Masonry Magazine April 2004 Page. 65
Speed in getting the job done can improve profits, but not if the quality goes down as the speed goes up.
Grouting Pumps
up to pea-gravel and is therefore recommended for most grouts. This pump can deliver grouts up to 200 feet and more depending on the material." All m-tec pumps are worm or rotor/stator pumps. The rotor is made out of steel and the stator of a special rubber. Monz notes, "In general, the lifetime of the rotor is twice that of the life of the stator. This means, to reduce maintenance cost, just change the rotor with every second stator." Some other rules to follow are:
Never run the pump without material, as the material lubricates the rotor and stator. If you run the pump without material, the rotor/stator will have to be replaced after only a few minutes! Water does not lubricate the pump as well as the material, so clean with as little water as possible and do not use the pump to clean the hoses - it's better to use water pressure, if available. Reduce the hose length to the minimum and straighten the hoses to reduce the pressure and force in the pump.
Not every pump that has paddles inside is also a mixer. For example, take the pump from Thin Line Pump, Acme, Mich. Charles Partridge, President of Thin Line acknowledges, "Our pump has paddles in it, but you don't use them to mix. They just to keep the mud fluffed up and heading toward the center where the pump pick-up is on the bottom. You put the mixed mortar in the pump and then its variable speed motor allows you to go from zero to two gallons per minute. It's used a lot for cultured stone, thin brick, pavers and we do a lot of restoration with it. Basically, we do large 400,000- to 500,000-sq.-ft. building restoration projects. Bank One Ballpark in Phoenix was 400,000 sq. ft. of thin brick, for example. It will pump 50 feet straight up or 75 feet on the horizontal."
The mortar is mixed in a small barrel mixer - or in a bucket with the Collomixer - and then added to the pump in three- to four-gallon batches. You have 30 minutes of pumping before you have to add to the mix. "I have them running 10 hours a day," says Partridge. "The only thing I tell them to do, since it's a gravity feed pump, is to scrape the sides. The paddles are within one inch of the outside of the drum so they don't actually clean the drum. As the day goes on, you might get dry mortar buildup on the drum so you want to keep it scraped clean."
Grouting made Easy!!!
m-tec's Mixers and Pumps will enhance your working style
* Always the same consistency
Forget about checking mixing time and water dosage
* Easy to operate and maintain
Push button and fast connectors
* Proofed all over the world
German made quality
* Expandable system
It will grow with your demands
* Get material right where you need it
Pumps up to 100ft high and 300ft far
* Pumps material up to pea-gravel grains
Ideal for grouts
* Works on electric power
No air pollution, less noise/
Also suitable for:
* Stucco
* Flooring
* Fire-Proofing
* AND MORE III
machine technique, m-tec Inc.
990 Ames Avenue
Milpitas, CA 95035
Phone: 877-957-0510 Fax: 408-957-0512
Email: info@m-tec-USA.com