When the installation project of machinery prestressed concrete is implemented, it is important to make an in-depth assessment of operations that must be performed using transporting equipment. These may include:
– Lifting and transporting for changing beds of different machines: moulding, cutting, bed cleaner, etc.
– Transporting concrete from the mixing group to the moulding machine
– Extracting, transporting and stacking of manufactured parts using clamps or other systems
– Auxiliary work: transporting and placing of reinforcement coilsin the winders or winding casing
Depending on the operations to be performed by the overhead crane and the extent of the plant’s automation, the following things must be determined:
– Number of overhead cranes required
– Positioning: one or two levels
– Speed/s (fast or slow)
– Trajectory: if it should be limited to the length of the warehouse or extended outside for storage operations
– Height or gauge to allow machinery and concrete skips to be transported to the moulder
– Suitable load lifting capacity
– Control system, which can be by keypad, semi-automatic, remote, etc.
It is also important that prestressed concrete plants have adequate lifting and transporting equipment for production. Poor planning often results in unnecessary downtime, an increase in labour and delays in production. This leads to negative cycles which are difficult to correct.
When transporting concrete it is also important to avoid transferring concrete as much as possible, lurching during transporting or vibration discharge, as these operations can cause disintegration, settlement or premature compaction of the concrete.