Strong African demand for mobile brickmaking machines

Concrete brick, block and paving machinery supplier Pan Mixers South Africa (PMSA) has recognised an increased demand for mobile machines in Africa which help overcome logistical challenges associated with rough terrain and the challenge of remote locations on the continent.

"As Africa develops and infrastructure is rolled out, the demand for mobile machines in various forms is increasing, and PMSA has identified this trend early," says PMSA marketing and sales manager Quintin Booysen.

The company has delivered several mobile plants in South Africa and to countries across the continent, including Mozambique, Zambia, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

PMSA delivered a mobile VB1X concrete block-making machine to the DRC in May, following an order placed late last year.

The mobile machine is capable of producing up to 60 000 stock bricks a day and, as Booysen points out, does not force the owner to invest in fixed infrastructure, which is typically left behind on completion of a project.

"The machine can simply be moved to the next site, thereby enabling customers to produce high volumes of bricks without constantly having to invest in additional capital, even in the most remote locations," Booysen explains.

The mobile VB1X block-making machine features remote electrohydraulic controls to ensure a trouble-free operation, in addition to a high-energy double-shaft directional vibrator, with maintenance-free dynamic braking.

He notes that the electrohydraulic operation of the tamper, mould box and feed drawer ensures automatic filling of the mould from the overhead concrete holding bin. “Moreover, an automatic hydraulic pallet feeder feeds pallets from the magazine to the moulding head and ejects them onto the takeoff conveyor,” he says.

The mobile VB1X block-making machine is purpose-built for the challenging African terrain and weather conditions. “All our equipment is capable of producing high-quality end products that meet South African national standards (Sans). PMSA also offers fixed and mobile machinery with topping feed attachments for paving manufacture that requires Sans 1058 for concrete paving blocks,” says Booysen.

PMSA supplies a variety of other mobile block-making machines, which all differ in capacity, ranging from the entry-level plants, which deliver up to 14 000 bricks a shift, to the higher-capacity plants, with outputs of up to 60 000 bricks a shift.

"Development in Africa is taking place at a rapid rate and, as industrialisation continues, I believe that mining, housing and government projects, in particular, where high-capacity brick- and block-making machines are required in the most remote locations, will benefit from the PMSA mobile plant range."

Booysen emphasises that PMSA aims to deliver the highest standards of customer service and quick turnaround time on spares, owing to its comprehensive stockholding capabilities on site, which eliminates the associated risks of downtime for its clients.

"Further, PMSA aims to ensure that we source nonstock items in the shortest time possible to ensure that customers remain successful, competitive and productive," he says.

PMSA produces all the principle components and assemblies in house for the range of equipment manufactured by the company. "We thereby reduce our reliance on outside suppliers, whose level of service does not always meet with our company's turnaround time. By manufacturing our own components, in-house specialists can source and address any problems swiftly and effectively," concludes Booysen.

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