CEMEX: Austria binding material silo

Anhydrite flow screed is one of the most high-grade screed types in the world. In order to ensure optimal mixing and dosing of this material, the company CEMEX Austria is using HBM weighing technology for their new binding material silo. RTN-type installation modules ensure optimal dosing. Via a direct PLC interface they are directly connected with the management software.

Concrete and construction materials are no longer interchangeable products in today's world. Whether in old building refurbishment or new buildings - builders and architects profit from a growing, high-grade selection of special concrete types and construction materials.

The construction materials produced by CEMEX Austria meet the highest of requirements regarding processing and availability. This company - originating from the Readymix Kies-Union - has been one of the leading suppliers of transport concrete and other construction materials such as screed throughout Austria for nearly 50 years now.

The anhydrite flow screed produced by CEMEX Austria is one of the most high-grade types in the world. This screed, produced using calcium sulfate, has excellent flow behavior and is therefore ideally suited for e.g. laying floors with floor heating systems.

In order to meet the growing market demand for anhydrite flow screed, CEMEX Austria decided in 2011 to build a new binding material silo at their site in Bad Fischau (Austria). CEMEX Austria is looking to achieve a more accurate dosing of this high-grade construction material with the new binding material silo and so enable more efficient material usage.

The new silo is capable of dosing the binder directly into the transport vehicle (truck mixer), which can then transport the anhydrite flow screed directly portioned to the customer. Dosing is implemented using a silo minus-weighing procedure. CEMEX Austria chose to use the installation modules with RTN load cells from HBM as the solution for weighing the silo.

Four RTN modules of accuracy class C3 with a maximum capacity of 22 tons were used. The container was calibrated and tested by HBM and a partner company using calibration weights. The customer was highly satisfied: The installation of the load cells was implemented "without disturbing the mixing operation, to our full satisfaction and within the calculated cost framework", explained Andreas Vesely, the responsible project manager at CEMEX Austria.

The installation modules used for the completed installation under the silo system contain RTN ring-torsion load cells from HBM. The RTN ring-torsion load cell can be used in almost all weighing technology applications thanks to the robust, rotation-symmetrical structure and the extremely flat construction.

Positive arguments for using RTN in the new CEMEX Austria binding material silo were above all the robustness of the modules and the possibility of connecting the weighing technology to the management system via a PLC interface. Thanks to this software integration, the CEMEX Austria technicians can always maintain a complete overview of the dosing and filling of the container, and can intervene directly in the filling process by remote control.

In addition to RTN, the weighing modules also contain a pendulum as the load application element. This compensates the self-resetting horizontal movements and therefore guarantees a high level of security.