Production and Quality Control Management of Concrete Batching Plant

The concrete mixing station should strictly control the production process and the quality of raw materials, and ensure the stable and reliable quality of concrete through reasonable mixing, transportation and quality control measures. The production process includes raw material preparation, mixing operation, transportation, etc. It is necessary to pay attention to control parameters and conditions. Quality control includes the establishment of information management system and the improvement of quality management of metering system, so as to ensure that concrete can meet the needs of construction projects.

Effective production and quality control management is the basis to ensure the normal operation of concrete mixing station and produce high-quality concrete. In the production process, the selection and proportion of raw materials must be strictly controlled, and all kinds of raw materials should be fully mixed through reasonable mixing time and speed to ensure the strength, fluidity and durability of concrete to meet the design requirements. In addition, the concrete mixing station also needs to be equipped with advanced technical equipment and instruments to monitor the key parameters such as temperature, water-cement ratio and porosity during mixing, and adjust and control them in time to ensure the stable and reliable quality of concrete.

Quality control management is the guarantee for the operation of ready mix concrete mixing plant. By establishing a perfect quality management system, including the quality control process and standardized operation procedures from raw material procurement to concrete production, transportation and pouring, human errors and quality fluctuations in the production process can be reduced. In practice, strict quality inspection and monitoring must be carried out, and unqualified concrete should be treated and disposed in time to ensure the production of high-quality concrete that meets the standards and technical requirements.

I. Importance of quality control of concrete mixing plant

1. Ensure the uniformity of concrete. Concrete is a mixture of cement, aggregate, mortar and other additives. If the mixing is not uniform, there will be holes in the concrete or uneven distribution of aggregate, which will reduce the strength and stability of concrete. Quality control ensures the uniform mixing of concrete by strictly controlling the proportion of raw materials and parameters in the mixing process, thus improving the quality and performance of concrete.

2. Control the compressive strength of concrete. Concrete needs to have enough compressive capacity when bearing load. If the strength of concrete is not up to standard, the risk of cracks, deformation and even collapse will occur in the building during use. Quality Control Through the adjustment, testing and monitoring of concrete mix proportion, the compressive strength of concrete is ensured to meet the design requirements, and the structural safety of buildings is ensured.

3. Ensure the service life of concrete. Concrete will suffer various mechanical and chemical damages under long-term use and environmental erosion. If the quality of concrete is not up to standard, it is easy to get wet, crack and corrode, which will shorten the life of the building. Quality control ensures that concrete has good impermeability and durability by controlling concrete mix ratio, adding protective agent and carrying out quality inspection, and prolongs the service life of buildings.

4. Ensure the project schedule and cost control. As an important part of the project, the quality control of small large capacity concrete mixing station directly affects the construction period and cost. If the quality of concrete is unstable, it will easily lead to construction delay and rework, which will increase the cost and risk of the project. Through strict management and testing, quality control ensures that concrete is supplied on time and meets the requirements of engineering quality, which improves the construction efficiency and economic benefits.

II. Production process of concrete mixing plant

1. Preparation of raw materials

(1) Common concrete is mainly composed of cement, fine aggregate, coarse aggregate and admixture. As the cementing material of concrete, high-quality cement conforming to national standards should be selected to ensure the strength and stability of concrete. Fine aggregate and coarse aggregate should be selected according to the engineering requirements, and natural aggregates such as stones and sandstone are generally used. Admixtures, including mineral powder and fly ash, are used to improve the working performance and durability of concrete.

(2) The dry wet mix concrete batching plant should set up a special warehouse to keep all kinds of raw materials dry and ventilated, and to prevent impurities from mixing. Cement and admixture should be stored in closed storage facilities to prevent moisture absorption and deterioration. Fine aggregate and coarse aggregate should be classified and stored to ensure that aggregates with different specifications can be used at any time. The concrete mixing station should be equipped with advanced metering equipment to ensure that raw materials are accurately weighed according to the design ratio.

(3) Measuring equipment should be inspected and calibrated regularly to ensure accuracy and stability. In the production process, the mixing plant operators need to strictly control the proportion and order of adding raw materials. According to the purpose and special requirements of concrete, the proportion of various raw materials should be adjusted reasonably, and it should be fully and evenly mixed in the production process.

2. Mixing operation

The concrete mixing operation can be divided into the following steps from feeding to discharging.

First, material supply: First, raw materials such as cement, sand, gravel, etc. will be measured separately and sent to the mixer by conveyor belt or screw conveyor. In the process of feeding, it is necessary to strictly control the proportion of each raw material to ensure the quality and strength of concrete.

Second, stirring: when the raw materials enter the mixer, the mixer starts to rotate and stir with a certain time and speed. Mixers usually rotate in two directions to ensure the uniformity and stability of concrete. At the same time, in the process of mixing, water or additives can be added as needed to adjust the fluidity and hardening time of concrete.

Third, discharging: after a certain period of mixing, the concrete will be discharged from the discharge port of the mixer after reaching the predetermined pouring standard. Usually, the flow and fluidity of concrete can be adjusted by controlling the speed of mixer and opening the discharge door.

In the concrete mixing operation, we need to pay attention to the following aspects.

(1) Mixing time and speed: Different formulations of concrete require different mixing time and speed. Too long or too short may affect the quality of concrete, so it needs to be accurately controlled according to specific conditions.
(2) Water-cement ratio: Water-cement ratio refers to the ratio of water to cement, which directly affects the strength and impermeability of concrete. In the mixing operation, it is necessary to determine the appropriate water-cement ratio according to the construction requirements and the characteristics of raw materials.
(3) Temperature control: both high temperature and low temperature will have adverse effects on the performance of concrete, so it is necessary to control the temperature of the mixer during mixing and take measures to reduce temperature or keep warm when necessary.

3. Transportation

The concrete mixing and batching plant usually adopt two main modes of transportation, namely dump trucks and pumping trucks. Dumpers dump concrete directly to the target site by backward loading, which is suitable for short-distance and small-scale transportation tasks. Pumping trucks transport concrete to distant construction sites through concrete pumps, which is suitable for high-rise buildings and long-distance transportation. When loading concrete, the mixing station will pour cement, aggregate, fly ash and other raw materials into the mixer according to a specific ratio, and add an appropriate amount of additives according to the construction needs. After the mixer starts to work, all kinds of raw materials are fully stirred and mixed to form uniform concrete. When discharging, the concrete enters the transport vehicle through the discharge port of the mixer. Once the concrete is loaded, the transport vehicle leaves the mixing station and starts the transport task. During transportation, drivers need to pay attention to road conditions and traffic safety to ensure that the stability and quality of concrete are not damaged. At the same time, drivers also need to abide by the relevant transportation regulations to ensure that no accidents occur on the road. When the transport vehicle arrives at the construction site, according to the specific needs, the concrete can be directly discharged into the construction area, or the concrete can be transported to a high or distant construction location by a pumping vehicle. In the process of unloading, the operator needs to control the unloading speed and direction to ensure that the concrete is evenly and accurately placed in the designated position.

III. Construction of concrete mixing plant

1. Reasonable selection of concrete cement mixing station location

(1) Consider the convenience of logistics. Choose a location close to the area to be constructed to reduce the time and cost of concrete transportation. Priority is given to locations near main roads, expressways or transportation hubs, so that concrete can be delivered to the construction site quickly.
(2) Considering the environmental impact: the concrete mixing station may produce environmental pollution such as noise, dust and waste water. Therefore, areas far away from residential areas and sensitive environments should be chosen to reduce the impact on the surrounding environment and residents' lives. It is best to choose an industrial zone or an area that has been approved for engineering construction.
(3) Consider the supply chain: is there enough raw material supply near the mixing station? Choose places close to stone mines, sand farms and rich water sources to ensure adequate supply of raw materials and reduce transportation costs.
(4) Consider the market demand: you need to know the nearby construction market and project scale. Choose the location located in the peak building demand area or with potential large-scale engineering projects to ensure the stable operation and profit growth of the mixing station.
(5) Consider the land cost: Choose the area with relatively low land cost to reduce the construction cost and later operation cost. In addition, the application process and cost of land use permit should also be considered.
(6) Consider infrastructure conditions: Choose areas with good infrastructure conditions, including roads, power supply, water supply and drainage. Ensure that the mixing station can produce smoothly and meet the requirements of modern equipment.

2. Scientific allocation of production factors

(1) According to the scale and demand of the project, efficient and reliable concrete mixers, conveyor belts and weighing equipment are selected. The performance and configuration of these equipment should match the workload to ensure the stability and efficiency of continuous production. Concrete production needs raw materials such as cement, sand and stones. In order to avoid the problem of waiting for the supply of raw materials, long-term contracts can be signed with suppliers to ensure the stable supply of raw materials.
(2) In addition, regular testing and quality control should be carried out on raw materials to ensure that the produced concrete meets the standards. Reasonable arrangement of mixing station staff, including mixer operators, vehicle drivers and quality inspectors. They should receive professional training and understand the operating procedures and safety requirements to ensure the smooth operation and safety of the production process. Reasonable division of different areas, such as raw material storage area, batching area, mixing area and discharging area, etc., to improve work efficiency and smooth process. At the same time, the distance between equipment and the width of the passage should be arranged reasonably so that people and equipment can move freely.

3. Improve various systems and devices

(1) For the water supply system, a stable automatic water supply system should be built, including water supply pipes, pumps and water storage facilities. This can ensure sufficient water supply and realize automatic water supply as needed.
(2) For the mixing system, efficient mixing equipment, such as forced double horizontal shaft mixer, should be selected. The mixer can evenly mix all kinds of raw materials and has the characteristics of high efficiency and energy saving. In addition, a mixing time control device should be set, which can set a reasonable mixing time according to different formulas to ensure the uniformity and stability of concrete.
(3) As for the metering system, an accurate and reliable weighing device should be equipped to accurately measure the input of various raw materials. At the same time, automatic control system should be used to monitor and adjust the feeding speed to ensure the accuracy and consistency of batching. In addition, in order to ensure the safe operation of the mixing station, it is necessary to improve the control system and safety protection device. Various sensors should be set to monitor the running status of the equipment, such as current, temperature, pressure, etc., so as to find and solve faults in time. At the same time, interlocking devices should be configured to ensure the coordinated operation of various devices and prevent accidents caused by operational errors or equipment failures.
(4) For environmental protection, dust collection devices should be set up to reduce dust pollution during concrete mixing. Wet dust removal or filters can be used to filter and purify the dust and then discharge it to reduce the impact on the surrounding environment.

4. Quality Management of Raw Materials

(1) In the procurement of raw materials, the concrete mixing station should establish a long-term and stable cooperative relationship with qualified suppliers. The supplier shall provide complete quality certification documents for raw materials, and regularly provide samples to the mixing station for quality inspection. The mixing station shall establish a sound supplier evaluation mechanism to evaluate the qualification, reputation and quality management ability of suppliers to ensure that the purchased raw materials meet the standard requirements. In the process of receiving raw materials, the mixing station should set up special quality inspection personnel to be responsible for sampling and testing the incoming raw materials. For each batch of raw materials, physical performance testing, chemical composition analysis and other items must be carried out to ensure the stable and reliable quality of raw materials. At the same time, establish a reasonable acceptance standard, return unqualified raw materials in time, and negotiate with suppliers to solve the problem.
(2) For the storage and preservation of raw materials, the concrete mixing station should establish a special raw material warehouse and formulate a strict storage management system. Raw materials should be stored in different areas according to different types and specifications to prevent confusion and cross-contamination. Equipped with appropriate environmental monitoring equipment such as temperature and humidity in the warehouse to ensure that raw materials are not affected by external factors.
(3) In the production process, the concrete mixing station should strengthen the real-time monitoring of raw materials. Through the automatic control system, the raw material proportioning and feeding process are recorded in real time to ensure that the raw material consumption and proportioning meet the technological requirements. At the same time, samples of finished concrete are taken regularly for quality inspection, and possible problems are found and corrected in time.

5. Quality Management of Concrete Mixing Station

(1) Implementation of information management system

First, establish a comprehensive information management system, including data collection, data processing, data storage and analysis. Through real-time monitoring and statistical analysis of various data of concrete mixing station, the comprehensive control of production process is realized.

Secondly, intelligent equipment and sensors are introduced to realize remote monitoring and automatic control of equipment and facilities in concrete mixing station. Information such as machine status and production data can be obtained through sensors, so that automatic adjustment of production parameters and abnormal early warning can be realized, and production efficiency and quality stability can be improved.

Third, establish an information sharing platform with raw material suppliers and transportation companies to realize the information management of raw material procurement, transportation and distribution. Through system integration and data interaction, the visibility and collaborative efficiency of supply chain can be improved, and logistics costs and operational risks can be reduced.

Fourthly, transform the traditional paper documents into electronic documents and establish a document management platform. Including production records, quality inspection reports, equipment maintenance logs and other related information, to achieve efficient information sharing and quick query, improve work efficiency and reduce human errors.

Fifth, data analysis and decision support: provide accurate decision support by analyzing and mining the collected big data. For example, based on historical data, predict production demand and optimize production plan; Find bottlenecks and problems in the production process through data analysis and provide improvement measures.

(2) Quality Management of Metering System in Cement Concrete Mixing Station

For the selection and calibration of metering equipment, it is necessary to select metering equipment that meets national standards and strictly implement relevant specifications for installation and debugging. At the same time, regularly check and test the metering equipment to ensure its accuracy and stability. If there is a problem with the equipment, repair or replace it in time. A reliable and standardized measurement recording system should be established to record the information such as the dosage, proportion and production of each batch of concrete raw materials.

Through the analysis and comparison of recorded data, possible measurement errors can be found and eliminated in time to ensure the accuracy and traceability of data in the production process. In addition, quality internal audit and external audit activities should be carried out regularly, and problems should be found and improvement measures should be put forward through internal and external review and evaluation. At the same time, strengthen communication and cooperation with suppliers to ensure the quality and measurement accuracy of raw materials.

IV. Conclusion

The production process of cement concrete mixer plant includes raw material preparation, mixing operation, transportation and pouring. While ensuring the quality of concrete, these links also need to pay attention to controlling the parameters and conditions of each link to ensure the uniformity, stability and construction effect of concrete. Only through scientific and reasonable production process and strict quality control can we produce high-quality concrete that meets the needs of construction projects.