WET PRESS FILTER A single wet press filter can be used to produce about 600 kerbs
Brick, block and paving machinery manufacturer Pan Mixers South Africa (PMSA) will launch two new imported products for the concrete industry at this year’s construction and mining trade fair BAUMA CONEXPO AFRICA, which takes place at the Johannesburg Expo Centre from September 15 to 18.
The theme of PMSA’s exhibition at this year’s event will be ‘Thinking About Concrete? Think PMSA’, says sales and marketing manager Quintin Booysen.
He reveals that a new product to be launched at BAUMA 2015 is a wet-press concrete filter manufactured by UK-based wet-press concrete moulding company Eco-Filters.
Booysen explains that the conventional production process for the manufacture of pressed kerbs makes use of paper filters, which allow for the water to flow through while keeping the fines, namely the sand and cement, intact. The Eco-Filter system makes use of a single wet-press reusable filter which can be used to produce about 600 kerbs before requiring a replacement.
Booysen further notes that the wet-press filter has more applications than its filtering function, as it can also apply different product finishes to the concrete, such as a wood grain or simulated stone finishes.
“Traditionally, simulated stone-finish products require the manufacture of a polyurethane or rubber mould, which is costly when changes to surface texture are required, as new moulds are required. The quality is also not as high when wet casting, compared with wet pressing. The Eco-Filter now introduces a new way to easily create surface textures on flagstones and kerb stones,” says Booysen.
He adds that specialised-finish surfaces are normally only available through a wet casting process, such as PMSA’s wet-mould process, whereby the wet-press filters can be used in existing pressing machines already in use in South Africa. “So, if the industry catches on, it could be a good opportunity, as it is aimed at the high-end market.”
Booysen says the Eco-Filter wet-press concrete filters can, therefore, enable the manufacture of “high-end-quality flag-stone and simulated stone paving products” at a cheaper price, which is a significant advantage for the local market. “No one has done it yet, as the industry currently prefers the wet batch and wet cast process.”
Booysen explains that Eco-Filters are attached to the actual face and bottom mould in the press, thereby making them independent of human intervention in the pressing process. “This is a major benefit in terms of health and safety. So you can actually speed up the machines and increase productivity,” he says.
The Eco-Filter product eliminates the requirement for vast amounts of paper filters. The wet-press filters comprise one piece of material, which is used to press the concrete and allow the water to pass through, while retaining the fines.
Moisture Control Device
Also being launched by PMSA at BAUMA 2015 is the FL-Mobimic Profi-Check, which is manufactured by Germany-based sensor company Ludwig Moisture Control.
This hand-held device can be used to test on-site aggregates quickly and easily.
Booysen further notes that, while the other Ludwig moisture control equipment sold by PMSA forms part of the batching plant it is installed in, as it is integrated into the mixer and the aggregate-dosing component of machinery, this mobile measuring unit is used to evaluate the temperature and moisture of bulk materials in situ.
The integration of wireless technology or a USB connection to a personal computer or a laptop allows for quality control and monitoring of stockpiles, or newly delivered aggregates.
Presence at BAUMA
Booysen says a significant indication of the company’s success in the marketplace is the fact that, to date, about two-million houses have been built with bricks manufactured by PMSA machines. “We are essentially helping to build South Africa with every machine we sell, as well as contributing to the business success of our customers.”
He explains that the theme, ‘Thinking About Concrete? Think PMSA’, encapsulates the group’s focus on providing total solutions for its customers’ specific requirements.
PMSA’s largest-capacity machine is the RE-1400, which has a fully automated production capacity of up to 165 000 standard stock bricks for every nine-hour shift. It offers a range of batching configurations, wet- and dry-side production handling and production board handling.
Product ranges that will be showcased at BAUMA include floor systems company HTC’s products, which PMSA distributes in Southern Africa through its fully owned subsidiary Superb Flooring Systems. The range comprises HTC Greyline machines, HTC Twister floor cleaning and grinding pads, professional grinders, dust extractors and various tools and accessories.
PMSA will also use BAUMA to showcase other products in its extensive concrete equipment solutions offering. This will focus on the Fiori DBX35, which fills a gap in the local market for an affordable and reliable self-loading concrete mixer. “A major benefit of the Fiori DBX35 is that it offers accurate volumetric measurement without the need for additional equipment, although it also has options for weigh batching, if required,” says Booysen.
In terms of its ABECE roof tile machinery range, Booysen points out that the SPS semiautomatic extruder can manufacture up to 5 000 concrete tiles in a nine-hour shift. This equates to about ten tiles a minute, depending on the specific plant configuration.
“The main benefits of the SPS range of roof-tile equipment is that it is easy to install, operate and maintain, which are important considerations in remote project sites in Africa,” he says, adding that a major target market for PMSA’s total solutions is the small to medium-sized contractor market.
Demonstrations
PMSA will have a full Imer batching plant assembled at BAUMA to showcase the batching and mixing division of the company.
Booysen says there is an international trend for companies to move away from dry batching using a transit mixer and a Karoo-type batching plant for weighing aggregates and mixing towards wet batching and mixing, where a more consistent quality mix can be obtained.
The result is cement savings and less variability in the concrete produced. “As infrastructure roll-out intensifies across Africa, more cost-effective ways of producing concrete will be the ultimate goal. Currently, most concrete is produced on-site; however, central batching and readymix will increase in Africa, as has been the case in South Africa over the last few decades,” he concludes.