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When investing in a Mobile batch plant, where do you begin?

 

The following info will help you to select the best solution for your site requirements.

 

Record the answers to the following questions before obtaining a quote:

• First, establish what your hourly m³ output will be required.

• Will you use cement bags or a cement silo with your plant?

• Do you use an electrical plant or a diesel engine driven plant?

• Which plant do I select that suits my requirements?

 

Different types of batching plants and solutions are available, depending on your unique site requirements

 

The following solutions are available, but not limited to:

• The Karoo 30 Mobile Batching Plant.

• The Karoo 30 mobile batch plant with a cement piggy back system.

• Karoo mobile batch plant with weighing cement and water hopper system. 

           Each hopper will weigh with an independent load cell system; thus, all can be loaded at the same time, reducing loading time.

• The Karoo Mobile Batching Plant with a weighing cement hopper is fitted with a screw conveyor feeding directly into the Head Shute. The bag splitter is used to load cement bags manually as a back-up system if required.

• Semi-Automated systems with silo’s that can be operated from the plant or control room.

• Static plants using cement silos with a batch control room.

• Multiple loading bin systems / Free standing feeding bins.

• Echo Mobile batching plant for smaller projects.

 

A manually operated batch plant or an automated batch plant can be supplied. Our batching plants are built with standard specifications that are scalable, so the plant can be upgraded at any given time to increase your hourly output.

 

Our Karoo 30 Mobile batch plant can produce between 24 – 30 m³ per hour. The larger the plant, the higher your hourly production output.

 

Tips to Compare Mobile Batching Plants

 

Here are a few simple tips to compare the different types of batch plants on the market before you purchase a mobile batching plant.

 

What differences should be considered between Mobile batch plants on the market?

 

• The material used to manufacture the structure of the mobile batch plant

  • The thickness of the steel/material used and the grade of material used in manufacturing as well as the durability of the plant.

  • Our drive pulley is fitted with rubber lagging preventing the slip of the conveyor belt.

  • Adjustment pulley ensures the alignment of the conveyor belt.

• The weighing systems:

Weighing systems consist of load cells, a control operator’s indicator and a large LED scoreboard for the TLB Operator/loader. 

• You need to check if the electronics’ used in the plant are durable, accurate, waterproof, and visible during day time? 

• You also need to check if the electronics are easy to operate?  

• Also, are replacements easily available and can replacement parts be supplied timeously to minimise downtime during a breakdown? 

• Gearbox and motor: 

  • Is the gearbox the direct drive type or fenner type gearbox which uses V-Belts?

  • Does the gearbox require spares to be kept on-site? 

  • Are you required to adjust and tension the gearbox on the drive pulley? 

  • Is an anti-run-back bearing fitted on your gearbox to prevent your material running back should you need to stop your conveyor belt? 

  • Does your motor use a centrifugal clutch, which can slip or be damaged?

• The water system: 

  • Which water system is fitted - An electronic system or manual system?

  • What reading does the meter supply: Usually: Mechanical water meter: 0-500L or 0-1000L or the electronic water meter system: 0 to 9999 L per load? 

  • Is the meter reset manually or by a reset button after each load? 

  • Is a water ring fitted at the Head Shute (which helps in the mixing process and cleaning the shute of the mixer truck post production) 

• Towing requirements of the plant:

  • Can the plant be towed or will you be required to transport the plant by low-bed truck, which will require cranes to onload/offload the batch plant, increasing the transport and production cost.

  • Boom section: Is the booms section manufactured to tow the plant. Solid and durable?

 

The parts JA Plant uses in manufacturing our batching plant 

Load cells: 

• Each plant is fitted with 2 x load cell shear beams. 

• Each beam can take a maximum weight of 15 Tons.

• The load cells are fitted in the front and back of the aggregate hopper, distributing the weight of the aggregate hopper evenly.

• The load cell shear beams are also more durable and shock durable than the ULP bottle type load cells which is more sensitive and will expand the life cycle on your load cells and shear beams.

• The load cell shear beams are fitted in front and back of the hopper making sure the hopper is more balanced and gives a more accurate reading than the bottle type load cells which are based on a 3-point reading basis. It is important to note that the slightest difference in the balance of the load cells can cause an inaccurate reading and have a negative impact on your mix design, causing financial loss in lost material.  

• The load cell beams are fitted with permanent brackets which prevent them from moving around. 

• No re-adjusting or fastening of the shear beam load cells is required, every time you need to move the mobile batch plant. Thus, reducing the chance of damaging the load cells or to re-calibrate your load cells after you have moved your mobile batch plant.

• Each mobile batch plant load cells and shear beams are pre-calibrated on 20 Tons to accommodate larger loads, making provision for a 9-cube mixer truck as well as a 6-cube mixer truck. 

• Load cells are usually re-calibrated between every 1 to 2 years, depending on your site requirements.

• The load cell shear beams are easy to remove, should the need be. Each load cell shear beam is fastened with 2 bolts only and easily accessible. 

 

Large Scoreboard For the TLB Operator/Loader:

• Each plant is fitted with a 5-digit LED Large Scoreboard for easy access to the TLB operator/loader.

• The LED scoreboard is clearly visible during daylight and the TLB operator will be able to see clearly what amount of material they need to load the aggregate hopper. 

• Our automated batch plants are fitted with a 6-Digit Scoreboard due to additional info that is required to operate the automated system.

• Each scoreboard is fitted with a plug and play cable which is easy to remove and to store and secure the scoreboard during down time.

 

Indicator for the Control operator: 

• The indicator is the brain of the load cells and the weighing system.

• Different types of Indicators are used, depending on your requirements.

• Our Karoo Mobile Batch plant is usually fitted with a CAS or T-Scale indicator.

• The indicators are all weather proof.

• The indicators are easy to reset.

• The indicators are easy to operate.

• With an automated system or batch plant fitted with a basic printer system, we use ICON 500 indicators, which have more functions available to accommodate the complexity of the system.

• ICON 500 indicators are usually fitted and used in a wall mounted or desk type control panel. 

 

Gearbox & Motor:

• JA Plant uses a direct drive gearbox with a 7.5kw motor. The reasons why we use a direct drive gearbox are simple:

  • The direct drive gearbox is more durable.

  • No spare V-Belts are required on site, including any other spares reducing downtime.

  • The gearbox does not use oil because it's a sealed unit. You won't have maintenance problems unless a seal or gearbox housing is damaged.

  • The direct drive gearbox is a stronger type drive to accommodate the weight of the material on the conveyor belt.

  • No adjusting of V-belt pulleys, gearbox or motor is required.

  • No requirement to check V-Belt slipping if the load weight on your conveyor belt changes.

  • Our direct drive gearbox is fitted with an anti-run-back bearing, preventing the material from running in the opposite direction, should you stop the plant with material on the conveyor belt, or in case of a power outage.

  • The direct drive gearbox uses a smaller motor to operate than gearboxes that are V-Belt driven.

  • It gives constant speed to the conveyor belt.

  • Should your motor be damaged from a power outage or power surges, the motor is more cost effective to replace than a larger motor. However, this potential issue is usually prevented by our electronic switchgear that is fitted in our electrical control box and considered a normal safety measurement at JA Plant.

  • No centrifugal clutches are needed. (Centrifugal clutches can be damaged over a short time frame.) 

 

Water system:

 

JA Plant fits all our Karoo Mobile batch plants with a simple but rather durable water system

• Electronic water display which is easy to reset and ready after each load by simply pressing the reset button.

• The electronic water display can take a reading up to 9999L, while the mechanical water meter can either read to a maximum of 500L or 1000L per load, depending on selection.

• It includes a pulse wire (also known as a pick-up wire). The pulse wire is connected on the water metre and the display. It provides the display with pulses from the water meter, and displays each reading in litres which make each mix design accurate.

• Our 50mm water meter can be measured in different quantities. Our plants are measured in litres to give a more accurate reading for each mix design.

• Mechanical water meters are only fitted on request from the client. However, the mechanical water meter is usually fitted on diesel engine driven plants.

• The 50mm water meter, display and pulse wire is easily accessible and easy to replace, preventing long down time of batching.

• The electronic system is more cost effective, accurate and easier to replace spare parts.

 

JA Plant’s manufacturing process of mobile batching plants:

 

1. We only use A-Grade material in the manufacturing of our mobile batching plants.

2. We believe in providing the client with the most durable and best solution possible, thus will never cut on quality to cut cost.

3. Most of our plant's structures are built out of 5mm plates, especially the aggregate hopper and head shute. These two compartments take a beating with wear and tear due to the direct loading of aggregate material. 

4. The booms section is also built from 5mm plates, bent to improve strength of the structure, more durable and prevent flexing when towed or transported  from  site to site.

 

We trust that you have found this information valuable in choosing the correct Mobile Batching Plant provider and the correct type of batch plant to suit your needs.

 

For more information on our batch plants, the additional products we sell and the spares & parts we have available, simply visit our website, or come visit us at 494 Shannon Avenue, Bredell AH, Kempton Park.