Manufacturing technology of foam blocks: preparation of raw materials, foam mass molding, pouring into the formwork and solidification of the array. Necessary equipment

14.06.2019

The production of foam concrete blocks consists of several main stages, such as mixing the foam concrete mixture, molding, drying, stripping, sawing, heat treatment, packaging, storage, and so on. Depending on the choice of technology for the manufacture of foam blocks and the available equipment, manufacturers use various combinations and options for the listed stages. Let's start in order.

Production of foam concrete mix

Modern production of foam concrete mixture can be divided into two main types: barotechnology and the production of foam concrete using a foam generator. Each of the technologies has its pros and cons. The first is simpler and more economical. The second is more expensive, but allows you to get higher quality foam concrete. You can read more about the pros and cons of these two technologies in the foam concrete production section.

Foam block molding

To date, there are two main technologies for obtaining ready-made foam concrete blocks: casting and cutting.

Injection technology The casting method for the production of foam blocks is very similar to the classical production of reinforced concrete products, in which the finished concrete mixture is cast into a metal mold tooling, dried to the required strength and then removed from the molds already in the form of a finished product.

In the production of foam blocks using injection technology, cassette molds are used, which are a metal pallet with removable sides and bulkheads that divide the mold into several separate sections. You have a similar cassette ice maker in your refrigerator. Almost the same is used in the production of foam concrete blocks, only made of metal, collapsible and larger in size. The most commonly used cassette molds are 600 mm high.

The main disadvantages of injection molding technology are:

Unsatisfactory geometry of finished foam blocks. That is, the dimensions of foam concrete blocks in height, length and width "dance". This happens due to the displacement of metal bulkheads when pouring the foam concrete mixture into the cassette. As a rule, bulkheads are made of thin metal and with uneven pouring, they can move, deform, etc.
The presence of the so-called "pink". The hump is formed in top layer filled cassette. For example, remember ice cubes from the refrigerator, the top of which has an uneven surface. Similarly, unevenness is formed on the surface of the frozen foam concrete. Many probably remember the upper part of floor slabs and similar reinforced concrete products, in which all sides are even except for one - the upper one, which is not "compressed" by the formwork. A crust on foam blocks made using injection technology can almost always be found on one of the ends.
The need to use specialized bulkheads for cassettes, sharpened for a specific size of foam blocks. In order to produce three or four sizes of foam concrete blocks, manufacturers must have several types of bulkheads with different sizes cells.
When stripping the cassettes, partial damage to the corners and surfaces of the finished blocks occurs. This happens due to the adhesion of foam concrete to the walls of the cassette, since by the time of stripping the foam concrete does not have time to gain sufficient strength. Time is money. It is necessary to quickly remove the barely standing blocks in order to fill in the next batch.
Part of the damage to the finished blocks during stripping is due to poor-quality lubrication of the block mold before pouring. According to the technology, it is supposed to use special lubricants that cost a certain amount of money. In conditions of total savings on everything, manufacturers often use mining and other oil rubbish to lubricate tooling, which can be safely called a fly in the ointment in our barrel of foam concrete honey, because even heavy concretes have low resistance to the destructive action of machine oils.

Of the advantages of the injection technology for the production of foam concrete blocks, one can single out only an economic benefit for the manufacturer: no need to purchase expensive cutting equipment and the simplicity of the process. However, for the end user, this advantage does not matter.

cutting technology A similar method for the production of foam blocks consists of two stages: casting an array of foam concrete into a large mold and its stripping with further cutting into blocks of a given size. This happens on special cutting machines. V various types cutting installations use different types of cutting elements. These can be special strings, band and chain saws.

This technology for the production of foam concrete blocks has a number of advantages. Here are the main ones:

The excellent geometry of the surfaces of the resulting foam blocks, which meets the requirements of GOST 21520-89. Thanks to this, the blocks can be mounted on glue with a minimum thickness of the seam.
There are no chips or irregularities on the edges and corners of the foam blocks. This nuance is especially important for reducing costs and labor costs for further wall decoration.
Due to the absence of lubrication residues on the surfaces of the blocks (and even more oil treatment), which lubricates the cassette molds, ready wall blocks have good adhesion and attractive appearance. And if external data is not so important, then good adhesion of the foam block is one of the most important criteria successful plastering or filling of the wall during the external and interior decoration Houses.
The possibility of manufacturing foam blocks of arbitrary sizes. Reconfiguration of the pitch of the saw strings allows you to cut the finished blocks according to the size of the customer.
Thanks to the pruning of the foam concrete mass from all sides, the problem with the notorious "humpback" at the end of the block is also solved. She just cuts off.

However, the cutting technology has its own unpleasant moments. Using different types cutting elements must be clearly observed certain requirements for the timeliness of the cutting. When cutting with strings, it is important to catch the moment when the foam concrete has already risen, but has not yet gained "extra" strength. If this moment is missed, when cutting the array, the string may move, leave, which will adversely affect the final evenness of the block.

When cutting foam concrete with band saws, the array, on the contrary, should have a higher strength, since when cutting it turns over (turns over on the cutting table). And if the strength is insufficient, it will simply break when tilted.

These problems are more likely to annoy the producers of foam concrete blocks than their end users. In any case, your main task is to make the right choice.

Drying foam blocks and curing

In the production of foam concrete blocks by injection, two technologies for the initial drying of products are possible. The first option is natural drying, which implies a 10-hour curing of foam concrete in the form and its further stripping. Second option - heat treatment foam concrete blocks in the steam chamber. Unlike natural drying, steaming in a chamber allows foam concrete to gain 65-75% of the design strength in a few hours.

It is worth noting that almost all reinforced concrete products are produced using this technology. The BESTO group supplies foam blocks produced with the use of thermal and moisture treatment in steaming chambers. The production of foam blocks is located on the territory of the ZHBI-16 plant in Moscow.

The cutting technology for the production of foam concrete blocks implies natural drying of the mass within 4-14 hours with its further cutting. The drying time before cutting depends on the use of one or another type of cutting elements (strings, band saws, chains), as well as hardening accelerators added to the foam concrete mixture during mixing.

foam concrete- this is cellular concrete, which has a porous structure due to bubbles distributed throughout the volume, obtained as a result of hardening of a solution consisting of cement, sand, water and a foaming agent.

In the 19th century, builders mixed bovine blood into a cement-lime mortar, and the blood protein, reacting with the solution, formed foam. Due to the difficulty of obtaining a large number foaming agent then foam concrete was not widespread. Anew foam concrete was “discovered” in the thirties of the last century. At that time, the Soviet scientist, builder-experimenter Bryushkov, added a soap root to the cement mortar. Years later, specialists in the production process began to try to mix cement with various chemical additives - foam and gas-forming substances, namely: with aluminum powder, with glue-rosin solution.

Foam concrete production technology

general information

The technology of its manufacture is based on mixing pre-prepared foam with a mortar mixture. As for the foam concentrate and water, they are dosed by volume when foam is obtained. After that, the finished solution is mixed and, thus, a foaming agent for foam concrete is obtained. Further, the production of foam concrete occurs as follows: the foaming agent is fed into the foam generator, in which foam is formed. After that, foam from the foam generator is transferred to the concrete mixer and this mixture is mixed for about three to five minutes. Then, the ready-made foam concrete is transported through a flexible hose to the place where it is laid in a mold or formwork.

Consumption of components during production

The preparation of 1 cubic meter of foam concrete requires 500 kilograms of cement. For the preparation of foam concrete with a density of 300 kilograms per cubic meter 270 kilograms of cement are needed. Let's look at what materials are needed for the preparation of foam concrete mix. First, cement. Second, placeholders. Large aggregates are:, but gravel is not needed for production. Sometimes it is possible to add a light aggregate, such as expanded clay. In this case, the strength of porous concrete increases by about 100-200%. Fine aggregates are: natural or crushed sands. And river sand is considered the most preferable for production. This filler must be clean, not containing various inclusions.

For laying, fine sands of approximately 0.2 mm are used. As for clay inclusions, they should not exceed more than 3 percent. Third, water. The production of foam concrete requires the use of water without any verification. The water content in porous concrete consists of the calculated amount. So, before adding foam, the water-cement ratio of the mortar should be at least 0.38. If the water/cement ratio is too low, the foam will have a higher bulk density. This can happen as a result of the fact that the concrete during the production process will begin to take water from the foam required for chemical and physical interactions, while the foam will partially collapse, and this will lead to a decrease in its volume in the foam concrete mixture. The most optimal ratio is in the range from 0.4 to 0.45. In this case, the water temperature should not exceed 25 degrees.

Experts advise using protein foam concentrate as a foaming agent for production. This substance must be stored in hermetically sealed wooden or plastic drums. Such barrels must be hidden from direct sunlight. And also they should be stored at a temperature not higher than +30 degrees. Foam concentrate from the moment of preparation can be stored for 15 to 30 days.

Obtaining a foam concrete mix + video how to do it

When preparing the mixture, first of all, sand is poured, then cement is added and everything is thoroughly mixed until a uniform color of the mixture is formed. It is important enough to distribute the cement well in the sand. Then water is added to the mixture, in the amount indicated in the selected production recipe. The mixture is stirred until a homogeneous plastic mass is obtained.

Particular attention in the production of foam concrete should be paid to the quality of mixing of the components. Only a uniform distribution of cement in the sand will allow you to obtain the optimal quality of foam concrete. After all of the above, with the help of a foam generator, a certain portion of the foam is fed through the hose into the mixer, where it is mixed with the previously prepared cement-sand mixture for 120-180 seconds. If the specified density is controlled in production, then it is quite easy to obtain the required compressive strength of foam concrete. Cast foam concrete, like any other cement-bonded concrete, needs to create a temperature and humidity regime. This is done, on the one hand, to maintain the process of cement hydration, strength development, on the other hand, it reduces the exotherm temperature and prevents cracks in the concrete from forming. Because of this, it is recommended to cover the concrete surface immediately after laying the mixture. plastic wrap.

Video how to do it:

Areas where foam concrete is used

This material is used on roofs and floors as heat and sound insulation. By itself, foam concrete is not a structural material. In addition, it is used for tennis courts and filling voids in brickwork underground walls, insulation in empty hollow blocks and any other filling where high insulating properties are required. The areas of foam concrete use are: the production of building blocks for low-rise construction of houses and partitions, monolithic housing construction, heat and sound insulation of walls, floors, slabs, ceilings, filling void spaces.

Foam concrete production

The method of preparation of molding foam concrete masses depends on the adopted technology and the type of foam concentrate used. Foam concrete production, regardless of the foaming method, is based on obtaining a heterogeneous gas-liquid-solid system (creation of cells or bubbles in a cement-sand mixture) and can be organized in several ways.

When choosing a method for the production of foam concrete, one should proceed from what characteristics are set for the material, from the ability of the enterprise to purchase the necessary equipment, as well as from the type of raw materials and a number of other initial conditions for organizing production.

In the technology for the manufacture of foam concrete mixtures, additional operations can be used aimed at optimizing the granulometric composition of the components of the raw mixture, regulating the porous structure of the mixture, the simultaneous use of foam and gas formers, the complex use of surfactants with a plasticizing effect and functional additives, for example, accelerating the formation of structure during hardening of the binder or stabilizing the structure of the foam concrete mixture.

Ingredients for the manufacture of foam concrete

The basis for foam concrete is cement. Manufacturers of foam blocks use Russian and foreign brands of cement. Domestic Portland cement grades 500 - 600-D0 and 500-D20 are best suited for foam concrete; 42.5R and 52.5R can be used from imported options. To save cement, you can add fly ash to the mixture. When using it, it is possible to reduce the amount of cement used up to 30% without significant loss in the quality of the final product.

The sand used in the creation of foam concrete can be quartz, river or washed. The maximum particle size modulus should not exceed one for washed sand, for river sand it should not exceed 0.7, for quartz - 0.3.

It is desirable to heat the water used to create the solution so that the foam concrete sets faster. It is also preferable to use soft water. To soften water, some manufacturers add to the solution liquid glass, but this is contrary to environmental standards.

In the production of barotechnology, synthetic foam concentrates are most often used. In classical technology, on the contrary, mainly natural components are used. Organic foam significantly increases the strength of foam concrete blocks. Synthetic foaming agents do not give such an effect.

Additionally, polypropylene fiber is added to the composition of foam concrete. You can add basalt or polyamide, but polypropylene is much more economical. You can add alkali-resistant glass fiber, but it is an order of magnitude less effective.

For the fastest setting of the foam concrete mass and for quick stripping, the addition of calcium chloride is allowed, which increases the heat release by 20%.

Foam concrete production technologies

The production of foam concrete mixture is carried out using technologies: classical, barotechnology, porous and dry mineralization.

Production of foam concrete using a foam generator (classic)

In classical technology, pre-prepared technological foam is mixed at low speed with cement paste or cement-sand mortar and a cellular concrete mixture is obtained. The concentrate of the foaming agent and part of the water are dosed by volume, then they are mixed to obtain a working solution of the foaming agent. The working solution of the foaming agent enters the foam generator to produce foam. The second part of the water is dosed by volume, cement and sand - by weight, and a mortar mixture is made from them. The foam concrete mixer is supplied with foam from the foam generator and mortar mixture. Foam concrete mix, prepared in a foam concrete mixer, is transported by a pump to the place of laying in molds or a monolithic structure.

Stages of production of foam concrete using a foam generator:

1) Preparation of raw materials. For the production of foam concrete, a foaming agent, Portland cement, unground fine sand, water temperature up to + 25 °С. Depending on the recipe and grade of the future foam concrete, special ready-made additives are also used - a hardening accelerator (for the production of foam concrete at temperatures above + 30 ° C or below + 15 ° C), fiber, expanded clay, etc.

2) Preparation of foam. The foam concentrate pre-diluted with water enters the foam generator. Here it foams under the influence of compressed air and, with the help of compressor pressure, exits through a foam-generating pipe into the mixer. The texture of the foam can be adjusted with special valves for exiting the pipe from the smallest (less than 0.1 mm) to large pores.

3) Production of foam concrete mix. Sand is poured into the mixer, then cement, the mixture is thoroughly mixed (the quality of the future foam concrete depends on the uniform distribution of sand in the cement). After the mixture is closed with water, kneaded until a plastic homogeneous mass is obtained. Foam is added to the mixer through the hose from the foam generator, actively mixed with the cement-sand substance for 2-3 minutes.

Barotechnology for the production of foam concrete

The cheapest (inexpensive equipment, less time-consuming) and widespread technology in Russia for the production of foam concrete. The essence of the method lies in the porosity under excess pressure of a mixture of all raw materials in a high-speed foam mixer. Foam concentrate and water are dosed by volume, cement and sand - by weight (or a specially made dry mixture of dry foam concentrate, cement and sand is dosed by weight). All components are fed into the foam concrete mixer, where air is pumped by the compressor, creating pressure inside. According to this method, air-entraining surfactant additives are introduced into the mixture and a special hermetic mixer is used.

The foam concrete mixture obtained in the foam concrete mixer is transported under pressure from the mixer to the place of laying in molds or a monolithic structure, where it swells as a result of pressure difference.

Significant disadvantages of barotechnology for the production of foam concrete is the low strength of products obtained by this method. The decrease in this indicator is due to the addition of a large amount of water to the mixing composition during production. If the amount of liquid is reduced, then full hydration of the cement will not occur.

Equipment used: two main types of Russian installations Sunny and Fomm-Prof. Sunny installation designed for the production of foam concrete mixture without the participation of a foam generator. The volume of manufactured products ranges from 20 to 40 m³ per day. The advantages of Sunny are its relative cheapness and ease of use. The disadvantages include high costs on the foaming agent, small volumes of production and the worst quality of products.

Fomm-Prof installation. The principle of operation is to apply the classical method. The protein foaming agent comes as an additive. First, water, cement and sand are mixed, into the resulting cement mortar foam is added from the foam generator. The resulting foam concrete is distinguished by its strength and good quality, and also corresponds to GOST. The output per day is 60 m³ or more.

Porous foam concrete production technology

Porous technology is based on mixing cement-sand mortar and foam in a small high-speed mixer. It is used for pouring directly at the place of its pouring: on the object, into the floor, voids, roof. The processes of preparation of the initial solution and its porization are separated in time and space. There is a better hydration of the binder, there are no traces of a foaming agent in the initial solution. Only on porizers is it possible to obtain ultra-light foam materials on an industrial scale with increased strength characteristics.

For preparation, mobile units are used (a solution of sand and cement is prepared separately, water is supplied by a pump, a foam is produced by a porizer, which interferes with the solution and the finished mixture of foam concrete is poured through a hose into a prepared form for solidification).

Dry mineralization technology

The technology of dry mineralization consists in the preliminary preparation of low-expansion foam with its subsequent combination with a dry cement-sand mixture. This technology has a good opportunity to work at a low water-to-solid ratio W/T (less than 0.5) and a low foaming agent content (0.2 - 0.4% by weight of the binder) without loss of quality. The complex process of foam generation is greatly simplified - low-expansion foam can be easily prepared on any primitive equipment. The density of foam concrete is easily regulated by the amount of foaming agent and the foam ratio.

The main difficulty industrial applications This technology is the need for preliminary grinding of the cement-sand mixture. This problem can be solved by some practical methods, which makes the technology quite applicable for monolithic castings at the site.

In monolithic works using the dry mineralization method, cavitation or baro-cavitation mixers are most often used. Of course, the technology of dry mineralization requires its own composition of components and a different batching schedule.

As a foaming agent for dry mineralization technology, it is recommended to use saponified wood resin; sometimes it is necessary to use a synthetic foaming agent.

You watched: Foam concrete production

Aerated concrete (foam concrete) is an artificial porous stone that has perfectly replaced brick and other building analogues, up to wood. Its sealed cells contain the most effective heat insulator - air.

The special foam block manufacturing technology makes this porous concrete, like wood, light and perfectly maintains the temperature in the house, while brick is a cold and heavy material.

Foam concrete products

Numerous important advantages of these blocks include their incombustibility, ease of processing, durability. But remember that foam concrete of different grades differs in density, thereby providing its versatility.

For example, it is suitable for load-bearing exterior walls, interior partitions, roofs and floors between floors as an ideal heat and sound insulator.

Block Features

Foam concrete is better in quality than autoclaved aerated concrete.
Let us clarify that the technology for the production of foam blocks at home will make sq. m walls are much warmer than the usual brick, but 3 times cheaper.
Foam blocks are environmentally friendly, but unlike wood, they absolutely do not rot, insects or fungus will never settle in them.
Its low price is due to rational technology and a minimum of equipment: the grinding of components in special ball mills is excluded from the cycle, and autoclaving is not required. Therefore, the cost of foam blocks is 2 times less than aerated concrete.

Production technologies

A new technology for the production of non-autoclaved foam blocks produces products with a density of 250 to 1700 kg / m3, both in stationary and construction areas. Productivity: 1.5 - 10 m3 / hour.

With the two-stage method, we provide the usual mechanical mixing of cement, water, sand with high-quality foam prepared in advance in the foam generator. We feed the foam into the mixer with the already mixed concrete.

With a one-stage method, a bar mixer is used, which gives both concrete dough and foam.

Manufacturing process of foam blocks

Raw material preparation

Components for the production of foam blocks:

cement PC-500 D0 or PC-400 D0;
sand with admissible 3% clay and modulus up to 3 Mkr;
foaming agent;
water up to +25 C.

Portland cement M400 or M500 and fine sand form a concrete mass.

Our choice is certified Russian foam concentrates:

LMS from saponified wood resin;
glue rosin foam concentrate from pine rosin;
bone glue, caustic soda;
"Morpen" or "Penostrom".

If the water/cement ratio is at least 0.4, foam can be added. Reducing the water yields blocks with high bulk density, breaking down the foam.

Preparation according to the classical scheme of technological foam

Modern technology of the foam block recommends that the foam concentrate be diluted separately with water beforehand and poured into the foam generator receiver.
Under pressure, this concentrate enters the foam generator, where it foams with compressed air from the compressor.
The accompanying instruction guarantees the consumption of foam concentrate up to 5 grams per kilogram of cement.
1 load of the foam generator DS-60 with glue-rosin foam concentrate is designed to produce foam for 6 m3 of foam concrete.

Quality foam acquires White color and held in any position.

Preparation of foam concrete mix

The sequence of preparation of the mixture:

We fall asleep sand.
Add cement.
Mix until smooth.
Fill with water.
Mix to a plastic mass.
The foam generator delivers a portion of foam to the mixer through a hose, and in 3 minutes we will get the desired solution.

Foam molding

There is different ways molding:

bulk with the use of formwork;
piece with a special form equipment;
piece with mold and cutting equipment.
We lay out the foam concrete mixture in the assembled, cleaned and lubricated mold equipment with subsequent reinforcement.
If the mobility of the foam concrete solution exceeds 60 cm, then this fluid consistency will fill the voids of any configuration well, and also does not need vibration and compaction.

Preparatory operations

Note!
Even after some time, the volume of the mixture will not change, it will not delaminate like ordinary concrete: the pores are stable and without plasticizers, so the foam mass easily passes through the pipeline with a concrete pump.

Suitable aluminum, plastic, metal, wooden formwork. By the way, wooden formwork should be generously soaked with water an hour before concreting.
Only airtight formwork is needed for poured porous concrete. Then the mixture will not flow out.
The pressure on the vertical formwork increases by 30% compared to ordinary concrete, so we fix it as firmly as possible.
Lightweight foam concrete does not require vibration at all, and the formwork can be simpler.

Advice!
To eliminate adhesion with concrete, we will cover the formwork with emulsion lubricant, which will also smooth the surface of foam concrete.
At the same time, even curvilinear formwork will give an excellent result.

Mix feeding operations

Solidification of the array

Formwork filled with foam concrete should not be touched for 6 hours, so as not to disturb the porosity.

The molded foam hardens under normal conditions (not lower than +7 degrees), but it can also be heated with hot air or steam. To speed up the process, special additives are used. At t + 22 ° C, after 7 days, foam concrete gains 70% strength.

after laying, it is worth covering the foam blocks with plastic wrap;
in the heat for a whole week every 4 hours, water the surface of the foam concrete.

Equipment

Enterprises manufacture equipment for the production of foam blocks to order. The complete set of installations on demand is supplemented with forms, the cutting unit and other devices.

Foam concrete mixer turbulent

Rational completeness of equipment:

compressor;
mixer;
wheels;
air hose;
hose for foam concrete;
passport, drawings.

Maximum productivity - 2 cubic meters / hour. The cost of this type of equipment pays off in 1 month.

Installation type UPB

The unit is compact, easy to install and operate. For getting

The optimal performance of such an installation for foam blocks requires the participation of 5 people.

Its completeness:

steam generator;
mixer;
compressor;
pump;
control panels;
pressure hose;
technological instructions, drawings.

The cost of the unit (from 500,000 rubles) will pay off in 4 months with an expedient performance of 5 m3 / hour.

Optional equipment

The newest porizer weighing 70 kg and dimensions 40x20x20 cm. Speed - 140 rotations per second. Innovative porous concrete does not give the slightest shrinkage and is very durable.
The cutting complex cuts with stretched strings with an accuracy of 1 mm.

Cassette mold equipment: a metal mold with 7 upper and lower cells for a foam block 186x197x385 mm (64 blocks per 1 fill), or for a block 199x299x600 mm (40 blocks per 1 fill).

Conclusion

foam concrete latest technology(without autoclave and without steam cycles) has improved its qualities:

excellent heat and noise protection properties;
strengthening fire resistance;
durability;
its ecological purity is confirmed by the certificate of the Ministry of Health of Russia;
very economical: 1 m3 is 2.5 times cheaper than expanded clay concrete and bricks.

Now there are 3 valuable technologies for the production of cellular concrete.

Classical: we add foam from the foam generator to the solution of cement and sand. Organic foaming agents - protein hydrolysates - enhance the strength of the foam blocks.
Dry mineralization: the foam generator supplies low-expansion foam with special pores with smooth walls into the foam concrete mix.
Barotechnology: foam mass is formed under pressure. Pour water and all other components into the pressure mixer, including the foaming agent. And the compressor pumps air, creating pressure. Synthetic frother improves block quality.

Sequence of operations:

preparation of molds - assembly and lubrication;
preparation of the mixture - dosage, mixing and pouring;
moving blocks from molds for subsequent packaging.

The video in this article will provide you additional information on this topic.

The production of the simplest building materials is a favorite direction for the development of small businesses. In this area, a mini plant for the production of foam blocks can be a real find, or vice versa, become a bitter disappointment. It all depends on how correctly the scheme for the production of foam blocks at home is chosen.

How to make the production of foam blocks profitable

First of all, when drawing up a business plan for the production of foam blocks, you will need to do the three most important things:

To understand as deeply as possible all the intricacies of foam block production technology, what determines the quality, which block is the most popular, and what is needed to make production not only profitable, but cheaper than that of its closest competitors;
Find a team of at least two people who are technically savvy and knowledgeable manufacturing do-it-yourself foam blocks in practice;
The most important thing is to find potential buyers for the manufactured foam block and at any cost to get them to want to purchase a foam block of their own production.

Advice! If you can fulfill all three points, then you can safely apply to the bank for a loan to purchase a ready-made imported foam block production mini-factory.

The presence of all three components, a well-designed cost estimate and costing for the production of foam blocks, a business plan will quickly attract serious capital to your mini-factory. To fulfill all three points, sometimes it takes a year of hard work, while you can make your small home-made mini-factory profitable and profitable in six months. You have to start with the simplest - with production technology.

Organization of the work of a mini-factory for the production of foam blocks

Before considering the costs and revenues of foam block production, it is necessary to hone the technology to the highest achievable level of material quality. At the same time, it is not necessary to purchase used equipment from mini-factories. Most often, inefficient and broken equipment is disposed of in production, and only in rare cases, due to financial difficulties, they sell worthwhile equipment at a small price.

Purchase of equipment

Therefore, most of the equipment for the future mini-factory will have to be found and bought in parts. For the first line of the mini-factory you will need:

A foam generator for the preparation of a foam filler, the average cost of a unit in good condition is estimated at 15 thousand rubles;
An air compressor with a working pressure of 8 atm and a flow rate of at least 300 liters will cost up to 20 thousand rubles;
The manufacture of a home-made concrete mixer for 300 liters will cost 25 thousand rubles. In the first 6-10 months of production, the capabilities of a homemade tank will be enough. As soon as free money appears for retrofitting the mini-factory, the tank can be replaced with a purchased product;
A pump for pumping the mixture can cost up to 50 thousand rubles. Like the compressor, this is the most complex and expensive part of the mini-factory, so you cannot save on the quality of this equipment;
A set of molds for casting foam blocks. It is necessary to buy molds in ready-made trays made of thin sheet metal, calculating the volume of molds according to the productivity of your mini-factory, the maximum price is 32 thousand rubles.

In total, the total cost of the equipment will be 15 + 20 + 5 + 50 + 32 = 132 thousand rubles. Taking into account the storage tanks for water, sand, foaming agent and cement, the total cost of the first line of the mini-plant will be up to 150 thousand rubles.

Production technology and consumption of materials

The manufacturing technique is simple. The foam generator is filled with the working mixture with the addition of a foam agent. It is best to use the ready-made composition of SDO-m or its analogues. Homemade compositions based on rosin and sodium alkali are best not to use yet.

The ingredients of the concrete solution are filled into the concrete mixer and thoroughly mixed with the simultaneous supply of foam and air by the compressor unit. After "foaming" of the foam concrete mass, a solution of sodium chloride is supplied, mixed, and screw pump the foam material is poured into molds, after which it is sent for setting within two days.

For the manufacture of a cubic meter of D600 foam concrete, an average of 300-310 kg of cement, 200 kg of sand and 1.6 liters of foam agent with a stabilizer are required.

As a result, it turns out: for a mini-plant with a capacity of 10 m 3 of foam concrete, the cost of producing a daily batch of material will be 16,000 rubles. for the brand D600 and 20,000 rubles. for foam concrete D1000.

Cost and profit calculation, further production planning

For a month of production of foam blocks, a mini-factory will produce about 240 m 3 building material. At wholesale price for foam blocks at 1800 rubles. for the 600th brand and 2500 rubles for the 1000th, the planned profit will be 200 and 500 rubles per cubic meter of the block sold, respectively. For a production volume of 240 m 3, the total surplus value, taking into account the discount on wholesale and delivery will be 40 thousand and 100 thousand rubles. respectively.

For your information! With the deduction of the cost of depreciation and maintenance of equipment, deductions for the future purchase or renewal of the mini-plant equipment, the profitability of production will still be very high, at the level of 40-50%.

In the first month, you will be able to stamp all 240 m3 by yourself, with one part-time assistant. His salary will be 15 thousand rubles, which means that your personal income will decrease to 25 and 85 thousand rubles, respectively.

From this amount, it will be necessary to allocate funds to compensate for hidden costs on the second line of the mini-factory. First of all, you will need to organize the disassembly of forms, their cleaning and restoration. In order to have one set of molds for pouring every day, which means that one person at the mini-factory will have to prepare the molds and lay out the finished blocks. Transferring 10 m 3 of finished blocks in molds with a total weight of 12 tons is a physically difficult task, so special equipment, trolleys and a lift will be required, with a total cost of up to 20 thousand rubles.

In addition, you need to organize warehouse space, in which at least a two-week supply of material production or 120 m 3 of foam block can be laid out for maturation. At a minimum, you will need a shed or barn with an area of 100 m 2. The construction of a simple canopy will cost 100 thousand rubles.

The total additional costs for the first two months of foam block production will be:

The cost of retrofitting the equipment of the mini-plant with a new concrete mixer - 100 thousand rubles;
Hiring one additional employee -25 thousand rubles;
Purchase of handling equipment and construction of a shed - 110 thousand rubles;
Block cutting machine.

As a result, for the normal operation of the mini-factory, additional investments in the amount of 245 thousand rubles will be required. To cover these costs, stable production and output will be required for half a year.

How to properly modernize the production of foam blocks

The given example proves that mini-factories cannot always have high profitability of production, in some cases they are unprofitable. Even in the simplest approximation, in order to cover the cost of labor and the modernization of mini-factory equipment, it is necessary to sell 240 cubic meters or 4 railroad cars of material per month. In conditions of fierce competition, it is possible to sell such an amount of foam concrete only in summer time, at the stage of mass construction.

Therefore, the cost of producing a foam block at a mini-factory must be reduced with a simultaneous increase in quality to the factory one. There are several main ways to improve the return on invested capital:

Negotiate with suppliers of cement and sand on stable procurement of material within next year with the condition of free delivery and unloading to the warehouse of the mini-factory;
Find the main buyers of the material in the face of individual developers and teams involved in the construction of foam concrete houses. If the volume of the purchased foam block can be increased to 400 cubic meters per month, it is possible to transfer the production of a mini-factory from semi-handicraft to semi-industrial;
On the basis of attracted capital or a loan, a foam block production line is purchased according to a more advanced steaming scheme. The cost of the line is up to 5 million rubles, the cost of production of one foam block is reduced by 10-15%.

The use of a semi-industrial steaming method will reduce the consumption of cement and at the same time increase the strength of the block. Thus, with a decrease in the level of profitability, the mini-plant is able to increase production with a stable profit margin.

The complex of measures carried out makes it possible to move from the sale of small single parties to the planned sales. Instead of low-quality foam concrete castings, production is divided into two: production of a cast plate and cutting a block required size for a specific order.

Conclusion

The real prospects for the development of mini-factories for the production of foam concrete are quite large. The main limiting factors are the relatively low quality of the material, which means that there is a high risk of not meeting the minimum level of sales. At the same time, the acquisition initial stage the line for the production of foam blocks will be unprofitable until your client "comes".