Mobile Battery Mould

The MOBILE BATTERY MOULD for the vertical production of flat precast concrete parts in form of a field factory.

This new product development of Weckenmann Anlagentechnik allows the production of flat precast concrete parts in the immediate vicinity of the construction site.

The challenges of the 21^st century include rapid population growth and increasing urbanization worldwide. This requires to build more and more large residential complexes even faster.

Large construction sites for the construction of new residential areas or entire cities are temporary and generally do not allow that conventional stationary precast concrete plants are set up in the immediate vicinity of the construction site.

Central precast plants often have the problem that the transport routes are too long and therefore they are too uneconomical. In addition, long transport routes carry bigger risks, the goods may be damaged or traffic problems may lead to delays in delivery. Some countries also don’t have the therefore necessary infrastructure and transport capacities.

Stationary concrete plants require in addition large investments and quite frequently their realization fails due to lack of financial means.

For the developers from Weckenmann, all of these requirements form the basis for the construction and development of the Mobile Battery Mould. The use of this mobile battery mould allows the vertical production of flat precast concrete parts in form of a field factory.

The battery mould as a stationary form in the production of precast concrete elements has the following principal Advantages:

• Simple and easy-to-use manufacturing process.

• The concrete surface of walls and slabs has a finished surface that is smooth on both sides.

• Compact design, thereby higher volume output and small floor space requirements.

• Insensitive to varying qualities of concrete through highly efficient compaction device.

• Energy efficient through best use of hydration heat for the curing process and the ability to heat the mould intensely

and is basically composed of

• a fixed middle part

• two movable external moulds with electric motor drivel

• several (usually 18 units) mobile intermediate forms

• vertical side mould and horizontal bottom mould depending on the thickness of the element

• electric vibrators for the concrete compacting are integrated in the mould frame, and are  powered by a frequency converter for the infinitely variable speed regulation

• heating coils, that are also arranged within the mould for a fast curing of the concrete

• a hydraulic power unit and two hydraulic cylinders for the closing of the mould

Components of the mobile factory:

The technical solution foresees that a battery mould is built on a special vehicle in form of a semitrailer, which can be moved by standard tractors. The special vehicle is used to transport the heavy central and outer mould. These central elements of the battery mould and other plant components such as control, heating and hydraulic unit are fixed mounted on the special vehicle. The additional working platforms as well as the intermediate forms and other small-scale equipment components will be transported on conventional vehicles from site to site.

A suitable lifting gear is necessary in addition to the mobile battery mould. This lifting gear is required to mount the battery mould, but it must also assume all necessary load movements in the running production process:

• remove the finished concrete parts out of the battery mould

• conversion of the mould

• lifting of the steel reinforcement

• casting with bucket

This task can be handled by either a gantry crane or a conventional rotating tower crane or a mobile crane. A lane is necessary for the gantry crane, which can be based on strip footings or on transportable footing beams.

An oil- or gas-operated heating is located on the special vehicle, that provides hot water for the battery mould, if needed. A mobile tent on the crane way can protect the battery mould against extreme weather conditions (rain or heat).

The setup and dismantling requires approx. 5 qualified employees for only few working days, depending on the situation on site.