Masonry Magazine April 2004 Page. 61
Some of those jobs are in hard-to-reach areas and others are small enough to make hauling the nine-yard mixer a waste of gas.
Mortar and grout - most masonry jobs need these elements in significant quantities. Some of those jobs are in hard-to-reach areas and others are small enough to make hauling the nine-yard mixer a waste of gas. Luckily, we have companies addressing large and small mixer needs, and some that offer a little more than just enough.
At the recent masonry shows, mixers varying from batch plant sizes and truck-mounted "ready-mix" units, to hand-operated "mix master" units that work in a five-gallon pail were seen. Several companies seemed to have mixers that ranged from small to overwhelming.
For example, m-tec (machine techniques), Milpitas, Calif. offered continuous mixers and mixer/pumps combinations in a wide variety of capacities. Michael Monz, m-tec CEO and President, offered these suggestions: "I would recommend one of our continuous mixers (e.g. D20) for all sites using more than five bags a day. The mixer will not just give you convenience and faster use but it also improves the material quality. You will always get the same consistency without controlling the mixing time (continuous process) and water ratio. Once adjusted, the water is always added to the dry material in the same ratio every time the mixer starts. The material will be prepared in the amount you need and when you need it at a push of a button. This helps to reduce wastage and gives you plenty of always-fresh material."
The m-tec line includes continuous mixers with capacities from five to 25 gal/min (Types D10, D20, D30, D40, D50). The smaller mixers can be fed by bagged material; the higher capacity ones need bulk material in job site silos. Monz believes the advantage of this type of mixer, against batch mixers, is that they guarantee the same consistency and water ratio the whole workday. The operator doesn't have to worry about mixing times and water dosage.
"In addition they can be combined with our pumps," he says, "And a wet mortar probe can start and stop the mixer automatically when material is needed at the point of application. All m-tec mixers operate under one- or three-phase electric power to get a stable rpm important for good mix consistency-and enable a full automatic control between different machines and to reduce noise and pollution."
At the World of Masonry show, m-tec showed a mixer that can mix site sand with a pre-blend compound and water in a continuous process.
Monz notes, "This mixer, called Co-mix, gives you all the benefits of an m-tec continuous mixer as well as the easy use of site sand, which can be delivered in bulk. This will help to reduce transportation costs as only the compound has to be delivered from a dry mix plant; the sand can be bought locally."
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April 2004
Masonry 59