Sonocrete mastered first factory test with a large device
Ten months after the first factory trial, the Sonocrete team headed off again – this time with considerably larger items of luggage: the first „large“ Sonocrete equipment was put into operation at a precast plant in Southern Germany for test purposes in November.
From small to large
The ultrasonic premixer of Sonocrete provides for faster concrete hardening. Precast concrete elements can be demolded earlier, or more sustainable cement types or less heat can be used in their production which is more climate-friendly consequently. The equipment, that has now been tested in Southern Germany, is the further development of the smaller testing device that had already undergone factory tests. The new equipment is many times larger. The capacity covers the whole day‘s production of a larger precast plant. Where only 30 liters were premixed so far, the capacity has been increased tenfold now.
Not only the higher capacity is new, but also the design: The device consists of two cubes stacked on top of each other – with the ultrasonic technology accommodated in the upper one and the storage container for the suspension in the lower one. The device is about 5m high and requires a floor space of approx. 6 m². Thanks to the modular concept, the equipment can be easily transported by truck.
The Sonocrete team has been developing the equipment since May of this year. They started with a few reference points like maximum capacity and „must fit on a truck“. Five months after the first brainstorming, using Lego bricks, pencil and paper, the finished device was set up for the first time. Supply difficulties, wrong deliveries or more strict requirements of sound protection on short notice – the Sonocrete team had to overcome a great deal of obstacles. Through improvisation and teamwork, nothing more stood in the way of the first factory trial.
Successful test run
The premiere of the large prototype of the Sonocrete premixing plant could prove the suitability in an industrial environment.
Various concrete mixtures, treated with the Sonocrete premixer, were tested. The cement-water suspension in the container of the Sonocrete system was treated with ultrasound within a few minutes and after the pre-storage it could be filled into the large concrete mixer of the factory. The concrete was mixed there and then poured in molds for specimens and test cubes. The Sonocrete premixing plant was working properly during the entire test run and the test results demonstrate the success of the factory trial: With the aid of the Sonocrete mixing system, CO2 emissions could be cut by 30% due to reduction of cement content.
Thus, Sonocrete could demonstrate in real-life operation that a successful ultrasonic treatment of the cement suspension is also possible on a large scale. Additional factory trials in other factories are already planned.
Sonocrete makes concrete more sustainable
The founders of Sonocrete GmbH, Dr. Christiane Rößler and Ricardo Remus, have been researching the influence of high power ultrasound on the hardening process of concrete for several years now. Faster hardening enables earlier demolding of precast concrete elements. In this way, either the production can be increased or cement or heat curing can be reduced. This minimizes the carbon footprint of concrete substantially.
