Brazilian precast concrete manufacturer Antares: 45 years of continuous innovation

The company Antares Pré-Fabricados, founded in 1980, is celebrating its 45^th anniversary. As a pioneer in its region in the south of Brazil, the company has always closely followed the development of the market. This precaster continuously invests in technology, production efficiency and qualification of its workforce.

Today, maintaining its tradition as a family business, Antares operates under the leadership of the second generation and continues its legacy of solidity and innovation developed over the last four and a half decades. This present transition preserves its accumulated experience while promoting new technologies with more modern and automated production processes.

With its strategic vision for the future, Antares keeps its production capacities and its infrastructure up to date and strengthens its position as a reliable partner for projects of various scales. Today, the company continues to expand, introduces new production methods and invests in automation for still greater precision, quality and efficiency.

A solid track record

In the course of its history, Antares has consistently distinguished itself by anticipating changes in the industrial construction sector and, from the very beginning, by introducing technological innovations and new methods. The company has always aimed to keep abreast not only of its competition, but also to stay ahead of changes and to develop groundbreaking solutions that have become benchmarks in the market.

Antares has been a pioneer in the region for 45 years in the area of prefabricated structures – with focus on quality, precision and flexibility – that have become indispensable for implementing projects of various sizes and complexity. The company has always paid attention to the requirements of the market and has consistently invested in new processes and technologies for developing in a solid and competitive manner, and for responding to the constantly changing requirements of the market.

Structural and technological growth

In order to satisfy the increasingly demanding requirements of the precast concrete sector, Antares has considerably extended and modernized its production facilities. These improvements are aimed at optimizing its production processes, increasing its service capacities and ensuring delivery of high-quality products.

The new structure that is currently being developed will organize internal logistics even more efficiently and lead to better utilization of resources and to increased flexibility in processing projects of various sizes and complexity. The latest investments include a new mixer for the concrete plant, imported from Teka Maschinenbau in Germany, to ensure even more precise and homogeneous production that will further increase the quality and reliability of the precast components manufactured with it.

The modernization of the plant extends to new equipment, molds and advancements in automation, which will enable Antares to continue to be innovative and to deliver efficient solutions for precast elements and prestressed concrete.

Teka THZ turbine pan-type mixer for Antares

The well-known high-performance type THZ turbine pan-type mixer from Teka, referred to above, is the optimal mixer for the production of precast elements and was delivered by the Brazilian Teka representative Vollert do Brasil from Belo Horizonte to Antares Pre-Fabricados.

The Managing Director, Markus Gartner, comments: “The THZ mixer can be named a classic from Teka, since it has been the preferred mixer of numerous customers for more than 60 years. Thousands of Teka turbine pan-type mixers, many of them fitted with special equipment, have been delivered to the construction material industry worldwide since 1961. The THZ series is characterized by robustness, reliability, great mixing performance and enormously long service lives. By being continuously further developed, the THZ is a technically mature machine that is ideally suited for production of a wide range of concrete products.”

Teka’s’ consistent further development resulted, among others, in an entirely new generation of mixer arms, so-called spring-loaded mixing arms. The most significant benefits of the new mixing arms include an improved self-cleaning effect achieved by the angled run in the material mix, a more intensive, additional mixing effect and faster homogenization resulting from the low push effect. The mixing arms are adjustable in height and are mounted spring-loaded in the rotor case to absorb unintentional impact on the gearbox. The setting angles of the mixing paddles enhance the mixing effect, reduce wear and protect the drive. The lower cast-iron parts of the mixing arms have a reduced contact surface for cakings, as well as an optimized shape to reduce wear. The spring-loaded mixing arms can be retrofitted in any Teka turbine pan-type mixer.

The Teka THZ turbine pan-type mixer is available in sizes from 250- to 7500-liter filling capacities. The company Antares Pre-Fabricados has decided on the time-tested THZ 3000 with 2.0 m³ concrete discharge. The discharge gate assembly is fitted with a warp-resistant cast-iron frame and is hydraulically operated by a completely protected powerful piston cylinder. The warp-resistant iron frame, as well as various special gaskets, ensure excellent sealing of the discharge system, to guard against unintentional escape of material.

A hydraulic pump is flange-mounted on the robust and reliable main gear, which supplies the discharge system with hydraulic oil. The flange-mounted oil pump on the gear ensures oil recirculation in the gear and, at the same time, for the drive on the discharge system. Maintenance effort for the gearing and the discharge system is low due to the shared oil circuit. All sizes are available with a variety of wear-resistant linings, various accessories, lifting systems and high-pressure cleaning systems.

An important milestone and a look into the future

Antares is convinced that success rests on the pillars of integrity, innovation and excellence. Every stage of the company’s development has gone hand in hand with the philosophy of the company for 45 years and has made it one of the leading names in this sector of industry.

Antares is constantly developing on a solid foundation and with a look to the future, always keeping step with the requirements of the market. The challenges motivate the company to continuous improvements and ensure that tradition and modernity proceed hand in hand into the future.

The past 45 years of existence is not only an occasion to remember the past, but also to confirm our commitment to the future of Antares.