How Artificial Grass is Made

 Did you know that artificial grass was first conceptualized in the 1950s? Or that it was first manufactured in the early 1960s by Monsanto? The revolutionary plastic “carpet” was named AstroTurf after the Astrodome in Houston, Texas, home of the Major League baseball team The Houston Astros. Synthetic grass, now blissfully manufactured by companies around the world, has come a long way since its infancy. But how is it made?

Depending upon the material chosen – Nylon, Polyethylene, or Polypropylene – the product is made by following slightly different methods. Each manufacturer likely has its own patented process, but artificial grass is made by following these steps:

1. Artificial grass components are placed in a hopper and mixed; colors and chemicals are then added, giving the turf its signature color and making it immune to the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays.
2. The mixture is transferred to a large steel mixer to be churned even more until it has thickened to a pre-determined consistency.
3. The green goo is then emptied into an extruder, where it is drawn out into long, slender strands that mimic the appearance of natural grass. Unlike natural grass, however, these plastic blades are fairly uniform in length.
4. The strands are then rotated into a loose rope by a carding machine; afterward, the lax strand is tightened and woven into a yarn-like material.
5. The “yarn” is then heated.
6. The artificial grass yarn is then fed into a tufting machine, where the underside is pierced by hundreds of needles. The machine also feeds the grass into a loop and automatically makes hundreds of needles and rows of stitches into the product.
7. The next step is to roll the artificial grass out and coat its underside with latex.
8. Industrial ovens are used to cure the latex, giving it a recognizable sheen and texture.
   In the last step, the synthetic grass is readied for shipment. The product is rolled into pre-determined sizes and packaged for wholesale and retail clients.