How Concrete Mixers Operate
Mixing trucks lay the very foundation for the world in which we live. Concrete mixers are the most reliable trucks in the industry.
Carrying concrete, however, whenever, wherever a builder needs to receive it is essential for getting the job done. We will learn firsthand how concrete mixes are made, how they work, and how their rotation technologies transformed the construction process.
A concrete mixer is a mechanism that simultaneously blends aggregate such as sand or gravel, cement, and water to create concrete. A typical industrial mixer employs a revolving drum to combine the components.
For smaller volume operations, portable concrete mixers are utilized so that the concrete can be produced at the construction site, offering the craftsmen sufficient time to apply the concrete before it hardens.
An alternative to the mixing machine is blending the concrete by hand. This method can also be achieved with a wheelbarrow; however, numerous companies have recently begun to sell modified tarps for this purpose.
Today’s business increasingly demands consistent homogeneity and short mixing conditions for the industrial production of ready-mix concrete, and more so for precast and prestressed concrete.
These stipulations have resulted in sophisticated, efficient mixing technologies that improved concrete production.
Mobile and Stationary Concrete Mixers
When selecting a concrete mixer for the job, there are two standards to pick from: a stationary or mobile dispenser. Mobile concrete devices are used for batching concrete in one area and then transferring the remaining product to another location. Portable mixers, such as trucks, are used for pouring sidewalks and other applications where concrete gets spread throughout multiple areas. Mobile concrete mixers also incorporate other substances without adding additional water to the batch.
Stationary concrete mixers are another alternative for mixing; this type of mixer is designed to stay in place while the concrete pours. Various styles of stationary mixers have evolved, each with its inherent strengths targeting diverse parts of the construction industry. The most popular mixers used today fall into three categories: stationary concrete mixers, including twin-shaft mixers, vertical axis mixers, and drum mixers.
Twin-shaft mixers are known for their high-intensity mixing and short mixing times. The twin shaft mixing method employs two synchronized horizontal axes providing better homogeneity of the concrete mixture. This mixing movement can produce a wide assortment of concrete consistencies. Their key features are their high strength concrete, RCC, and SCC, in batches of 2–6 m3.
Vertical axis mixers produce precast and prestressed concrete. This technique cleans well between batches and is favors colored concrete, smaller quantities, and recurring discharge points.
Drum mixers are applied when a large portion is in demand; this model dominates the ready-mixed market because it is proficient for high production speeds and ideal for slump concrete. A reversing drum is a can create concrete in individual batches. The drum rotates around its axis as the supplies are loaded through a charging chute at one end of the drum and exits through a discharge chute at the opposing end. Drum mixers have the cheapest maintenance and operating cost of the three styles of mixers.
