and parts if running out room.

My best-