The second stage of modernisation was triggered by thecompany’s success: The demand for the innovativehouse building system of DSK BLOK had increased enor-mously. This system reduces heat losses by up to 30%thanks to an energy efficient technology. DSK BLOK hasbeen building this kind of houses since 2008. A housewith this building system is completely made of precastconcrete, and the building – unlike in conventional sand-wich construction – consists of bearing walls with athermal insu lation composite system. Solid floor slabs,loadbearing interior walls, lift shaft elements, stairs,landings, balconies and attic slabs complement the shellconstruction. With this as basis, large numbers of top-quality housing units can be built.

Given the rise in the number of orders and the continuingpositive trend in the domestic market, the managementteam decided to expand its production in the second lar-gest city in Russia and to bring the plant up to the latesttechnological standard.

The technical upgrade of the plant was carried out whileit remained in operation. From June 2012 to November2012, Weckenmann specialists were on site to assist inintegrating eight battery moulds with different dimen -sions and a pallet circulation system with a handlingrobot for formwork profiles in the production line andto put these into operation. This upgrade alone allows capacity to be increased to nearly 2,000 square metresof wall panels and 1,000 square metres of floor slabsper day. The modern circulation system with its 40 shut-tering pallets and shuttering robot play a crucial role inthis improvement. Its operation is based on the so-calledTwin-Z technology. Two synchronised vertical axes gripthe shutters directly at the integrated magnets.

The result: the 3,580 mm wide and 160 mm thick solidfloor slabs are produced at a cycle speed that is up to60 per cent faster than conventional robots. In addition,the magnetic formwork enables the production of aninfinitely wide range of products. This allows DSK BLOKto now offer their customers customised precast con-crete parts in any shape and form.

The Russian precast concrete manufacturer DSK Blok

(„LSR Stroitelstvo – North-West“) modernises its St. Petersburg plant

Technology and capacity upgrade on a grand scale

P R E • F A Bby WeckenmannThe Weckenmann magazine for the precast concrete industry

The plant of DSK BLOK in St. Petersburg was upgraded with eight battery moulds and a pallet circulation system during ongoing operations.

About five years ago, LSR-Group, the leading construction and construction materials group in northwest Russia,took in operation one of the most advanced production plants for precast concrete parts at their plant DSK BLOKin St. Petersburg. Now the company modernised the plant for a second time and increased its capacity. And as withthe first upgrade, the Russian construction company was again supported by Weckenmann Anlagentechnik.

Dear readers,

the number of housing units completed in Germany since 2011 has risen considerably.This year, the experts of the European re-search and consultancy network ‘Eurocon-struct’ anticipate another sharp increase toapproximately 205,000 newly built housingunits. They consider the reasons to be the lowconstruction loan interest rates, the sharp rise in immigration and the continued flight totangible assets. Experts expect that as manyas 240,000 housing units will be completed in2015. This would represent an increase of100,000 compared to 2010. And fast, solid construction with precast concrete parts willcontinue to play a major role. This makes it important that the manufacturers of precastconcrete parts prepare for the rising demand.The article “Manufacturing that makes thegrade” on page 2 is a good example of foursuch companies, which Weckenmann, as a reliable partner, assisted in the upgrade oftheir plants. Our expert team for formworksystems play an important role in these customer projects, a perfectly good reason tointroduce them on page 4 of this issue.

Happy reading!

Regards,

Wolfgang Weckenmann

Technology and capacity upgrade on a grand scale Page 1

One for all challenges Page 2

Factory to go Page 2

Manufacturing that makes the grade Page 2/3

Good good good vibrations Page 3

„What would that be, Mr Zeh?“ Page 4

New trainees on board Page 4

A matter of perspective Page 4

Issue 06 | November 2013

2

Multifinisher

thanks to a changing head

One for all challenges!The surfaces of precast concrete parts must be smoot-hed as needed and depending on the manufacturingmethod. This is where the Weckenmann machinery andequipment make fast, safe and premium-quality workof such requirements. One example is the helicoptertrowelling machine with interchangeable head: Thismultifunctional finishing tool refines the specialisedsurface equipment supplied by the company.

What makes the helicopter trowelling machine differentfrom its predecessors is that this high-performancesmoothing unit has a direct drive. In addition, the headof this robust design can be changed quickly and easily.This way, various processing units with different dia -meters for smoothing, grinding or milling can be used.The attachable milling head allows the calibration oflightweight or autoclaved aerated concrete surfaces.The range of interchangeable heads is completed bycleaning and polishing brushes for cleaning and finis-hing the mould surfaces.

For a perfect finishing: the helicopter trowelling machine.

German precast concrete manufacturers are upgrading

Manufacturing that makes the gradeThe construction industry in Germany is on the up:experts expect that as many as 240,000 housing unitswill be completed in 2015, 100,000 more than in 2010.With concrete still being one of the most importantmaterials also in the construction of residential housing,many precast concrete manufacturers are currentlypreparing for future challenges and upgrading theirplants to meet demands. And they are using the exper-tise of Weckenmann Anlagentechnik specialists, as thefollowing examples show.

At the brick and precast concrete manufacturer AugustLücking GmbH & Co. KG, Warburg/Paderborn, 40 shut-tering pallets are currently refurbished. And this iscarried out while the plant is in operation. The palletsare transported by truck in lots of four from the factoryto the Weckenmann site in Dormettingen. There the steelpanels are sandblasted to rid them of grooves, dentsand other marks. The completely sanded and newlypainted pallets are then transported back to the manu-facturer’s plant. The result: the quality of the productsare again as those produced in a new plant. The com-pany wants to continue to optimise and modernise itsproduction facilities in the near future – in cooperationwith Weckenmann.

To reduce the number of disruptions in production andthe number of complaints, the decision-making team atLudwig Schierer GmbH in Cham has decided to phaseout their current MRP-device (Storage, cleaning andplotting device) along with the electrical control system.It was replaced with a new MRPÖ-device (Storage,cleaning, plotting and oiling device) with automatic con-trol. You can now run five operations on a single palletposition: the collection of the bulkhead, the cleaning,plotting and oiling of the pallet as well as setting thebulkhead in question. In addition, a new pallet centringdevice was added to the MRPÖ-station – with the objectiveto achieve more accurate pallet positioning and so im-prove the quality of the precast concrete parts in termsof dimensional stability. Weckenmann has also beencommissioned with further modernisation projects atSchierer.

Reduced cycle time

The shuttering robot in the double-wall/floor-slabcirculation system at the Bedburg plant of AndernacherBimswerk GmbH was overhauled. It was fitted with anew gripper, which allows the use of formwork systemswith integrated switchable magnets. The result: by up-grading to the new gripper technology, the cycle time isreduced since the shutters can be placed quicker andmore accurately.

Concrete as a building material is almost as old as thehistory of urban development and is found worldwide incountless buildings, often in the form of precast concreteparts. However, it is not such a straightforward matteras simply setting up stationary precast concrete plantsin all countries. There are basic factors such as high in-vestment costs, poor infrastructure and lack of transportcapacity that determine its viability. For areas wheresuch difficult conditions are a hurdle, the developers atWeckenmann have developed a mobile solution: the‘Mobile Battery Mould’ (MBM). This technical innovationcan now bring the production of flat precast concreteparts directly to where it is needed – in the immediatevicinity of the construction site.

This mobile ‘field factory’ is extremely flexible. Due to itscompact design, it requires a relatively small installationfootprint and only five people are needed to set it up ordismantle it in three to four working days. Accordinglyeasy to handle is also the manufacturing process, whichincludes a powerful compaction device to even out anypossible fluctuations in the quality of concrete. The op-timal use of hydration heat for the curing process andthe possibility to preheat the mould also makes theMobile Battery Mould very energy efficient.

Novel battery mould

Factory to go

Set up and dismantled in three to four working days. The newlydeveloped transportable Weckenmann battery mould enablesthe production of flat precast concrete parts in the immediate vicinity of the construction site.

Another step in the technological upgrade of the manu-facturing process in St. Petersburg is the modern CADand ERP software that has been installed as part of thesystem. The master computer now takes over the palletdata from the CAD data and use it to generate thecorresponding production data for the precast concreteplant where currently 17 battery moulds, each with 20chambers and two circulation systems supplied byWeckenmann, are in operation.

Significantly higher capacity, an extended range withoptimised quality products, lower production and main-tenance costs, a reduced share of manual labour andmuch improved working conditions – these were theobjectives to be achieved by modernising the plant. Andachieved they were through room for innovative ideasand the exemplary cooperation between experts fromWeckenmann and DSK BLOK. This has allowed the LSRGroup to strengthen its position in the Russian Federationas a leader in the field of housing construction. Theirprecast concrete plants in Moscow, St. Petersburg andEkatherinburg produce around one million square me-tres of living space per year.

P R E • F A Bby Weckenmann

CONSTRUCTING THE FUTURE

3

High-frequency compaction of concrete: the vibration station of Weckenmann.

High-frequency vibration station with magnetic clamping

Good good good vibrations Cement, water, sand, and gravel of different grain sizes:That’s the stuff that concrete is made of. When thematerial is poured into the mould, its consistency deter-mines how well it is distributed. It also tends to form anair-filled cavity or two. And the result is poorly compactedconcrete parts with unclean surfaces. The solution is about of good and proper vibrations, preferably with high-frequency technology. The vibrations force the air out ofthe viscous mass, the components are compacted andthe concrete can set neatly.

Improving quality

Weckenmann’s high-frequency vibration station withmagnetic clamping has refined the technology of concretecompaction. The substructure of the shuttering palletsis fitted with optimally positioned vibration steel plates.Attached to these plates then are freely suspended,strong vibration-proof electromagnets of the vibrationunits that can be raised and lowered. The vibrators workwith a directed vertical amplitude and an infinitely ad -justable speed from 0 to 6,000 r.p.m. depending on theparticular requirements to the concrete and the finalproduct.

Reduction in energy consumption and noise level

The advantage of this technology is the significant re-duction in energy consumption and noise level. Due tothe fact that the vibrators are directly connected to themould, the energy is directly transferred into the pallet.Another advantage is that the heavy vibration blocks fall

Shuttering pallets before…

… and after the refurbishment at Weckenmann: sandblasted and free of grooves and dents.

“The investment in the offline pallet position has become necessary due to the increasing demands on precast concrete elements”, explains Armin Kaltenbach (2nd from left). Also pictured: Dietmar Kiene (Sales Manager at Weckenmann), Werner Woessner

(1st and 3rd from left) and Wolfgang Hess (right).

The circulation system for floor slabs, which the com-pany Gebrüder Kaltenbach GmbH & Co. KG in the BlackForest uses for its production, was supplemented by anoffline pallet position with stands and crosslifting trucksupstream from the concreting station. This means thecompany can now take pallets needing intensive form-work and reinforcement work out of the circulation cycleand process these offline without time pressure. Theresult is efficient material flow, which is also not disrup-ted when time-intensive manual work has to be done.

Good reasons

There are several reasons why the four companies havechosen Weckenmann as cooperation partner. One is thatthe plant specialist never stops to invest in the develop-ment of its machine technology, which is clearly evidentin the long service life of its products. This is supportedby a good price-performance ratio and commendable

away in this process. This means that less material ismoving, so less energy needs to be used. Plus, all thismakes much less noise. All for the sake of environ -mental protection and occupational safety.

after-sales service. Of key importance is in particularthe professional advice, the reliability, the quality andthe extremely satisfactory execution of customer pro-jects, where customer wishes and improvement sug-gestion are incorporated seamlessly and flexibly. This isthe result of cooperation that sometimes goes backmany years.

P R E • F A Bby Weckenmann

“This is a test station at which the holding force of oneof our magnets is tested. The magnets in question arepart of our various series of formwork systems. The form -work elements are created after extensive discussionswith the customer, where the individual needs of pro-duction and the components envisaged for it are analysed.For each customer project, the ‘formwork systems’ teamwork closely together and incorporate all areas of thebusiness – from sales through design to production. Thisis essential, because it is important to understand thefinal product in order to plan production efficiently or tooptimise it. During these consultations it is often foundthat it is cheaper to develop a universal formwork sys-tem for several products, rather than a separate form-work element for each product. Basically, our goal is todevelop a customised solution that incorporates the

utmost flexibility for each client, regardless of whetherthe formwork elements are handled manually or byrobot. That's more important than ever, not least becauseof the increasingly complex demands and require mentsto concrete construction. Because, without form worknothing goes, it is the heart of every precast concreteplant. It is responsible for the accuracy and immaculateappearance of every precast concrete part. At Wecken-mann, we know it. This is why we infuse every formworkprofile manufactured here in Dormettingen with theaccumulated know-how from many years of experienceand expert development. Obviously, we do not rest onour laurels. And a good example of that is the new‘MagnetBox M2413’. Despite being of the same design,with about 24,000 Newtons it has a much stronger holdingpower than its predecessors.”

Exhibition datesCement. Concrete. Dry Building Mixtures 201326 to 28 November 2013, Moscow, Russia

ICCX St. Petersburg4 to 5 December 2013, St. Petersburg, Russia

Ulmer BetonTage (Ulm Concrete Days)18 to 20 February, Ulm, Germany

Concrete Show India 13 to 15 March 2014, Mumbai, India

ICCX Latin America25 to 27 March 2014, Florianópolis, Brazil

BIBM Congress 201421 to 23 May 2014, Istanbul, Turkey

Concrete Show South America27 to 29 August 2014, São Paulo, Brazil

„What would that be, Mr Zeh?“

Stefan Eisele, Dzeladin Gicic and Vanessa Beneke begana new stage in their lives at the beginning of September.They started their apprenticeships as industrial mecha-nics at Weckenmann Anlagentechnik GmbH & Co. KG and– for the first time in its history – as technical productdesigner.

This brings the number of young men and women whocomplete their vocational training in the company to a totalof seven, among others as industrial mechanics, ware-house clerks and industrial clerks. “Promoting and sup-porting the youth is very important to us, not least becauseit is also an investment in the future of our company,” ex-plains CEO Wolfgang Weckenmann the training commit-ment of Weckenmann. This includes the latest cooperationof the company with the Horb campus of the CooperativeState University Stuttgart. In future, students can do theirbachelor's degree in mechanical engineering-structuraldesign and development there.

Trainee development at Weckenmann

New trainees on board

Our expert team for formwork systems with Benjamin Zeh (left) and Elmar Kienzle (2nd from right).

Stefan Eisele, Dzeladin Gicic, Vanessa Beneke (from left to right).

4

‘A pond is an artificial body of standing water of mode-rate depth’, is one rather sterile dictionary definition. Thepond on the Weckenmann premises in Dormettingen ismuch more though: For the fire brigade it is a vital fire-fighting water source. For the carp that are bred in it, thisroughly 50 by 13 metres body of water is equally vital,but in their case, as a functioning ecosystem. And for theemployees of the company, the small pond is a tranquilplace – for open-air meetings, lunch break or a shortwalk in between.

A matter of perspective

Benjamin Zeh joined the Weckenmann sales team more than a year ago and is responsible for ‘formwork systems’.Besides customer service and project management, market analysis is also part of his duties.

Publisher:Weckenmann Anlagentechnik GmbH & Co. KGBirkenstraße 1 | 72358 Dormettingen | GermanyTel. +49 7427 94 93 0 | Fax +49 7427 94 93 29info@weckenmann.de | www.weckenmann.com

Pho

tos:

Wec

kenm

ann