In mass civil and industrial construction, a machine is used for the production of factory-made expanded clay blocks. Such units have high power, productivity, and ease of use. The limiting characteristic of industrial equipment is its high cost.
To reduce costs, homemade equipment is used for the production of expanded clay concrete blocks. Do-it-yourself machines allow you to produce material in a short time at the lowest cost.
What machines are used to produce expanded clay blocks?
The following types of equipment are used to produce expanded clay concrete blocks:
- factory made;
- homemade.
Industrial machines are used to make a large number of building materials. They are used in factories, factories, and house-building plants.
Homemade machines are used to produce blocks with your own hands at home. Used for the construction of country houses, country cottages, garages, vegetable stores and other outbuildings.
Availability of common expenses
The following should be taken into account:
• Salary costs (based on 3 people) - 60 thousand rubles.
• For social contributions - 18 thousand rubles.
• For rent of premises and open area - 50 thousand rubles.
• For other administrative expenses - 20 thousand rubles. In this case, we mean utility and bank payments, Internet, communications.
• Other necessary expenses - 15 thousand rubles.
As a result, we get 163 thousand rubles.
Features of homemade machines
Types of equipment for the production of expanded clay concrete blocks:
- Manual vibration machines.
- Mobile mechanized machines.
- Vibrating tables.
- Vibrating presses.
Manual vibrating machines
Consist of an electric motor and a vibration stand. The mixture is placed into molds. The equipment allows you to produce solid or hollow blocks. Technical equipment has stationary or removable void formers.
The main advantage of the equipment is its small size and relatively low cost.
The disadvantage is low power and low productivity. All processes take place with the direct participation of humans. The equipment power does not exceed 2.0 kW.
Mobile mechanized machines
Equipped with vibration equipment for expanded clay concrete blocks with a power of 2 to 10 kW. Trailed or removable casters are used for movement. To perform additional functions they are equipped with modular systems.
The advantage is the ability to move freely, small dimensions, low cost.
The disadvantage is the low productivity and energy consumption of the equipment.
Vibrating tables
They are a spatial structure with an electric motor and a vibration device. The table surface consists of a steel tray. For its manufacture, galvanized steel sheet with a thickness of 3 mm with sides is used.
The molds filled with the mixture are placed on a pallet. Under the influence of vibration, the solution is compacted and takes the required shape. After this, the products are sent for drying.
The advantage of vibrating tables is their simplicity of design, maintenance, and minimal equipment cost.
The disadvantage is low productivity and a large proportion of manual labor.
Vibrating presses
Used in industrial enterprises. They have a power of up to 500 kW. Equipped with automation and non-destructive testing devices for finished products.
The equipment operates in automatic and semi-automatic mode at all stages of production. Productivity reaches 150 or more cubic meters of products per shift.
Nuances of production activities
Production equipment
The formed block hardens within a day, but it can only be sold after a week. According to the process technology, expanded clay concrete should harden at room temperature. Accelerating the process using heat guns will lead to damage to the product, which will become brittle and crumble at the slightest impact. Manufacturers often reduce the content of cement and expanded clay in the initial mixture, which reduces strength and reduces thermal conductivity.
By using methods to save on the quantity and quality of raw materials, as well as not complying with technological regulations, an entrepreneur risks earning a bad reputation and finding himself behind similar competitive companies that may offer a more expensive product, but of better quality.
Expanded clay block production technology
The production of expanded clay blocks consists of the following stages:
- Preparation of the working mixture.
- Molding of products.
- Pre-hardening.
- Drying of products and strengthening.
- Transportation of expanded clay concrete blocks to the warehouse.
Preparation of the solution
To prepare 100 kg of working mixture, take the following proportions, kg:
Expanded clay - 54.5.
Sand – 27.2.
Cement – 9.21.
Water – 9.09.
Cement grades M400 or M500 are used in dry and pure form. To obtain a glossy surface, tile adhesive is added to the mixture. The plasticity and workability of the solution is increased with the help of plasticizers.
Chemical additives increase the frost resistance and water resistance of finished products. To increase porosity, wood saponified resin is used.
Concrete mortar is prepared by thoroughly mixing the mixture components. A weighed amount of ingredients is placed in a concrete mixer or special container. The composition is stirred for 2-3 minutes.
From the finished portion of the mixture, 9-10 standard blocks measuring 39x19x19 cm are obtained.
Product molding
The prepared composition is placed in special steel molds. After each use, the molds are rinsed with clean water and wiped with a dry cloth.
The molds with the mixture are installed on a vibration stand. Under the influence of vibration, the mixture in the molds is compacted. As sedimentation and compaction proceed, the required amount of solution is added. Excess concrete is promptly removed.
After sufficient compaction, the finished products are placed in the drying chamber.
Drying and storage
Drying is carried out at a temperature of 50-60°C for 2 days. After the specified period, the products are dried for 25-26 days in an open warehouse under natural conditions. The dried products are sent to the finished product warehouse for subsequent sale.
Where to begin
Before starting any activity towards the implementation of a project, it is recommended to develop a business plan, during the preparation of which you will have to understand all the nuances and subtleties of the business. The next stage will be registering business activities, placing an order for the purchase of equipment and selecting premises for rent. Before starting work, you must obtain permission to conduct activities from the fire inspectorate and the SES. To do this, you must be prepared to provide rental agreements, insurance, for the provision of waste removal services, and also equip the premises with fire extinguishing equipment.
Manufacturers, characteristics and cost of industrial equipment
The most popular among specialists are the developments of domestic manufacturers. The Russian market offers a wide range of machines for the production of expanded clay concrete blocks. The most famous of them are presented in the table.
| Name of equipment | Main technical characteristics | Manufacturer | Cost, rub. |
| Cinder block machine "Siberia" | Weight, kg - 12.4 Dimensions, m - 0.45?0.38?0.33 Installation power, kW - 0.12 Output, block/shift – 320 Block size, cm - 39?19?19 | LLC “Delay-bloki.ru” Russia, Moscow | 6 800 |
| Vibration pressing machine SPRUT-2 | Weight, kg - 140 Installation power, kW - 0.55 Output, block/shift - from 600 to 1500 Block size, cm - 39?19?19 | Prommash LLC Belgorod region, Starooskolsky district, Neznamovo village | 65 000 |
| Automated vibration-pressor complex Condor 1—90—TB | Weight, kg - 1570 Dimensions, m - 1.2x1.8x2.8 Installation power, kW - 16.5 Output: — 750 block/shift (39x19x19 cm); — 1800 bricks (25x12x88 cm); - 50 m2 of paving slabs (50?50 cm). | Stroytekhnika LLC Russia, Zlatoust city, Krasnaya Gorka village | 520 000 |
| Automated vibration-pressor complex "Rifey-Udar" | Weight, kg - 4400 Dimensions, m – 6.4x4.9x2.6 Power, kW - 21.6 Performance: — 1700 block/shift (39x19x19 cm); — 4000 bricks (25x12x88 cm); — 100 m2 of paving slabs (50×50 cm). | Stroytekhnika LLC Russia, Zlatoust city, Krasnaya Gorka village | 1 515 000 |
Results
The production of expanded clay blocks is a promising direction, relevant for opening their own business for a person who has decided to engage in entrepreneurial activity for the first time. If the project is implemented correctly, it will not encounter surprises, since all operations are predictable and can be planned. Another bonus in the activity may be minimal competition in this market segment, since not many people know about the unique building material. For the same reason, to promote it, you will need to launch a powerful advertising campaign, with the help of which the entrepreneur will have the opportunity to announce his product and position it as the best offer among a number of similar ones.
How to make a machine for expanded clay blocks with your own hands?
Every person can make a machine for producing expanded clay concrete blocks with his own hands. It is advisable to use a homemade device for personal use and the production of blocks for sale. Otherwise, it is profitable to buy ready-made units or rent equipment.
The main elements of a homemade machine are:
- Matrix.
- Hand press.
- Vibrator.
To make a homemade machine, you will need the following tools and materials:
- manual welding unit;
- grinder or hacksaw;
- set of wrenches;
- bench vice;
- steel sheet 3 mm thick;
- steel pipes with a diameter of 8-10 mm;
- electric motor with power up to 1.2 kW;
- fasteners (bolts, washers, nuts, cotter pins).
Work order
To simplify the assembly process, it is recommended to use the technical documentation. Drawings with a detailed description of the assembly process are given in the technical literature. Electronic versions of magazines and books on this topic can be found on the Internet.
- A molding box is made from a sheet of metal. The dimensions of the molding box are selected depending on the required block sizes.
- Handles are welded on the outside of the end walls of the molding box. They are designed to carry the machine.
- Void formers are made from pipes. The height of the parts is taken to be 3-5 mm less than the height of the molding box. The pipes are connected to each other by a steel plate.
- Using welding, the pipes and plate are connected into a single structure.
- The resulting structure is welded on both sides to the end walls of the molding box.
- A hand press is made. To do this, use a steel sheet 1-2 mm smaller than the size of the molding box. Holes are cut in the workpiece 0.5-1.0 mm smaller than the pipe diameter. Handles are welded along the edges of the lid.
- Brackets for installing the electric motor are welded on the outside of the molding box wall.
An electric motor with a power of 0.5-1.0 kW with a starting mechanism is installed. To create vibration, the electric motor shaft is equipped with an eccentric.
We calculate the cost
All work requires preliminary calculations, otherwise there is no point in starting the production of expanded clay concrete blocks
All work requires preliminary calculations, otherwise there is no point in starting the production of expanded clay concrete blocks at home with your own hands. To calculate the cost, you will have to accurately find out the price of the components and understand how much a unit of finished material will cost. In particular, considering a standard module of 390*190*140 mm, the solution volume is 14 liters. We subtract the void formers, which, as a rule, are no more than 25-30%, the result is equal to 11 liters of mixture. Now calculating the components:
- One piece requires 0.005 cubic meters of sand, which fills 5 liters of the entire volume;
- Expanded clay is required approximately the same as sand;
- You will need 1.25 kg of cement.
All that remains is to find out the price of the ingredients, take into account water and other components and calculate the cost per unit of the module. According to the most approximate calculations, it will be up to $5. As you can see, the price is incredibly low. However, for a complete picture, it is not enough to calculate the costs of equipment, labor costs and time, which any developer must include in the calculations. But even in this complete situation, the cost of block modules, which will make excellent walls made of expanded clay concrete blocks, made by yourself, is still lower than from the manufacturer. Therefore, if you are planning to build your house on a site, watch again the material manufacturing technology, videos from professionals and start planning the process of launching the production of expanded clay concrete blocks on your site - it is profitable, practical and affordable for every craftsman.
Subtleties of sales organization
Expanded clay blocks are a sought-after product; there is demand for it both from private buyers and from construction companies. The latter usually require large volumes of material. Entrepreneurs promote their products in different ways: from advertising on television and on the Internet to telephone conversations with potential buyers.
You can try to sell goods through intermediaries - shops and warehouses of building materials. This is a good way that does not require investment or independent advertising. Its main disadvantage is the markup that the intermediary will add: the price of the product will increase and scare away some buyers.
This method is best combined with independent sale of blocks at the “price from the manufacturer.” At the initial stage, do not organize delivery; let buyers come to the base on their own. You can then contract with a freight agency or purchase your own truck to provide delivery services.
It is better to combine the sale of goods through intermediaries with the independent sale of blocks at the “price from the manufacturer”
