How the concrete pump works: features of the piston, rotor

A wide range of construction and auxiliary materials is used in the market of the modern construction industry. But now for hundreds of years, concrete remains the same leader. With the advent of this unique material, the price and speed of construction of buildings decreased significantly.

In the old days, a serious problem was the quick delivery of the mixture directly to the place of pouring, the old masters had to carry the concrete in buckets with their own hands. But, fortunately, scientific and technological progress does not stand still, and now this problem is being successfully solved with the help of various kinds of concrete pumps.

Types of units

The entire range of concrete pumps on the market can be divided into 2 types, these are mechanical and hydraulic. The design can be based on the use of a piston principle or without a piston.

Piston system operation

The general principle of operation of piston systems is far from new, a significant part of all existing mechanisms is based on it. In this case, the piston when moving back, sucks a certain amount of the mixture from the concrete receiver and then pushes it directly into the transfer sleeve, through which it enters the pouring place.

The operation of this system would have been impossible without the use of a slide gate or shutters. Sliding valve opens the concrete receptacle during suction and closes when ejected. Thereby translating the direction of movement of the mixture from the concrete receiver to the destination.

Piston units can be operated from a mechanical drive or using a hydraulic system. Currently, the vast majority of vehicles use exactly the hydraulic system. Hydraulics provide significantly more pressure, thanks to which the pump power is significantly increased.

Unlike the connecting rod mechanism, hydraulics has a much larger stroke of the working piston. Plus the movement of the piston becomes smoother. Sick point of these pumps is the density of contact of the piston with the walls of the chamber. Microparticles of cement mortar inevitably fall between the piston and the cylinder, greatly increasing the wear of parts.

Single-cylinder units are now rarely used, due to the unstable, pulsating flow of the solution. The system, equipped with two alternating cylinders provides a stable, uninterrupted supply of the composition and much less wear.

Important: hydraulics can run on water or oil. In the first case, the pressure will be about 5 MPa, in the second, exactly 2 times more. Plus, the oil system is more durable and reliable.

The work of the rotor system

The family of pistonless structures is somewhat wider, the most famous here is a rotary concrete pump. The basis of the system is a rotor on which rubberized rollers are fixed.

When the rotor rotates, the rollers move the concrete solution from the concrete receiver in the right direction. They are convenient because with the help of reverse jams and air pockets are easily eliminated.

The rotor system, most often fails due to wear of the reinforced hose and rubber seals. The power of such units, in comparison with piston ones, is small, plus they do not tolerate solutions with large aggregate such as crushed stone for concrete products.

The screw concrete pump is a type of rotor, without a piston system. The principle of operation of the screw was described in detail by Archimedes. But, despite his advanced age, to this day it is widely used in various mechanisms.

The instruction here is simple, a screw auger is placed in the through-chamber and the rotation of the substance is ensured. An ordinary household meat grinder can become a graphic illustration known since childhood.

Variants of base units

This type of mechanisms on the market is presented in a wide range, according to the method of basing, they are divided into stationary and automotive.

Stationary pumps

Stationary compact concrete pump is a separate independent station for pumping solution. Depending on the size and power, it can be used both at large industrial facilities and in private construction. Can be based on the chassis or without it.

Mobile concrete pump that does not have a chassis, as a rule, has a large capacity and is installed to provide a solution for a large object, most often tall buildings. The presence of the chassis also does not provide transportation over long distances. The chassis is needed for easy movement within the same object.

Important: now trailed concrete pump is produced, constructively it refers to stationary. But the presence of a powerful car chassis, makes it possible to move over long distances using a tractor.

To meet the needs of private construction, a stationary piston mini-concrete pump is produced. It is used to work in cramped conditions and at low volumes. In addition to the piston system, a compact concrete pump can be operated from a pneumatic drive.

Pneumatic concrete pump developed relatively recently and is more designed for pumping homogeneous cellular types of concrete. It does not have much power, plus it requires a compressor for stable operation, which is not always feasible under construction conditions.

Pumps on the automotive base

Automobile concrete pump is now the most common option, both in private and in industrial construction.

When compared with competitors, then:

• Powerful fixed installation is good only for large volumes, it is slow and costly to maintain. Auto concrete pump can drive up on most objects.
• Most stationary units require the organization of power, which is not always possible in terms of building management. Automobile concrete pump is a single whole with the machine and is powered by its power plant.
• Small-sized concrete pump on a large construction site can not cope with the volumes. As for private construction, the price of such a unit is not affordable for every owner. It is much cheaper to order a concrete pump and use it to fill in the required amount of concrete within a few hours. The rental price will be noticeably lower than the purchase of a stationary unit.
• In addition, modern complexes are equipped with a retractable boom for convenient delivery of the solution to a height or to objects of complex configuration. In the event that the use of the boom is not possible, there is an automobile linear concrete pump. With it, you can pump the solution through pipes up to a distance of 1 km horizontally and up to 120 m vertically.
• Also, an important advantage of the automotive version is that it is serviced by a professional operator..

How realistic is it to make the unit yourself

The easiest option is to make a single-cylinder piston pump. Initially, it is desirable to understand the drawings. You will also need access to a lathe to make the piston and cylinder. Plus, add the purchase of the engine, gearbox and slide gate.

In addition to some technical knowledge necessary for making accurate calculations, you must also have golden hands and at least initial experience in working with mechanisms. Experts say that if everything is bought and made from scratch, then it is cheaper and faster to order a concrete pump car.

The video in this article shows the principle of operation of the concrete pump.

Conclusion

Using a concrete pump is not only a significant time saving. The fact is that many types of mortar, especially fast-hardening and cellular concrete, must be poured over the technology for a short time and you simply cannot do without this unit. And about the principle of his actions, we told you in detail in this publication.