PVC tarpaulin'

PVC tarpaulin: The Ultimate FAQ Guide

The PVC tarpaulins Guide has compiled 15 FAQs that will help you understand all aspects of vinyl tarp. So if you have any questions, this guide is sure to have your answers.

Let me be your expert in the field.

What is PVC tarpaulin? 

  • Improve surface wettability: It can increase the wettability of the surface of PVC tarpaulin material, making it easier to be wetted by liquid, thereby improving anti-pollution ability and lubricity.
  • Improve corrosion resistance: Chemical bonds or oxide layers will be formed on the surface of the surface-treated waterproof PVC tarpaulin, thereby increasing the material’s corrosion resistance to rainwater. Further, increases the anti-aging properties of PVC tarpaulin materials.
  • Improve wear resistance: PVDF, acrylic, and titanium dioxide will form a certain nanostructure on the surface of PVC tarpaulin, thereby improving surface hardness, wrinkle resistance, and wear resistance.

PVDF acrylic and titanium dioxide surface treatment is widely used in the chemical industry, electronics, medicine, aviation, and other fields. At present, the raw material manufacturers we cooperate with are imported from abroad: Tramaco and Stahl.

1200G 1400G Architectural Membrane 1 PVC tarpaulin

The choice of final manufacturing method depends on the specific requirements of the PVC tarpaulin canvas fabric, including its texture, size, color, use, performance, strength, and appearance. Each method has its advantages and allows for customization to meet the needs of a variety of industries and applications such as transportation, construction, agriculture, aviation, industrial, advertising, petroleum, aquaculture, and outdoor activities, among others.

What are the properties of polyvinyl chloride tarpaulin? 

  • Weather resistance: Polyvinyl chloride tarpaulin has a temperature resistance of -30℃ ~ +70℃, and can resist various harsh outdoor environments and weather, including ultraviolet radiation, extreme temperatures, and humidity. Very suitable for African countries that are hot all year round.
  • Strength and durability: Using high-standard base fabrics can greatly enhance the strength and durability of heavy duty vinyl tarpaulin materials. It can withstand wear, tear, and punctures and is suitable for heavy-duty applications.
  • UV resistant: PVC Canvas are often treated with UV stabilizers, which help prevent damage caused by prolonged exposure to sunlight. Enhanced UV resistance is also one of the reasons for extending the service life of materials.
  • Chemical resistance: Specific additives and treatments are added to PVC to withstand a variety of corrosive chemicals, oils, acids, etc., making it suitable for use in industrial and agricultural environments where there may be contact with these substances.
  • Flexibility: PVC Canvas remains flexible even in cold temperatures, ensuring it can be easily maneuvered and used in a variety of applications.
  • Tear Resistance: The tarpaulin fabric is tear-resistant, which is critical in applications where there will be direct contact with sharp objects or pressure.
  • Customizability: Polyvinyl chloride tarpaulin can be customized in size, color, functionality, and packaging to meet the specific requirements of different customers.
  • Easy to maintain: PVC coated nylon tarpaulins are relatively easy to clean and maintain. To maintain the appearance of products for outdoor applications, they need to be manually cleaned regularly with mild soap and water to remove dirt and stains. Like large building materials, we would recommend adding PVDF treatment to the surface of the material, which allows the PVC tarpaulin to have its cleaning function.

Together, these properties make vinyl coated PVC fabrics a versatile and reliable choice for a variety of applications, including truck covers, boat covers, inflatables, swimming pools, agriculture, outdoor activities, and industrial uses where protection is required.

What are the uses of PVC tarpaulin material?

Tents and Canopies PVC tarpaulin

Tents and Canopies

Swimming pool liner 1 PVC tarpaulin

Swimming Pool Liner

Architectural Membranes 4 PVC tarpaulin

Architectural Membranes

Truck and Trailer Tarps PVC tarpaulin

Truck and Trailer Tarps

Inflatable castle PVC tarpaulin

Inflatable Castle

Inflatable Boat PVC tarpaulin

Inflatable Boat

Outdoor Furniture Covers PVC tarpaulin

Outdoor Furniture Covers

Sports and Recreation Equipment PVC tarpaulin

Sports and Recreation Equipment

Agricultural Covers PVC tarpaulin

Agricultural Covers

Medical and Healthcare Applications PVC tarpaulin

Medical and Healthcare Applications

Luggage and Bags PVC tarpaulin

Luggage and Bags

Kids Bracket Pool PVC tarpaulin

Kids Bracket Pool

Awnings and Shades PVC tarpaulin

Awnings and Shades

Water storage bag PVC tarpaulin

Water Storage Bag

PVC Tarpaulin Industrial Curtain PVC tarpaulin

Industrial Curtain

camouflage tarpaulin PVC tarpaulin

Printable Tarpaulin

Fish Farming Tank PVC tarpaulin

Fish Farming Tank

Rapid Roller Doors PVC tarpaulin

Rapid Roller Doors

Banners and Signage PVC tarpaulin

Banners and Signage

Roller Blind PVC tarpaulin

Roller Blind

Wall Fabric PVC tarpaulin

Wall Fabric

What sizes and thicknesses are available for PVC tarpaulin fabrics?

Width: usually in meters (m) or feet (″)

* 1 meter(m) = 3.28 feet(″). 1 ft = 0.3048 meter(m).

     Standard widths: 6 feet (1.83 m), 8 feet (2.44 m), 10 feet (3.05 m), 12 feet (3.66 m) and 16.4 feet(5.1m).

     Custom Widths: FLFX manufacturers can also produce PVC tarp fabrics in custom sizes to meet the needs of specific projects. These can be larger or smaller than standard rolls, with a maximum width of 16.4 feet (5 meters).

Weight: usually measured in grams per square meter (g/m², gsm) or ounces per square yard (oz/yd²)

* 1 g/m²(gsm) = 0.03 oz/yd². 1 oz/yd² = 33.91 g/m²(gsm).

     Standard weight: 450gsm (13.5 oz/yd²), 500gsm (15 oz/yd²), 600gsm (18 oz/yd²), 750gsm (22.5 oz/yd²)

     Customized weight: In addition to these weights, we can also customize them according to user needs, 300gsm ~ 1700gsm (10oz/yd² ~ 60oz/yd²).

  • Heavier and lighter options:

Can waterproof PVC tarpaulins be customized?   

As long as the quantity of your PVC tarpaulin roll reaches the FLFX manufacturer’s requirements, it can be completely customized according to the customer’s specific requirements. Customization options for waterproof PVC tarpaulins include:

  • Width: 1.6m/ 2.5m/ 2.8m/ 3m/ 3.2m / 5.1m (3.2″~16.4″) (optional)
  • Weight: 300gsm ~ 1700gsm (10oz ~ 60oz) (optional)
  • Base fabric: 500*500D 18*17/ 840*840D 9*9/ 1500*1500D 30*32. 100% polyester fiber (optional)
  • Color: PVC tarpaulin colors are available through RAL and PANTONE color cards, and you can usually choose the color that best suits your aesthetic preferences or brand requirements.
  • Fire protection: B1, B2, NFPA701, EN470-1, EN531, EN532, NFPA2112, NFPA70E (optional)
  • Environmentally friendly: 3P, 6P, Reach, no heavy metals (optional)
  • Surface treatment: PVDF, acrylic, titanium dioxide (optional)
  • Other options: UV resistance, mildew resistance, self-cleaning, tensile resistance, anti-aging, anti-static, chemical-resistant, wrinkle-resistant, abrasion-resistant, etc.
  • Printing and Branding: If you need graphics printed on your waterproof PVC tarpaulin material or a logo on your packaging, FLFX manufacturers can provide custom printing services and incorporate your branding or labeling.
  • Package: Kraft paper; transparent film; rigid tube packaging (optional)

* PVC tarpaulin sample room 360° VR scene.

Specifications of PVC Coated Tarpaulins

Specifications of PVC Laminated Tarpaulins

Specifications of PVC Knife Coated Tarpaulins

Factors determining the PVC tarpaulin price.

  • PVC: The PVC resin, plasticizer and other additives (mildewproof, fireproof, environmentally friendly, anti-aging) used in PVC formula are one of the factors that affect the manufacturing price of waterproof PVC tarpaulin. FLFX PVC tarpaulin manufacturer purchases PVC and will purchase in large quantities at the lowest price according to market conditions.
  • Weight: Many users don’t know why weight affects the price of PVC vinyl polyester tarpaulin. With the same base fabric specifications, if we want to increase the PVC tarp material from 600gsm to 700gsm, we can only increase the thickness of the tarpaulin material, so more PVC is needed. Lighter tarps generally price less, while heavy-duty and extra-heavy-duty tarps with higher gsm (grams per square meter) or oz/yd² (ounces per square yard) prices are relatively higher. It also enhances the durability and weather resistance of vinyl tarp.
  • Base fabric: The type, quality and weight of the fabric affect the overall cost of the base fabric. FLFX tarpaulin manufacturer currently owns 14 warp knitting machines imported from Germany and independently produces the base fabric required for PVC tarpaulins, which can eliminate the price of middlemen. Therefore, the price of PVC coated tarpaulin we sell is lower than the market.
  • Color: The color of PVC tarpaulin can be based on the Pantone color card, but the brighter the color, the more expensive the cost of dyes. Generally, red, yellow, and orange are more expensive than ordinary colors.
  • Manufacturing process: There are currently two main processes for producing PVC vinyl tarpaulins: knife coating technology and lamination technology. Lamination technology is further divided into hot melt calendering and cold lamination. These are 4 different production machines and each one is expensive. FLFX tarpaulin manufacturer imported 4 knife coated lines (1 with a width of 5.6 meters and 3 with a width of 4 meters) and 8 hot melt calendering lines (1 with a width of 5.6 meters) from Germany. Which can produce 500 vinyl polyester tarp containers per month. Annual sales of 100 million US dollars.

Finally, the PVC tarpaulin price is composed of the weight of the material, the specifications of the base fabric, the color and material performance of the tarpaulin. Please be sure to let us know when you request a quote from us.

How to produce PVC tarpaulin rolls?

This is a simple OEM/ODM PVC tarpaulin roll production process, which can be changed in specific links according to the user’s product performance requirements. The specific core technical processes can be browsed below.

Before producing PVC tarpaulin rolls, we must first prepare PVC resin, various additives and base fabric materials. These raw materials need to be purchased, but in order to reduce the production cost of tarpaulin. We currently have 14 German warp knitting machines in use, providing polyester base fabrics for products of different specifications.

Warp knitting machine: The warp knitting machine can produce different base fabric specifications (300×500 Dtex 18×12/inch, 500 Dtex 18×17/inch, 1000 Dtex 12×12/inch, 1500 Dtex 30×32/inch, 2200 Dtex 15×15/inch…) Denier refers to the thickness of the individual threads used in the fabric. A higher denier number generally indicates a more durable and long-lasting material.

There are two core processes for producing PVC tarpaulin rolls: knife coated technology and lamination technology. These two manufacturing processes require 4 machines. Let me introduce them to you next.

Lamination Technology

Lamination technology is divided into cold lamination methods and hot melt calendering methods.

Cold Lamination Method (Cold lamination machine)

Cold lamination machine laminates two rolls of PVC film and base fabric lamination to form a PVC tarpaulin material. So in the first step, we need a calender machine to produce a thin and uniform sheet of PVC film from the PVC polymer.

  • Calender machine: The calender machine is mainly used to produce various PVC products, including PVC coated fabric, PVC tarpaulin, vinyl flooring, PVC ceiling film, PVC flex banner and clear vinyl. The working principle of the calender machine is as follows:
FLFX Calender Machine 1 PVC tarpaulin

* Calender machine 360° VR Panorama

  • Cold lamination machine: This machine is the first generation production machine in the industry and is mainly used to produce economical PVC tarpaulins and PVC flex banners. The working principle of the cold lamination machine is as follows:
FLFX Cold laminating machine PVC tarpaulin

We put the quality-inspected PVC film rolls and high-strength polyester fiber base fabric into the cold lamination machine. The material is introduced into the heated area through a series of roller systems for lamination. The maximum width of the produced PVC tarpaulin is only 3.2m.  Due to the limited temperature and pressure of the roller produced by the machine, the PVC tarpaulin produced has low strength and short life. Commonly used in light truck tarpaulins ,PVC flex banners and agricultural cover tarpaulins.

This cold lamination machine process is short, fast, and has low machine operating costs, so the sales price of PVC tarpaulin roll is suitable for the low-end market. We have only purchased 2 of these cold laminating machines.

Hot Melt Calendering Method (Hot melt calendering machine)

  • Hot melt calendering machine: In order to meet the needs of the mid-to-high-end PVC tarpaulin market, FLFX manufacturer introduced 8 hot melt calendering machines from Germany. One of the hot melt calenders has a maximum width of 5.6m. It can make us higher quality and stronger PVC laminated tarpaulin fabrics. Which can be used for tents, inflatable castles, covering tarpaulins, swimming pool villages, roller blinds, wall fabrics etc. The working principle of the hot melt calendering machine is as follows:
FLFX Hot Melt Calendering Machine PVC tarpaulin

* 5M Hot melt calendering machine 360° VR Panorama.

An ordinary production machine can only use two rolls of PVC film and base cloth for lamination. The hot-melt calender can laminate eight PVC film rolls and base fabric at the same time, producing a thicker heavy duty PVC laminated tarpaulin fabric.

Knife Coating Technology

  • Knife coating machine: A knife coating machine is an industrial device used in the manufacturing process of coating fabrics and PVC materials. The machine directly applies PVC polymer liquid to various types of substrates, eliminating the need for a calender to produce PVC film rolls. The working principle of the knife coating machine is as follows:
This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is FLFX-PVC-Knife-Coating-Machine-1024x265.webp

* 5M Knife Coating Machine 360° VR Panorama

PVC tarpaulin roll packaging method.

We have many options for PVC tarpaulin roll packaging. The main materials include plastic film, kraft paper and paper tubes.

PVC tarpaulin rolls with kraft paper and plastic film packaging

The first packaging method is to wrap kraft paper directly on the PVC tarpaulin roll. This kraft paper can effectively prevent rainwater from penetrating the PVC tarpaulin material, and can also protect the surface of the PVC tarpaulin roll from being scratched during transportation. Sometimes, we will also wrap a layer of plastic film inside the kraft paper, of course, this is entirely up to the customer’s wishes. In OEM service, we can help customers print their LOGO on kraft paper, but this requires an additional printing fee. The specific cost can be asked of us by email or social media. The product quotation we generally give to customers includes the cost of ordinary packaging.

PVC tarpaulin rolls paper tube packaging

The second packaging method is to add a layer of paper tube on the kraft paper, and its surface can bear the weight of an adult. The function of this paper tube is to protect the PVC tarpaulin material from being squeezed and deformed during transportation. We also provide the service of printing the logo on the outside of the paper tube. Of course, using paper tube packaging and printing services will increase the cost price of the product.

If neither of these two packaging methods satisfy you, you can also put forward your packaging ideas. And FLFX manufacturer will actively cooperate with you to complete the packaging method you want. When the customer asks for a price, there is no specific requirement for the packaging method of the PVC tarpaulin. Our quotation basically includes the price of the kraft paper packaging cost, and there will be no additional charges.

How to PVC tarpaulin for sale?

We currently have two PVC tarpaulin production bases, and the third PVC tarpaulin factory is expected to be commissioned in 2025. All of our PVC tarps for sale are produced according to customer orders. FLFX PVC tarpaulin material supplier does not have any inventory for sale, which can ensure that all tarpaulin products are without middlemen. Of course, the more quantity you purchase, the lower the price of our PVC tarpaulin for sale will be.

* Storehouse 360° VR Panorama

* Shipping Desk 360° VR Panorama

The products in the PVC tarpaulin fabric factory warehouse are ordered by customers from all over the world and are ready to be shipped. We also offer efficient shipping and delivery processes. Clearly communicate shipping costs and delivery times to customers. It is recommended to work with a reliable logistics company to ensure timely and safe delivery.

It is very important to find a reliable PVC tarpaulin supplier or manufacturer. We are not only able to provide customized options but also have comprehensive after-sales service and quality assurance. For every order and every customer, we will have a professional PVC tarpaulin expert to connect with you. If you want to be a local PVC tarpaulin agent, or your project requires PVC tarpaulin materials. We are your best choice, contact us to ask for competitive prices and high quality products.

Of course, you can also tell our CEO through the website for all after-sales issues. We collect customer feedback and use it to improve our products and services continuously. Conduct customer satisfaction surveys to identify areas for improvement.

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