Critical mixer cleaning system has been made more affordable by running washout heads in sequence, rather than in parallel, to reduce the volume of water required from the pump. Combined with reduced cost of the high-pressure washout heads due to the drop in the Euro, the company notes, system reconfiguration brings equipment cost within range of precasters and central mixed plant equipment operators.
“It isn’t cheap,” says Scale-Tron’s Robin Shepherdson, system designer, “but it really does a job. Consider that cleanout takes 20 minutes instead of an hour and you can have 40 minutes more production for no extra cost. Safety is enhanced too, with no need for anyone to climb into the mixer. The washout heads revolve as well as slewing to give either a spherical or hemispherical wash pattern with no missed areas and the high pressure, combined with high volume, really gets rid of the buildup.”
Customers cite mixer cleaning in third of the time required of the prior model, he adds. The system is shown here at a recent installation, before and after washout following a production shift. The washout head is seen at top, under the raised mixer cover; one to four heads are used, depending on the mixer type and size. The electrically powered pump comes with a 150-gal. reservoir, plus hoses and fittings. The washout cycle can be fully manual, timed or remote controlled from the batch operator, allowing inter-batch washout water to be used in the subsequent mix. All pump components are U.S. made, allowing easy replacement; reservoir and high pressure pump are separate, allowing location in tight corners.
The system kit includes a high flow, high power, heavy-duty hand wash gun, suitable for blasting deposits off hard-to-reach surfaces plus general clean-up work, and equipped with 20-ft. hose. Pressure can be redirected to a second mixer if desired, and all parts are available as separate items. — Scale-Tron Inc., 800/632-7083; www.scaletron.com; www.ocmer.biz