Toothbrush factory. Toothbrush production as a business
Almost every person uses one or another tool for regular hygienic cleaning teeth. Most residents of developed and developing countries I am used to using plastic toothbrushes with artificial bristles. Plastic is an inexpensive material. In addition, it cleans well, which prevents the growth of bacteria on hygiene items.
However, plastic brushes that help people maintain healthy condition oral cavity are a real disaster for environment, which was already discussed in the description of the idea of producing paper tableware. US residents alone throw away 450 million plastic brushes each year, only a small fraction of which are recycled. Therefore, American designers and entrepreneurs John and Heather McDagall decided to create effective tool for everyday oral hygiene that is safe for nature.
John and Heather created toothbrush Bogobrush, using the knowledge gained from his dentist parents. In addition, brother and sister Makdagal studied the structure of hygiene products from the world's leading manufacturers. They released a bamboo toothbrush that meets the following characteristics:
Ideal design for comfortable use of the tool. The round handle of the brush prevents the brush from being fixed in one position, which often causes poor quality teeth cleaning when using brushes with a rectangular handle.
The anatomical shape of the head guarantees the removal of plaque from all surfaces of the dentition.
The brush handle is made of bamboo. This material is easily cleaned, like plastic, which prevents the growth of bacteria. At the same time, bamboo is completely decomposed into natural environment, which automatically reduces the problem of environmental pollution with plastic waste. Bamboo also has the ability to grow quickly. Finally, these raw materials have a relatively low cost, just like plastic.
The bristles of the tool are made from one of the isomers of nylon, which decomposes in the natural environment within a few months. It belongs to the so-called bioplastics.
Heather McDugal brought brushes to children in need
By purchasing a Bogobrush from John and Heather McDugal's online store, US residents automatically donate the same hygiene item to people in need. Importance social component this business becomes clear if you look at the statistics on the availability of quality dental care in the world. For example, in the USA, one of the richest countries on the planet, about 80 million people are unable to pay for dental services.
Business idea: production and sale of bamboo toothbrushes in Russia
Russian entrepreneurs can use the idea of John and Heather McDugal to organize a business project in Russia. The domestic version of the hygiene brush may have an improved design. Firstly, this will increase the value of the brush for consumers, and secondly, it will avoid any legal claims.
Russian entrepreneurs must adjust pricing policy. Bogobrush brushes cost $10 per unit in the US, or $40 for an annual set of four. Domestic consumers should be able to buy bamboo brushes at a lower price.
The Bogobrush sales model can be adapted to Russian reality:
An online toothbrush store in Russia may abandon its social component. In fact, buying one hygiene product, American consumers pay for two (the second goes to people in need). This increases the cost of production.
Bamboo brushes can be actively pushed through network companies and communities of “environmentally conscious” consumers. People buying phosphate-free washing powder and organic food will buy a biodegradable toothbrush faster than someone who knows nothing about harmful effects phosphates on the body and the environment.
Required Resources
Design services, partnerships with manufacturers from China and the website are the resources necessary to implement the idea.
A designer can use the Bogobrush as a starting point when designing their own model, but the shape will need to be refined. The design specialist should draw on the experience of leading brush manufacturers and also seek advice from dental experts.
John and Heather McDugal set up production of Bogobrush brushes in China. They justify this by the low cost of raw materials (bamboo) in this country. In its turn, Russian entrepreneurs must take into account the low cost of labor in China. Therefore, concluding an agreement for the production and supply of bamboo brushes with Chinese companies will be the optimal solution for Russian businessmen.
An online store website can run on a free CMS, since only one product will be placed on it. At the same time, entrepreneurs should pay attention to promoting the project on social networks.
The idea of producing and selling biodegradable bamboo toothbrushes will primarily be of interest to entrepreneurs who manufacture and sell eco-friendly products. They will be able to expand the range of products. This idea has good chances for success, as the fashion for organic products in Russia is growing.
Dmitry Dementiy
The name of the first inventor of the toothbrush is almost impossible to name - it has not been preserved in the pages of history. But we know for sure the place of invention: China. This event took place around 1497-1498. Sources even indicate the exact month – June.
Of course, dental hygiene was strictly observed back in Ancient Greece, Egypt, Babylon. But there, basically, they used either chewing plates or sticks, chewed on one side (for cleaning teeth and gums) and pointed on the other (toothpick).
The invention of the Chinese was that the toothbrush became compound. That is, wild boar bristles were attached to a bamboo stick. In this form it came to Europe.
In 1950, California dentist Robert Hudson patented the world's first toothbrush with soft nylon bristles, which featured rounded, non-traumatic bristle tips. He called his invention simply “Toothbrush”, which in English is “Oral-Brash” or “Oral-B”. The very first brush model also had a simple name - “Oral-B 60”, which meant a toothbrush with 60 tufts of nylon fiber bristles. The “know-how” was produced in a small home workshop, where the product was assembled almost by hand from plastic and ordinary bristles.
Toothbrush market Soviet Union was, frankly speaking, backward, people used hard toothbrushes made of natural fibers or nylon, and the shape was classic, just like abroad. In order to make the fibers softer, resourceful citizens of the USSR used a fairly simple method - they immersed the brush in hot water. Even now, if you boil a fluffy toothbrush, it will try to return the previous shape of the bristles. Only after the collapse of the USSR, residents of the union learned about the diverse world of toothbrushes.
New time - new brushes
Along with the USSR, toothbrush production also died. A holy place is never empty, and “inefficient” socialist production has been replaced by “effective” transnational companies and China, which is just beginning its capitalist path. The happy Soviet people learned what the Western diversity of capitalism is. Appeared great amount toothbrushes imported from all over the world. The Soviet GOST and the quality mark were abolished and it became possible to import anything. Three transnational companies were the first to enter the market of the main part of the USSR and subsequently Russia:
The brand "Oral-B" (for wealthy people) and "Blend-a-med" (for less wealthy people) - belongs to the American giant Procter & Gamble;
- Brand "Colgate" (for less wealthy people) - owned by the American giant Colgate-Palmolive Company;
- Brand "Rich" (for wealthy people) - owned by the American giant Johnson & Johnson.
With American spontaneity, they drove everyone out of the market except the Chinese, because the Americans do not know how to fight the Chinese due to the impossibility of earning less than 100% of the profit, and they occupied 80% of the toothbrush market, leaving little for their friends to eat.
The brand "Aquafresh" (for the middle class) belongs to English giant GlaxoSmithKline. The remaining world-famous brands "Pepsodent" are the British-Dutch company Unilever, "Crest" belongs to the American giant Procter & Gamble and other brands are on the market in Russia and former USSR in statistical error.
Since the main trade in Russia is carried out through chain stores and hypermarkets, manufacturers with a small markup do not have the opportunity to pay veiled bribes under the guise of entrance fees, bonuses, displays, promotions at their own expense, etc.
China, which at that time was deeply parallel to the copyrights of the West, did not fail to fill the markets, stalls and small shops of Russia and the entire former USSR with fakes and copies of these brands. With China's steady industrialization, quality inevitably increased. Transnational companies began to transfer production to the Middle Kingdom and engage only in trade. On this moment 90% of toothbrushes are produced in China. Transnational companies are only customers and brand holders.
Today in Russia and former countries Only a few companies produce toothbrushes in the USSR. Among them:
- Thermo company. It produces mainly brush products for technical purposes, and there are very few toothbrushes, mostly in the cheapest version;
- The Glavkosmetika company, which produces its toothbrushes under the Strela brand.
- Brush Master Company in Belarus;
and perhaps that's all...
At the end of the 90s at Russian market The brand of toothbrushes "Soldier", which was produced in Moscow by Indian businessmen, was actively promoted, but they, too, could not withstand the competition with transnationals, closed production and sold off the equipment.
It was in such a “friendly” situation on the market, and in the absence of government support, that the company PO LenPlastPolymer decided in 2006 to start producing toothbrushes in St. Petersburg. As of 2013, the company has established production of about 50 various models toothbrushes in various categories and price segments under the MAX brand, as well as private brands. We export to other countries. Since 2012, the production of antibacterial toothbrushes with nano-silver particles in the bristles has been launched.
Bristle with nano-silver, as well as simple nylon-610-612, is produced by the American chemical company DuPont, one of the largest in the world. The company is the inventor of many unique polymer and other materials, including neoprene, nylon, Teflon, Kevlar, Mylar, Tyvek, etc. The bristles of this company are used in 90% of toothbrushes in the world.
Myths about toothbrushes
For many decades, the toothbrush had a classic configuration in most countries of the world. This is a plate with tufts of pig bristles inserted into the holes. Toothbrushes differed only in size and number of tufts of bristles. Even rows of bristles of the same height are a classic model, it is optimal for any person. With the invention of nylon, pig bristles were replaced. Nylon is more wear-resistant, cheaper and aesthetically pleasing. The myth that natural bristles are porous and accumulate bacteria was invented to quickly switch to cheaper technology. Another myth from transnational corporations the idea of replacing toothbrushes every three months on the advice of dentists was also invented to extract the greatest profit.
In my experience talking to dentists, they know no more about toothbrushes than a plumber. Purely technologically, a toothbrush needs to be changed when the bristles lose their properties. The higher quality the nylon, the large quantity It can withstand bending without losing its original shape. Well-known corporations also use this property. They put cheaper nylon on the toothbrush and the consumer has to change it more often. The quality of nylon cannot be determined by appearance.
By the end of the 20th century, toothbrushes had become complete and functional view, moved into the category of everyday and monotonous goods. To revive sales, innovations in toothbrushes emerged in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Both useful and advertising. I would consider useful the arrangement of some rows of bristles at an angle (cross to cross) for better cleaning interdental space and an elongated spout for better cleaning of distant molars, as well as various shapes handles (everyone can choose the most optimal one for their mouth and hand structure).
Innovations such as rubber inserts for gum massage rather save the manufacturer bristles and their benefits are, to put it mildly, questionable, and a brush for cleaning the tongue is back side heads in general publicity stunt. If you can't wait to scrape your tongue, take a special scraper. This won’t do any good, at least you won’t waste time. This category also includes floating heads, bendable handles, and radial bristles. Also, the different-level arrangement of bristles only reduces the service life of the toothbrush. The latest thing that has appeared in the world in the non-electric toothbrush segment is antibacterial toothbrushes with silver ions.
The manufacturer of this bristle, DuPont, received an international certificate in 2012. The manufacturer claims that the added solution of colloidal silver during the manufacture of nylon has further antibacterial effect similar to water in a silver vessel. We just have to believe that this is so. Since 2013, the LenPlastPolymer software company, using the most popular 3D model, has released a 3D Ag+ toothbrush with this bristle.
It was also developed in principle new model 5D Ag+.
The difference between this model and the others is the five enlarged tufts of bristles. These bundles, glued into the handle new technology, allow you to double the number of bristles on a standard toothbrush head area, which increases cleaning efficiency by 50%.
Choose toothbrushes not by big names, but by quality and effectiveness. Why pay money for a name and not for a toothbrush. Markups on toothbrushes of transnational corporations range from 100 to 1000% of cost. You pay for their huge advertising budgets. Save your money! It's better to spend it on something useful. For example, for a good book.
Zabordinov Maxim Vladimirovich.
Director of production at LenPlastPolymer software
Initial investment: 1542 tr.
Monthly profit: 667 tr.
Payback period: 3 months.
A “Hollywood” smile is the dream of many. Our teeth require constant care. Toothbrushes are used twice a day and replaced once a month. You need to approach their choice responsibly, because the health of your teeth and gums depends on the quality.
The toothbrush industry could become successful business. But it is very difficult to compete with well-known manufacturing companies. Opening a factory for the production of brushes with a unique design can help you.
The main thing is creativity and design
To attract the attention of buyers to your production, develop an original design. In doing so, several obvious problems can be solved. For example, if you make a brush with a hook for hanging, its handle will not turn black in the cup. For children, design pens like popular characters.
Make a whole catalog with possible designs. Make products according to the client's order from the catalog.
Variety of toothbrushes
The brush consists of 3 elements:
Pen;
head;
the neck, which acts as a connecting link.
The design of the handle is worth paying attention to great attention. Consider its shape for a comfortable position in your hand. The handle can even be folded down for compact travel size toothbrushes.
Make your bristles from artificial hairs, preferably from nylon, because natural ones harbor more microbes. The bristles differ in thickness, tip treatment and height.
Hardness:
very tough;
hard (fibers with a diameter of up to 0.22 mm);
soft (fibers with a diameter of up to 0.2 mm);
very soft (fibers with a diameter of 0.15 - 0.18 mm).
But there is no single criterion. Hardness affects the purpose of the toothbrush. Fine and soft bristles are used for children's baby teeth, as well as for thin enamel and inflammatory processes. Hard – for teeth prone to plaque.
Often used in one brush different degrees hardness:
the anterior bristles are hard, and the lateral bristles are soft. Bristles of different hardness are made in different colors.
Setting up production
How are toothbrushes made? Manufacturing is divided into several stages.
1. Selection of material
Typically the handle is made of plastic and rubber. These are often thermoplastics that are processed by injection molding.
Use eco-friendly material for your production, such as bamboo. In addition, it looks beautiful and is easy to process. You can burn designs on it.
2. Compliance
Select materials for manufacturing in accordance with GOST 6388-91 “Toothbrushes. Are common technical specifications" And also take into account the requirements of SanPiN 1.2.676-97 “Hygienic requirements for the production, quality and safety of oral hygiene products.”
3. Production technology
The process consists of:
pad blanks;
preparation of bristles;
bristle attachments;
decor.
Thanks to modern equipment, 10 pens are produced at a time, the interval between batches is only 36 seconds. First, melt the plastic balls into a mass and pour it inside a metal mold. Then melt the rubber balls and place the resulting mass in the same metal mold.
The nests for the bristles can be straight or angled.
Synthetic bristles are cut to a specific size and connected in bunches. And these bundles are pushed into the holes of the head using a special copier. With modern equipment you can fill 900 holes in just 1 minute. When obtaining bunches of different lengths, they are simply cut with special blades. Finally, sand the edges of the bristles with diamond pads. This will give the toothbrush bristles the desired shape.
At the end of the manufacturing process, several toothbrushes are tested by the machine. If everything went well, the entire batch is ready for sale. Package products in specially designed packaging.
The packaging material can be varied:
Polyethylene;
polyethylene film;
cellulose film;
polypropylene;
impact resistant polystyrene.
How are toothbrushes made?
Setting up the enterprise
The production of toothbrushes requires the purchase of specialized equipment and premises. Start a business with a small enterprise for which you will need to equip a full production line:
Bush planting machine;
Grinder;
bristle cutting machine;
horizontal injection molding machine;
vertical injection molding machine;
packing machine;
injection molds.
Do not save on equipment, but immediately purchase from additional functions such as protective devices. They stop the manufacturing process if any problems arise, for example, something is stuck. Otherwise the whole batch will be ruined. Such equipment has a color display, which displays information about problems that have arisen.
To place the equipment you will need a room of about 50 square meters. m. In addition, space is needed to arrange a warehouse. The location does not play a special role.
We are recruiting staff
Take recruitment seriously. For your business to be successful, your business plan must include the following vacancies:
Manager (you can occupy this position yourself);
operators (6 – 10 people);
technologist;
equipment repairman;
designer;
marketer;
brand manager;
advertising manager;
purchasing manager;
lawyer.
Sales of products should be carried out in the following directions:
Large retail chains – 33.5% of production;
perfume and cosmetics stores – 22.6%;
pharmacies – 9.3%;
small shops – 17.5%;
markets – 11.4%;
hardware stores – 5.7%.
Let's look at our business numbers
Despite the optimistic forecasts of experts in this field, in reality the business is not so profitable.
Domestic production is not inferior in quality to foreign products, but wrong approach to the advertising company does not allow full sales. Competent advertising will help you sell toothbrushes.
To open your own production you will need:
Expense item Cost, rub.
Rent of premises 50,000
Purchase of equipment 1,000,000
Advertising 12,000
Salary 400,000
Taxes 80,000
Total 1542000
The annual turnover of an average enterprise reaches 20 million rubles.
Product sales are directed to:
75% - to Russia;
25% – for CIS countries.
