Understanding the Types of Batching Plant and Loading Processes
Among the concrete preparation processes, one of the most important steps is dosing the component materials and transferring them to the mixer truck. The equipment responsible for these tasks is the batching plant, but there are different types that vary in the way they weigh the aggregates.
The thing is that few people own more than one batching plant and, for that reason, end up not understanding the details that make up other types of equipment. With that in mind, we have prepared this read to better explain each batching plant and the loading processes.
Dosing according to the materials
Each of the concrete components has a specific dosing process. Cement, for example, is the component known as the binder, because when it comes into contact with water it starts a chemical reaction that binds the other components, known as aggregates. For this reason, cement must be stored in silos or, even when bagged, kept in places protected from rain and moisture so that it does not become unfit for use.
There may be more than one type of cement in the batching plant, sometimes required for projects with a specific demand, such as highway lanes that use one type or sewage treatment tanks that require another. But these cements, or other additions needed for the concrete, must be in different silos and cannot be mixed when placed on the scale: they must be weighed at different times, following the quantities in the mix design sheets.
Regarding the aggregate, the plant can be of the Tow-Go type, in which a wheel loader doses the aggregates, or of the P3, P4 or P5 type, where the material stays in overhead bins and dosing is done by opening gates.
As for the admixture, several types may exist in the same process, and dosing can be done manually using graduated containers or through scales with automation. Finally, water can be dosed via a water meter or scale as well.
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Types of batching plant
The basic difference between batching plants lies in how they weigh the aggregates. In the type 2 batching plant, cement is stored in a silo and dosed on its own scale, while the aggregates are stored in individual bins and can be dosed separately or cumulatively. After being weighed, they proceed to the mixer truck, where mixing takes place.
In the type 3 batching plant, cement is also stored in a silo and dosed on its own scale, while the aggregates are dosed cumulatively by a wheel loader or other similar equipment. They are then transferred to the mixer truck, which performs the mixing.
In the type 4 batching plant, cement is dosed in bags, while the aggregates are dosed cumulatively on the scale by the wheel loader or similar equipment, moving on to the mixer truck where they will be mixed.
Types of loading process
There are two types of loading: manual and automated. In manual loading, the scale operator controls the weighing of materials and their transfer to the truck. For this there is a control panel with buttons to open and close gates, activate belt conveyors, air blowers, vibrators, water pumps, and more.
In automated plants, the operator enters the mix code and the volume to be loaded into the computer. The computer, in turn, commands the control panel, and the operator only intervenes in the dosing if a problem with the load is detected.
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