Drog-Bruk commissions new production and finishing line for concrete blocks
February 1, 2021
SR SCHINDLER and HESS GROUP – both companies are members of the TOPWERK GROUP operating on the global market – have commissioned a new production and finishing line for concrete blocks at Drog-Bruk, a highly regarded Polish manufacturer. Drog-Bruk was founded in 1999 and is today one of the leading manufacturers of paving blocks in Poland.
Due to increasing demand, Drog-Bruk invested in its first circulation system with a RH 1500-3 VA from Hess Group in 2010. Drog-Bruk was able to expand its production continually in the following years as well. The company believes in giving competent advice, for example through the 3D planning of outdoor facilities of high-quality properties, in order to meet the constantly growing quality demands of their customers.
In fact, with a view to meeting their customers’ requirements for high-quality paving, Drog-Bruk decided to invest in a new high-tech block production system with integrated finishing technology. The combination of HESS and SR Schindler was selected as the supplier for the system technology, which was able to convince with state-of-the-art technology and a well thought-out, integrated system concept.
The purchase of the entire production technology from one source was a further advantage for Drog-Bruk. The contract was concluded with Hess Group as general supplier for the system technology. This meant that responsibility rested solely in one hand and any potential interface problems in such an extensive system were avoided.
Drog-Bruk have been able to further expand their product portfolio with new, high-quality products as well as their position on the Polish market using the system commissioned by Hess Group and SR Schindler in 2019.
Layout of SR SCHINDLER finishing system
Finishing on two lines
The SR Schindler finishing system is basically divided into two lines: the aging-curling line and splitting line. Both lines are set up for a maximum m working width of 1,200 m and a maximum product height of 350 mm. Overall, the conveyor and handling technology can transport layers of up to 750 kg.
SR SCHINDLER MEGA 6000 C DUO
The SR Schindler aging-curling line transports block layers on a 15 m long heavy-duty fabric belt through the two processing supports of the MEGA 6000 C DUO bush hammer aging machine and the two curling machine tunnel segments. Layer pushers ensure that they pass through the processing supports in an endless stream. An accumulation roller chain conveyor with stopper system facilitates visual control by the operator after the curling machine and, thanks to its free spinning rollers, easy replacement of individual blocks if necessary. A stopper system and a layer separator break up the endless stream and once again reformat the block layers to be packed.
The processing supports of the bush hammer aging machine are each composed of six quick-change beams, each equipped with hammers. These will be bush hammers or aging hammers depending on the machine process. The bush hammer frequency and impact energy parameters are adjustable so that processing can be adapted to block hardness and programmed for the desired surface appearance. In addition to vertical processing by bush hammering, the supports move in frequency-controlled oscillations. There are anvils under the belt in the processing area.
The SR Schindler MEGA 6000 C DUO can create four different surfaces:
Paving blocks with a chamfer are only bush hammered on the surface so that the chamfer is preserved and forms a frame that gives the block a more high-class appearance.
Paving blocks without chamfer are simultaneously bush-hammered on the surface and processed on the edges. Broken edges are created, which lend the block a rustic, aged appearance.
If round hammers are utilised, a surface comparable to tumbling/antiquing in a drum is created. The decisive advantage with the MEGA 6000 C DUO, however, is that the block layers are preserved and do not have to be sorted again for transport after processing. The products’ facing layer always points upwards and renders turning superfluous. Spacers, edges and underside are retained and with them ease of installation. This is indispensable especially for layers with different block formats.
A foil dispenser integrated into the system prevents surface damage caused by the aging process. The film runs between the block layers and the hammers during processing, so that only the product edges are broken and the block surfaces retain their beauty as if straight from production. In this way, products can be aged without leaving hammer marks on the surface.
SR-SPLITTING MACHINE SPLIT 1200
SR-SPLITTING MACHINE – SPLIT 1200
The splitting line is made up of two structurally identical SPLIT 1200 splitting machines with a maximum working width of 1,200 mm. These allow concrete blocks with heights from 50 mm to 350 mm to be processed and function using a clamping principle with an upper and a lower splitting knife. The two hydraulically operated knife supports are pulled together with full force compensation until the product is split. Two additional side knives are employed with concrete products of heights from 140 mm to 350 mm so that the product can be simultaneously split on four sides to increase splitting quality. Both splitting lines are delivered with oil heating, oil cooling, hydraulic height adjustment of the upper knife support and flexible upper knives that compensate for height differences between individual products.
The splitting line handling technology consists of layer pushers with a displacement measuring system for positioning blocks accurately under the splitting device, a 90° turntable, so that splitting the products transversely can also be carried out after their having been split longitudinally, and waste flaps behind the two splitting machines. Waste pieces fall onto waste belts and are discarded into a container.
After the second splitting process, the products are pushed row by row onto a table. From there, they are picked up by a transfer device, which is arranged at right angles to the splitting line. The transfer unit with carriage, which is equipped with a pneumatic 2-sided clamp and 90° turning device, grips a row of blocks, turns it through 90° and places it on the conveyor for the edge processing machine. The blocks now pass through the edge processing machine one behind the other.
After edge treatment, the blocks run one after the other in the direction of the second transfer unit, which is identical in construction to the first transfer unit. The blocks are again gripped by a pneumatic 2-sided clamp, turned by 90° and set down in rows on a sliding table. A layer pusher brings the rows together to form a product layer and pushes the layer onto a belt conveyor which transports it to the layer stacker. The layer stacker places layer upon layer upon a transport pallet. The finished package passes through the horizontal and vertical strapping unit on a pallet and is transported to its removal position by means of a heavy-duty chain conveyor.
Larger product portfolio meets high demands
With the new plant from HESS and ST SCHINDLER, Drog-Bruk can now respond quickly and efficiently to the positive development of the Polish market and meet the increased demand. The expanded product portfolio opens up new market segments and further strengthens the company’s very good position. Thanks to the new high-performance concrete block machine from HESS and the new finishing line from SR SCHINDLER, the manufacturer is ideally equipped to meet the increasing demands of its customers and the way is paved for continued growth.
The complete article on the subject can be found in CPI 1/21: CPI Worldwide
