SR SCHINDLER is a proud supplier of the value-adding line for Settline Sp. z o.o. ’s new concrete block production facility. Thanks to fully integrated technology, Settline Sp. z o.o. can process its products thoroughly on the subsequent value-adding line after manufacturing them on the RH 2000-4 MVA machine supplied by the HESS GROUP.

Settline Sp. z o.o. can now fulfill even the most demanding customer requirements, thanks to the state-of-the-art block-making machine, value-adding, and packaging systems. With these new facilities, Settline sp. z o.o. manufactures paving blocks, concrete slabs, curbstones, and steps, among other things, on the RH 2000-4 MVA machine supplied by the Hess Group. These products can be processed thoroughly on the value-adding line by SR SCHINDLER. With new aging, shotblasting, curling, coating, and edge-splitting lines, Settline is well-equipped to meet the latest quality standards in the modern building materials industry.

Value-adding Line: Aging – Blasting – Curling – Coating

Cuber 1 conducts block layers directly from production boards or stacked layers from external input to this value-adding line. Once cuber 1 has positioned a block layer, the layer pusher moves it in an endless stream into the SR Mega 6000-C-DUO aging machine. The products pass through this high-performance machine using the machine’s conveyor belt. Two machine bridges with side stands are installed above it to accommodate one aging unit each. The machine features a heavy-duty steel design. The two machining supports can be moved pneumatically in a vertical direction and are each equipped with hammer mechanisms that move laterally while oscillating. These hammer mills each consist of 105 spring-loaded aging hammers, each mounted on six quick-change carrier beams. Foil can be inserted between the products and the aging hammers using an additional foil dispenser. This foil running between the product layers and hammers during machining prevents surface damage. Only the edges are then broken.

The Polish company installed a soundproof chamber for the aging machine to protect the employees from the high noise level it generates. A cartridge filter system extracts the dust produced during processing.

The aged products are then transported in individual layers to the SR-1250 shot-blasting machine via a 2.00 m long accumulation roller chain conveyor and a layer pusher with a transfer table and pneumatic side clamping. In the shot-blasting machine, equipped with a cross-ribbed rubber conveyor belt, products are bombarded with steel or stainless steel pellets via two turbines, each powered by an 18.5 kW frequency-controlled motor. A third turbine has been installed for shot-blasting curbstones. This process roughens the block surfaces and brings out their granularity. An integrated high-pressure blower automatically removes the shot-blasting material on the products’ surface. A longitudinal screw conveyor feeds the shot-blasting material to a bucket elevator and the cleaning unit. The material can be provided into a new shot-blasting process once cleaned. If the conveyor belt comes to a standstill, the supply of shot-blasting agents to the turbines is automatically interrupted, preventing any over-blasting of products and, thus, manufacturing rejects.

Another layer pusher with a transfer table and pneumatic side clamping transports the shot-blasted products again in a continuous flow into the downstream CA-1200-4 curling unit, including a blow-off device at the outlet for cleaning the concrete elements. Settline Sp. z o.o. opted for a curling machine consisting of two tunnel segments, each with two curling stations equipped with an approx. 22 kW frequency-controlled motor. The four curling brushes are all equipped with carborundum trimmings. The hardness of the brushes varies, so excellent results can be achieved by employing different stations. The supports can be adjusted in height using an electric motor. The brush pressure is automatically regulated by the brush drive’s current consumption. This ensures uniform brush pressure on products and evens out brush wear. The curling stations are set up at an angle to the conveying direction. The brushes run in alternating rotation directions, i.e., brushes 1 and 3 run in opposite directions to brushes 2 and 4. This prevents line marks and completely processes any irregular surface structure of the products. The curling machine is controlled using a Siemens SPS-S7 control system. It is operated via a 12” touch panel. The dust is extracted using another cartridge filter system. After the curling unit, the products are transported further via an accumulation chain conveyor.

The products are transferred to the coating line via the following double-layer pusher with a transfer table and pneumatic side clamping. They are conveyed in layers through the individual stations of the first primer coating line using an approx. 15.50 m long scraper floor conveyor. The scraper floor conveyor’s sliding beams work in both directions. While one layer is being pushed and positioned, the beam dives under the docking plate to retrieve the next layer.

The products must pass through an infrared preheating tunnel with six heating cassettes, each with seven infrared lamps. There, the products are heated to the right temperature to spray them with solvent-free lacquers from above in the following primer coating station. These products, which have been primed from above, are then dried in the next infrared heating tunnel downstream with the help of six heating cassettes, each with seven infrared lamps.

The following layer pusher with transfer table and pneumatic side clamp now transports the products onto an approx. 9.00 m long slat conveyor positioned at right angles, from where they are transported by another layer pusher of an identical design onto the second sealer coating line. This runs parallel below the first primer coating line but with the conveying direction now running in the opposite direction. The products next travel through a second sealer coating station designed for solvent-free coatings via a scraper floor conveyor, which is also approx. 15.50 m long. This station – like the primer coating station – consists of a low-wear compressed air diaphragm pump with pulsation dampener, a non-dripping low-pressure spray bar with five nozzle units with all the necessary valves, a flow meter, a touch panel with a power supply unit and housing with a connection for the extraction system provided by the customer. At the end of this coating line is another infrared heating tunnel of the same design that dries the coated products from above.

Value-adding Line: Splitting – Edge Processing

Cuber 1 conducts block layers directly from their production boards or external input onto the sliding grate of the splitting line. Here, the layer pusher moves a block layer into the first Split 1200 machine to be split laterally. The layer pusher has a displacement measuring system to position the split blocks precisely under the splitting knives. It also has vertically displaceable pneumatic carrier devices, which are lowered during backward movement. This makes it possible to place the next layer of blocks on the conveyor during insertion.

The upper and lower splitting knives work on a pincer principle in the splitting machine. This means that both knives are continuously pulled together with full force compensation until splitting takes place.

The retaining devices for the upper and lower knives are movable within the inner double frame. The main splitting cylinder is also attached to the crossbeam of the inner double frame. Optional hydraulic side knives can support splitting processes for high products. Splitting quality is visibly improved as the product is split into four sides simultaneously. The upper knife holder on the main cylinder is mounted in a movable manner. This allows the upper knife to adapt to irregular products. After this, a triple-layer pusher with a waste flap and turntable was installed. The first layer pusher picks up the laterally split products and transports them to a turntable. This rotates the products by 90° so that longitudinal splitting can take place in the second splitting unit. A second layer pusher transfers the products from the turntable to an intermediate position. A third layer pusher is equipped with a displacement measuring system and feeds the products to the second Split 1200 splitting machine.

This configuration with two splitting machines arranged one after the other, and the 90° turntable in between enables products to be split longitudinally and transversely in an automated linear sequence. After the longitudinal splitting, the products are transported further using the following layer pusher. A second waste flap has also been installed at this point. Splitting residues are fed through the waste flaps to a conveyor belt system installed under the floor. The products can then either be fed to the edge processing machine or the layers are transported using cuber 2 to packaging unit 2, where they are stacked on pallets and packaged.

Products are placed in rows on the edge processing machine for edge processing with a pneumatic two-sided grab and a 90° turning device. The bypass edge processing unit comprises a bridge support for simultaneously processing the four longitudinal sides, each with a rotating chain driven by a frequency-controlled motor, and a bridge support for simultaneously processing the four vertical edges, each with a rotating chain equipped with a frequency-controlled motor. Appropriate settings for the sides are carried out using a hand wheel. The longitudinal sides are machined in through-feed mode. The vertical edges are knocked off when the product is stationary on a lifting table. Infeed and discharge roller conveyors have been integrated into this machine. A cartridge filter system is used to extract dust.

A second transfer unit downstream with a pneumatic two-sided grab and a 90° turning device reassembles the processed products in layers onto a belt conveyor. The layers are fed to cuber 2 via this belt conveyor and the following packaging unit 2.

Packaging

Cuber 2 supplies packaging unit 1 with block layers from the dry side. Products without value-adding are stacked directly onto pallets at this point. Settline Sp. z o.o. has opted for a covering foil applicator and a horizontal and vertical strapping machine regarding the packaging concept at packaging unit 1. An additional automatic ledge dispenser has been installed on the dry side for, e.g., curbstones. Due to its generous volume, there is rarely any need to refill the ledge storage unit.

Cuber 2 supplies packaging unit 2 using a second transfer carriage. The block layers arrive here either from the splitting line or the aging-blasting-curling-coating value-adding line. A combined interlayer dispenser has been installed at the stacking position to automatically insert an intermediate layer between block layers or between a block layer and the pallet as protection against tannic acid and surface damage or to apply a covering foil for protection against the effects of the weather. The intermediate layer can be a net, a foil, or similar. A horizontal and a vertical strapping machine were also installed at packaging unit 2.

Both packaging lines still have reserves for possible future packaging machines. The lines can be retrofitted without problem since they have been fitted with segment drives.

Settline Sp. z o.o. utilises three different kinds of pallets. These are deposited into the empty pallet storage area by forklift trucks outside the hall. An empty pallet transfer unit picks up the desired type of empty pallet according to requirements and places it on the conveyor system. The empty pallet is then fed to packaging units 1 and 2 underneath the floor in the hall.

Control Unit

The entire value-adding and packaging lines are controlled via several Siemens PLC S7-1500 control units featuring decentralized operating panels with visualization.

To facilitate controlling the entire paving block value-adding process, Settline Sp. z o.o. opted for a B&B operating and monitoring system consisting of a PC, a 22" screen, and two mobile 10.4" tablet PCs with visualization for the complete finishing and packaging process. Recipe management can save all the settings for a particular product. This way, the entire line can be easily adapted to any specific product type.

“We can fulfil even the most demanding customer requirements with the aid of the new block-making machine and the new value-adding and packaging systems. We want to thank Hess Group and SR Schindler for their cooperation and see ourselves well equipped for future product requirements thanks to installing these new systems”, the sales manager says. Settline Sp. z o.o. is ideally positioned for all customer requests with its state-of-the-art facility and value-adding machines that have been installed. And space has already been earmarked for corresponding expansion should further value-adding demands arise.