Aircrete Europe - Aircrete on the Dnieper

High-tech Aircrete on the Dnieper

Monday, 3 August 2009

Aircrete Europe launches the Largest AIRCRETE
Plant in Eastern Europe,

Introduction – The Kakhovka Plant

Aircrete Europe has constructed the largest Autoclaved Aerated Concrete plant in Ukraine, Eastern Europe, with a daily production capacity of 1450 m³ per day. The plant is situated in Kakhovka, on the beautiful Dnieper River in the Kherson Oblast of southern Ukraine.
The plant is based on the latest Aircrete Durox Line (Versa) Technology. This system is the most reliable, accurate, and suitable technology for making the highest quality block materials based on super smooth surfaces. The Durox versa system is also suitable for the production of reinforced panels up to 8 meters long.
Growing interest and demand for Aircrete products encouraged Mr. Vinnik and Mr. Leontiev to invest in the largest Aircrete plant in Eastern Europe. After approaching Aircrete Europe at the Bauma 2007 Trade Fair, they began initial discussions with the Aircrete team of experts about the design of the new plant. The result is a completely customized design that exceeded expectations, creating a new quality benchmark in the eastern European AAC market.

The commissioning of the Kakhovka Aircrete Plant began in mid-April 2009. The plant production line includes:
• 33 tons Raw Material preparation
• 900 m3 binder silos, 450 m3 slurry capacity
• Automatic Mixer Plant PC controlled @ 3,8min cycle time, 8 components, 3 additives
• 45 moulds for a lean, calm and reliable chemical process
• Original Aircrete Durox-based Cutting Line for block and reinforced products with double wires for super smooth surface and profiling
• 10 autoclaves, 3 meter diameter, 1.800m3/day capacity total (includes endless steam transfer)
• Unloading line with strapping and packing

The Kakhovka Aircrete Plant has gradually vamped up its production capacity and is currently on stream to become the Ukrainian market leader in after the starting months of production.

Achieving a Best-in-class Production Facility – The Aircrete Europe Way
Raw Material Preparation & Mixing

To achieve the remarkable results realized at the Kakhovka Plant, Aircrete Europe chemistry engineers began by defining precise and lean formulas for the different raw material products and their densities and relating them to the required compression strength and thermal conductivity. A critical success factor for Aircrete processes and systems is that they can handle locally available raw materials with ease.

In this factory, Aircrete Europe implemented its unique PC-based Mixing Control System. This PC-based intelligence control system for mixing and dosing, in combination with the chemical formula, leads to the optimal product mix, and produces at the lowest attainable cost for local raw material consumption. Sand, water, binders, stabilizers, additives, temperature, density, tank levels and plant conditions are batch wise calculated and reported. This, in combination with the system’s fuzzy logic results in the very high accuracy and reliability of the process.

After thorough research of alternative options, the Aircrete Durox system uses the low speed multi paddle mixer as standard practice because the Reynolds numbers for turbulence with this mixing option are the same or better when compared to high-speed mixing. The mixer is also independent for filling degrees caused by lower or higher densities. Maintenance is kept at a minimum with this mixing system because there is no wear on v-belts and vibration wear on impellers is limited, virtually eliminating the need for regular replacement. The biggest advantage with the use of this systems is that electrical energy consumption is almost half of that used with high-speed mixing systems and demonstrates a significant move towards greater energy efficiency. Finally, process generated heat from grinding, binders, the hot condensate from autoclaving, and special curing rooms, is also reused. This is the biggest cost saver with Aircrete production and factories are very competitive where manufacturing cost in concerned.

ATEX AluSafe
The Aircrete industry is often plagued by fire and explosions caused by unreliable systems and or operating failures. For this reason, as a standard practice, and in accordance with ATEX Regulations, Aircrete Europe implements the new AluSafe system, a remarkable advancement in Aircrete production. This patented (plug & play) hydraulic-operated batch system ensures safe and precise aluminum powder preparation and handling. Professionals in Aircrete production know that aluminum powder is unbeatable when compared to other forms like pellets, pastes or liquids. For the production of high-quality blocks and reinforced products, especially at lower densities with regular pore structures and excellent compressive strength, powders, or even mixed powders are essential.

Cutting Edge Technology
Aircrete Durox Systems are equipped with a unique, patented high-speed cutting system to produce super smooth surfaces for direct painting or thin film stucco. This unique cutting technology, with high-speed moving dual-wire cutting frames, allows for the production of block, partition panels, lintels, and other reinforced products. Using this system, Aircrete achieves very precise dimensional accuracy and tolerance, far below those specified in DIN EN 771-4 (Specification for Masonry Units – Autoclaved Aerated Concrete Masonry Units). This rigid machine, often called the workhorse, has a useful life of more than 40 years. In fact, there has not yet been a Durox failure since the first build in 1955.

The Aircrete Durox System is far more developed than other similar systems and offers greater openings for Aircrete products in the market. Based on flat cake Durox Technology, the green cake is cut vertically in a flat position thereby preventing any sticking problems after the autoclaving process. By using this system, there is no need for an extra separating machine or splitter to separate the hardened products layer by layer, thereby decreasing the risk of breakage. Research has revealed that little cutting openings in the cake reduce time and the energy consumption of the autoclaving process due to the easy spread of heat. Experience also shows that production losses and breakage are lowest with the Aircrete Durox system. Plants using this system consistently achieve loss rates of less than 1% for blocks and for this reason Aircrete Europe’s cutting system has been replicated by many of its competitors.

Curing
Curing (hardening) is achieved with 10 autoclaves. The strategy of Aircrete Europe is not to save in autoclave number by making them longer, because more autoclaves allow for greater flexibility and the reuse of energy. In addition, boilers can be sized at a lower capacity since they work with lower peaks and better efficiency. Over the last few years, testing has revealed energy savings of 33% per autoclave, so the extra investment is paid back in a short time. The maintenance-free rollers ensure trouble free operation under the harsh conditions of condensate and heat.

Production Support
Although Aircrete Europe is committed to delivering a full turn-key production plant with optimized resources leading to a great result, the focus is also to provide the technology knowhow to manufacture Aircrete with the highest standards in the global market. By providing an extensive training program, our customers become skilled in the application of the technology and techniques in the field of Aircrete production. Building a factory is important, however the ongoing control and operation of the plant is even more critical.

Significant Cost Savings
Aircrete Europe’s plant production practices and advanced Aircrete production technology provides cost savings throughout the production and operating processes. The resulting reductions in cost and losses associated with the advanced cutting technology and mixing processes leads to the lowest per m3 manufacturing costs. For that reason, Aircrete producers who elect to partner with Aircrete Europe are among the leading Aircrete suppliers in the global market.

Oldenzaal, 03-08-2009
N. Baghbani Arzanagh MSc. – Sales &Marketing Manager

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