Does anybody have any experience with a zimmerman or equivalent volumetric concrete mixer? I'm looking to spec one out on a new Pete 340 or 365, just looking for some info.
What does your company do that your thinking about getting a voulmetric mixer? Ive always been intrested in these things.
We are a mason supply yard. We have a large customer base, and no other ready mix companies within ten miles of our area. The fact that we also produce our own sand and gravel makes things easy also. Looks like we are getting a ten yard unit. Do you have any experience with these?
I have been away from the concrete producing business for a number of years now but Zimmerman is not a household name to me.The brands that were prominant back in those days were Smith,Rex,Challange and Jeager to name a few. I would buy whatever brand that is going to provide the best service in your case.With only one mixer you will have no backup short of calling the competition to help you out.You cannot just abandon a pour in progress.Ron G
Ron G, I know what you are saying, correct those brands are popular when it comes to barrel mixers. Zimmerman is one of the inovators of volumetric mixers, I know a few people that have been running them since the 70's, they seem to be proven just not to popular in all areas. If all goes well I hope to add a second next year.
Volumetric mixers We used one as a mobile batch plant mounted on a KW truck frame, backing up the hill to load the mixer trucks. Many problems with the belt, hyd. system namely the control block and the unloading chute! The cyl above (don't know why it's above the chute) started leaking into the batch ruining over 1000 yards of concrete due to oil contamination! Then the control block started leaking as well. This was for a company the changed oil once a year on their dump trucks!
They are deffinatley something you can not neglect maintenance wise, when its delivered they spend two days with you to show you how to use it and maintain it. They have been around for a number of years, one guy around here has 4 of them, they are late model but he has been running them since the 80's. We just finalized the truck today, pete 365 triaxle, finalizing mixer in next couple of days.
PM Service PM Service PM Service PM Service = Longevity and save $$$ in the long haul! You could NOT convience the bosses that PM and Service were the money savers. Maybe that why they are in business under another name! I havent worked for them since 02. Hell the service manager never took oil samples for the Cat equipment we had, which voided the warenty. Then the D4 and the back hoe stopped backing up! the D4 cost them $18k to fix, and the backhoe was sent to another mechanic along with a 311 excavator for reair. He has kept this equipment as well as the IT18 Loader! for payment on a other repairs they owed him. The back hoe still sits with no reverse, and the 311 won't spin!
WOW!...Now I dont feel as worried about the mixer anymore. I dont know how people like that can operate on a daily basis. We have seven trucks, 4 loaders, 7 forklifts and 4 screening plants...and our own shop and full time mechanic. If there are no major repairs, everyday if theres something sitting in the yard it goes in for PM.
I learned something today.I never heard of the word "volumetric".It sounds kinda like a broom technician or some other socially acceptable buzzword these days. If you had said "concrete mobile" which is what I have always heard them called I probably would not have answered you but now I have successfully sounded pretty dumb,again. I am trying to imagine what the engineer was thinking that coined that "volumetric" word. I can see that it dispenses "meters?"by volume.Maybe that's it. Sorry I didn't contribute much with my reply.Ron G
Thats ok, its always nice to learn somthing new! Here's some info you might have already read about volumetric mixing. http://www.vmmb.org/
I am in the mobile concrete business in CT and would be interested in talking to you. My email address is [email protected]
I will be in touch. How long have you been doing it?