The majority of wear issues with concrete mixers arise from the inability to keep the inside as well as the exterior clear and the mixing equipment properly adjusted to their tolerances.
These concrete mixer maintenance, as well as maintenance suggestions, are general guidelines that are applicable to all commercial concrete mixers. Mixer operators must study the operating and maintenance manual that comes with their mixer prior to the start of their operation.
The concrete mixer maintenance and maintenance tips listed below may differ from your particular specifications for the product. Always follow the recommendations of your manufacturer.
Daily
- Make sure the mixer is empty prior to beginning in the early morning.
- Check for leftover concrete on the floors or the walls of the mixer. Take out any build-up if needed.
- Use high-pressure washers each time an extended interruption in production happens.
- Clean up the mixer using a high-pressure wash and the tool before the close of each day.
- Make sure the discharge chute is free of dirt.
- Verify that the whether the discharge valve of the cement weighs hopper is free of any buildup by the inspection panel at the bottom of weighing the hopper.
- If you are cleaning up any buildup on mixer arms, scraper blades, mixing blades, or floor and wall tiles, don’t use hammers made of metal since they are made of cast iron, which makes them fragile. Make use of a plastic head hammer.
- Make sure that the track of the door seal is free of dirt.
Weekly
- Make sure there is enough clearance between the mix blades and the floor of the mixer. Adjust to about 3 millimeters clearance, if required by adjusting the mixing blades’ height.
- Examine the clearance between the wall scraper blades and the wall tiles. Make adjustments to only clear wall tiles around their circumference.
- Handly rotate mixer to verify the clearance of all wall and floor tiles prior to beginning machine following adjustment. Always ensure that the bolt is tight after making any adjustments.
- Make sure to grease all the nipples on the top of the fixed gearbox. Apply a single dose of Texaco Multifak MP2 grease, UNI XM grade or equivalent. Be careful not to overdo the grease.
- Examine the level of hydraulic oil within the tank for power packs with eyeglasses. It shouldn’t require topping up unless there’s an oil leak within the system.
- Verify the tension of the drive belt and the condition of the high-pressure washer. Adjust as needed.
- Examine the condition of walls or floor tiles, looking for damage or wear. The blow holes in the cast are not considered to be a problem. If tile thickness is more than 5 millimeters, replace the entire set of floor or wall tiles as needed.
- Use a wire brush to cleanse high-pressure washer spray heads in order to get rid of cement/concrete build-up that could stop nozzles from working.
Monthly
- Examine the condition of the seal on the discharge door and replace it if leakage is taking place.
- Check the oil level in the gearboxes. Use a dipstick for fixed gearboxes and an overflow plug for rotating gearboxes. Don’t overfill either of the boxes. The level of oil within the box that is fixed should reach the dipstick’s base. The oil might appear to be emulsified but this is not an indication of water contamination. It is normal for the oil (ROL EP150 or similar). The gearboxes shouldn’t be using oil, and if there is a decrease in the level noticed, it could indicate leakage, and it should be examined.
- Check the oil level of the high-pressure water pumps. Make sure to top it up if needed to see the gauge marker.
- Any other maintenance like changing the oil in the gearbox (after two years or after 4000 hours of operation, whichever comes fastest) is to be done by a qualified service engineer.
Mixer operators must study the maintenance and operation instruction manual included in their mixer prior to the beginning of their operation. Concrete mixer maintenance and maintenance suggestions above could differ from the specific specifications for the product.
Always follow the recommendations of your manufacturer.
8 Mixer Maintenance Tips to Extend the Life of Your Equipment:
1. Check Components For Lubrication
Monitoring the levels of lubricant regularly and making sure that the moving parts of the mixer get properly coated will prolong the lifespan of your mixer over time. This is among the most crucial common mixer maintenance as well as ribbon mixer maintenance suggestions to be aware of and is simple to maintain.
Some components within the mixer, for instance, the drive component, comprise large proportions of the cost for the mixer, and therefore replacing them would cost as much as purchasing a new mixer. Take note of the oiling of the reducer, drive, and shaft bearings, in particular. Make time each month to test the levels of lubrication.
2. Maintain The Seal
Seals on mixers and agitators ensure that the mixer is properly stocked with ingredients as well as safeguard the movement of the shaft. If an agitator seal gets damaged or damaged materials may escape, or the alignment of the shaft could shift.
There are a variety of seals for mixers, and the most effective maintenance guidelines for each be based on the model of the machine you feature.
- Seal with Air Purged: Check the pressure of the air and air quality to ensure that this air-tight seal is secure.
- Stuffing Boxes: Inspect your packing materials for damage or wear and then tighten or replace the boxes that are used for stuffing if necessary.
- Lip-seals: Inspect for damage and leaks regularly. If the mechanical seals wear out faster than the normal seals, the seal’s material could not be compatible with the product mixing, especially in the case of Abrasive or corrosive materials.
- Single seals Measure and adjust the spring’s compression to conform to the specifications of the manufacturer. Replace the seal’s face when the wear is evident and the seal’s not securing.
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3. Monitor The Drive System Tension
Drive systems are among the ribbon mixers, and also other components that make up the mixer’s most important. Maintaining the reducer, belt, or chain-and-sprocket mechanism well-lubricated (see the first tip above) is among the most effective ingredients system mixer maintenance tips to remember.
It is essential to check regularly the tension on the chain or belt. The chain or the belt will slip if it’s too loose and can cause injury to the sprocket and cause the belt to burn. If the chain or belt is not tight enough they’ll start to wear down bearings in a hurry.
Maintain the tension in line with the specifications of the manufacturer, and then check each month to make sure that it’s in the right place.
4. Check The Discharge Gate Operation
Over time, dust powder, dirt, or even foreign objects could become lodged inside the discharge gate which causes it to not completely close. Make sure to check limit switches to be sure the gate is closed or is open in the event that the limit switch has been in use.
Watch the discharge gate during operation to ensure it is closed and opens properly. If the gate isn’t completely open, it could result in material remaining inside the mixer. If the gate does not fully close, the material could be released.
5. Protect The Mixer Tub
Its structure is an important component of the maintenance of the mixer’s ingredients. If you own the ribbon mixer or paddle mixer, or a different kind of mixer it is possible that its body mixer could be damaged if the agitator sits placed too near to the walls.
Foreign objects, like small pieces of metal, or rocks, may also harm the mixer when it’s operating.
As time passes the shaft may shift, causing the blades of the mixer to move too close or in the direction of the tub. This could not only harm the mixer but could introduce pieces of metal into the mixture and cause disruption to the mixing process.
Keep in mind that the mixer was made to satisfy the requirements of your ingredients. If the components of the mixer aren’t in alignment the mix will not be able to function well. If you notice sounds of scraping or the mixer is bouncing overly, the shaft might be out of alignment, and the blades are not close enough to the tube.
6. Clean Intervents
Intervents permit air that has been displaced to be let out as ingredients enter the mixer. They are prone to becoming blocked by dust. Make sure to clean them regularly, allowing air to escape, and for your ingredients to pass through the mixer with ease.
If air cannot escape through gaps, dry materials may form dust when it escapes through the other exits. Dust can pose the dangers of explosions and fires.
7. Inspect Electrical
Examine electrical cords for broken wires. When machines and people move about the facility cords are often blocked. A damaged electric cord is an unintentional risk to the safety of workers, exposing workers to the danger of being shocked or even burning.
When you combine a damaged electrical cord with the problem of blocked particles of dust forming clouds–and two seemingly minor issues can be a serious issues that could lead to the possibility of a fire or explosion.
The use of a damaged electric cord can cause damage to the device’s inner components. To ensure that your ribbon blender or mixer is operating at a proper level, you should check the amount of current consumed when it’s running.
If it’s used excessively or insufficiently it’s possible that there’s a problem or a malfunction in the motor or electrical system.
8. Check The Coefficient Of Variation
One of the most effective ways to ensure that your mixer is operating properly is to test your mixer’s coefficient of variance (CV). Each year, you must take a handful of samples of the mix you have and then send the samples to a laboratory to determine the CV.
It may seem like an excessively complicated process however it could help to avoid mixing that is too or too low and can reveal the mixer is not functioning properly.
If your procedure alters, like automating an add-on step or a hand-add step, you may be able to accelerate your mixing time in line with the speed of change. The CV can be checked to determine whether the new time for mixing is enough or if additional adjustments need to be made.
The maintenance of concrete mixers might seem to be time-consuming on the whole, however, putting aside some time to complete these tasks will simplify maintenance. Take into consideration the amount of time, money, and effort it will take to repair or replace an appliance that has not been well maintained.
If you compare the two scheduling maintenance time is always faster cost-effective, less costly, and simpler.