Manufacture - Primoris Brick & Paving Company, Cambodia

SUPERBRICKS MANUFACTURING

Manufacture of bricks, blocks and pavers is done using an automated concrete brick plant commissioned in April 2009. The equipment forms pressed concrete products by use of a mould that compressed the dry concrete mix at over 100 tonnes per square centimetre in high performance steel moulds. Production capacity is different for every product line (see table below).

Unit	Size	Units/Hour
Standard brick (BR01)	80x80x175	5,850
Small brick (BR02)	40x80x175	5,850
Large brick (BR03)	80x110x210	3,000
Full block (BL01)	190x190x390	1,350
Half block (BL03)	190x190x190	2,700
Split block (BL05)	90x190x390	2,700
Interlocking paver (PV01)	80x112x225	3,750

Manufacturing begins by mixing the raw materials (sand, aggregate etc) in the batching plant (L-photo) which weighs each material per the computerised instructions and then feeds it via a conveyor belt into a hopper (R-photo). The computer sends an instruction to the elevator to send the mix up and empty into the concrete mixer. At the same time cement is feed in from the cement silo via an auger (weighed and then dumped into the mixer) and water is added.

The mix is then dropped on top of the empty mould and swept evenly across the top. The mould then closes and vibrates the material to the level of compaction set in the computer (that produces the product to the correct height).

The whole mould then lifts up revealing the finished product on a bamboo backboard. The backboard then feed by chain conveyor and stacked via an automated elevator.

Wooden risers are inserted between the backboards by hand to prevent damage to the green product as successive backboards of product are stacked. Each stack is then moved by fork to a space inside the factory for overnight curing.

The next day the green product is wrapped completely in plastic and left in the sun (this procedure promotes sweating within the pallet keeping the product wet allowing it to cure fully.)

Compressive Test Results