Concrete brick production unit

Archive article: This is an English translation of the source article dated 2021. Prices, promotions, statistics and specifications reflect the source period. Please contact us for a current quotation.

Concrete brick production unit

A concrete brick production unit, or block machine, is a set of components for manufacturing large quantities of concrete blocks, paving blocks or curbstones. These concrete products are used in construction, roadworks, landscaping and paved surfaces.

A concrete brick production unit, or block machine, is a set of components for manufacturing large quantities of concrete blocks, paving blocks or curbstones. These concrete products are used in construction, roadworks, landscaping and paved surfaces.

A concrete brick production unit generally includes a small batching plant, a vibrating press to compact the concrete, a production line or circuit with immediate or delayed demolding, a block grinding machine and a palletizer for block storage.

On large block machines capable of producing several thousand or even tens of thousands of blocks per day, production is generally automated and controlled by one operator.

Concrete Block Production Unit: Our blocks are manufactured with close attention using carefully combined raw materials:

• Cement
• 3/8 aggregate
• Washed crushed 0/4 sand
• Water

Daily output can reach 10,000 pieces per concrete block production unit. The mix design is standard across all our machines, although customers may adapt it to the raw materials available in their country. The concrete brick production unit delivers an excellent finish.

A concrete block is a molded masonry unit manufactured with a concrete block making machine. In French, it is commonly called “parpaing,” “aggloméré,” “agglo” or “plot.” It is a gray, pressed concrete block shaped like a rectangular prism and used in construction. It may be solid or hollow depending on its strength class. The greater the load it must support, the higher its strength class and the heavier the block.

The strength classes available from our concrete brick production unit are: B40, resistance of 40 bar or 4 MPa; B60, 60 bar or 6 MPa; B80, 80 bar or 8 MPa; B120, 120 bar or 12 MPa; and B160, 160 bar or 16 MPa. Concrete blocks in construction: Regularly shaped, strong, relatively light and inexpensive, concrete blocks are the main component of external walls in recent buildings. They can be used on their own, particularly for sheds and boundary walls. Generally, however, they are covered with another material, such as brick or colored render, for appearance and insulation. Blocks made from fired clay or clay-and-straw mixtures also exist, but are much less common or limited to specific regions; our concrete brick production units do not make fired-clay blocks. Concrete blocks are stacked in successive courses and joined with a thin layer of mortar, generally 1.5 cm thick.

A thin mortar layer is recommended because mortar has lower consistency and strength and costs more than the concrete block. Blocks are generally 20 cm high and 50 cm long, with varying overall thickness. The most common thicknesses are 5, 10, 15 and 20 cm. Types include standard blocks, as shown in the diagram above; corner blocks; bond-beam blocks; lintel blocks; and solid blocks for taller construction. Concrete block manufacturing: Blocks are made in factories consisting of a batching plant and stationary vibrating presses. Strong vibration reduces the cement quantity while maintaining the same performance. For smaller-scale production, mobile egg-laying presses can be used. These deposit blocks on the ground in rows of 5 or 6, depending on size. A stationary press or block machine produces an average of 4,000 to 10,000 blocks per day, while mobile laying machine output ranges from 1,000 to 3,500 blocks.

Semi-automatic concrete brick making machine

The semi-automatic concrete brick machine molds the blocks. Concrete arrives by conveyor in a hopper at the top of the machine and descends by gravity. A board is placed on the vibrating table, and a mold is lowered onto it. The mold is a few centimeters taller than the finished blocks. A feed drawer brings enough concrete over the mold to fill it. The table first vibrates for a few seconds to ensure complete filling. The drawer then retracts, making room for a tamper head whose projecting shapes fit closely inside the mold.

A second vibration phase then begins as the tamper head descends into the mold to help compact the concrete. Vibration stops, and the mold rises while the tamper head ensures clean demolding. The board can then be removed and a new cycle started.

The press, or concrete brick production unit, is almost entirely hydraulic except for the table, whose vibration is generated by four electric motors. Below, you can see the mold, the board on the vibrating table and two of the four vibration motors.