Naphthalene balls, commonly known as mothballs, are widely used for their insect-repellent properties. It is particularly used in households to protect clothes and other stored items from moth damage. At present, there is a growing demand for pest control products. Hence starting a naphthalene balls manufacturing business in India can be a lucrative venture. This guide provides a step-by-step approach to initiate and establish your naphthalene balls manufacturing business in India.
Generally, you can produce these balls from naphthalene flakes by a tablet-making machine. This type of machine has a ball-shaped die. Having little knowledge about the technical know-how any individual can initiate the business as a home-based manufacturing unit also.
Naphthalene balls are consumable products and they find extensive application in cities. General awareness is improving in cleanliness and hence this product has got good scope for growth. The manufactured balls disappear with time without leaving solid.
They are also known as mothballs or camphor balls, which are spherical pieces of a white solid material containing at least 98% naphthalene. Naphthalene is a bicyclic aromatic hydrocarbon derived from coal tar or crude oil. It is an insecticide that is also used as a repellent.
10 Steps to Start a Naphthalene Balls Manufacturing Business
1. Research and Market Analysis
Conduct thorough market research to understand the demand for naphthalene balls in your target market segments.
Analyze the competition to identify key players, their product offerings, pricing strategies, and distribution channels.
Identify potential customers such as households, garment manufacturers, storage facilities, and pest control companies.
2. Develop a Business Plan
Define your business objectives, target market, and unique selling proposition (USP). Outline your production process, raw material requirements, and machinery needed for manufacturing naphthalene balls. Develop a comprehensive marketing and sales strategy to reach your target customers effectively. Create a financial plan detailing your startup costs, operational expenses, and revenue projections.
3. Legal Requirements and Compliance:
Register your business as a legal entity, such as a sole proprietorship, partnership, or private limited company, as per your preference. Obtain necessary licenses and permits required for manufacturing and selling naphthalene balls, including GST registration, pollution control board clearance, and others. Ensure compliance with safety and quality standards set by regulatory authorities such as the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).
4. Buy Machinery and Equipment
The main required machine is the naphthalene balls-making machine. Two types of machine options are there. You can go for either manually operated or power-operated. However, you can produce more uniform and quality finished products from a power-operated machine.
Apart from this, you will also need to have MS jacketed vessels, heating arrangements, storage tanks, a weighing scale, and pouch-sealing machines. The list of machinery includes:
- Steam-jacketed M.S. Kettle
- Steam distillation kettle
- Sulphuric acid storage tanks
- Delivery pump
- Edge runner
- Tablet making machine rotary type,
- Miscellaneous tools and equipment.
5. Raw Materials For Naphthalene Balls Making
In starting the business, you will need to procure raw materials like naphthalene flakes, camphor, phenol, and other chemical ingredients.
Apart from these, you will also need to procure packaging consumables. Airtight packaging is important. Generally, you can use transparent polyethylene packaging.
Additionally, you will need to procure outer cartons for bulk packaging.
6. Cost of Starting Naphthalene Balls Manufacturing Project
The main cost you have to spend on this project is to buy the main manufacturing machine. The market price of the machine ranges from 1 Lac/unit to 2.5 Lacs per unit. Apart from the machine, there will be some costs in procuring licenses, hiring manpower, raw materials, etc.
You must be prepared for an investment in the range of 5 Lac to 10 Lac In Indian Rupees to start a small-scale naphthalene manufacturing unit.
7. The Manufacturing Process to Make Naphthalene Balls
First of all, feed the naphthalene flakes into a jacketed vessel. Maintain the temperature at 88° C and an agitator stirs the material.
When naphthalene melts, other ingredients like paraffin wax, camphor, etc. are added and mixed thoroughly. The liquefied mass is fed into the ball press aluminium moulds.
After cooling, you can take out the naphthalene balls from the machine. Finally, you will need to pack the naphthalene balls properly.
8. Packaging and Branding
Choose appropriate packaging materials such as polyethylene bags or containers to preserve the quality and fragrance of naphthalene balls. Design attractive labels and branding materials that convey the safety, efficacy, and eco-friendly nature of your naphthalene balls. Ensure compliance with labelling regulations and include essential information such as product ingredients, usage instructions, and safety precautions.
9. Marketing and Sales
Develop a multi-channel marketing strategy to promote your naphthalene balls, including online platforms, offline retailers, distributors, and direct sales. Leverage digital marketing techniques such as social media marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), and content marketing to reach a wider audience. Establish partnerships with pest control companies, garment manufacturers, and retailers to distribute your naphthalene balls to their customers.
10. Quality Control and Assurance
Implement stringent quality control measures at every stage of the manufacturing process to ensure the safety, efficacy, and consistency of your naphthalene balls. Conduct regular quality inspections and tests to check for impurities, potency, and adherence to quality standards. Maintain records of batch-wise production, quality testing results, and customer feedback for continuous improvement.
