Liquid Detergent Production Line
Household detergents in liquid form are winning more and more market share from powder detergents and soaps. The key determinants reside in their convenience of use and tremendous diversity in formulas. For that reason, investing in the manufacturing of liquid detergents can be one of the most prosperous business start-ups to consider.
STPP Group provides perfected, evidence-based, tailor-made integrated solutions for modern liquid detergent production plants. Our service package includes designing, establishing, technology transferring, staff training, and raw material supplying, along with lifetime technical support.
Liquid Detergent Manufacturing: Dosing, Mixing, Resting, Bottling, Capping, Labeling, and Packaging
Liquid detergents as a broad category term encompasses various types of cleaning products in liquid forms. The scope includes laundry detergent liquids, dishwashing liquids, hand soap liquids, fabric softeners, glass cleaners, etc. Despite all the diversity of names, applications, formulas, and shelf presentations, all these liquid detergents can be manufactured by similar processes in the same plants.
The production can be manual, semi-automated, and fully automated. A liquid detergent production line can be as simple as a family workshop armed with only a drum, a muddler, a scoop, and a hopper. In the high-end, it can be as complex as a well-designed modern plant equipped with dozens of edge-cutting facilities, costing millions of dollars.
Although the threshold of manufacturing liquid detergents can be very low, achieving high productivity of salable commercial products with stable quality is a challenging task. It requires quality ingredients, science-based recipes, a well-designed production line, and a proficiently managed workflow. STPP Group’s integrated solutions include coverage of all four elements in order to help our clients achieve sustainable levels necessary for the high productivity of quality products.
Tailor-Made Integrated Solutions for Liquid Detergents
STPP Group has been manufacturing liquid detergents since 1994. At present, STPP Group owns and manages three modern plants (located in Dongguan city, China/ Kaifeng city, China/ Addis Ababa city, Ethiopia) with a total daily output of 1.5 million liters of various care and cleaning products in liquid form.
STPP Group’s expert team has obtained abundant know-how and expertise in the field of manufacturing commercial liquid detergents. In conjunction with our comprehensive supply chain, we provide fully customized integrated solutions to maximize the efficiency of the whole process, from the initial business idea to commercially viable products on shelves.
- The production line is 100% customized to fit your particular needs in each and every aspect, including investment budget, output capacity, product line planning, compliance with hygienic and safety regulations, and many more.
- The production line delivers excellent flexibility and versatility with fast turnover intervals. One single production line can produce various liquid detergents with an hourly output range of 1,000L/H to 50,000L/H.
- The production line is incorporated with a smart recipe management system that ensures the same formula is dosed and produced precisely and repeatedly in every batch. Quality, stability, and high production efficiency are consequently guaranteed.
- The production line is incorporated with a smart recipe management system that ensures the same formula is dosed and produced precisely and repeatedly in every batch. Quality, stability, and high production efficiency are consequently guaranteed.
- The production line is not only equipped with cutting-edge technology but also constructed from the highest quality materials and components. To ensure durability and longevity, most materials and components are obtained from famous worldwide brands, such as ABB, 3M, NSK, SIEMENS, MITSUBISHI, etc.
- The production line is modular and designed to be adaptive to future expansion plans.
Our integrated solutions are more than turnkey services of designing and establishing a modern production plant. Our packages also include:
- a stable & competitive supply of a complete list of detergent ingredients
- a variety of science-based liquid detergent recipes to meet diverse market preferences
- workflow development based on STPP Group’s own practical production management expertise.
Typical Plant Layout and Production Process
Raw Material Acquisition, Storage, and Preprocessing
Liquid detergent ingredients exist in both dry and liquid forms and can be purchased or prepared on-site. Dry ingredients, commonly in powder form, are packed in bags, typically pre-dissolved for more convenient and precise dosing. Liquid ingredients such as surfactants and water are stored in tankers or drums, usually connected by pipes with the homogeneous mixer. Water, the main component of liquid detergent formulas in most cases, is obtained on-site by treating tap water or well water.
Raw Material Dosing
Liquid ingredients and pre-dissolved dry ingredients are measured and dosed into the homogeneous mixer, as per the designed recipe and predetermined sequence. The dosing is measured by a weighing system integrated into the homogeneous mixer, and monitored by a PLC system. The integrated PLC system also controls the feeding sequence of the ingredients.
Reaction and Mixing
Along with and following the dosing of raw materials, chemical reaction and physical mixing are carried out in a stirred reactor, also known as 'homogeneous mixer'. The chemical reaction, in most cases, refers to the neutralization reaction between LABSA and pre-dissolved Caustic soda, which are the first two ingredients to be dosed into the stirred reactor. The physical mixing is performed by multi-impeller agitators, controlled by the integrated PLC system. It starts as the raw material dosing and lasts for 90-120 minutes to achieve thoroughly mixed, homogeneous, stable detergent. At the final stage, thickeners and pH adjusters are added to perfect the formula and generate desired viscosity and pH value.
If you want to learn more about detergent ingredients and how they all work together in order to provide desired reactions, our team has created an in-depth article about it.
Intermediate Storage and Sitting
The fully-mixed final detergent is pumped to intermediate storage tankers, wherein the product is let sit for 5-12 hours. During that period, the air bubbles and foam in the product are removed, in order to achieve accuracy in the subsequent bottling process. Additionally, the intermediate storage tankers transform the manufacturing process from batch-wise dosing and mixing to continuous bottling, capping, labeling, and final packaging.
Bottling and Capping
After letting sit, the final liquid detergent is transferred to the filling machine for bottling, followed by a capping machine to screw caps onto the filled bottles. The bottling and capping process can be manual, semi-automated, and automated. In the automatic line, the bottling machine and the capping machine are typically integrated into one combo, for better collaborative work and space-saving.
Labeling and Coding (Optional)
For the purpose of branding, marketing, and regulatory compliance, a bottled liquid detergent must bear recognizable, eye-catching labels along with the codes of manufacturing time or/and validity. In some cases, a labeling machine is used to attach labels onto the filled and capped bottles. Alternatively, the labeling can be done in the bottle-blowing plant, which means the bottles are already labeled before being transferred to the liquid detergent filling line.
Final Product Packaging
Bottled, capped, labeled, and coded liquid detergents are finally transferred by a conveyor belt to a cartoner or a shrink wrapper for final packaging.
STPP Group is more than a dedicated detergent plant equipment supplier. We are a one-stop solution provider. Securing all necessary turnkey services for a liquid detergent manufacturing plant is essential – but We always go one step beyond. We cover all crucial steps in order to help a client run a stable and successful business. Our services start from the moment you come up with the idea of starting your own detergent production, and continue as your business grows.
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Typically, liquid detergents are sorted into two categories, the corrosive and the non-corrosive.
The corrosive detergents are those strong acid or alkali ones, such as Toilet Bowl Cleaner and Liquid Disinfectant. These corrosive formulas can only be produced by a line made of anti-corrosion materials, commonly PP and PVC.
The non-corrosive detergents are those mild detergents designed for laundry care, home care, and personal care, such as Laundry Detergent Liquid, Dishwashing Liquid, Hand Soap Liquid, Shampoo, Shower Gel, and many more. These mild detergent formulas can share the same production line, which is commonly made of stainless steel.
Yes, we are happy to supply you with any equipment and components needed for your production line separately, whether to form a new line along with equipment from your other suppliers, or to upgrade an existing line.
Compared to our competitors, STPP Group holds the following prominent advantages:
- We offer a full package of solutions, which means we stand by our customers in every stage of their detergent business, including initial feasibility study, market research, license application, plant designing and establishing, staff recruitment and training, raw material supplying, production management, and product marketing.
- We own 3 of such liquid detergent production plants, and have been manufacturing various kinds of liquid detergents for over a decade. We have a rich reserve of practical know-how in this field, and we are open to sharing these with our customers so that they don’t need to grope alone.
- We are naturally motivated to supply high-quality, durable equipment and to provide dependable lifetime after-sales services, as STPP Group’s core business and the ultimate goal is to steadily supply detergent raw materials. We spare no effort to guarantee smooth production in our customers’ plants.
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