Ready Mix Concrete Plant

Ready Mix Concrete Plant: The Definitive Guide

What is a Ready-Mix Concrete Plant?

A ready-mix concrete plant produces ready-mix concrete, or RMC, for various construction projects. RMC is a mixture of aggregates, sand, cement, and additives, pre-mixed according to a project’s specified requirements and is delivered directly to construction site right after production.

The newly produced concrete is transported via a mixer truck and is continuously mixed along the way. This way, the concrete will not harden, and the continuous mixing makes the concrete stronger and more concentrated.

RMC is preferred in most projects because since the concrete hasn’t hardened yet, it is easy to apply to various spots and crevices and can take any form and shape.

How Does a Ready-Mix Concrete Plant Works?

A ready-mix concrete plant operates very simply. The raw materials, such as aggregates, cement, and powders, are placed in corresponding compartments. The aggregates are placed in aggregate batchers, while cement and other powder additives are placed in lift hoppers.

These raw materials are then weighted and dispatched through a feeding system and the mixed together through a double shaft forced concrete mixer together with water and other additives.

The concrete will then be dispatched on a mixer truck. It will continue mixing the concrete solution on a regulated speed on its way to the construction project. The mixer truck then dispatches the freshly mixed concrete on a specified spot or storage.

What are the Advantages of a Ready-Mix Concrete Plant?

A ready-mix concrete plant provides you with a lot of very vital advantages, mainly thanks to its fully automatic computer control system. Because of what we call “ready mix concrete plan”, things can be a lot easier to do.

The first advantage of a ready-mix concrete plant is the accurate proportions of the raw materials and aggregates. You can always be assured that the right amounts of cement, aggregates, water, and the rest are applied to the mixture.

With a ready-mix concrete plant, you would have little to no waste of cement. Since the operation of the plant is in large quantities, cement usage is optimized.

Since the ready-mix concrete plant is fully automatic and accurate, the consistency and quality of RMC produced is always guaranteed. This way, you can efficiently use the raw materials and avoid any wastes due to error.

A ready-mix concrete plant saves your project a lot of time and resources. It lessens manual labor costs, ensures efficient usage of raw materials, and most importantly, speeds up production, thus cutting your project time significantly.

What are the Components of a Ready-Mix Concrete Plant?

• Materials Batching System

This is where the raw materials are dispatched coming from the main storage source. Aggregates, cement, sand, and other additives are placed in storage batchers so that it can be adequately supplied for the mixture.

The PLD aggregate batching machines are the most used model series in ready-mix concrete plants. Depending on the size of your project and the variety of raw materials, you can choose from PLD 800, 1200, 2400, and 3200 batching machines.

The model number corresponds to the number of batchers or bins where you can allocate aggregates and raw materials. You can have as much as six batchers to place your raw materials in simultaneously. The amount of materials to be processed per batch is completely adjustable.

• Materials Weighting System

For high-quality concrete, the amount of raw materials used should be accurate to the last unit. That’s why it is important to have a reliable weighting system. Currently, there are two types of weighting methods; the cumulative and independent measuring system.

The cumulative weighting system measures the weight of the raw materials entirely. It has a low feeding height and is very easy to operate. The downside is that since you are not able to measure the materials separately, it might affect the quality of the concrete produced.

The independent weighting system enables you to measure each material raw material separately. It increases the accuracy of the mixture and increases the quality of concrete. However, it requires a more complicated set-up, including a high feeding height.

• Materials Conveying System

The transportation of raw materials is divided into three phases:

The first phase is the aggregate transportation. It is how the crushed stones, gravel, and sand are transported from aggregate batchers to the mixing station. If your project is of a small to medium scale operation, lift hoppers are preferred due to its simple operation and minimal footprint.

If you have a large-scale operation with large quantities of aggregate, it is best to use a conveyor belt. It is much faster than lift hoppers and can transport aggregate even to further distances.

The second phase is powder conveying. It is how cement and other additives such as ash fly and mineral powders are dispatched to the mixing station. Screw conveying is the most prominent means of powder transportation. It is affordable, easy to set up, and you can use it in large scale operations.

Liquid Delivery is last phase of the material conveying system. It is simply the means of how water and liquid additives are pumped into the concrete mixture. Normally, water is pumped in the mixing truck where the concrete mixture is mixed while being transported to the construction site.

• Concrete Mixing System

After the raw materials are batched, dispatched, and weighted, it goes to the concrete mixing system. Usually, you can find a double shaft forced concrete mixer as the main mixing station of the ready-mix concrete plant.

The JS series mixers, the most commonly used mixer today, goes from the JS500, the model number being the indicator of how much capacity the mixer has. You can find a model as high as the JS3000, which is the strongest of all the double-shaft forced concrete mixer systems.

• Control System

The control system is where you input the ready-mix concrete plan so that the fully automatic system does the job efficiently. You can set all the parameters from the aggregate weight to the volume of water to achieve the perfect quality of concrete.

Although the control system might seem complex, it is actually user-friendly. Not only can you operate it through the interface, it also has a dynamic display where you can monitor aggregate levels and production efficiency.

The control system allows you to print reports of real-time information you can gather through the dynamic display.

The most widely trusted technology is the original Taiwan Advantech PC bus industrial control computer, which you can find in most control systems.

The parts and chipset are usually provided by international brands such as Hongge, Schneider, Fuji, Omron, and Hequan. Epson and Panasonic printers are usually installed alongside a Philips or Samsung color display interface.

What are the Types of Ready-Mix Concrete Plants?

• Dry Batch Ready-Mix Concrete Plants

In a dry batch ready-mix concrete plant, the raw materials are placed in batchers, weighted, and dispatched in specific amounts to a mixer truck. This is where the water and other liquid additives are added to the mix.

The truck mixer rotates with speeds of 6-18rpms, eventually completing the required 70 to 100 revolutions, before slowing down to a minimal 2 to 6 rpm agitating speed.

You have to take note that the drum should not revolve more than 300 times and the concrete should be poured out within 1.5 hours .

• Wet Batch Ready-Mix Concrete Plants

In a wet-batch ready-mix concrete plant, the mixing is done through a stationary plant mixer. The most prominent model for concrete mixers is the JS series.

After the concrete mix has been produced, it will then be dispatched to a mixer truck, which will revolve in the agitating speeds of 2 to 6 rpm within the 1.5-hour timeframe on its way to the project site.

• Half-Wet Ready-Mix Concrete Plants

In a half-wet ready-mix concrete plant, the cement, sand, and water are mixed in the stationary mixer to form a slurry. This slurry is then transported to the truck, where the aggregates are later added.

The truck then mixes the slurry with the aggregate on its way to the project site. This strategy can save you a lot of batching time and minimizes the depreciation of your plant’s stationary mixer.

• Combination Batch Concrete Plants

In some cases, a combination of both dry and wet batch concrete mixtures is required by the projects. Although the wet batch is done primarily in the stationary mixer, the concrete is still delivered through small truck mixers to maintain the consistency of the concrete.

How Can You Choose the Perfect Ready-Mix Concrete Plant?

• Overall Efficiency Benchmarks

You need to know the standards of efficiency of a ready-mix concrete plant before making a deal. The sure way for you to achieve that is to gather information about all the manufacturers of your plant requirements. Research on the overall productivity and efficiency of the machineries and strike a deal with the one with the best parameters.

• Longevity and Sustainability

You also need to understand on how long a ready-mix concrete plant could be of service to you. Since you are about to release a huge amount of money, it is best to ensure that the plant you are purchasing is of value to you for a long period of time.

• Availability of After Sales

The manufacturer should not end their relationship with you after the sale is done. They should commit to have a dedicated after-sales service to ensure that your operations are continuous. The manufacturer should also provide operation and troubleshooting courses to your operators and engineers.

• Compatibility with Current Project

All the high technology and top-notch specification would not matter if the ready-mix concrete plant does not complement your current and future projects. Make sure that the plant you will purchase is the one that suits your company’s needs and ensure maximum efficiency and productivity.

What is the Price of a Ready-Mix Concrete Plant?

There are a lot of factors affecting the price of ready-mix concrete plants in China. The price of spare parts, manpower, and region has a certain influence over the price of construction machinery. However, there is a certain range where you can determine if it is overpriced or sold at a bargain price.

You can have the most basic model, the HZS25, at around $50,000. The price can go as high as $500,000 for one of the higher models, the HZS180.

Since the ready-mix concrete plants are to be modified depending on the requirements of your company, the modifications will also cost you. The mixing station model, the size and type of aggregate batchers, the conveying systems, and other factors will definitely affect the price of your construction equipment.

But an important thing to note is that you should never always go for the cheapest one. You also have to know the inclusions of the sales contract. Ask the supplier if the price includes the training of your personnel and the after sales service.

Warranties also adds up to the price of the ready-mix concrete plant, but that small additional can be a big help for your company in the long run.

How to Find a Ready-Mix Concrete Plant from China?

China is known to be the mecca of construction equipment all over the world due to the high-quality of the supplies and the affordable prices. But you should still practice due diligence in finding a ready-mix concrete plant in China.

The main reason is that you wouldn’t want to make any mistake in buying any high-priced items overseas, whether in China, or anywhere in the world. Can you imagine the time and money wasted on a wrong procurement?

The first step is for you to find a trusted company name for construction company; one that has years of experience and has a presence all over the world. The next step would be to reach out to that company and ask if whether they can provide you with what exactly you are looking for.

You can also find good deals in online buy and sell websites. This way, you can compare prices among various suppliers before reaching out to them.

You can then visit the plants in China to have a closer inspection of the ready-mix concrete plant and see if everything is working properly, and if you can strike up a deal that will benefit both you and the supplier.

To save all the hassle, you can also opt in asking assistance from agencies and middlemen. You can fill them in with all the information and they will look for the perfect match with your interest as their priority. This might ensure the accuracy and compatibility of the ready-mix concrete plant to your project; however, this procedure will definitely cost you.

How to Buy a Ready-Mix Concrete Plant from China?

Once you have a list of your potential suppliers, it is time for you to negotiate with them. The prices of ready-mix concrete plants and other construction equipment in China are always negotiable. Dealing with suppliers personally can even get you lower prices.

The most important thing before you agree on the purchase of equipment is that the model, size, specifications, and all other details are correct and final. Any changes made during the construction will definitely cost you, since the parts to be modified have already been purchased by the manufacturer.

Once everything is final, then you can now proceed with the purchase agreement. Review the contract before signing it. This time, make sure that everything that was agreed upon was in the contract, including warranties, after-sales services, and other inclusions.

The construction of the ready-mix concrete plant will begin. You will be provided with the completion date, estimated shipping date, and arrival in your country. You will also be notified if there are customs clearances that are needed from your end before the ready-mix concrete plant gets shipped.

Why Should You Buy the Ready-Mix Concrete Plant from Lontto?

If you want to be assured that you get the best ready-mix concrete plant, then you won’t go wrong with Lontto.

Lontto is synonymous with quality and trust. This company has been a leader in the construction industry for more than 30 years.

It has maintained high standards of quality, having CE and ISO 9001:2001 certifications maintained throughout the years.

Lontto is trusted by top construction firms not only in China, but all over the world. It has direct relations to over 60 countries, including the India, Russia, South Africa, South America, and the middle east.

Buying a ready-mix concrete plant from Lontto means you are not just buying the machinery, but also the technology, training, and lifetime operational support.

Lontto will be there with you throughout the production, shipment, installation, and operations. Rest assured that Lontto will be the perfect partner for your construction needs.

How Will the Ready-Mix Concrete Plant be Shipped from China to Your Country?

The only thing we need from you is the delivery address. The company will also notify you of any duties and taxes or other customs clearances necessary for the shipment.

Once the construction is complete, we will schedule the loading date and notify you about it. Once the ready-mix plant is loaded into the container, you will be provided with the estimated departure and arrival of your shipment.

Just make sure to keep the tracking number so you can easily track the system online or through the customer service portal.

Once the ship docks and the clearances are complied with, we will proceed the delivery to the address you provided.

How is the Ready-Mix Concrete Plant Installed?

The purchase of the ready-mix concrete plant also includes the installation process, so you don’t need to worry about how to install the plant once it arrives.

Once we have confirmed the arrival of the ready-mix concrete plant to your specified address, we will immediately send a highly trained engineer to install the plant.

This engineer will also introduce the plant to your personnel, providing them with adequate training on how to operate the machine properly.

Before leaving, the engineer will ensure that everything is up and running and that the operation is stable and at 100% functionality.

What Are the After Sales Services Expected from the Ready-Mix Concrete Plant?

Lontto has an excellent after-sales team that will readily cater to all of your concerns while using the ready-mix concrete plant.

The installation engineer would not leave you until the smooth operation of the ready-mix concrete plant is assured. He will also ensure that all of your personnel are thoroughly knowledgeable of operating and troubleshooting the ready-mix concrete plant.

You will have access to a support hotline which you can reach out anytime for any questions, clarifications, and concerns regarding the ready-mix concrete plant. If necessary, we will send a highly trained technician to check the plant and ensure that everything is working perfectly.

Conclusion

As a 30+ years of ready mix concrete plant manufacturer in China. We can supply you the best quality of ready mix concrete plant, and low price.

Contact us today. Let us skyrocket your construction business.