How to Maintain a Concrete Batching Plant.

 

Producing the perfect concrete mix is something bare hands cannot do. Using a concrete batch plant is always ideal and purchasing such machines through tasking is a very good investment and an asset but just like every asset, you will need to maintain it to achieve optimal use.

In this article, you will be learning how to maintain your concrete batching plant or batch plant as it is also known. This will enable you to save your company the cost of purchasing such high-cost machines due to the lack of maintenance of the previous ones. I bet this knowledge can add to your value as staff in your company and probably boost your chances for a promotion.

Maintaining a Concrete Batching Plant.

In order to effectively maintain a concrete batching plant you need to know:

      the types of concrete batching plants.

      their methods and parts.

      how they can be maintained.

Firstly, for the sake of those who may not know what a concrete batching plant is but stumbled on this article, a brief explanation will be given.

What is a Concrete Batching Plant?

Batching is the measuring and combining of concrete ingredients like water, admixtures, sand, gravel, slag, and cement. It combines these various ingredients to form concrete used for the construction of roads, buildings, bridges, pavements, and dams. This process requires a batch plant to effectively mix the concrete for use.

The parts of a batch plant include:

i.      Mixers

ii.     Cement Batcher.

iii.    Aggregate Batcher.

iv.    Conveyors

v.     Radial stacker.

vi.    Aggregate bins

vii.   Cement bins

viii.  Heaters.

ix.    Chillers.

x.     Cement silos.

xi.    Batch plant controls.

xii.   Dust collectors.

Now, the types of concrete batching plants are;

1.     Dry mix concrete plant.

2.     Wet mix concrete plant.

3.     Mobile concrete plant.

4.     Stationary concrete plant.

Their methods of working are:

1. The Dry- Mix Concrete Plant:

It weighs sand, gravel and cement in weigh batcher through its digital or manual scales. Then the ingredients are poured into a chute which transfers it into the truck. Meanwhile, the water can be weighed and through the same charging chute and then poured into the mixer truck. The ingredients are then mixed for a minimum of 70- 100 revolutions during transportation to the job site.

2. Wet- Mix Concrete Plant:

It combines some or all of the ingredients (including water) at a central location into a concrete mixer meaning the concrete is mixed at a single point. The difference is that the wet mix contains a central mixer.

3. Mobile Concrete Plant:

The mobile batch plant which is also known as a "portable concrete plant" is the most cost-effective and reliable of them all. It allows the user to batch concrete at most any location then move to another location and batch concrete. It is best used for temporary site projects or even stationary locations where the equipment height is a factor or the required production rate is lower.

4. Stationary Concrete Plant:

This is designed to produce high-quality concrete. It is very easy to maintain. It is widely used in various projects such as roads and bridges, ports, tunnels, dams, and buildings.

How to Maintain These Plants.

To maintain a batch plant optimally, you need to:

1.     Conduct a daily/regular check on it.

2.     Check for lubrication.

3.     Check if the weather bolts and nuts are loose and tighten them.

4.     Replace worn parts, engines, and belts.

5.     Check it systematically, that is check the weather mixing system, weighing system, batching system, conveying system, discharging system, lifting system, and control system. Ensure each component of these systems is in order.

6.     Once production is over, within an hour the mixer should be cleaned to avoid hardening of the material.

7.     The remaining material in the mixer should be thoroughly cleaned after batching. You can also try water washing it.

8.     Perform regular cleaning on the plant by cleaning or replacing the filter screen in the powder dust filter. Ensure you do this regularly.

9.     During production, the gravel can be mixed with about 500kg for the sake of a cleaner cleaning.

10.   The discharge door must be replaced when it has a leakage problem.

11.   Clean admixture in agitator and hopper so as to prevent any material condensation.

12.   Ensure you clean the concrete mixer immediately after work is completed.

13.   Replace the mixing blades and liner (when they are worn out) on time as well as the conveyor belt.

14.   Provide a covering for the machine to prevent it from rain, excessive sunshine, or thunderstorm.

In conclusion, with this knowledge, I'm convinced you now know how to maintain this high-cost machine. Its maintenance however is not high cost, a careful and diligent attitude towards its cleaning and parts replacement can help keep the machine thereby letting it go along way.