To have a better understanding of the concrete block manufacturing business we need to talk about some product details first. Concrete is the first one on the list.
Concrete
Concrete is formed when raw materials like sand, fly ash, limestone, or clay are mixed with cement and water. There are different standards for concrete ratios depending on your needs. The list below shows different types of concretes based on your project:
- normal strength concrete
- reinforced concrete
- light-weight concrete
- high-density concrete
- polymer concrete
- high-strength concrete
Different types of concrete require distinct combinations of raw materials, each with specific ratios. Additionally, the quality and cleanliness of the water used are crucial factors in ensuring that the concrete maintains its desired quality. In certain cases, special additives are added to the mixture for specific types of concrete.
Concrete Blocks
A concrete block is a general name used for a variety of blocks used in the construction business. It is also called a concrete masonry unit (CMU). Some examples of blocks are:
- Hollow concrete block
- Solid concrete block
- Paving block
- Interlocking block
- Curbstone
- Lawn block
- Lego block
- Roof gutter
The standard size of the concrete block well-known all over the globe is a 20cm width X 40cm length X 20cm height hollow concrete block. With this block, the size of the concrete block machine is determined as well. If you are interested in learning more about this subject you can read the article concrete block machine.
The concrete used for producing concrete blocks is usually normal-strength concrete but there are other possibilities as well. The ratio of the raw material used to produce concrete blocks depends on your country and available raw materials. The standard ratio used for this purpose is 1to4, which means for every four units of raw materials we use one unit of cement but usually, people find the best ratio by trying different ratios and testing them on their brick making machine. This is due to the different raw materials and the amount of water they may absorb for the best performance.
The Best ratio is also provided by us when we come for the installation of the machine. we test the raw materials and give you the best ratio according to the types of raw materials you have.
Concrete Block Manufacturing Options
You should make a well-thought-out decision when it comes to your concrete block manufacturing business plan, as it is a critical factor in this industry. Making this decision requires careful consideration of various factors, including your location, the country you reside in, and the accessibility of raw materials. Additionally, factors such as the availability and cost of cement, water quality, and even the population of your city should be taken into account. Below, you'll find various options outlined for your consideration.
1. Completely Manual Block Manufacturing
The process of producing concrete blocks can be totally manual. This is a very small-scale business suitable only for small-scale businesses. The advantage of this method is that it needs a very low budget to start the business. The disadvantage of this method compared to other methods is that it consumes a lot of time, you need more labor, your labor cost is higher, your mix ratio is not the same over time and the quality of the products will be different over time, the overall quality is also lower because the vibration power is not applied in the production line and the capacity is very low.
According to the market, this method is not preferred by customers anymore. The main reason is that firstly it is labor intensive and secondly you can't compete with your competitors because of higher expenses and lower quality products.
2. Semi-automatic Block Manufacturing
The semi-automatic method covers some of the disadvantages that the manual method has. In the semi-automatic method, a mixer and a concrete block machine are added to the plant. The mixer makes the mortar preparation faster and the machine produces at least 4 blocks in each press. This will increase total production capacity and overall quality because of the vibration table that is mounted on the machine.
You need to decide about your concrete block manufacturing business plan very carefully, because it is the most important factor in this business.
In this system, the mixer and the machine are operated by an operator. depending on your budget you can choose the way to load raw material to the mixer. it can be done by wheelbarrows or with a loader. One of the disadvantages is that you need a bigger curing area to dry your products. It is because of the manual pallet transfer system to the curing area. The pallets are delivered to the curing area one by one by handcarts. This machine is the most popular machine in countries with low labor costs and cheap land. Bess has installed more than 300 semi-automatic machines in countries like Ghana, Gabon, Kenya, Ethiopia, Djibouti, DRC, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Somalia.
if you are interested in this type of machine you can read more about them in hollow block machine article.
3. Automatic Block Manufacturing
To change the semi-automatic system to an automatic system we need to add a list of equipment to the semi-automatic system
* Automatic aggregate hopper
* Weighing belt under the aggregate hopper
* Conveyor belt to feed the mixer
* Automatic pallet collecting system
* Cement silo
Your raw material is first added to the aggregate hoppers. Then the concrete block machine automatically feeds the mixer with the raw materials needed. The weighing system takes care of the ratio of the raw materials by weighing them and adding the exact amount based on the ratio.
Water and cement are also added to the mixer automatically. the mixer is also operated automatically. After the mortar is formed in the mixer, it is delivered to the concrete block making machine. The machine which is operated by an operator starts the production of concrete blocks. Five pallets are stored on top of each other by the automatic stacker robot then a forklift comes and takes 5 pallets together to the curing area.
The number of workers needed for your site is considerably lowered in this system. The area needed for the curing area is also reduced five times.
you can read more about this topic in paver block machine article
4. Fully Automatic Block Manufacturing
Everything in this concrete block manufacturing plant is done automatically by machines. All you need to do is to provide the site with the raw materials needed and just push the start button the plant starts the production line automatically and you just need a forklift operator to transfer the pallets to the curing section.
the disadvantage of this system over other systems is that it is more expensive than other systems, this system is preferred in countries where labor cost is very expensive.
Concrete Block Manufacturing Business Plan Analysis
- Availability of raw materials in the local market: You need to see what kind of materials are abundant in your area with economical price
- Choosing a heavy-duty machine that is designed for long-term use: The machine you purchase should be high-quality and designed for long-term use. Otherwise, the annual expenses of maintenance will be high.
![Heavy-duty turkish made concrete block machine suitable for african countries]( "Heavy-duty turkish made concrete block machine suitable for african countries")
- Providing a suitable electrical and water system for your plant: The quality of the electrical network is important for the machine and the quality of the water is also important for product quality. If there are lots of minerals dissolved in the water it won't be suitable for the products. If the electrical network is not stable in your area, the semi-automatic version is the only choice.
- Study of popular products in the local market: you need to find out which blocks are famous in your area so you can sell them easily.
- Considering the future of your plant: It is necessary to buy appropriate land for your plant. If you expand your plant in the future the land should be big enough or you will need to buy another land.
You also need to consider the capacity of your machine for the future. If you have enough budget it is better to buy a bigger machine but if you are low on your budget you can use your machine in two shifts if you need higher production. below you can see a PRS-400 semi-automatic concrete block machine. for more videos, you can access the Concrete Block Making Machine YouTube Channel.
Conclusion
Analyzing the concrete block manufacturing business plan is very important because after you buy the machine there is no return. You need to consider different brands and different capacities to find the best option. Considering that some machines are cheap and low quality, buying such a machine will cause you lots of different problems. Buying a spaceship technology machine will be too expensive for most people so the best choice is to find a high-quality machine at a reasonable price.
