New moisture measuring and water dosing units developed

In particular, in modern mixing plants the exact measurement, calculation and water dosing are often carried out by the control in combination with a moisture measuring sensor in the mixer or / and sensors in the aggregates. This requires a very intensive knowledge of the very extensive and complex production processes and technology of modern concrete production plants.

The incorporation of exper-ience in very differentiated concretes as well as plant engineering are absolutely necessary for this task in order to meet the high demands on product quality. An exact and repeatable consistency control is still the decisive feature of an effective concrete preparation and is not proverbially considered the „Achilles‘ heel“ in the mixing process. The following report shows where the strengths of this system lie.

Production more precisely and evenly

The FL-Mikro-T2 is primarily designed to be able to manufacture concrete more precisely and evenly by using manageable investment costs. All the more so if the mixing plant control does not have the above-mentioned know-how of the latest know-ledge in measurement and control technology. The Cambridge Pavers company, which is based near New York City, has been producing very diverse concrete products for garden and landscape in Lyndhurst since 1994. They are using different manufacturing machines that have different requirements on the concrete quality. These high demands must be taken into account when considering new investments. The technical manager, Mr. Jeff Martin, thought about bringing the now 20-year-old water metering technology up to the current state of development. As the four existing systems with the associated microwave measuring sensors come from Ludwig, it was only logical to replace only the measuring devices.

These considerations would significantly simplify the entire assembly and starting-up effort. In this case, neither a mechanical adjustment to the mixers regarding the measuring sensors nor the communication with the existing control would have to be changed. In the end, these factors were decisive in deciding on new FL-Mikro-T2 water dosing devices from Ludwig. The restructuring to the new measuring systems could be carried out in the course of only one afternoon. Starting-up, calibration and training on the new water metering units was successfully completed during production the following day.

FL-Mikro T2 presented at bauma

This new device type was first presented to a wide audience at bauma 2019 and has already proven itself in practical use. PC technology was deliberately avoided in the development of the system in order to ensure even greater sturdiness and reliability. Especially in the event of a sudden voltage interruption due to external influences or the incorrect shutdown of the computer unit, the operating system may be damaged. Basically, this applies to PC technology in general if there is no additional UPS (uninterruptible power supply) that can bridge these faults. This is no longer necessary due to the electronic components installed in the new device T2 which avoids additional costs. The availability or ability to update the operating system played a significant role in the new development, since the supply of spare parts cannot be guaranteed by global manufacturers in the long term. All modules are mounted in a robust dust and waterproof cover, which allows an installation directly on the mixer or the production system.

The robust construction on the one hand and the latest state-of-the-art technology on the other hand make the T2 device very attractive for every application in concrete mixing technology. The additional possibility of remote maintenance supports the plant personnel with maintenance and calibration. The necessary data transmission takes place via a standard Ethernet interface (provided that the operator of the device allows it). A 10 “PLC touch panel enables a good overview of the individual menu items. The operation is catchy and self-explanatory - this was impressively demonstrated by the quick start-up at Cambridge Pavers.

The effective handling of the raw materials and the energy required to process and produce them is also a not insignificant contribution to the sustainable use of the resources available to us in the future. This point will become increasingly the focus of concrete preparation and will play a more important role in the future. Finally, it should be noted that with the new FL-Mikro-T2 measuring technology, the used aggregates, binders, pigments and additives are processed in a contemporary and efficient manner to high-quality concrete products.