Executive Summary
Concrete manufacturers are faced with increasing demands for sustainability, quality, efficiency and documentation. To meet these demands the concrete production industry needs more advanced equipment to plan, control, monitor and document the production. However, few new tools has been made available to this industry during the last thirty years.
HPC-09 is a new toolset to help plant operators meet these demands and more:
- Better Planning
- Better Control
- Introduces Monitoring
- Better Documentation
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- Internal and Customer
- Uses On Site Calibration Data
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- More precise Strength Predictions
- Reduces Energy Consumption
- Reduces Induced Carbon Footprint
The HPC-09 program consists of:
- A Scheduler module that calculates Temperature and Compressive Strength Graphs, necessary Concrete Start Temperature and optional Bed Heating before Production commences based on On Site Calibration Data.
- A Surveillance module that shows Compressive Strength (Concrete Maturity) and optional Bed Heating under Production.
- A Report module that produces detailed Excel Reports for each production run.
Data from the Report module together with data from the Surveillance module makes it possible to detect production anomalies at an early production stage, thereby increasing quality and saving money.
The Scheduler module helps the operator to plan the production by calculating the needed Concrete Start Temperature and optional Bed Heating to meet the production schedule under the prevailing conditions.
Better planning makes it feasible to use Fly Ash Cement instead of Rapid Cement. The Carbon Footprint of Fly Ash Cement is considerably smaller then that of Rapid Cement: Better process control enables large Carbon Footprint savings! Read more about how HPC-09 can help reducing Carbon Footprint in our article in the October 2010 issue of Concrete International.
The Scheduler allows the operator to plan the production and see how to achieve the targeted curing time under the prevailing conditions.
The Surveillance module displays the Concrete Maturity (Compressive Strength) in Real-time under production, meaning that HPC-09 may be used for Real-time Maturity testing.
Optionally, it HPC-09 also controls the Bed Heating to meet the Target Curing Time. Bed Heating is turned off as soon as the system finds that the Target Curing Time will be met. This strategy saves money by minimizing energy used and reducing the induced carbon footprint. All in all this spells a more sustainable production.
Green graph shows plot of Concrete Compressive Strength in Real-time: In effect Real-time Concrete Maturity Testing.
HPC-09 introduces a new level of Monitoring of the curing phase of the production process: Today, the only feedback from the production environment is what the workers can see with their bare eyes. However, there are much more that meets the eyes in the concrete curing phase: Often, when the problems can be seen, it is too late to take corrective actions! HPC-09 gives visual real-time feedback on both Temperature and Compressive Strength development. Together with calibration data, this makes it possible to detect anomalies before they spell disaster.
Detailed Reports from the Report module serves as a tool for internal production control and as Quality Assurance to your customers.
We firmly believe that once customers get used to this level of documentation, they will prefer manufacturers that can deliver it!
Excerpt of HPC-09 Report showing Initial and Corrected Predictions.
HPC-09 uses On Site Calibration Data for its calculations of predicted Temperature and Compressive Strength development. Calculations are thus based on the actual Concrete Mix used by your plant rather on some theoretical mix design. This gives more accurate predictions of Temperature and Compressive Strength development! We will teach you how to acquire your own calibration data, meaning you can account for future concrete mixes as well.
Impacts on the Environment is minimized through better energy management and better planning which makes it feasible to use cement with a smaller carbon footprint and still meet tight production schedules.
