Molds for making expanded clay blocks. Construction of a mini-plant for the production of expanded clay concrete blocks. Drying and storage

It's easy construction material, used to build walls. Despite the relatively small mass, the blocks are considered durable. The surface of the material does not harm the environment, and the production of expanded clay concrete blocks can be organized at home. The technological process can significantly reduce financial costs. The quality of the material will be excellent if good raw materials are used for the production of expanded clay concrete blocks.

Manufacturing affects the structure of precast elements, which may be monolithic or have voids.

The production of expanded clay blocks consists of five stages:

all components are connected;
the prepared solution is poured into molds;
the process of hardening and hardening occurs;
the blocks are dried for two or more days;
finished material is stored.

Density depends on the ratio in which the raw materials are mixed.

It happens that the resulting mass turns out to be dry. In this case, it is recommended to replace the water with a special mixture, for example, “sand concrete”.

To give the material hardness, a vibropress is used.

Those who decide to make expanded clay blocks on their own are advised to take into account an important point - washing powder is used in the production process. It is enough to dissolve one spoon of this product in water so that the finished material receives a certain level of plasticity.

Please also note that the solution should look like plasticine before it hardens. To achieve this, you need to mix the dry ingredients, to which water containing the powder is then added.

IN self-production building material, one should adhere to the production technology of expanded clay concrete blocks and strictly observe the proportions of the original raw materials. Preparing a plastic mixture is only part of the success. Molding is also important.

It is performed using L-shaped halves of boards up to 2 cm thick. The process affects the dimensions of the blocks - 39 x 19 x 14 cm and 19 x 19 x 14 cm. The weight of one block reaches sixteen kilograms.

When making mortar for expanded clay concrete blocks, high-quality components are used. Even strips of steel that act as latches, machine oil that is used to lubricate the formwork, boards on a pallet - everything affects the final quality of the material. The mixture should not contain debris, sand, silt, etc.

The hardening process is of great importance. It is the longest in time, and it is necessary to ensure the immobility of the blocks and normal temperature regime so that the material does not dry out.

Composition of blocks, their main properties

The main component for filling is expanded clay. It differs in factions, directly affecting the final result. In addition, cement paste, sifted sand, water, and additives that improve the quality of the solution and the future block material are used as raw materials. Pumice or slag gravel, crushed stone and algoporite can also be used for filling.

Expanded clay will give the blocks lightness, reduce the degree of thermal conductivity, and the cement composition will add strength.

To understand if they are suitable expanded clay concrete blocks from the manufacturer for the construction of your facility, you need to study the characteristics of the material, which include:

Proportions

High-quality raw materials are considered a guarantee of obtaining a good product.

Expanded clay is granules that are obtained by firing light-melting clay. The particles at the fractures look like frozen foam. Due to the density of the baked shell, expanded clay receives a good margin of safety. The granules range from 4 to 8 mm in diameter and are characterized by irregular shapes and rounded edges. If a finer fraction is used for manufacturing, then expanded clay sand is measured in half the amount of granular material.

Cement must be perfectly clean and fresh. It is better to give preference to M 400 and M 500.

With the help of additives, the surface of the granules obtains a characteristic gloss. An adhesive composition for stone or tiles is added to the raw material.

Plasticizers are used to increase moisture resistance and frost resistance. They prevent cracks from appearing. Quite often, to reduce the weight of products, manufacturers of expanded clay concrete blocks add wood resin.

The proportions of the initial components will be determined by what properties of the material you want to obtain as a result. Knowing these data, you can calculate the cost of one block.

Approximate amount of raw materials:

expanded clay – 60%;
construction sand – 20 – 22%;
cement material – 10%;
clean water – 8 – 10%.

The sequence of loading materials into the concrete mixer is as follows:

water:
expanded clay material;
cement composition;
sand.

Everything is mixed within two minutes, resulting in the formation of a durable concrete mass, characterized by low weight and good thermal insulation capabilities.

To add strength, the proportion of cement is increased, but in this case the thermal conductivity of the material will increase, and the walls will turn out colder.

In a simplified version, the composition of expanded clay concrete material is a mixture of a portion of cement, two parts of sand and three parts of expanded clay.

But there is also non-standard option, in which two parts of sand are used per cement part, one part is water, and from 1 to 6 parts of expanded clay stone are added.

It is possible to produce blocks on your own, and in this case, differences will also appear in the raw materials:

expanded clay gravel – 8 parts;
sifted sand - 2 parts;
water - at the rate of 225 liters for each cube of the mixture being prepared.

In addition, the business plan must take into account that slightly more sand will be needed, since three parts are used to form the texture of the blocks.

Equipment used

For factory production of blocks, you can purchase several types of lines:

To make blocks on your own, it is enough to have a concrete mixer, a brick press and molds for the material.

Some purchase a small installation capable of producing up to twenty-five cubic meters of blocks in one day. It all depends on the model and power of the device.

If you need to save cash, then make homemade equipment. To do this you will need certain parts and detailed instructions for performing work, which you will find on the Internet.

Manufacturing process

To make one hollow block, you will need 0.01 cubic meter mortar mass. The weight of the wet product will be 11 kg, after drying - 9.5 kg.

The prepared mixture is filled into special forms. To ensure reliable hardening, a vibration machine is used. With the help of such equipment, the containers are shaken, from which the mortar mass is distributed and compacted evenly. After vibration is completed, excess solution should be removed with a steel plate.

Drying in molds is carried out for two days under natural conditions or in special autoclave chambers. If plasticizer components are added to the expanded clay concrete mortar, drying is reduced to six to eight hours. The blocks are then removed and placed outdoors for one to one and a half weeks.

The finished material remains stored in stacks and placed in a dry and ventilated room.

Classification of block material

Based on their purpose, blocks are divided into several groups:

wall - used for the construction of walls;
partition - partitions are built from such material;
ventilation - the blocks have special openings through which communication lines pass;

foundation - differ in strength and density. The group is represented by large-format products, the blocks are solid and hollow;
for prefabricated monolithic floors.

Conclusion

The technological process for manufacturing expanded clay concrete block material is not difficult; it can be easily organized at home. The material, manufactured in compliance with technology and correctly laid in the masonry, will give the structure a long service life, practicality and strength.

In mass civil and industrial construction, a machine is used for the production of factory-made expanded clay blocks. Such units have high power, productivity, and ease of use. The limiting characteristic of industrial equipment is its high cost.

To reduce costs, homemade equipment is used for the production of expanded clay concrete blocks. Do-it-yourself machines allow you to produce material in a short time at the lowest cost.

What machines are used to produce expanded clay blocks?

The following types of equipment are used to produce expanded clay concrete blocks:

factory made;
homemade.

Industrial machines are used to make a large number of building materials. They are used in factories, factories, and house-building plants.

Homemade machines are used to produce blocks with your own hands at home. Used for construction country houses, country cottages, garages, vegetable stores and other outbuildings.

Features of homemade machines

Types of equipment for the production of expanded clay concrete blocks:

Manual vibration machines.
Mobile mechanized machines.
Vibrating tables.
Vibrating presses.

Manual vibrating machines

Consist of an electric motor and a vibration stand. The mixture is placed into molds. The equipment allows you to produce solid or hollow blocks. Technical equipment has stationary or removable void formers.

The main advantage of the equipment is its small size and relatively low cost.

The disadvantage is low power and low productivity. All processes take place with the direct participation of humans. The equipment power does not exceed 2.0 kW.

Mobile mechanized machines

Equipped with vibration equipment for expanded clay concrete blocks with a power of 2 to 10 kW. Trailed or removable casters are used for movement. To perform additional functions they are equipped with modular systems.

The advantage is the ability to move freely, small dimensions, low cost.

The disadvantage is the low productivity and energy consumption of the equipment.

Vibrating tables

They are a spatial structure with an electric motor and a vibration device. The table surface consists of a steel tray. For its manufacture, galvanized steel sheet with a thickness of 3 mm with sides is used.

The molds filled with the mixture are placed on a pallet. Under the influence of vibration, the solution is compacted and takes the required shape. After this, the products are sent for drying.

The advantage of vibrating tables is their simplicity of design, maintenance, and minimal equipment cost.

The disadvantage is low productivity and a large proportion of manual labor.

Vibrating presses

Used in industrial enterprises. They have a power of up to 500 kW. Equipped with automation and non-destructive testing devices for finished products.

The equipment operates in automatic and semi-automatic mode at all stages of production. Productivity reaches 150 or more cubic meters of products per shift.

Expanded clay block production technology

The production of expanded clay blocks consists of the following stages:

Preparation of the working mixture.
Molding of products.
Pre-hardening.
Drying of products and strengthening.
Transportation of expanded clay concrete blocks to the warehouse.

Preparation of the solution

To prepare 100 kg of working mixture, take the following proportions, kg:

Expanded clay - 54.5.

Sand – 27.2.

Cement – 9.21.

Water – 9.09.

Cement grades M400 or M500 are used in dry and pure form. To obtain a glossy surface, tile adhesive is added to the mixture. The plasticity and workability of the solution is increased with the help of plasticizers.

Chemical additives increase the frost resistance and water resistance of finished products. To increase porosity, wood saponified resin is used.

Concrete mortar is prepared by thoroughly mixing the mixture components. A weighed amount of ingredients is placed in a concrete mixer or special container. The composition is stirred for 2-3 minutes.

From the finished portion of the mixture, 9-10 standard blocks measuring 39x19x19 cm are obtained.

Product molding

The prepared composition is placed in special steel molds. After each use, the molds are rinsed with clean water and wiped with a dry cloth.

The molds with the mixture are installed on a vibration stand. Under the influence of vibration, the mixture in the molds is compacted. As it settles and compacts, add required amount solution. Excess concrete is promptly removed.

After sufficient compaction, the finished products are placed in the drying chamber.

Drying and storage

Drying is carried out at a temperature of 50-60°C for 2 days. After the specified period, the products are dried for 25-26 days in an open warehouse under natural conditions. The dried products are sent to the finished product warehouse for subsequent sale.

Manufacturers, characteristics and cost of industrial equipment

The most popular among specialists are the developments of domestic manufacturers. On Russian market A wide range of machines for the production of expanded clay concrete blocks is presented. The most famous of them are presented in the table.

Name of equipment	Main technical characteristics	Manufacturer	Cost, rub.
Cinder block machine "Siberia"	Weight, kg - 12.4 Dimensions, m - 0.45?0.38?0.33 Installation power, kW - 0.12 Output, block/shift - 320 Block size, cm - 39?19?19	LLC “Delay-bloki.ru” Russia, Moscow	6 800
Vibration pressing machine SPRUT-2	Weight, kg - 140 Installation power, kW - 0.55 Output, block/shift - from 600 to 1500 Block size, cm - 39?19?19	LLC "Prommash" Belgorod region, Starooskolsky district, village of Neznamovo	65 000
Automated vibration-pressor complex Condor 1-90-TB	Weight, kg - 1570 Dimensions, m - 1.2x1.8x2.8 Installation power, kW - 16.5 Output: — 750 block/shift (39x19x19 cm); — 1800 bricks (25x12x88 cm); — 50 m2 paving slabs(50?50 cm).		520 000
Automated vibration-pressor complex "Rifey-Udar"	Weight, kg - 4400 Dimensions, m – 6.4x4.9x2.6 Power, kW - 21.6 Performance: — 1700 block/shift (39x19x19 cm); — 4000 bricks (25x12x88 cm); — 100 m2 of paving slabs (50×50 cm).	Stroytekhnika LLC Russia, Zlatoust city, Krasnaya Gorka village	1 515 000

How to make a machine for expanded clay blocks with your own hands?

Every person can make a machine for producing expanded clay concrete blocks with his own hands. Homemade device It is advisable to use for personal use and the production of blocks for sale. Otherwise, it is profitable to buy ready-made units or rent equipment.

Main elements homemade machine are:

Matrix.
Hand press.
Vibrator.

To make a homemade machine, you will need the following tools and materials:

manual welding unit;
grinder or hacksaw;
set of wrenches;
bench vice;
steel sheet 3 mm thick;
steel pipes with a diameter of 8-10 mm;
electric motor with power up to 1.2 kW;
fasteners (bolts, washers, nuts, cotter pins).

Work order

To simplify the assembly process, it is recommended to use technical documentation. Drawings with detailed description assembly processes are given in the technical literature. Electronic versions of magazines and books on this topic can be found on the Internet.

A molding box is made from a sheet of metal. The dimensions of the molding box are selected depending on the required block sizes.
Handles are welded on the outside of the end walls of the molding box. They are designed to carry the machine.
Void formers are made from pipes. The height of the parts is taken to be 3-5 mm less than the height of the molding box. The pipes are connected to each other by a steel plate.
Using welding, the pipes and plate are connected into a single structure.
The resulting structure is welded on both sides to the end walls of the molding box.
A hand press is made. To do this, use a steel sheet 1-2 mm smaller than the size of the molding box. Holes are cut in the workpiece 0.5-1.0 mm smaller than the pipe diameter. Handles are welded along the edges of the lid.
Brackets for installing the electric motor are welded on the outside of the molding box wall.

An electric motor with a power of 0.5-1.0 kW with a starting mechanism is installed. To create vibration, the electric motor shaft is equipped with an eccentric.

Expanded clay concrete blocks are a lightweight building material that has high strength, practicality and, most importantly, can be made with your own hands. Despite their low weight, the modules have increased density, low thermal conductivity, and a diverse range of models. The environmental friendliness of the material is another advantage of the modules, therefore, if the developer wants to take the construction of the building into his own hands from the very beginning of the process, it is worth setting up the production of expanded clay concrete blocks on his site. Moreover, the production of expanded clay concrete blocks will require small financial investments, and the cost of the module will be significantly lower than buying a finished product from the manufacturer.

Equipment for the production of modules

To make expanded clay concrete blocks with your own hands, you need to purchase, rent or make the appropriate equipment, as well as buy high-quality raw materials. And here you shouldn’t go cheap - the higher quality it turns out to be raw material, the more durable and practical the modules will be. To facilitate the process and set up a line for the production of expanded clay concrete blocks in the quantity required by the developer, the following equipment will be required:

Vibrating table;
Concrete mixer;
Forming metal pallets.

If finances allow, it would be a good idea to purchase a vibro-compression installation; it will replace two devices: molds and a vibrating table. It is also necessary to select good room with a flat floor and determine a place for drying the modules.

Important! Vibrating tables vary in brand and capacity: some of them produce up to 120 modules per hour, and some up to 70 units of production. For private use, small-format machines with a power of up to 0.6 kW and a productivity of up to 20 blocks/hour are quite suitable. Price gradation within $ 30 - these are ideal devices in their compact size, used for the production of expanded clay concrete blocks with your own hands in private housing construction.

Manufacturing a machine for the production of expanded clay concrete blocks on your own is also possible

Manufacturing a machine for the production of expanded clay concrete blocks on your own is also possible. With a little dexterity and little skills, the device will turn out no worse than a factory one, but its price will be 10 times lower. We offer a version of the simplest equipment for the production of expanded clay concrete blocks of the “layer” type - this is a unit equipped with a molding box without a bottom, a vibrator located on the side wall and handles for dismantling the matrix.

Important! The standard dimensions of one block are 390 * 190 * 188 mm, the permissible percentage of voids is no more than 30%, and the slots can have either a round or an oblong shape - the only important thing is that the void former is made in the shape of a cone, to facilitate the removal of the molding box from finished block.

To make the matrix, you will need a sheet of metal 3-5 mm thick, from which you need to cut a blank with a margin of 5 cm for the process of compacting the mixture. The mold is made in the form of a through box without a bottom. The weld must remain on the outside, otherwise it will ruin the shape of the module.

To ensure stability of the machine, strips of thin profile pipes are welded to the sides of the device, and the structure is equipped with rubber upholstery around the perimeter. It’s a good idea to equip the entire system with an apron to prevent the solution from spilling. But the vibrator is made from the engine of an old 150 W washing machine (this can be done by shifting the centers). A metal strip with an edge hole is attached to the shaft - an eccentric, the parameters of which are best determined by trial. If you still have questions about how to make a machine for making modules, watch the video - the answers will be complete and detailed.

Preparation and process of production of expanded clay concrete modules with your own hands

To prepare the mixture and blocks, you will need a mold with a smooth surface. It is possible to make blanks from both metal sheets and boards - in this case, the finished module will turn out textured. The process itself includes 4 stages:

Mixing ingredients strictly according to the recipe. In particular, sand makes up 3 parts of the total volume of the mixture, water – 0.8-1 part, as well as cement, but expanded clay makes up 6 parts. It is important not only to follow the recipe technology for the production of expanded clay concrete blocks, but also to mix the components correctly: first, water, expanded clay, then cement and sand are placed in a concrete mixer. When using additional components, they are also loaded into the container of the concrete mixer.
After the process, the molding stage begins. The use of a vibrating machine will speed up the process: the mixture is placed into the mold, where the plate is previously laid, the vibration engine is turned on, and excess composition is removed.
plate with ready-made form lift it using the handles, you get a full-fledged module that is sent for drying.
Drying lasts at least 48 hours, while the workpieces must be protected from the sun and rain. After drying, the plates are removed from the modules.

This is the fastest process in which making expanded clay concrete blocks at home does not cause problems. However, if you need to make expanded clay concrete blocks with your own hands more durable and dense, it makes sense to add a steaming process, then the material will gain increased strength and the time for concrete to gain grade strength will be reduced to 28 days.

The composition of the mixture varies, but sand, water, cement and expanded clay are the main components. As a supplement, you can add saponified wood resins, which increase the frost-resistant qualities of the material, and technical liginosulfonate, which increases the cohesiveness of the mixture.

And now a little more about how to make expanded clay concrete blocks yourself:

To prepare the solution, the proportions and ingredients are as follows:

Portland cement M400 or Portland slag cement – 1 part;
Expanded clay gravel – 8 parts;
Pure quartz sand - 2 parts and 3 parts for a textured layer;
Clean water - calculation 225 liters per 1m3 of mixture.

Advice! To add plasticity, it’s a good idea to add a spoonful of regular laundry detergent or dishwashing soap.

All ingredients are poured into a concrete mixer, and here you should first pour out the dry ingredients, and only then pour in water. If the proportions are met, the consistency of the mass will be similar to plasticine.

Advice! The resulting block will weigh approximately 16-17 kg. In this case, the shape of the workpiece is allowed as standard sizes, and arbitrary: 390*190*14, 190*190*140 and others.

The molds are installed on a flat surface, the inside walls of the workpiece are generously lubricated with machine oil, and the base is sprinkled with sand.
Fill the molds with the mixture, compact it on a vibrating table or use a wooden block for this. Compaction is carried out until cement laitance is formed. After this, the surface is leveled and the workpieces are sent for drying.

Important! The formwork is removed no earlier than in 24 hours! It is important to protect the workpieces from direct sunlight, since uneven drying leads to cracking of the surface of the modules.

As you can see, it is not difficult to buy, make equipment for the production of expanded clay concrete blocks at home and carry out all the processes. But modules manufactured in this way will be no worse than factory ones.

We calculate the cost

All work requires preliminary calculations, otherwise there is no point in starting the production of expanded clay concrete blocks at home with your own hands. To calculate the cost, you will have to accurately find out the price of the components and understand how much a unit of finished material will cost. In particular, considering a standard module of 390*190*140 mm, the solution volume is 14 liters. We subtract the void formers, which, as a rule, are no more than 25-30%, the result is equal to 11 liters of mixture. Now calculating the components:

One piece requires 0.005 cubic meters of sand, which fills 5 liters of the entire volume;
Expanded clay is required approximately the same as sand;
You will need 1.25 kg of cement.

All that remains is to find out the price of the ingredients, take into account water and other components and calculate the cost per unit of the module. According to the most approximate calculations, it will be up to $5. As you can see, the price is incredibly low. However, for a complete picture, it is not enough to calculate the costs of equipment, labor costs and time, which any developer must include in the calculations. But even in this complete situation, the cost of block modules, which will make excellent walls made of expanded clay concrete blocks, made by yourself, is still lower than from the manufacturer. Therefore, if you are planning to build your house on a site, watch again the material manufacturing technology, videos from professionals and start planning the process of launching the production of expanded clay concrete blocks on your site - it is profitable, practical and affordable for every craftsman.

Expanded clay concrete blocks are a building material that has many advantages. These include:

excellent heat and sound insulation properties,
frost resistance,
durability,
light weight,
low cost, and others.

Therefore, setting up a mini-factory for their production is considered a very profitable business idea.

Business Features

A mini-plant of this type is quite profitable, since there is a shortage of quality products in the building materials market. Large enterprises are trying to reduce the cost of expanded clay concrete blocks, and do this at the expense of quality deterioration. Therefore, if you set up a production line of small capacity, you can get high profits soon enough.

Machine for the production of expanded clay blocks

Small construction stores are considered the main distribution channels for finished products. To increase demand, it is recommended to establish the production of several types of expanded clay blocks of different brands and sizes.

Necessary raw materials

To produce this building material, you must use the following raw materials:

Portland cement;
fine expanded clay (up to 10 mm);
expanded clay sand;
water.

The characteristics of expanded clay concrete blocks depend on the proportions of these ingredients. If you use a lot of cement, you can get a structural material. It is used for masonry load-bearing structures because it has high strength and rigidity.

To obtain a product with high thermal insulation properties, it is necessary to apply the following proportion:

60% expanded clay;
30% sand;
10% cement.

Production technology

To produce these blocks, you must adhere to the following technology:

Equipment for the production of

A mini-plant of this type must be equipped with several medium-power units, which form an entire production complex. Add to list necessary equipment includes:

Ready-made lines for organizing production

To make a big profit, you need to purchase powerful equipment. It costs much more, but its performance is several times higher. With the help of such machine lines, you can recoup the initial costs in 1-2 months.

Rifey 04TS

Equipment characteristics:

cost – 9.25 thousand dollars;
productivity – 150 pieces/hour;
power – 15 kW;
the weight of the entire complex is 2.7 tons.

For efficient production you will need 3-4 people. The complex includes a variety of equipment, including a control panel to automate the process.

Rifey-Buran-M

Machine characteristics:

cost – 50 thousand dollars;
productivity – 500 pieces/hour;
power – 41 kW;
unit weight – 12.5 tons;
additional functions - production of paving slabs (56 sq. m/hour), facing stones (3000 pieces/hour) and other products.

To organize the production process, you will need service personnel - 3-5 people. The advantages of the unit are the automation of dosing mixtures, the presence of memory for different recipes (up to 24), minimal errors when weighing (no more than 2%).

Business plan

A small-capacity mini-plant requires the following minimum initial investments (in rubles):

purchase of equipment – 400,000;
transportation of the production complex and raw materials – 40,000;
purchase of raw materials – 100,000;
organizational expenses – 50,000.

As a result, it turns out that to open a small plant for the production of expanded clay concrete blocks you will need about 530 thousand rubles.

This equipment is capable of producing 110 pieces of finished products per hour. With a workload of 22 days a month for 6 hours, you can get no more than 14,520 pieces. The wholesale price of one block is 36 rubles. With such indicators, the amount of income reaches 522,720 rubles per month.

The cost of production is formed based on the following needs (in rubles for a batch of 110 pieces):

expanded clay – 726 kg – 1452;
sand – 266.2 kg – 79.9;
cement – 121 kg – 435.6;
water – 96.8 l – 4.8;
electricity – 1.9 kW/hour – 6.5.

As a result, the cost of 1 block will be 17.99 rubles. To produce 14,520 pieces, you will need 261,215 rubles. The following operating expenses are also present (in rubles):

workers' salary - 60,000;
social contributions – 18,000;
rent production premises – 50000;
administrative expenses (internet, mobile connection, banking services, utility bills and others) – 20,000;
unaccounted expenses - 15,000.

As a result, the net profit for the month will be about 98.5 thousand rubles. With such power, the mini-plant will pay for itself within 6 months. When using more efficient equipment, this figure can be reduced to 1-2 months.

Video: Production of ceramic blocks

Production of expanded clay concrete blocks: the relevance of implementing a business idea + technical specifications material + 15 advantages + scope and types + necessary equipment + product generation method + advertising and sales methods + capital investment + detailed calculation of benefits.

A branch of the economy such as construction is developing rapidly. Even despite the crisis, the scale construction work do not decrease. The growth in the market for finishing and building materials gives many budding entrepreneurs prospects.

For example, the production of expanded clay concrete blocks is one of the profitable areas of the construction business. Opening a business for the production and sale of expanded clay concrete is not difficult, the technology is simple, the cost of the equipment is reasonable.

So why not engage in such profitable activities?

The feasibility of launching the production of expanded clay concrete blocks

The popularity of the construction of various above-ground buildings (civil, private, agricultural, residential) is only gaining momentum. And in this process, the most common material was brick.

Due to its versatility, it was and is still used in the construction of many buildings. But brick has a significant drawback - it is expensive. Therefore, it has rightly begun to be replaced by expanded clay concrete, which is not only cheaper, but is also not inferior in quality and practicality.

According to experts, lightweight expanded clay concrete blocks even surpass brick in their characteristics. This creates demand for the product. This means that their production is a relevant and economically profitable activity. At the same time, few enterprises can compete.

The production of expanded clay concrete blocks for sale can be started at home or in utility workshops. However, in the second case, expanded clay concrete blocks will be of better quality than “homemade” ones, since their production will be carried out exclusively in accordance with GOST, and technological process controlled by specialists.

It is also attractive that the technical equipment to start production is available, the investment is justified and quickly pays off. Of course, in winter time Expanded clay concrete is not so in demand, but this does not prevent it from being produced all year round.

Technical parameters of expanded clay concrete blocks and where are they used?

Expanded clay concrete blocks (expanded clay concrete, expanded clay products) are a building material that is created through the diffusion of expanded clay granules, cement, sand, water and other additives with air-entraining properties, for example, saponified wood resin.

Plasticizers are also used as additives so that expanded clay concrete acquires plasticity and elasticity during processing, increased frost resistance and fire resistance.

The production of expanded clay concrete building blocks requires:

construction companies;
individuals;
wholesale construction bases;
shops;
industrial enterprises;
and etc.

This material is used for the construction of external and interior walls residential low-rise buildings and their cladding, soundproofing partitions. Expanded clay concrete blocks are often used to organize the ventilation system of various structures, lay electrical wiring and other communications.

Expanded clay concrete is in considerable demand in the construction of cottages, fences, pillars, and as a foundation. wooden houses. It also finds its application in the construction utility rooms, agricultural buildings, garages, in the formation of elements for architectural and decorative purposes.

Expanded clay concrete building blocks will serve as a replacement for curb stones and support for garden and park benches. Monolithic expanded clay concrete is indispensable in the construction of chimneys, stoves, and fireplaces. The material has a number of significant advantages and can be laid manually without lifting equipment.

1. What kind of expanded clay concrete blocks can be produced?

Expanded clay concrete blocks have their own classification. And if you are going to organize their production, you need to understand the types of material that you will sell in the future.

So, your assortment can be made up of expanded clay concrete blocks:

structural;
thermal insulation;
mixed type (structural and thermal insulation).

Each of the above blocks is obtained depending on the composition of the raw materials.

If you are involved in production structural expanded clay concrete blocks, cement should predominate in the recipe. This material is characterized by a stronger and more rigid structure.

Open production thermal insulating expanded clay concrete blocks makes sense when the product is designed to interior decoration residential/non-residential premises. Thermal insulating expanded clay concrete is used for better insulation buildings.

Mixed type can be achieved with a proportion of 60% expanded clay, 12% cement, 30% sand, 8% water. Such expanded clay concrete building blocks are also made to retain heat in the room.

They also highlight:

partition blocks up to 15 cm wide, which delimit apartments and separate rooms;
wall – their width exceeds 15 cm, they are used to build external/internal load-bearing walls;
finishing - produced in a variety of color variations. Their purpose is to give the facade an aesthetic appearance and arrange fences.

Expanded clay concrete is also classified by grade, i.e. depending on the dimensions of the blocks. Production of material grades: 300 (19*19*39 cm), 400 (18.8*19*390 cm), 500 (20*20*40 cm) is most profitable.

If we talk about weight, then the weight of a standard expanded clay concrete block of grade 400 varies between 10-23 kg. The mass of expanded clay concrete will be influenced by its density, which in turn depends on the type (slotted or monolithic).

A monolithic (solid) block has an average ρ = 1000 kg/m3, so it is more durable and weighty. Slotted blocks, characterized by a porous structure, are more vulnerable to deformation. They can have no more than 10 holes. Slotted expanded clay concrete blocks are most often offered in areas where winters are cold.

If you produce a wide range of products, in the near future you can expect a large flow of customers, each of whom will find from you what they need. Thus, expenses are quickly offset by income.

When production is established, you can think about creating expanded clay concrete for decorative purposes. By collaborating with landscape companies, you can conquer new markets.

2. Methods for making blocks from expanded clay concrete.

When producing expanded clay concrete building blocks, the main thing is to follow a certain sequence, loading all the components included in the recipe.

First of all, dry cement is placed into the concrete mixer, followed by sand. After thorough mixing, you can add water. At the end of repeated mixing, expanded clay is poured into the resulting mass. Its quantity is determined by the purpose of the blocks.

Care must be taken to ensure that the substance retains moisture. For this reason, sometimes there is not enough water, and it has to be added again in small portions until the expanded clay filler is covered with a “cement glaze.”

The resulting mixture is evenly poured into molds, sent to the drying chamber and left alone. Expanded clay concrete blocks should set within 24-48 hours. If you keep the expanded clay for about 7 days in the fresh air, this will give it strength and you can talk about its complete readiness and the possibility of storage.

In fact, special equipment purchased for the production of expanded clay concrete will do everything for you.

All you need to do is the right combination all components and compliance with three stages:

Preparation of raw materials (dosage, mixing).
Formation of expanded clay concrete blocks (laying out into forms).
Drying.

Equipment for the production of expanded clay concrete blocks: what should the workshop be equipped with?

Bringing to life the idea of producing expanded clay concrete is possible only with certain equipment. First of all, this is a set of a concrete mixer (concrete mixer), which mixes all the components, and a vibrating machine.

Concrete mixers are large containers that are attached to a rotating axis. On their basis, different parts of the mixture become a homogeneous mass. Concrete mixers can differ in tank volume and rotation speed (the number of revolutions made per unit of time).

If you give preference to concrete mixers with a large displacement, you will free yourself or workers from frequent laying of the components of expanded clay concrete building blocks, which means you will save time and reduce labor costs.

In one shift, a good concrete mixer and vibrating machine can produce about 200 products of standard sizes. If you have a good budget, buy automated equipment for the production of expanded clay concrete blocks.

It will be cheaper manual option. When purchasing mechanisms, take into account:

volumes you plan to sell;
the type of product itself;
investment;
conditions offered by the equipment manufacturer (is service provided, is there a possibility of commissioning by specialists).

For vibration machines The manual type is characterized by small size, so they are purchased for the production of expanded clay concrete blocks at home. The main elements of the device are the body and the vibrator. The last part is responsible for producing vibrations that promote uniform pouring of the solution into the molds.

Vibrating machines also contain removable void formers. Their presence makes possible production both monolithic and slotted blocks. Manufacturers offer many models, many of which produce 1 thousand expanded clay concrete blocks per shift, so they will pay for themselves in a few months. Approximate price – 10 thousand rubles.

You also need to purchase concrete block press. It also plays an important role in the production process. This is a large, complex machine used to create blocks.

Its hydraulic line exerts strong pressure (several tons) on the hydraulic press. The ramps contain void formers that are pressed into the mold. The finished expanded clay concrete blocks are delivered on pallets.

Using a brick making machine, there is no need to resort to manual labor at any stage of production, with the exception of transporting the blocks to the drying site. Through automation, productivity will significantly increase and quality will be impeccable. The price reaches 1.5-2 million rubles.

You will also need: vibrating table, set of forms into which the resulting mixture will be poured. At first you can buy 1 set, but as production develops, this quantity will not be enough. Forms must be ordered of high quality.

By sparing no expense on this expense item, you will receive expanded clay concrete products with a long service life. The machines supplied to the market are not very large. Thanks to their compactness, there is no need to purchase/rent premises with a large area.

The following are considered reliable manufacturers of equipment for the production of expanded clay concrete building blocks of all types:

Commander;
Rifey;
HESS;
Stroymash;
SQUARE;
Prorab;
Prestige, etc.

What is better for the production of expanded clay concrete products – ready-made machines or automated lines?

Mechanized machines with a supporting body have the ability to move. They are equipped with a lever that releases the molds automatically, making production easier. Some manufacturers also equip their models with a press to compact the mixture for blocks. Such machines speed up work, but are more expensive.

Ready-made machines are indispensable when the scale of your production is large. Moreover, some options can be found at an affordable price and already complete with a mixer. For example, "Rifey-04". Its price is about 600 thousand rubles.

As an addition to the machine that produces expanded clay concrete, you can purchase loaders that pour the mixture into molds.

The most the best option shop equipment is automated line. It includes: a concrete mixer, a vibropress, molds, an installation platform and other equipment. However, a good car will cost you no less than 1.5 million rubles.

Don’t worry if you cannot equip your plant for the production of expanded clay concrete blocks with high-tech machines. You can get by with cheaper equipment, although without an automated line the costs will go to salary payments, because manual labor will increase.

Conditions for launching the production of expanded clay concrete blocks, personnel

To organize manufacturing process and produce expanded clay concrete blocks, it is necessary to create favorable conditions. The room you will rent or buy must be large and have a flat floor.

It is also mandatory to have a ventilation system and heating. Naturally, without electricity and running water, the production of expanded clay concrete is impossible. The building should have rooms where expanded clay concrete blocks were dried and stored, rooms where workers would rest and have lunch.

In addition, you will need:

a security room where the operator will monitor the production process;
first aid station (area is usually 12 m2 or more);
restroom with toilet facilities;
the room where the staff eats food (the area, preferably, is no smaller than the medical station).

Ideally, you should allocate a space for free parking.

Hiring staff depends on what equipment you purchase. If this is an automated line, the number of workers is at least 3. With this approach to production, about 120 pieces can be produced per hour, and 960 pieces during an 8-hour working day. blocks.

When you have a regular vibrating machine and concrete mixer, you will have to employ even more people. Only 2 people are needed to operate the concrete mixer.

It wouldn’t hurt to hire 2-3 people to monitor the quality of the finished product. Women are more suitable for this position - they are neat, attentive, and patient. If you have your own delivery service, you will need couriers and a driver, loaders, and a vehicle.

An operator is hired to receive calls and place orders. He must be well versed in technical specifications expanded clay concrete blocks, delve into the production process to answer customer questions.

Since the machines are easy to master, it is not necessary to place high demands on the education of future workers. Secondary special is quite suitable.

But with age, things are a little different. It is better to hire young people to produce expanded clay concrete blocks, because... they are able to master the technique faster and easier. If you look for workers with experience, this will make the process easier and faster since you won't have to worry about training them.

Methods of advertising and marketing expanded clay concrete blocks

Sales of expanded clay concrete blocks should be focused on wholesale buyers and development companies. You need to rely on them, since a larger sales volume will allow you to recoup costs faster.

Potential clients are looking for:

Your proposal for the production of custom-made expanded clay concrete blocks can be placed in the media, large-circulation print publications, television, and radio.

You need to use all possible methods to ensure that as many people as possible are interested. Therefore, use the power of the Internet. Hire a specialist to create a corporate website for you.

For any business, including the production of expanded clay concrete blocks, this is a necessary and irreplaceable attribute. This representation of your company in a virtual environment will be an effective tool that will lead to a response from a wide range of audiences.

You should not ignore standard promotion methods - posting ads on appropriate boards (like Avito, etc.)
You need to take care of the availability and distribution of booklets where you can display the full catalog of the products you are producing. Brochures should also contain contact information. The rest is at your discretion.
And the right solution would be mutually beneficial cooperation with clients when, at your request, they leave positive reviews about the quality of the blocks manufactured by your company on Otzovik, Yandex.Market, and in return you give them a discount.

In the future, hold promotions, slightly reduce the prices of expanded clay concrete blocks in order to have an advantage over your competitors and be in demand.

What investments are needed when organizing the production of expanded clay concrete blocks?

Many entrepreneurs manage to realize the idea of producing blocks from expanded clay concrete with an investment of 300-400 thousand rubles. But in order to do so, you need to spend more money.

The cost of renting a premises with an area of 300 m2 starts from 150 thousand rubles. per month. The arrangement of all rooms (first aid station, dining room, restroom, etc.) will cost no less than 300 thousand rubles. To install cameras for video surveillance of the production process, you will have to pay from 30 thousand rubles.

Now on the equipment for creating expanded clay concrete building blocks. If you take a budget machine, the price will be about 200 thousand rubles. More powerful equipment will cost 1.3-1.5 million. You also need to pay for its commissioning.

Additional cost items will be: registration of an emergency and other organizational costs - 50 thousand rubles, purchase of raw materials depending on your plans.

For example, with a standard dosage, for 100 kg of a substance (the output is about 9-10 units of product) you will need:

This means that it will take 100 thousand rubles to produce a large batch. And also take into account transportation costs - approximately 40 thousand rubles. , wages (depending on the number of employees, at least 60 thousand rubles), utility costs and deductions for advertising, communications.

If we take these average figures and add them up, it turns out that to open production you need to allocate at least 1 million rubles. When purchasing expensive equipment, this amount will increase by an order of magnitude.

Are expanded clay concrete blocks the best building material?

You can draw a conclusion by watching this video:

What profit will the production of expanded clay concrete bring?

In practice, it has been proven that with a competent approach, a properly drawn up business plan, and effective marketing, the production of expanded clay concrete products helps to achieve high income. But this happens in parallel with the growth of the clientele. After all, it is obvious that the more blocks they buy from you, the greater the revenue will be.

When setting the price per unit of product, you need to take into account the pricing policy in a particular subject of the Russian Federation and product labeling.

Here are the average prices for expanded clay concrete building blocks in the Moscow region:

You, of course, have the right to set your own price, up to 100 rubles. per piece

Just take into account the cost of the block:

Let's calculate approximate revenue:

Your monthly profit will be more than 100 thousand rubles, provided that fixed costs do not exceed 160 thousand rubles, and material costs – 261 thousand rubles. In the future, you will be able to expand your production and earn more.

Business payback – 1 year.

Production of expanded clay concrete blocks– this is not a gold mine, but it is a profitable and promising business. His organization is not accompanied by high investment risks, since the competitive niche is not crowded, and the products themselves are in demand everywhere.

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