Putzmeister at BAUMA: Market-oriented technology, high level of efficiency and top service

With its truck-mounted concrete pumps, PM demonstrates not only innovations but also a cross-section of its tiered product range. The 70 metre class will be represented as well as the M 58-5, which feeds concrete up to a height of almost 60 m. One of the innovations Putzmeister will be presenting at BAUMA is the placing boom M 49-5 on a 4-axle chassis, which was developed for demanding concrete pump operators in specialist export markets. With the M 46-5, Putzmeister pays tribute to India, BAUMA partner country for 2010. The placing boom is mounted on a semi-trailer and, in principle, can be licensed in many countries.

The M 46-5 truck-mounted version presented in Munich was specifically designed by PM to meet the particular requirements and licensing rules of the Indian market. Also present at the exhibition will be the compact truck mounted concrete pumpsall-rounders from the 20, 30 and 40 metre classes with four or five flexible boom arms.
Putzmeister presents the M 42-5 model as an example of a particularly user-friendly truck-mounted concrete pump which is both suitable for use on construction sites and economical to run. The machine is equipped with numerous extras, wear-reducing components and fuel-saving hydraulic control. These include wear parts made of special hard metal alloys, the particularly abrasion-resistant 2-layer delivery line, an electropneumatic shut-off device on the split end hose (prevents the concrete from dripping), active damping of the 5-arm concrete placing boom (particularly effective at high outputs), a secure, one-sided support for construction sites with space restrictions, an additional diesel tank in the support leg as well as hydraulic control, which automatically adapts the vehicle's engine speed to the relevant output and thereby reduces the diesel consumption during pumping operations in a targeted manner.

In order to enable machine operators to use their concrete pump safely at any time, under the most diverse conditions, the Putzmeister academy is always expanding its range of practical training material. Particularly popular with concrete pump drivers are virtual training methods. With this in mind, the PM academy will simulate a radio remote control of the latest generation with interactive graphic display and automatic frequency management (AFM) such as that found on a truck-mounted concrete pump. When operating the control functions the machine operator – or during BAUMA, the interested visitor to the stand – receives immediate confirmation messages, which are shown on the radio remote control graphic display.

With the Telebelt TBS 130, Putzmeister is presenting its mobile telescopic belt conveyor as a semi-trailer for the first time. The alternative to the otherwise usual construction on a 4-axle chassis is very attractive; the operator is largely free to choose a standard 2- or 3-axle tractor unit which would usually be used from amongst the company's pool of vehicles for other jobs, such as transporting gravel or sand. In the truck-mounted version, the Telebelt has significantly lower axle loads, and on construction sites as well as in road traffic, the tractor unit is easier to manoeuvre due to its smaller turning circle. Fuel consumption is also reduced with the TBS 130. The reason for this is that during site use, it is not the - usually large - engine of the tractor unit that drives the Telebelt delivery system, but an economical 184 KW (250 HP) diesel engine which is installed separately on the semi-trailer. The truck-mounted concept means that the Telebelt is largely independent of country-specific road licensing regulations and can be sold anywhere – even as a used machine.

Even with its concrete pumps for stationary use, Putzmeister is presenting a cross section through its wide range of products. The flagship product of the product range is the high-performance BSA 14000 SHP D concrete pump. The machine has been designed to withstand extreme stresses in pumping concrete over long distances and to great heights. We only need to look back on the world record breaking pumping height of 606 m at the Burj Dubai as an example. But two of these super-high-pressure pumps are also being used for high-rise concrete pumping on the Moscow Federation Tower after the pumps of other manufacturers were taken off the job.

With the BSA 1404 HD, PM presents a robust, cost-effective concrete pump, designed specifically for the Indian market. However, the compact machine will also mechanise concrete delivery in other countries in south-east Asia and Africa. When designing the reinforced chassis and the leaf-sprung undercarriage of the BSA 1404 HD and also the modified trailer coupling (also suitable for towing by tractor), PM took into account the particular road conditions of these countries. In configuring the concrete pump unit, it was also borne in mind that in some newly industrialising countries, the concrete is often pumped with a relatively low water and cement content, with an uneven grading curve and aggregates made purely of broken material. This concrete pump is recommended for conveying heights of up to approx. 90 m.

The P 718 model rounds off the Putzmeister range as the smallest concrete pump. The extremely compact P 718 is mounted on a single-axle chassis which can be driven on roads, and was principally designed for pumping fine concrete, liquid screed and suspensions. However, as the delivery cylinder and S-transfer tube each have a relatively large diameter, the pump is also suitable for pumping concrete. The output on the P 718 can be infinitely adjusted up to 18 m³/h; the maximum pump pressure is 70 bar. A lifting eye allows the machine to be moved quickly around the construction site.

For high-rise concrete placement, Putzmeister is presenting the cost-effective MX 30 placing boom for the first time in Europe. It can be mounted on either lattice towers or tubular columns. The new PM RS 850 tubular column system with automated climbing system is also being presented. The tubular column is held on two floors by four lightweight corner brackets, which can be easily carried by hand. In the RS 850 tubular column system, the usual cylinders and locating bolts have been replaced by integrated push-out feet and a specially developed climbing system that climbs with it. The new PM tubular column system also means that the concrete delivery line is no longer run along the side of the column. Instead, the pipeline is integrated in the column so that all that is required is a square hole in the floor. Even the safety aspect of the new RS 850 tubular column system is excellent: part of the working platform - pre-assembled on the tubular column - can be delivered to the construction site in advance so that the platform is already available while the stationary boom is being assembled, protecting the assembly personnel. The rest of the platform is just latched in and secured.

PM has developed several optional assistance functions for the PUMI truck mixer concrete pumps.

These additional functions can be selected via the modern radio remote control display.

With five different placing boom sizes, three different delivery systems and two concrete mixer sizes, Putzmeister offers operators of PUMI truck mixer concrete pumps a unique selection and a multitude of possible combinations. Besides the PUMI with boom reaches of 21, 24 and 26 m, PM has also developed truck mixer concrete pumps with a 28 and 31 metre boom for individual export markets. The range includes two differently designed piston pumps for pumping concrete (installed either at the rear, at right angles to the direction of travel, or lengthways under the mixer drum), with piston strokes of 700 mm and 1000 mm and different outputs. In addition, there is the rotor delivery system which is particularly notable for its quiet pumping operation, precise regulation of even smaller quantities of concrete, and for the lack of concrete residues during cleaning.

Putzmeister is aiming the AUTOCOR BQ06 system at the precast concrete industry. The pump unit represents different delivery systems which are used to pump even small quantities of concrete – including self-compacting mixture breakdowns – from the mixing plant to the formworks of the associated finished parts production unit in an economical manner. One of the major advantages of pump delivery as opposed to loading via crane buckets is that formworks with a curved surface, for example, can even be filled from below, by using a hose connection (the geometry of these moulds previously meant it was impossible to fill them with concrete from outside or from above).

The result is a surface with no cavities, and high-quality, sharp edges, which means that potential refinishing work on the component is reduced to a minimum. According to feedback from operators at precasting works, the various AUTOCOR systems can help to reduce production times by up to 60% and increase the capacity of the plant.

In other precast concrete works, concrete is usually placed using either a mechanical PM concrete distributor or a hydraulically controlled flexible placing boom. Both systems can be easily adapted to the relevant production process and the prevailing space conditions. Putzmeister has designed the new RV 12 Lift rotary concrete distributor for use in precast concrete works - but also for completely normal floor concreting jobs. The device has two arms connected by pivot hinges, of which the tip of the front arm can be hydraulically lifted (infinitely adjustable) to up to 4 m using a hand-operated pump (car jack principle). This means that even high precast moulds and formworks can be flexibly concreted without having to elevate the concrete distributor. In order to make it easier to draw the sponge ball back during cleaning, the RV 12 Lift has a delivery line with a continuous diameter of 125 mm (100 mm on request).

The presence of Putzmeister After Sales & Parts Services (APS) at the trade fair is strongly influenced by the theme of “Reducing operating costs”. There are numerous different ways of achieving this, depending on the country, operational requirements and cost structure. On the one hand, PM presents solutions to minimise costs by using highly wear-resistant parts. And in order to determine the correct time to replace parts visitors of Putzmeister’s BAUMA booth can try out a simple testing method. Another cost issue is oil management in concrete pumps. For this purpose, Putzmeister offers both technical advice (such as installing filters) and training for machine operators, to provide an insight into the necessity of maintenance work its correct implementation. In addition to this, PM Academy is presenting new training tools and courses aimed at saving fuel and reducing service costs.

A commercial alternative to implementing maintenance, service and training tasks are customer-specific service packages. These help the operator to increase the availability and operational reliability of the machine, while at the same time obtaining more transparency at low costs. And those looking for a proven tool for managing the whole fleet of pumping machines should not miss out on the web-based software solution i-Daisy. This can be used to manage other vehicles in the fleet, such as truck mixers, silo tractors, etc.

A now recognised PM feature and strength is its prognostic building project consultation for efficient pumping and distribution of concrete and other bulk materials, for demanding structural and civil engineering projects, embanking, tunnelling and mining. As early as the quotation processing stage, Putzmeister collaborates with planners and operators to work out the site equipment and resource planning required for concrete delivery, taking into consideration the planned construction processes, deadlines, provision reliability while paying close attention to the omnipresent cost pressures.

The engineers in the CPD (Concrete Project Division) - composed of mechanical and civil engineers with many years of experience gained from a variety of different challenges in complex building projects around the world - assure the operator that any characteristics that need to be calculated will be taken into account, concrete delivery can be procured on a sound basis, the pumpability of the concrete types will be promptly clarified and any unwelcome surprises during the ongoing construction process will be avoided.

The demand for used machinery remains strong. But beware - in the case of second-hand truck-mounted concrete pumps in particular, it is not always clear whether or not the apparent bargain from a used machinery dealer is actually worth the money. It is only the manufacturer who has the technical expertise and detailed knowledge of the structure of individual components and about how the electronic or hydraulic control systems operate. Putzmeister will therefore present the PM used machinery centre at a separate stand. For each machine that is currently available, there will be a detailed document including photos, technical data, mileage, operating hours, etc. In addition, examples will demonstrate just how thoroughly the second-hand concrete pumps are reconditioned by the manufacturer and/or what operations the manufacturer could still carry out - and at what cost. This includes, for example, replacing wear parts and bearings, inspecting and potentially replacing operating fluids, carrying out refits, updates of technically compatible software and a final inspection similar to those for new machines.