A concrete mixer or a cement mixer is equipment that mixes all the ingredients constituting concrete; cement, aggregates, and water. The first concrete mixer was invented by Columbus, Ohio Industrialist Gebhardt Jaeger. This equipment mixes the proportionate ingredients inside a revolving drum to finally give a uniform and homogeneous mixture.
WATCH QUICK VIDEO ON: TYPES OF CONCRETE MIXERS
When concrete is mixed in smaller amounts and is consumed quickly, hand mixing is performed. But, when there is a delay in each concrete placement due to the size of the project, portable concrete mixers are used at the construction site. These mixers give the workers ample time to use the concrete before it hardens.
A concrete mixer is an essential tool used by construction companies to create concrete. Find out what makes each type unique!
Types of Concrete Mixers
- Working principle
- Mixing method
- Shape of concrete mixer
- Discharging method
- Miscellaneous
Concrete Mixers Based on Working Principle
- Continuous Mixer
- Batch Mixer
1. Continuous Mixer
Continuous concrete mixers are concrete mixers where the concrete ingredients fed into the drum are mixed and discharged simultaneously and continuously out of the drum in a continuous manner until the completion of concreting work. Here, continuous feeding of ingredients takes place by using screw feeders.
Figure-1: Continuous Concrete Mixer; Image Credit: sitereadymixservice.com |
2. Batch Mixer
Figure-2: Batch Mixer |
The quality and consistency of concrete produced in a batch or drum mixer are dependent on the rotation speed and the angle of rotation of the rotation axis.Â
Types of Batch Mixers
Reversing concrete mixers are non-tilting mixers that come with a reversing arrangement. Here, as mentioned above, the rotation direction of the concrete in the drum mixer is reversed so the discharge is taken in opposite direction.
A pan-type concrete mixer consists of a cylindrical pan that contains a set of blades that facilitates, the mixing of concrete ingredients. Here, the discharge is taking place at the bottom of the pan.Â
Concrete Mixer Based on Mixing Method
- Self-Loading Concrete Mixers
- Compulsory Concrete Mixers
1. Self-Loading Concrete Mixers
- Small Volume Characteristics
- Four wheels-driving and steering arrangement
- Concrete discharge at 290 degrees helps in convenient concrete production.
- Convenient for small and narrow construction sites
- Cost-saving equipment and method
- Ability to mix both semi-plastic and plastic concrete
- Concrete mixing for refractory concrete mixes in metallurgical and chemical industries.
- Plastering work mortar, grout, and repair mixtures
Concrete Mixers Based on the Shape of Mixers
- Pear-shaped mixer
- Drum-shaped mixer
- Cone-shaped mixer
- Vertical shaft Pan mixer
- Horizontal shaft mixer
Concrete Mixers Based on the Discharging Method
- Rotary or Non-Tilting Type Concrete Mixer
- Tilting-type concrete mixer
Miscellaneous Types of Concrete Mixers
- Twin Shaft concrete mixer
- Vertical axis concrete mixer
- Special-purpose concrete mixer
ALSP READ ON: