Automatic Concrete Block Making Machine: What Should Buyers Check Before Investing?

When it comes to purchasing an automatic concrete block making machine, you don't just have to go for the one with the highest yield in the brochure. Starting with the blocks you intend to sell, your local raw material supplies, plant room, number of operators and daily automation levels is the foundation of a practical investment.

The question is very simple: will the machine provide the necessary products uniformly and will it fit in the rest of the production line if the plant is new or if the producer is replacing an old machine?

Begin by making the blocks you will use to make.

The requirements for a machine differ between hollow blocks, solid blocks, pavers, curbstones and decorative concrete products. Equipment selection is dependent on the product height, mold size, surface finish and desired compaction.

Standard wall block production may be more interested in consistent production and easy mold changes. A paver producer might have a greater concern for feed uniformity and pigment handling and surface quality. When multiple families of products are to be manufactured on the same line, it becomes a factor in the investment decision and not a secondary consideration.

Both the Qunfeng QS1000 concrete block machine and the QS1300 automatic brick machine are well suited for producing concrete bricks and blocks of various sizes on small to medium scales, where the QS1300 is targeted for bigger commercial production. When comparing models, it is more beneficial to compare models by the product mix they intend to produce than just comparing the size of the machine.

Main Machine is Not the Only One that Outputs!

There are far more factors that determine a fast factory than a fast molding cycle. The speed of batching, mixing, material feeding, pallet circulation, curing transfer, cubing and finished product handling should match the speed of the press.

That's why the buyers should consider automatic concrete block making machine as a production system. If the material preparation is slow or the pallet logistics is not good, although the main machine is big, it is also possible to lose production time.

In Qunfeng's fully automatic brick production line, all the above several production processes are integrated into a process.

Read and Write to Judge with your own Block Size

The hourly production varies with the block size, layout of the moulds, cycle time and raw-material behaviour. The number of pavers and large hollow blocks that can be produced in one machine can thus vary widely.

Prepare the complete dimensions of the products to be manufactured, before even requesting a quotation. Inquire with the supplier how many pieces are on a pallet, how long it takes to cycle and how many pieces can be produced per hour for those products. It is also helpful to comment on the possible effects that moisture, aggregate grading and mix consistency might have on the actual molding cycle.

If you want to set a production target, it should be done in number of sellable blocks/shift not just number of cycles/minute. Qunfeng itself refers that molding cycle and hourly capacity varies with product size and conditions of raw materials.

Attend to Vibration, Hydraulics and Feeding.

It is required to have repeatable compaction for concrete products. The consistency of the mold filling and compacting depends on the interaction of the vibration system, the hydraulic response of the system and the feeding system for the material.

Servo vibration lends more controlled vibration response and hydraulic systems can be used for pressing and machine movements. For the different surface requirements or products with different shapes, feeding design becomes much more important.

There's no need to purchase the most complex technology. It is to select a system which will yield repeatable density, dimensions and surface quality for the materials available in the plant.

Correspondence between Automation and Labor and Plant Layout

Within the factory there can be a variety of settings that are considered automatic. A number of plants mechanize the molding and pallet transfer, while maintaining more manual cubing or packaging. Others link batching, molding, curing transport, cubing and central control.

Increased automation can minimize repetitive handling, but also a proper plant location, electrical wiring, maintenance and trained operators. A small scale plant with medium production can use a less complicated line, but for a large commercial plant, the line can be more integrated.

Qunfeng's block production solutions illustrate projects based on various products, raw materials and site conditions, instead of one line to each buyer.

Mold Change Flexibility Matters More Than It First Appears

Market demand changes. An initial order for hollow blocks may eventually result in an order for pavers, curbstones or other concrete products from that producer. The efficiency to change molds can therefore have an impact on the speed of the factory's response to new business.

Inquire about the installation, alignment and changing of molds. Make sure to also take into account product height ranges available and if there is a need for auxiliary feeding systems for color and/or face-mix products.

Buy for today's block; leave space for tomorrow's product – this will help the equipment to last longer.

Make plans before installing the raw materials and curing.

A poor concrete mix can not be corrected by the forming machine. Feeding, compaction and demolding are affected by cement content, aggregate grading and moisture and mixing consistency. Whenever feasible, buyers should test local materials representative of the production before production settings are finalized.

Curing capacity must also be in line with the molding capacity. The wet products now move out of the machine before the curing area can get them and the bottleneck is now shifted downstream. This is the same for pallet return, cubing and storage.

It is therefore necessary to plan the entire process from raw material reception to finished block store during the factory planning.

What information should you provide the manufacturer?

The first step in a useful equipment proposal is to have real data about the project. Provide the supplier with the target block drawings or dimensions, the daily output required, the raw materials available, the level of automation required, the dimensions of the plants, the power supply required and the plans for the future products.

If there are a number of potential configurations for a project, it may be useful to compare a compact line, higher output automatic line, and a line with more automated curing or cubing. This will help with the investment conversation on actual requirements of plants rather than one machine specification.

Final Purchasing Check

When the material handling system and automation of the concrete block machine are consistent with the surrounding plants and the concrete block machine mold range and production capacity are suitable, then the automatic concrete block making machine is a good choice. Avoid making maximum hourly output selections only.

Verify actual product planned to be manufactured, ask about the output of the specific products, review the entire process flow and ensure that the factory has the capability to support the proposed line. A well matched system will be easier to run, easier to expand and be more likely to give a steady output.

FAQ

Q1. What type of products can be produced by an automatic concrete block making machine?

It can to make hollow blocks, solid blocks, pavers, curbstones and other products with concrete according to the mold and machine configuration. Make sure to verify the necessary size before deciding on the machine.

Q2. Is the higher the cycle, the better the factory output?

No. Mixing, feeding, curing transfer and circulation and cubing can restrict the overall production. All parts of the line need to run together.

Q3. What are the different sizes of machines and how to select them?

Begin by listing the sizes of your product and the amount of output you need each shift. After that, check size of pallet, cycle time, mold capacity and supporting production equipment.

Q4. Is it possible to produce various kinds of concrete products in one machine?

There are a number of block machines that can be used with interchangeable molds. Some pavers or decorative items may need special face-mix and/or feeding.

Q5. What information will I need to include in my request for a quotation?

Include block drawing or dimensions, desired daily capacity, materials, plant space, power and desired automation. This will enable the supplier to advise the more realistic configuration.