Choosing a concrete batching plant is not easy. It is a decision that involves several aspects and multiple dimensions. Frumecar has long experience building and installing concrete batching plants and we want you to benefit from this knowledge so that you can acquire the plant you really need. In this post, we are going to summarize the points that you must take into account to acquire the plant that suits the objectives of your company

The main criterion: the contribution of the concrete batching plant to the economic profit of your company

Choosing a concrete batching plant requires careful analysis of your own business and the market you are targeting. This analysis will provide you with the most appropriate framework to assess the different elements that you must take into account, not only at the time of purchase, but also at the time of installation and operation.

Of course, the economic element will be the paramount to estimate the suitability of a concrete batching plant. As in any business, there are financial costs and operating costs involved, but there are some items specific to concrete batching plants that must be evaluated. Among them, the most important are engineering (the study and management of the project); the works to be undertaken (civil works, fences, cleaning, water and electricity supplies, etc.); the auxiliary equipment for the plant works, like excavators.  In addition, one of the most important elements: the amortization of the plant. Since very often, the purchase of a concrete batching plant is made for a temporary project – such as a construction site – and once completed a large part of the investment can be recovered by moving the plant to another work or by selling that concrete batching plant to another company.

Regulatory frameworks and logistics of concrete batching plants 

The installation and operation of a concrete batching plant have to comply with legal, local, state, and international regulations. This is specified in various types of licenses (activity, work, operating) that have a cost in themselves and due to the eventual need to undertake works, such as fences and enclosures, to accommodate them.

All these regulations add elements and obstacles to the complex logistics of a concrete batching plant. In any case, the main milestones to which the logistics of a concrete batching plant must pay attention are the assembly procedures, the tasks that make it possible for the machinery to operate correctly and maintenance. All this adds additional costs and expenses that must be considered.

Different businesses, different solutions 

The type of business directly affects the choice of concrete batching plant. In fact, several businesses will require the installation of one to several concrete batching plants. It can be a plant to sell concrete, or also a company to produce precast concrete pieces, such as beams or tiles. In many other cases it will be a public work or a construction that will require a plant to regularly supply the concrete you need. Each one has its peculiarities and its conditions

Custom technology solutions

There are different types of concrete batching plants : mixers —wet way—, which carry out the complete process of making concrete, or dosing plants —dry way— which, as their name indicates, pour the concrete components into concrete mixers in their prescribed dose for mingle on the construction site. From the logistical point of view, they can be fixed plants, prefabricated plants or construction plants. The latter facilitate their rapid relocation to various locations and are the most suitable for projects such as construction of railways or roads.

Depending on the space available, they can be vertical concrete batching plants  (when the movement of the components is made from top to bottom with the help of gravity) or horizontal concrete batching plants  in which the transfer of the elements that make up the concrete (cement, aggregates, water and additives) is made with belts and augers. In addition, there are different types of mixers: horizontal axis, turbo mixers (or vertical axis) and the so-called planetary mixers.

Each of the various concrete batching plants that exist is designed for the production of one class (or several) of concrete and for different types of business.

Frumecar wants to help you decide which one is the most convenient to make the concrete that your company needs. If you are thinking of buying a concrete batching plant, download our white paper.

How to choose the right concrete batching plant for your project.  With it, you will have a comprehensive guide to guide you in your purchase decision.