When the use of glass bottles became firmly established in the way of life of our ancestors, the need arose for a product that could reliably seal these bottles. Then, in the 17th century, the traffic jam appeared in the form in which we see it. Of course, people used corks before, but the need for their use was less and their characteristics were different from those of today. In ancient times, vessels were often sealed with cloth or wood, which negatively affected the taste of the contents. Therefore, there was a need to create a cork that would not swell like wood and would not spoil the taste of drinks.
Modern cork is made from the bark of the cork oak tree. This plant is found only in some countries, namely in several European countries and countries of the Mediterranean coast: Portugal, France, Italy, Morocco, etc. Portugal represents the greatest profit for the production of corks, since most of the cork oaks grow there.
At the age of 20-25 years, the bark is removed from such an oak for the first time, then over the next 10 years the bark layer is restored on the tree. In order for the bark to recover, it must be removed according to special rules, one of which is that the bark can be removed only at certain times of the year, when the bark peels off from the tree naturally. In addition, the bark cannot be removed all at once from the tree; it is removed from certain areas so that the tree remains half naked. About a thousand corks can be obtained from the bark removed from one tree. By removing the bark from a 150-year-old tree, manufacturers produce the highest quality products, but if the tree is already over 200 years old, then it is more susceptible to pests, which means the plugs will be of poor quality. A long-lived tree is uprooted and a new one is planted in its place.
The uniqueness of the cork oak lies in the fact that only its bark can be fully restored. On plantations, all cork trees are marked so that they know the date of removal of the next portion of bark.
The removed bark is sorted. The bark of the highest grades is sent to factories for the production of wine and vodka products, and the bark of poorer quality is used for the production of building materials.
Already on the territory of the plant, the highest grade bark is left in the open air for several months, and only after that they begin processing and making plugs.
The first stage of processing cork oak bark is heat treatment. The bark is boiled in huge cauldrons, during which various insects that somehow penetrate the tree bark are destroyed.
After the first heat treatment, the bark is cut into strips, which are sorted again. The sorted strips are then washed, disinfected and placed back into water.
Corks are cut out from the treated strips of bark, and the remaining cork chips are pressed with a special binder.
Corks that have not been tested for defects are usually covered with cork dust and are sold to mid-price wines. And for wines and champagnes of the middle and lower categories, most corks are made from cork chips pressed with special glue. These drinks are designed for quick sale, so it is convenient to use lightweight glued corks for them.
The remaining waste from the production of stoppers is used for the production of building materials. In the workshops where cork sheets are made it is always noisy and dusty, where all the remaining waste is pressed and an excellent building material is obtained. The advantage of such materials is excellent sound insulation, and their advantage is that when burned they do not emit toxic substances, unlike plastic.
Bottle stoppers used to be manually tested for strength and quality in production. The person who cut the corks from the plate was forced to press the pedal about 10,000 times a day, and all because the cork oak plates are of different sizes and thicknesses. Modern production of cork oak stoppers is already fully automated, and the quality of the stoppers is checked by special units.
The finished corks are thoroughly sorted. A special unit sorts the corks; it checks the corks for the presence and number of various defects and cracks, and, depending on the information found out, sends the cork to a specific basket. In the baskets, the quality of the corks is checked again, after which the corks are washed, bleached, harmful substances are destroyed and soaked in an alcohol solution for a day.
It is best to use solid corks for long-term storage, but you should also remember the standards and storage conditions. Sprayed corks are also good for storage, but the shelf life for such storage is somewhat shorter. Glued and pressed corks allow the drink to be stored for only a few years; after the cork’s service life expires, the drink will deteriorate.
Corks tend to dry out, which means that the wine under such a cork can spoil, as air will penetrate through the cork. Store corked alcoholic beverages horizontally to prevent the cork from drying out. On the shelves of our stores, drinks are placed vertically, which means that when buying wine, we can run into a spoiled drink.
The advantage of natural corks is long term storage of drinks, such drinks can retain their taste qualities for decades and even centuries. There are opinions that natural cork not only does not change the taste and aroma of wine, but also improves them, giving special notes.
Waste from the production of cork oak stoppers is used not only in the production of building materials, but also parts of shoes, bags and other household items. In addition, cork is an excellent life-saving material, because it perfectly holds weight on the water and practically does not absorb liquid.
If you still have questions, or are simply interested in learning something additional, we recommend that you watch the video.
How to make a cork aslan wrote in April 10th, 2013
The cork appeared in the form in which we know it relatively recently, only in the 17th century, along with the appearance of the glass bottle in mass use. Before this, cork was also used, but not in such quantities. They preferred to seal the vessels with rags and pieces of wood, which over time gave the contents an unusual taste, or even spoiled it. Cork does not swell as much as wood, and when correct processing does not spoil the taste of wine or cognac, which is important.
Cork is made from the bark of the cork oak tree, which grows only in a few countries in Europe and on the Mediterranean coast of Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria. In other countries, cork oak practically does not grow. The largest harvest of cork bark can be obtained on Portuguese plantations.
The first time the bark is removed from an oak tree is after it is 20-25 years old. Over the next ten years it should be restored. In addition, the bark can be removed only in a certain season, when it practically peels off on its own. The rest of the time the tree can be damaged. The bark is not removed all at once, but in certain sections, so from the outside the trees appear half naked. From the bark taken from one oak tree you can get a thousand corks. The highest quality bark is considered to be taken from a 150-year-old tree. An oak tree that is more than 200 years old begins to get sick and no longer produces high-quality bark. It is uprooted and a new tree is planted in the vacant space.
This is the only tree in the world whose bark is capable of completely regenerating. Cork oaks are marked so that they know when the next harvest can be harvested from them. For example, the number 7 means that last time The bark from this tree was removed in 2007.
The cut bark is sorted. The first grade is sent to a factory where they make corks for fine wines and cognacs, and the worse ones end up at a plant for the production of building insulation and noise absorbers.
Cork oak bark is dumped into huge piles right on the factory grounds. Before putting the cork into use, it is kept in the open air for several months.
First of all, the raw materials are subjected to heat treatment. The cork is boiled in a huge cauldron, and at the same time all sorts of spider bugs that managed to live in it are destroyed.
Then the bark is cut into strips, after which it is again sorted, washed, disinfected and again soaked in water.
Corks are cut out of these blanks, and the cork chips, to which a binder is added, go under the press.
Rejected corks are covered with cork dust and used for mid-priced wines. And the simplest and most widespread corks, including those for champagnes, are made from cork chips, the pieces of which are glued together with special glue. Such glued corks are also found in wine bottles of the middle and low price categories, designed for quick sale and short-term storage.
Various finishing materials are made from the remaining waste. You cannot enter the workshop from which the cork comes out already packaged without headphones and a respirator - it is very noisy and dusty here. The cork sheets come out from under the press very hot. After they have cooled, they are sent for further processing - cut into standard plates.
If you cover a room with this material, you can even walk on your head - the neighbors still won’t hear anything. Builders also love cork because, unlike plastic panels, it does not emit toxic gases in the event of a fire.
As for bottle caps, their quality used to be checked manually. Since the cork oak bark plates have different sizes and thicknesses, not all operations were trusted to automatic machines. A worker directly involved in cutting out corks pressed his foot on the machine pedal about ten thousand times a day. Now, in modern factories, electronics completely control the entire process.
The finished corks are carefully sorted. This is done by a special machine. It “scans” the surface of the cork, and depending on how many cracks and defects it detects, it directs it to one or another basket. After which it is again checked for quality. The corks are then washed, bleached to remove harmful substances, and placed in a 12% alcohol solution for 24 hours.
Solid stoppers are ideal for long-term storage only if you comply necessary conditions(humidity, contact of wine with cork). Coated corks (coated) are also suitable for storage, but not for too long. Glued and pressed corks allow wine to be stored for only a few years, after which there is a risk of spoiling the contents of the bottle.
The cork dries out, which can cause the wine to spoil due to air access. Vertical storage is wrong wine bottles on shelves in supermarkets. Just a few months of vertical standing under powerful lamps in a store - and such a wine can deteriorate or greatly lose its taste.
Only natural cork allows the wine to “breathe” and, in contact with the wine, complements the bouquet in a certain way. Bottles sealed with natural cork can be stored for decades and even centuries (under special conditions). For such a long “collaboration” with cork oak, winemakers have studied all the properties of cork, and most eminent wine critics believe that natural corks not only preserve, but also improve the aroma of wine. However, there is a small percentage of defects - a natural price for “naturalness”.
Not only construction materials are made from production waste, but also bags, aprons, shoes and even umbrellas! Cork production is virtually waste-free. Among other things, cork is an indispensable material in the manufacture of life-saving equipment. On water, it can withstand much more weight than its own, and practically does not absorb moisture.
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SurfMaking bottle caps is a very long process that begins in the forest from the bark of the cork oak tree. After all, a wine cork is a wine passport, the inscriptions and drawings on which can tell not only a story of this drink, and where exactly the plug was made.
From the bark special type cork oak Quercus suber The process of making plugs begins. This tree grows mainly in the Mediterranean. Portugal has always been and remains the leader in the production of stoppers. According to official estimates, this country exports up to 175 thousand tons of these products annually. Spain, Algeria, France and Morocco also produce stoppers. Wine experts say that bark corks made in countries such as South Africa, Uruguay, Turkey and Israel are of lower quality, which can ruin the entire bouquet and aroma of the wine. After all, after closing with a cork, the wine continues to evolve and improve. This process occurs under the influence of oxygen and a certain temperature.
The history of making stoppers began back in the days Ancient Greece. Very connected with her interesting fact . Even since time immemorial, people have understood that special attention must be paid to sealing wine vessels. According to Greek mythology, the god Hermes was the role model. The patron saint of merchants, thieves, and wanderers could instantly close the vessel so tightly that nothing would leak or spill out of it. Therefore, when making stoppers, craftsmen remember Hermes so that all the dishes they will seal are airtight.
But according to historians, the very first mention of making stoppers dates back to the times of Ancient Egypt, about 4000 BC. The ancient Romans and Phoenicians used the famous cork stoppers to seal amphoras and jugs of wine. But over time they forgot about it. Only in the 17th century with the beginning of production glass containers, in Europe they have again started making stoppers.
A new round in the history of making stoppers began in France in the Hautvillers monastery, which is located in the Champagne Valley. In 1680, during the era of Louis XIV, a wandering monk arrived at the monastery. The dear guest was given a tour, showing unique seedlings and cellars where this drink fermented. As a souvenir, the abbot of the Hautvillers monastery presented the guest with a bottle of wine. But it turned out that the wandering monk adhered to the ancient rule and did not drink wine. In order not to offend the owners, he opened the bottle and treated the assembled guests. He covered the rest with balsa bark wood. Since that time, the production of stoppers began in France.
As already mentioned, the bark of the Quercus suber oak tree is used to make stoppers. In order not to kill the tree and make the business profitable, Portuguese farmers act in several stages. A young oak is pruned so that it forms a 3-meter-long trunk with 4-5 branches, from which the bark can also be removed. Removing the bark necessary for making plugs begins when the trunk circumference is 60-70 centimeters and the height is 1.3 meters. These are the parameters of the bark oak Quercus suber at twenty, and sometimes even forty years of age. Portuguese farmers never use the first cut of bark to make corks. Because it has a lot of defects that can adversely affect the wine. The highest quality cork plugs are obtained from the third harvest, when the age of the Quercus suber oak reaches 40-45 years. Often, such stoppers are used to seal the most elite varieties of wine.
The process of removing bark is a sensitive matter that has been taught for many years. The first stage in the production of stoppers begins in the hottest time of the year from June to September. It is during these months that active movement of sap begins in the tree trunk and it becomes easier to remove the bark. This must be done quickly so that the Quercus suber oak has time to recover before the first frost. For this work, Portuguese farmers use specially trained employees and special tools. After all, the most important thing is not to damage the trunk and adjacent bark. After all, an incorrect movement can not only affect the quality of future traffic jams, but also destroy the entire tree. According to the standard, the bark of a cork tree can be removed every 9 years. But Portuguese farmers are waiting at least 15 years. According to them, the thickness of the bark of the Quercus suber oak should be at least 28 centimeters, and this takes time. But if the bark is overexposed and not cut off in time, it will become overripe and become unsuitable for making plugs.
The next stage in the production of corks occurs in production, after the oak bark has dried. This takes her from 6 to 9 months. Then you need to select the highest quality cork bark from the dry material and cook it for an hour. After this, the bark is divided into strips, corks are cut out of them, washed and disinfected. When making stoppers, the customer may require the manufacturer to apply special markings to it. To do this, a specified inscription and design is burned onto the cork with a stamp. To make the process of corking and opening a wine bottle easier, some manufacturers use wax, silicone or paraffin when making corks.
The production of stoppers is completed by sorting. The quality of the cork depends on the depth of the shells, porosity and any defects present. The quality of a wine can be judged by the length of the cork. Well-known wine producers claim that real wine, which is supposed to be stored in a bottle for a long time, needs to be corked only with long corks. Therefore, the price of corks depends not only on the quality of the material, but also on the length of the cork itself. In the manufacture of stoppers for cheap wines, they are used granule plugs.(waste production). There are also clogged plugs, which are made from solid bark structures, but having defects in their structure. The production of plugs in this way is carried out using latex or glue, which is used to fill cracks and pores. Corks with caps produced mainly for liqueurs, cognacs, general drinks, which must be stored for a relatively long time. The head of corks with caps is made of glass, plastic or ceramics.
Hello, dear readers! Continuing the theme of unusual decorative elements, I would like to present to your attention crafts made from wine corks.
But first, let’s look at what this notorious wine cork is. Natural corks are made from the bark of the cork oak tree. Moreover, the bark from the tree in question is removed once every 10 years; the highest quality corks are considered to be those made from 50-year-old oak.
The production of cork takes place in several stages: the bark is removed from the tree and stored in specially provided warehouses for a year. After which, the bark is treated under high temperatures and cut into layers. The resulting layers are cut into strips, from which the plugs themselves are then turned into cylindrical shapes. After which the corks are polished, impregnated with wax and, by burning, the name of the winemaking organization is applied.
Types of traffic jams.
- Natural solid cork is a solid cylinder cut from the bark of the cork oak tree.
- Pressed cork is made from cork chips and wood glue (the production process is based on pressing the necessary components).
Where to buy wine corks?
Let's return to our main topic... if you plan to create decor from wine corks, then you will need a large number of these same traffic jams. The best option, of course, the methodical accumulation of traffic jams left over from various festive events, but since this process is still unnecessarily time-consuming, you can take a simpler route by ordering the material in question on the Internet (in online stores, the price ranges from 300 rubles for 100 pieces of plugs).
What to make from wine corks.
Well, now that we’ve sorted this issue out, let’s start looking at products made from wine corks.
1. Cork vases.
Small vases for one small flower look great; such vases can be placed simply on the table, but in my opinion, they look most advantageous when mounted on the wall.
The following options for decorative vases are based on painstaking gluing of wine corks. Such vases look incredibly stylish and will definitely highlight any interior design. 
2. Decorative “bucket” for bottles.
Such a product, tied with an elegant white ribbon and complemented with large rhinestones, can serve as the centerpiece of a festive table.
3. Products made from wine corks: Christmas wreath.
In Russia, New Year's and Christmas wreaths are not particularly popular yet, but there is clearly interest in them, so why not make a wreath yourself, using such waste material as wine corks.
4. Decorative figures from corks.
A cork heart looks truly unusual. Just imagine how great it will look in your home decor for Valentine's Day.
The cork ball also cannot be ignored; I think it can very well act as an independent decorative element; in fact, it can be mounted on the ceiling in any room.
5. Crafts from wine corks: toys or figurines.
The cork giraffe looks the most creative, although in principle the other figures are perceived extremely positively. If you still have toy parts (legs, ears, arms), then you will be able to create such beauty in a split second!
6. Cork pencil holder.
To make such a pencil holder you will need glue, corks and a tin can. The corks should be fixed to the surface of the jar in the form of hedgehog needles. By the way, each cork can be cut in half, this way the “needles” will be the most optimal length.
7. Cork basket.
Using wine corks requires a creative approach. Just look how wonderful this cork basket looks, which can easily be used as a candy bowl or bread bin.
8. Cork chair.
Wine corks in the interior can appear not only in compact products, but also in more global ones, such as armchairs. Interesting idea, right?!
9. Kitchen “apron” made from wine corks.
You can decorate a kitchen apron with wine corks, but since they will be difficult to clean if they become dirty, you should take care of protection. To do this, place wine corks behind a transparent glass screen.
10. Table lamp.
This unusual lamp will become the main decoration of any interior. Its muted glow will certainly create a cozy and unique atmosphere.
11. Chandelier made from corks.
The base of the chandelier is created from the front part of a floor fan, the top row of plugs is fixed on metal rings, the next ones on rope pieces. By the way, we have already considered options for using ropes, you can read the review.
12. Cork floor mats.
Excellent solution using corks to create floor mats, they are not afraid of moisture and look nice!
13. Wall panels.
Corks can be placed in frames or created as a frameless piece. Both round and square panels look equally stylish. These crafts made from wine corks will fit wonderfully into the interior of a bedroom or living room.
14. Seal from a wine cork.
If you need to create small, identical designs, and drawing images by hand is too laborious, try cutting out the required shape on the base of the cork. After preparation, dip the resulting seal in paint and leave it on the selected surface, required amount fingerprints.
15. Decorations for the New Year.
Such pendants will perfectly decorate the New Year tree. And the pendant in the first photo can easily be used as a wrist bracelet.
16. Cork tray.
A very successful solution for making a tray out of corks. Moreover, it seems to me that this is the best solution for using corks; wood and glass look so harmonious, framing such a simple waste material as a wine cork.
17. Product made from cork - a candlestick.
Such a candlestick can be made in a matter of seconds, and how well it will fit into the interior of a house or apartment. To make it you will need corks, a gel candle, a large glass or a vase. We pour corks into the vase, place a glass with a gel candle, and fill the side spaces with corks.
18. Hot stand.
This stand is already a kind of classic; note how expensive the model framed with a wooden frame looks. In addition, I can’t ignore a product tied with a metal band (clamp); it’s simple, quick and beautiful!
19. Stand for a glass.
Such beautiful, harmonious coasters will definitely please your friends, and they will not forget to put the glass in a specially designated place.
20. Cork birdhouses.
The cork bird houses look really great, the overall thoughtfulness of the image is really impressive. I especially admire the model in the first photo; sometimes you even forget that this is a birdhouse and not a real village hut!
21. Stand for jewelry.
Owners of different sizes of jewelry will love this cork stand. To make a stand, you will need plywood or chipboard, a picture frame and corks. We fix the frame on a sheet of chipboard, and glue the plugs on the space inside the frame; you can attach nails to the plugs, and then hang decorations on them. Additional options You can look at jewelry storage, or you can study photos of jewelry cabinets.
22. Photo frame.
Corks can be used to decorate both picture frames and photo frames; this frame will look most harmonious in the kitchen interior.
23. Cork box.
Notice how great the box looks, created from wine corks, coated with clear varnish and complemented with pieces of rope and burlap.
24. Curtains made from wine corks.
Curtains made from cork look very stylish, regardless of whether it is a short or long model. But I would especially like to mention the cork curtains, complemented with beads, they look really fashionable! Curtains made of beads can be viewed.
Cork material is made from the bark of the cork oak tree, which grows in the Western Mediterranean and on the Atlantic coast at an altitude of up to 1400 meters above sea level. The bark of this tree is very thick and durable. Its outer layer, after removal, is restored naturally over some time.
Although the cork bark appears on young shoots, the first removal of the outer layer occurs only after 15-25 years. Subsequent layers, called female or reproductive layers, can be removed every nine to ten years. The lifespan of a cork oak tree is on average 160 years. Consequently, about 15 bark harvests can be obtained from one tree.
More than half (about 60-65%) of the world's reserves of valuable raw materials are located in Portugal, where the first enterprise for its processing was founded. And although other countries around the world are now engaged in the production of cork material and products made from it, Portugal accounts for over half of the world's cork production.
Cork material is used in construction for heat and sound insulation, as well as for protection against vibration. In addition, it is used as a finishing material in the form of wall and floor coverings. The bark of the cork oak tree is used to make stoppers for wine bottles. Cork is considered a fairly valuable raw material, so in the production of floor coverings it is used as rationally as possible. To minimize the cost of raw materials, granulated cork is used for processing to make cork (for example, residues from the production of wine bottle stoppers).
Unique properties This natural finishing material is given by the honeycomb structure of balsa wood, which contains great amount closed air bubbles of various sizes. They are tightly pressed together and impregnated with a natural cork substance - suberin. Each element of the honeycomb cork structure acts as a thermal insulating component and an acoustic absorber. Therefore, balsa wood flooring has excellent heat and sound insulation characteristics and has good shock-absorbing properties.
When cork flooring is subjected to any impact, for example short-term (pressure from heels) or long-term (from the legs of heavy furniture), it absorbs and returns to its original shape. A champagne or wine cork works the same way. Additional properties of cork include water resistance (even with direct exposure to moisture, such a coating retains pristine appearance), sound insulation, antistatic and bactericidal properties, resistance to household chemicals, slip resistance and ease of care.
So, cork wood is used to make wine stoppers, floor and wall coverings, and information boards. The first and second “harvests” of cork are considered to be of insufficient quality. This cork bark is used only for the preparation of cork crumbs (in the process of processing and grinding). The third and subsequent collections of bark have the quality necessary for the production of coatings and other products.
The bark is removed exclusively in the hot season (from June to August), when it itself moves away from the tree trunk. This procedure requires utmost care and attention from the assembler. When making a circular cut on the trunk (this operation is called “creating a crown”) it is very important not to damage the tree itself. Then the cork is divided longitudinally using a special thin hatchet. The cork is removed with its edges, and with the help of a handle the bark is separated from the tree at a certain angle. Then the removed pieces of cork are laid out in an open space under the scorching sun, where they dry for several months (up to six months). Once dry, they are sorted for the first time, resulting in a cork that is suitable for commercial use and sent to the factory.
When entering production, cork is boiled down, which makes it more elastic and durable, cleaned and classified according to the quality of the material and the thickness of the cork sheet. Before making the cork itself, the oak bark is kept for about a month at a certain temperature in a dark room.
Let's take a closer look at the technology for producing capping caps. A champagne cork must withstand pressure of 5-6 atmospheres, so special trees are selected for its manufacture. The thickening of the cork leaf directly depends on the location where the cork oak grows - on the landscape and the quality of the soil. The slower the tree grows, the stronger and thinner the resulting leaf will be. The leaf used to make corks is boiled in clean boiling water. As a result of this procedure, the softness, strength and elasticity of the material significantly increases, most of the mineral salts and tannin that are included in its composition are removed, the volume of raw materials increases by several percent, and primary disinfection of the cork occurs.
After boiling, the material is kept in the dark for about a month, and then it is cut into strips, which, in turn, are divided into plates of the thickness required for cutting a wine cork. The blanks are then cut to a cylindrical shape on the machine, and the remaining perforated plate is crushed into cork granules, which are subsequently used in the production of agglomerated cork.
At the next stage, a rough cork is made, which consists of two parts: an agglomerated head (it is located on the outside of the bottle neck) and the array itself (the so-called cork body, which is located on the inside of the neck) of two cork disks. On an automatic line, a head is produced using a hot pressing method from a volumetric proportional mixture of cork granules and glue. This technology allows the glued granules to be compressed in several directions, which ensures a tighter fit of the cork.
When the head is ready, two cork discs are attached to it using semi-automatic devices and an electric oven. In the oven, the corks are dried under constant pressure for 30-90 minutes (depending on the thickness finished product and temperature), resulting in a so-called rough plug. This is a “semi-finished product” for the production of cork in its final form. A few days after the adhesive has completely dried, the cork is sanded from the ends and sides until it exactly matches all the required dimensions.
The diameter of the cork, according to the standard, can be from 27 to 31 mm, and its length - from 44 to 48 mm. Dimensions depend on the internal size of the bottle neck. Then each (!) cork is sorted. Products are sorted manually. Each plug is carefully inspected and tested by at least two experts. One of them evaluates the smoothness of the cork surface, and the second evaluates compliance with the established shape. It's quite difficult work. Several million corks a year pass through the hands of specialists. Automating this process is quite difficult and expensive, despite the fact that the production of wine stoppers takes place with virtually no human intervention.
However, strict control is carried out not only at the last stage of production, but also at the stage of selection of raw materials, during the production of stoppers and at the stage of their shipment to customers. The last step in the production of wine stoppers is to apply a logo to each product. Marking can be applied both to the ends and to the cylindrical surface of the plug. The cork is then polished using molten paraffin or treated over the entire surface to facilitate insertion and subsequent removal of the cork from the neck of the bottle. In addition, as a result of this procedure, the sealing stopper is given properties such as tightness and moisture resistance.
Floor coverings made of natural cork There are several types. For example, adhesive coatings are glued over the entire area of the tile to the base of the floor, and “floating” floors consist of panels that are equipped with grooves and ridges on the edges and are connected to each other according to the principle of a parquet board or laminate.
Joining systems for floating floor panels can be adhesive or non-adhesive. In the first case, they are connected to each other using a tongue-and-groove system, and in the second case, the panels are equipped with special profiled ridges and grooves. However, despite different types and certain differences between them, all natural cork flooring is a construction of several layers. For their production, so-called agglomerated or pressed (granulated) cork is used. Although the structure and order of the coating layers may vary. So, for example, in the case of adhesive coatings, cork agglomerate acts as a base, on top of which a front layer of decorative veneer, which is made from cork or other types of wood, is applied. To increase the strength of the floor, the boards can be coated with an additional protective layer of varnish or vinyl.
The production technologies for each type of cork covering – cork veneer and cork agglomerate – differ from each other. Cork veneer is made from seasoned cork oak bark, which is cut into thin layers and carefully sanded so as not to damage the top layer of coating. Veneer is not used on its own, but is used exclusively for the production of wall or floor floating coverings. Most often it is glued onto an MDF board or onto a thin layer of agglomerate and coated on top with three layers of transparent varnish. This veneer performs purely decorative functions.
Cork agglomerate is produced from whole layers of cork bark, as well as from residues from the production of cork covering. First, the bark is crushed to the size of small granules using special equipment and then pressed. During this procedure, the wood releases the substance suberin, which glues the granules and gives the material the necessary qualities - strength, fire and moisture resistance, mold resistance, etc. The agglomerate can be part of a “floating” parquet or an adhesive coating. In “floating” boards it usually acts as the lowest layer, and in glued boards it is placed on top.
Most of the cork flooring and other products made from this material are produced in Europe. For organization own production corks, you will need the following equipment: machines for waxing and waxing cork, equipment for granulating cork, for washing and drying corks, cutting machines, boiling plants for cork panels, grinding machines for cork disks, machines for grinding cork bars, drying chambers for corks, presses for the production of agglomerated cork, presses for the production of cork products, equipment for sanding cork products, machines and equipment for laminating cork, gluing machines for products made of composite cork, equipment for butt jointing cork, automatic machines for the production of agglomerated cork discs, machines for impregnating cork plugs, for gluing and drying cork plugs, for counting them, for trimming and polishing, for marking, for sizing and sorting (if there are no specialists who will do this manually), equipment for the production of cork washers and gaskets, die-cutting and cork cutting machines, blades, saws, cutters and cutters for cork processing machines, automatic sorting machines, machines for the production of cork panels and tiles, laboratory drills and presses.
Cork is a fairly valuable raw material, so in most cases opening a specialized production facility (for example, only for the production of stoppers for wine bottles) is not so profitable. Of course, opening a large-scale production of cork products requires large investments, but such production will be much more economical and profitable than highly specialized production. Equipment for the cork industry is produced by companies in the UK, Italy, Spain, Germany, India and, of course, China. You can purchase it either directly from manufacturers or through intermediaries in Russia.
Let us note that the production of cork products (primarily products made from floor and wall cork - artistic parquet made from cork, mosaics, borders, paintings, panels, sockets, etc.) and its sale seem to be promising areas. Such products appeared in Russia relatively recently - no more than 15 years ago. Until now, cork coverings are not represented in all regions. The capacity of this market is very large, and it is far from saturation. Some experts even suggest that cork floors may soon displace laminate of a certain price category, which is the closest competitor to this flooring. High-quality laminate is comparable in price to cork material, but at the same time is significantly inferior to it in its characteristics. Currently on Russian market The predominant floor coverings are made from Portuguese cork.
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