Device and operating principle of a household concrete mixer

Assume you need to mix concrete for a project you’re working on around the house. That’s when a concrete mixer you can use at home comes in very handy. This small device is made to mix cement, water, sand, and gravel effectively to produce the ideal concrete mix for your requirements.

The basic component of a home concrete mixer is a revolving drum or barrel that is supported by a frame. The essential element where mixing actually takes place is the drum. Although some models may use gasoline engines, electric motors are typically used to power them. The materials inside can fully mix because the motor rotates the drum.

The working principle is simple but efficient. In accordance with your recipe, you fill the mixer with the necessary amounts of cement, sand, gravel (aggregate), and water. After everything is placed inside the drum, turn on the mixer. The materials are repeatedly lifted up and then lowered back down as the drum runs. The water disperses evenly throughout the mixture and the components mix together perfectly thanks to this tumbling action.

The efficiency of a home concrete mixer is one of its main benefits. When compared to mixing by hand, automating the mixing process saves you a significant amount of time and effort. Additionally, it guarantees consistency in the quality of your concrete mix, which is essential to getting strong and long-lasting results from your remodeling or building projects.

The sizes of household concrete mixers typically range from small, easily portable units for job site mobility to larger models appropriate for larger projects. The size of your project and the frequency of concrete mixing you expect will determine the appropriate size.

All things considered, a home concrete mixer is a useful and essential tool for anyone doing small-scale concrete work or do-it-yourself building projects. Knowing how it works and what makes up its basic ingredients will enable you to mix concrete to the right specifications quickly and effectively, whether you’re pouring a small foundation, installing fence posts, or making decorative elements for your house or garden.

We examine the fundamental functions of a home concrete mixer in this article. These tools are essential for do-it-yourselfers and small-scale building projects. The basic idea behind how a concrete mixer works is that it mixes cement, water, and aggregate (such as sand or gravel) into a uniform mixture. The apparatus has a revolving drum that mixes the ingredients together and is driven by either gasoline or electricity. By doing this, you can make sure that the mixture is well combined and prepared for use in a variety of projects, such as laying small foundations or creating walkways. It is easier for homeowners and small contractors to produce consistent and dependable concrete mixes when they are aware of how these mixers work.

Classification of concrete mixers

Based on how they work, there are two primary categories into which all devices made for mixing and preparing concrete mortar can be placed:

• gravitational;
• forced type.

The blade-splitters of a gravity-type concrete mixer are fixed rigidly on the drum’s walls, and the mixer rotates in response to this movement. The mixture is lifted by the drum’s blades as it rotates, preventing it from sliding along the container’s surface. As gravity pulls the components downward, the blades raise them back up. Repeating the procedure several times results in a thorough mixing of the mortar.

How the forced type compulsory mixer operates: the blades fixed to the axis inside the drum rotate to mix the solution while the container for kneading it remains motionless. However, the high energy consumption of these devices (a typical 250-liter concrete mixer has an engine with a capacity of approximately 5500 watts) makes their use problematic for personal plots. Because of this, these concrete mixers are regarded as professional tools and are rarely utilized for domestic purposes. Their cost is also significantly greater than gravitational.

By using gravitational concrete mixers with tanks that hold between 100 and 200 liters, you can obtain 60 to 120 liters of the final solution for each collaboration. They are very popular because they are very easy to use and simple.

In gravitational models, there are two kinds of drum rotation drives:

The drive gear and the toothed crown, which are positioned all the way around the tank from the exterior, transfer rotation from the engine to the drum in the first type. The crown teeth, which are not shielded from outside forces, will eventually wear down due to this kind of drive, but it is not too difficult to replace this structural component.

Because every drive element in a geared gravity-type concrete mixer is housed inside a protective casing, these mixers are thought to be more dependable. But in the event that the gearbox itself malfunctions, this component will need to be replaced entirely, which will incur expenses. Compared to comparable concrete mixers with a crown drive and the same productivity, the models with a gearbox cost between thirty and forty percent more.

Design of a gravity concrete mixer with a drum crown drive

Let’s examine the construction of a gravity concrete mixer with a crown drive, which uses a diesel, gasoline, or electric engine to rotate the drum. The most prevalent kind among those mentioned is an electric motor that runs on a 220 V network. Models with internal combustion engines are used when total autonomy of the concrete mixer is necessary, such as when electricity supply networks have not yet been connected.

The drum is the primary component of the concrete mixer. Its walls are hung with blades. The bottom of the drum, which is supported by a traverse through a bearing, has an axle fastened to it. A crown, or encircling round toothed gear, is located in the center of the drum and runs the entire circumference. It is this gear that transfers the engine’s rotation to the drum.

The traverse is fixed to the support frame (by rolling bearings and bushings) with the drum attached. A mechanism to tilt the container with a lock to produce the necessary working angle and enable the possibility of unloading the completed solution is located on one side of the frame. A working gear and an electric motor block are attached to the opposite side.

The engine’s rotation is transferred to the working gear, which engages the drum’s toothed rim, typically via a belt drive. As a result, the solution is mixed as the gear rotates, starting the drum.

A home concrete mixer’s basic electrical circuit is fairly straightforward and includes the following components:

• electric motor;
• starting capacitor;
• start-stop switch;
• short circuit and overload protection circuit breaker (in some models it is combined with the switch).

The video provides a detailed demonstration of the concrete mixer’s electrical component:

Concrete mixers can be purchased from some manufacturers as pre-built car trailers. This makes their transportation and subsequent use much simpler.

Main technical characteristics

The following technical features of a concrete mixer should be taken into consideration when selecting one:

• drum volume (the finished mixture will be from 40 to 60% of this value);
• power, on which the time of continuous operation at maximum load depends;
• weight that must be taken into account for transportation and movement around the construction site.

Concrete mixers designed for personal use typically have a drum capacity of between 100 and 200 liters. Larger models (250-300 liters) are much more difficult to use due to their large size and impressive weight (up to 150-200 kg). Owners of their own country homes typically select concrete mixers with a 150-liter capacity and a weight of no more than 70 kg. For these kinds of devices, the electric motor has a power of 700–1000 W. Even networks of vacation homes can handle this kind of load (a standard electric iron uses between 1000 and 1500 W).

Of course, you may order a "Kamaz" (mixer), which will deliver a large amount of ready-made solution, to speed up the process of large-scale concrete work (like pouring the foundation of a future house). But access roads are necessary for this.

Comprehending the functioning of a domestic concrete mixer can help to simplify its seemingly intricate features. The purpose of these machines is to make the process of mixing concrete easier. Traditionally, this has involved a significant amount of manual labor. Concrete mixers efficiently mix cement, aggregate (like sand or gravel), and water into a homogenous mixture using a drum that rotates on a fixed axis.

The drum, which serves as the mixing container, and the electric motor or engine that powers the rotation are the device’s primary parts. Electric motors are used in most household mixers because they are convenient and simple to operate. In order to ensure complete blending, the drum itself is angled to encourage the material to tumble as it turns. Easy material loading and unloading is another benefit of this design.

To properly combine the ingredients, the drum rotates in a single direction while in operation, usually in the clockwise direction. Depending on the model, the opening in the drum where the materials are added is frequently on the top or side. The internal fins or blades, in conjunction with the drum’s rotation, ensure that the ingredients are continuously mixed until the right consistency is reached.

The capacity of a home concrete mixer to produce concrete mixtures of consistently high quality is one of its benefits. Users can customize the blend to meet specific project requirements, whether for a small-scale home renovation or a larger-scale construction project, by adjusting the speed and duration of mixing. By guaranteeing the right distribution of cement and aggregates, this accuracy contributes to the creation of stronger, more resilient concrete.

In conclusion, by automating the mixing process, a home concrete mixer makes the task of preparing concrete simpler. Comprehending its fundamental functioning, which involves the rotation of a drum and the regulated insertion of materials, demonstrates how these devices effectively generate consistent concrete mixtures. An essential tool for anyone who works with concrete on a regular basis, a concrete mixer’s functionality and design make it suitable for both professional and do-it-yourself projects.

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