The concrete commonly used to make concrete blocks is a mixture of powdered portland cement, water, sand and gravel. The production of concrete blocks consists of four basic processes: mixing, molding, curing and cubing.
Some manufacturing plants produce only concrete blocks, while others may produce a wide variety of precast concrete products including blocks, flat paver stones, and decorative landscaping pieces such as lawn edging. Some plants are capable of producing 2,000 or more blocks per hour.
The following steps are commonly used to manufacture concrete blocks.
Mixing
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1 The sand and gravel are stored outside in piles and are transferred into storage bins in the plant by a conveyor belt as they are needed. The portland cement is stored outside in large vertical silos to protect it from moisture.
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2 As a production run starts, the required amounts of sand, gravel, and cement are transferred by gravity or by mechanical means to a weigh batcher which measures the proper amounts of each material.
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3 The dry materials then flow into a stationary mixer where they are blended together for several minutes. There are two types of mixers commonly used. One type, called a planetary or pan mixer, resembles a shallow pan with a lid. Mixing blades are attached to a vertical rotating shaft inside the mixer. The other type is called a horizontal drum mixer. It resembles a coffee can turned on its side and has mixing blades attached to a horizontal rotating shaft inside the mixer.
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4 After the dry materials are blended, a small amount of water is added to the mixer. If the plant is located in a climate subject to temperature extremes, the water may first pass through a heater or chiller to regulate its temperature. Admixture chemicals and coloring pigments may also be added at this time. The concrete is then mixed for six to eight minutes.
Molding
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5 Once the load of concrete is thoroughly mixed, it is dumped into an inclined
bucket conveyor and transported to an elevated hopper. The mixing cycle begins again for the next load.
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6 From the hopper the concrete is conveyed to another hopper on top of the block machine at a measured flow rate. In the block machine, the concrete is forced downward into molds. The molds consist of an outer mold box containing several mold liners. The liners determine the outer shape of the block and the inner shape of the block cavities. As many as 15 blocks may be molded at one time.
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7 When the molds are full, the concrete is compacted by the weight of the upper mold head coming down on the mold cavities. This compaction may be supplemented by air or hydraulic pressure cylinders acting on the mold head. Most block machines also use a short burst of mechanical vibration to further aid compaction.
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8 The compacted blocks are pushed down and out of the molds onto a flat steel pallet. The pallet and blocks are pushed out of the machine and onto a chain conveyor. In some operations the blocks then pass under a rotating brush which removes loose material from the top of the blocks.
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Quality Control
The manufacture of concrete blocks requires constant monitoring to produce blocks that have the required properties. The raw materials are weighed electronically before they are placed in the mixer. The trapped water content in the sand and gravel may be measured with ultrasonic sensors, and the amount of water to be added to the mix is automatically adjusted to compensate. In areas with harsh temperature extremes, the water may pass through a chiller or heater before it is used.
As the blocks emerge from the block machine, their height may be checked with laser beam sensors. In the curing kiln, the temperatures, pressures, and cycle times are all controlled and recorded automatically to ensure that the blocks are cured properly, in order to achieve their required strength.
Brick block machine
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