How are Paintballs Made?

One curiosity about playing the paintball game is what lies inside the pellets. Well, for the most part of my experience, I had a misconception that it is filled with paint. The fact that I considered myself a pro at hiding and attacking during the games and didn’t know anything about the pellets took me off-guard. Hence, in no time, I was on to research these ammunitions.

To my surprise, there was so much history and facts regarding the pellet balls that were used in the game. So, if you are wondering whether these are toxic for the environment. How are paintballs made? Are the manufacturing industries regulated by some agencies? Well, to answer all your queries regarding the manufacturing of paintballs, I have brought this detailed guide. So, dive right in for more.

What Is In Paintballs? History of Paintballs:

Originally, this game of paintball was first introduced in 1981 by the author of “Pumping Iron”, Charles Gaines. The game was invented by two old friends, named Guernsey and Noel who both had a ski shop and were researching the survival of outdoor combat. After some time, they had an idea which they published where they were to substitute the pellets with paint pellets for better markings.

Hence, soon after, Charles Nelson opted for the idea and developed a paint manufacturing company. He further founded a paint company with his brother in the 1930s and collaborated with the Forestry Service to mark the trees and woods. To make the targeting easy and remote, he developed the first paint gun for cattle. Now, the only thing left was paint pellets. He initially used wax and polyethylene glycol to mix with dye as the filling of the pellet.

Over time, companies started taking the market with developments across the US, Canada, and other countries. During the 1980s and 90s, the game was popular among 75,000 people, however, there were no regulations over these manufacturing industries. It started getting the sports in limelight through media coverage and many tourists like the idea of playing such an outdoor game. Nowadays, these companies are regulated by pharmaceutical industries which makes these balls safe for the environment and health.

What are Paintballs Made Out Of?

Most commonly, paintball manufacturing companies are led and approved by government agencies. For instance, in the USA, they are made under the pretext of the Consumer Product Safety Commission which ensures that no hazardous or toxic element has been used to make these ammunitions. They are further approved by the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate the entire manufacturing process and make sure the elements used for manufacturing or the process itself are not toxic to the surroundings.

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These are most commonly the western countries, including Canada, Great Britain, and the USA. Nowadays, companies usually prefer using no-gelatin alternatives like plastic-based dyes, because they are cheap. Using polyethylene is important as it is safe yet thick enough to hold the shape together. Some industries are using wax which has taken over the market completely, considering the fact that this is cheap yet environment-friendly. Yet, plastic pellets can be non-biodegradable and damaging to the environment.

How Paintballs Are Made through Mass Manufacturing

On a mass manufacturing level, there are a number of ways in which different companies produce these pellets. However, the basic fundamentals or principles of the procedure remain the same. All in all, it requires a hopper, a barrel, a pressure tank, an air pump, and desired fillings. Producing these ammunitions on a mass level is not so challenging. Here is a detailed guide on how are these balls produced on a large scale, so you can have an idea about what goes into it;

Paint Preparation

The first and foremost step in this process is to make the paint. Most commonly, manufacturers use polyethylene glycol that is thick enough to fill the ball and is safer than other alternatives. Whatever brand you are going for, just make sure to read whether the paint used in the making is water-soluble and non-toxic. This is extremely important to maintain the environment and degrade it afterward.

Encapsulation

Once the paint is all prepared, it is then transferred to encapsulation areas. In this step, the dye is filled in a small spherical shape. These are just like the small capsules you often get in prescriptions. Many people wonder whether these small spheres are safe for humans. A large portion of it is gelatin, so you are good to go.

It is time for Inputs and Dye

After this step, it is time to add different ingredients to the paint solution. This is done through large pipes and pumps that only push a required amount of that ingredient. For thinning, gelatin is added which then processes through oil drums and rollers. These rollers are primarily responsible to thin it out for better viscosity. Now that it is done, the pumps are used to inject the already-made dye into the spheres and let the solution bond. This is the end of the encapsulation method.

Tumbling and Drying the Paint

This is often considered an important step as it ensures the dye in the spheres is evenly distributed. Hence, the workers need to make sure that gelatin must be worn before it reaches the encapsulation devices. Following this, the spheres are spun in different directions (under controlled temperature, pressure, and length) to make sure it is distributed properly.

In the end, now that tumbling is done, people are required to put these balls on different racks in order to let them dry. This allows the gelation in the dye to stiffen at a regular temperature, so it survives the field conditions. The waiting period varies based on the formula and composition of the dye.

Packing and Quality Control

Finally, it is all done and only a little is left. In this step, the manufacturing faults are detected and the balls in the right condition are packed into small cases. These balls are then passed through the hopper that automatically transfers each of them into separate containers, based on their weight. During this time, workers are advised to test some of the balls randomly to check whether they are working properly. These include brittleness tests, resistant tests, weight checks, and other sorts of testing.

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What to Do with the By-Products?

The good news is that this process has absolutely minimal by-products. This is because all the materials used in the procedure are biodegradable and non-toxic. Hence, if you are someone conscious of human health and the environment, it is certainly great news for you.

What is the Anatomy of a Paintball?

Well, there is absolutely nothing you cannot understand in the anatomy of paintball. This is because they are really small and only include two main parts. All the materials you need are paint-based, from coloring to mineral oils, glycol substitutes, or even calcium. The manufacturers further use water-based pigments, so that they are safe for your health and the environment. Here are the two parts of the paintballs, namely outer and inner.

Outer Shell

First of all, the exterior of the paintball is commonly made up of cellulose or gelation, both of which are a form of plastic. These are responsible for shaping the ball, considering the fact that they already have hardeners present in them. The color is commonly added to the exterior as it is transferred directly to the players. This color-based gelatin comes in different colors like red, yellow, and much more.

Inner

Similarly, as the name suggests, the inner is the filling. However, it is absolutely important to have an inner that’s non-toxic and biodegradable, so your health and environment are protected for the most part. You also need to make sure that the filling is water soluble. For this purpose, check on the manufacturer’s site and make sure that it is derived from dietary sources.

How to Make your own Paintball: A Simple DIY Project

Finally, if you are wondering whether you can make your own paintball, the answer is yes. For the process, you need to invest in Here is a step-by-step guide that can help you with the process;

• To begin with, you are required to put the paintball mixture in the machine with water. For an individual batch, I would advise you to add 15 gallons of water.
• Now, it is time to add the dye solution again to make it saturated. After this, take a brush and stir it well until the color is all dissolved in the container.
• Once you are done with this step, it is time to add gelatin to the solution. You shouldn’t be adding more than 2 lbs for each gallon you have put in the mixture. When done, take the same brush and store it again in order to mix all the ingredients well.
• Now, all you need to do is wait, so that it is cold and has stiffened enough to become a ball. If you are using a refrigerator, it wouldn’t take more than thirty minutes. However, I usually like it at room temperature for about an hour. Once they are ready, they must be firm enough for you to hold them in your hands.
• Now that they have a proper structure, you need to let them sit overnight. This will harden them enough for you to use them as ammunition for your paintball guns.

Finally, when you are done, you must test it once and then proceed to make more batches when you are sure.

Final Thoughts

In the end, the paintball game has been massively popular for its interesting rules and gameplay. However, another intriguing thing about this game is the pellets that are used. For the longest time in my career, I had a misconception that they are made up of paint. Well, it is not entirely true and after much research, I came to know that they are usually dye-based, water-soluble gelatin.

Finally, this detailed guide has all your answers regarding the mass manufacturing of paintballs, so I hope after reading this one, you will have some idea of what goes into this.

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