Concrete batch plants in Australia’s ready-mix industry understand that plant maintenance efficiency is a fundamental key objective. Keeping the equipment clean facilitatesessentialmaintenance.
Progressive operators are adopting petrol or diesel drive pressure cleaners in the 3,000 to 5,000 psi class because of their flexibility and mobility. One Australian pressure cleaner manufacturer, Australian Pump Industries, has built a complete package of cold water cleaning machines designed specifically for the concrete industry.
The award winning Aussie Scud pressure cleaner range provides faster, cheaper and safer alternatives to conventional cleaning methods. The Aussie Scuds offer higher pressures and lower flows, enabling cleaning tasks to be carried out faster and with less labour, water and cleaning chemicals.
“Blasting concrete scale off plant enables the equipment to be more easily maintained,” said Aussie Pumps’ Craig Bridgement. “Even simple tasks like lubrication on conveyors and drives or maintaining hoppers is faster when equipment is clean,” he said.
The Aussie Scuds have proved popular with batch plants because they are mobile. They are powered by either Honda petrol or Yanmar diesel engine drives. Compact in design, they feature heavy duty slow speed ‘Big Berty’triplex piston pumps that provide longevity and low operating costs.
The full machine is enclosed in a heavy duty galvanised roll frame that has won plaudits for its design features. They include real benefits to the operator like‘no sharps’, big 13” pneumatic tyred steel wheels for ease of mobility and an integrated hose rack to store high pressure hose when not in use.
The big tractor style wheels are mounted on two axles, positioned to provide the blaster with a perfect centre of balance. “This makesthem easy to move and turn at the batch plant or even in the field,” said Bridgement.
The heart of the system is a “Big Berty” Bertolini pump running at 1450 rpm. The pump is gearbox driven with a 2:1 reduction drive that is totally enclosed and oil lubricated. That prevents ingress of dust, sand or cement powder into the drive system and sharply reduces maintenance costs compared to belt or open coupling drives.
The Scud range is available with a choice of 3,000 to 5,000 psi pressures with optional flows of 13 to 25 lpm.
“Teamed with an Aussie Turbomasterturbolance, cleaning times are cut inhalf,” said Bridgement. “Using a turbo with the 3,000 psi Aussie Scud 350, a 13 HP petrol engine drive machine, provides an effective working pressure of4,850 psi,” he said.
Grit blast kits and hose reels with extra-long length hose can also be fitted to the machine to provide the operator with dramatically improved flexibility at the site.
“Integrated hose reels mounted on the machine can effectively store up to 50 metres of hose,” said Bridgement. “That means the operator can wash around the plant without having shift the blaster and thus substantially cut cleaning times,” he said.
Bridgement also pointed out that a major benefit is the improved safety aspect of having high pressure hose, an obstacle on any site, effectively stored when not in use.
Australian Pump also supplies concrete plants withheavy duty submersible pumps. The company markets Tsurumi, the world’s biggest manufacturer of dewatering and submersible slurry pumps and offers special contract prices to batch plant operators.
“Mixer operators can take advantage of our plant cleaning equipment ‘Blaster Blitz’ programme,” said Bridgement. “Batch plant operators can get a super deal and put one of these heavy duty mobile machines on the job at a cut price,” he said.
A comprehensive guide to pressure cleaning equipment, including steam cleaners and big cold water machines up to 500 Bar (7,300 psi) is readily available from Australian Pump Industries www.aussiepumps.com.au or by sending Aussies free Blaster Blitz catalogue.
