How convenient is your concrete mixer?

English

By Antony kiganda - Modi ed date: Jul 13, 2018

Many contractors always find it advantageous to have their own Contact our
concrete mixer as opposed to depending on outside vendors contributors
and if you are a new entrant to the construction industry it is an
investment worth making. While weighing on whether to call on
ready-mix concrete delivery or owning your own mixers, many
factors should be weighed. These include among others, job
scope, the location of the site, size and quality of staff and the
time frame attached to the project.

For instance, it is counterproductive for a contractor to use a

portable concrete mixer when he needs to pour a slab of 50
square metres. He is much better served using ready-mix.
Similarly, if a job needs to be completed in an hour so
Concrete Mixers s.r.l
contractors can move on to the next job, ready-mix is a smarter
choice. Nevertheless, according to Stefano Tognoloni of
Concrete Mixers s.r.l in Italy, your mixer of choice should ensure Italy

very high reliability, independence, and flexibility in working

time. ProAll Reimer Mixers

Canada

Engineering Supplies

Kenya

Merlo

Italy

AUSA
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 Spain English

Safari Construction
Equipment

India

Esquire Machines

India

In-
transit Mixers

In-transit mixers are made to transport and mix concrete up to

the construction site. They can be charged with dry materials
and water, with the mixing occurring during transport. They can
also be loaded from a ‘central mix’ plant, with this process the
material has already been mixed prior to loading. The concrete
mixing transport truck maintains the material’s liquid state
through agitation, or turning of the drum, until delivery.

The interior of the drum on a concrete mixing truck is fitted

with a spiral blade. In one rotational direction, the concrete is
pushed deeper into the drum. This is the direction the drum is
rotated while the concrete is being transported to the building
site. This is known as ‘charging’ the mixer. When the drum
rotates in the other direction, the Archimedes’ screw-type
arrangement ‘discharges’ the concrete out of the drum. From
there it may go onto chutes to guide the viscous concrete
directly to the job site.

If the truck cannot get close enough to the site to use the
chutes, the concrete may be discharged into a concrete pump,
connected to a flexible hose, or onto a conveyor belt which can
be extended some distance (normally ten or more metres). A
pump provides the means to move the material to precise
locations, multi-floor buildings, and other distance prohibitive
locations. Buckets suspended from cranes are also used to place
the concrete. The drum is traditionally made of steel but on
some newer trucks as a weight reduction measure, fibreglass
has been used.

Advantages

The biggest advantage of transit mixers is that these do not

allow segregation of concrete because of continuous rotation.
Unloading of concrete batch can be done at will in full or
partially.

According to Brett Fillmore of ProAll Reimer Mixers in Canada,

modern job site characteristics cause great challenges for
traditional concrete delivery methods. However, having a
concrete mixer onsite means concrete is mixed fresh no matter
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where you are. There is no wait time, and materials are mixed English
only when you need them.

Drum of concrete mixer does not allow any foreign material to

enter the concrete load. Concrete can be unloaded to a
conveyor belt, a concrete pump or into the chutes. As the
capacity of available transit mixers varies from 4 cum to 12
cum, choice is available as per site requirements and concrete
production rate.

More advantages include: vast improvement in the quality and

uniformity of concrete and enhanced speed of construction;
savings in labour, reduction in wastage, elimination of material
procurement requirements and storage hassles; plus the
environmental conservation aspect whereby the surroundings of
the site remain clean.

According to Manuela Galante the Marketing Director at Carmix,

the in-transit mixers have the ability to mix, transport and
deliver any kind of concrete directly in the jobsite, in any
condition of work, latitude and clime, allowing the user to
control the cost and the quality of each single cubic meter of
concrete.

Portable Mixers

The smaller models which are normally available in sizes

ranging from 3 to 12 cubic feet; will fit in the trunk of most
cars, while the larger capacity units can be towed easily on
wheels or hoisted onto a truck for longer distances. With their
small size and easy portability they can be used even in remote
areas that characterize most African settings. To a budding
contractor wishing to establish himself but facing financial
constraints, this could be a perfect start up as their costs are
quite accommodative.

Advantages

The biggest advantage in owning a portable mixer is realized

when working on sidewalks, foundations and binding block, and
when preparing mortar bases. Many decorative concrete
contractors find the portable mixers ideal too. A good example
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is the monument works industry which mostly has mixers English
mounted on their own trucks. The same holds true for many
landscape and fence builders.

One interesting model of portable mixers is the wheelbarrow-

style mixer that fits comfortably through a 30-inch-wide
opening. This allows the user to mix and pour right where the
product is needed.

On the other hand contractors working in a back yard or space-

restricted area where accessibility is a problem will find a
portable mixer much more effective. Smaller mixers are highly
recommended for mixing concrete to anchor fence posts; for
patching; for small concrete slabs on grade; and for mixing
non-stick grout.

For high-production jobs such as concrete slabs, sidewalks and

block walls, larger-capacity models are better suited. There are
many styles and sizes to choose from, from a 2-cubic-foot
pedestal style to a ⁄ -cubic-foot wheelbarrow style to a 9-
cubic-foot towable unit. The utility mixers start at ⁄ cubic feet
and can be mounted or be made stationary; or an optional low-
or high-speed tow kit can be added.

The mixers come with either electric- or gasoline-powered

sources. Single-phase electric motors are available in the ⁄ - to
⁄ -horsepower range while gas engines span from 3 to 13
horsepower. Mixers also have speed controls that can be
adjusted to fit the requirements of the specific job.

According to Pooja Pandya of Engineering Supplies Limited,

drum capacity; cycles per hour, mixer build quality, life of the
product and availability of sales and service are very important
factors to consider when a contractor is looking for a portable
concrete mixer.

Engineering Supplies offers a wide range of concrete mixers for

the East African market. “Our products are quite unique in the
market, some of the unique aspects include: the 6 ring segment
that makes repairs more cost friendly and ensure a longer life
to the mixers and the rental model which is used regularly by
rental companies, proving its strength and durability,” she said.
“The products are designed in such a way that there is a
balance between price and quality,” she affirmed.

Most manufacturers offer steel and polyethylene drums to fit

individual user preferences. Steel drums are more durable, but
cleaning can often be tedious and other damage to the drum is
a possibility. Poly drums, which resist rust, can be cleaned in
minutes by simply tapping with a rubber mallet and they are
lighter than their steel counterpart.

According to Pooja Pandya of Engineering Supplies Limited,

drum capacity; cycles per hour, mixer build quality, life of the
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product and availability of sales and service are very important English
factors to consider when a contractor is looking for a concrete
mixer.

Engineering Supplies offers a wide

range of concrete mixers for the East African market. “Our
products are quite unique in the market, some of the unique
aspects include: the 6 ring segment that makes repairs more
cost friendly and ensure a longer life to the mixers and the
rental model which is used regularly by rental companies,
proving its strength and durability,” she said. “The products are
designed in such a way that there is a balance between price
and quality,” she affirmed.

Most manufacturers offer steel and polyethylene drums to fit

individual user preferences. Steel drums are more durable, but
cleaning can often be tedious and other damage to the drum is
a possibility. Poly drums, which resist rust, can be cleaned in
minutes by simply tapping with a rubber mallet and they are
lighter than their steel counterpart.

Choosing you mixer

The nature and volume of work is a factor to consider in

choosing the right mixer. Big-scale construction projects require
bulk concrete mixers which can mix large quantities of concrete
both onsite and offsite. For small scale projects, smaller mixers
can apply. The size of construction site is a major factor to
consider. Remember smaller mixers can fit well in squeezed
sites while large open sites can comfortably accommodate the
bigger ones.

Mr. Bodino Mattia from Merlo in Italy mentions that, you have to
make sure the concrete mixer will have a good cycle time,
which will impact on its concrete output and also good
maneuverability.

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 English

“This combined with the robustness and reliability of the

machine will lead to cost-efficiency in the long run,” mentions
Albert Vicens of AUSA in Spain.

Moreover, Shama Barot of Safari Construction Equipment in

India advises the customer to always compare the technical
specifications against the cost. If they can work out a cost vs
value analysis, in the long run they will realize that cheap low
quality machines generate more loss for them than high quality
high value construction machinery. “I have met many
customers who have initially bought low quality machinery lured
by the very low pricing, but eventually realizing greater losses
on site due to downtime,” she affirms.

Safari
Construction Equipment is a leading construction machinery

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manufacturer exporting world wide to more than 20 plus English
countries.

Maintaining your mixer

Normally the mixers are designed in such a way to help the

operator to maintain the machine. According to Gladston of
Esquire Machines, in India the greasing of the moving points
are to be carried out on a daily basis. The diesel engine
maintenance needs to be carried out as per manufacturer’s
recommendation. If provided with a hydraulic system, adequate
care should be taken to ensure the system is clean and free
from leakages.

Per manufacturer recommendations, contractors should also

check the oil levels and filters of portable mixers daily. In using
the mixer, the mixer V-belt and pulleys should be tight while the
necessary parts should be greased frequently. Gears on a
concrete mixer, however, should never be greased. Debris,
sand, sediment or other material can become trapped in the
gears, causing major damage to the unit. Simple cleaning and
lubrication will help keep the mixer running trouble-free for
years to come.

Antony kiganda

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