How to make a homemade concrete pump (with your own hands): types, advantages and disadvantages

Have you ever needed a concrete pump but weren’t ready to spend the money on a high-quality one? The ideal solution might be to construct your own DIY concrete pump. Making your own concrete pump at home can help you save money and give you the versatility to handle a variety of tasks, whether you’re working on a do-it-yourself project or taking on a small construction job.

You can make many different kinds of DIY concrete pumps, each with pros and cons of their own. Depending on the size of the project and your level of mechanical expertise, you can choose between simpler piston designs and more intricate diaphragm pumps. Selecting the best type for your needs will be made easier if you are aware of these differences.

There are benefits to building your own pump, including cost savings and customization. But there are also certain difficulties to take into account. The performance of homemade pumps might differ depending on your level of craftsmanship and may not be as reliable or efficient as commercial models. But, you can create a useful tool that satisfies your unique needs with the appropriate methodology and a little perseverance.

We’ll get right into the process of building a homemade concrete pump in this article. We’ll examine the various kinds you can construct, assess their advantages and disadvantages, and provide you with a detailed guide to assist you in your do-it-yourself endeavor. Are you prepared to work hard and cut costs? Now let’s get going!

For small construction projects, building a homemade concrete pump can be a useful and affordable solution, but it’s important to consider the advantages and disadvantages of the various types. This guide will take you through several DIY designs that you can construct, emphasize the benefits of cost savings and feature customization, and also point out the drawbacks, like possible dependability problems and the requirement for continuous maintenance. Whether you’re a builder on a tight budget or a do-it-yourself enthusiast, knowing these factors will help you determine whether a homemade concrete pump is the best option for your requirements.

What designs of concrete pumps exist

Concrete pumps come in two drive types: hydraulic and mechanical. Both pistonless and piston are poured by design. Concrete pumps are both mobile and stationary in terms of movement. Despite their seeming diversity, there are currently only two types of concrete pumps used in construction: rotary (which has a mechanical drive) and piston (which has a hydraulic drive).

The rotor body of a rotary unit is equipped with rollers that feed the mixture. As the rollers rotate, they press against the feed sleeve, causing the concrete to shoot out of it. However, because the rotary type’s design is so intricate, it is very difficult to make a concrete pump of this kind yourself. Instead, piston units are typically assembled by hand.

Piston units consist of three primary components:

• Piston – drives the cylinder
• Cylinder – a part responsible for taking the mixture from the hopper and pumping it
• Drive – usually hydraulic or electromechanical

Since two-piston units necessitate a sophisticated design, single-piston units are typically utilized. An electric or diesel engine powers the operation of two-piston units by converting hydraulic energy into mechanical energy.

Operating principle

The majority of the concrete pump’s primary components come with auxiliary parts and mechanisms installed.

• The cylindrical base of the mechanism is equipped with two installation valves, through which the mixture is sucked in and pumped into the concrete pipeline.
• The piston head performs a reciprocating motion in the cylinder, thereby creating an atmospheric vacuum. Thanks to this, the concrete is sucked in.
• When the piston head is in the extreme position, the working (reverse) stroke is started.
• The piston returns to its original position, creating excess pressure, due to which the mixture is drained into the concrete pipeline, and then begins to supply concrete mixture to the zone.

The piston mechanism is typically used when building a concrete pump by hand. Equipment with two piston heads is utilized in civil and industrial construction, as it ensures continuous operation and greatly improves performance. The majority of single-piston concrete pumps are handmade.

Purchase or make yourself?

It’s not as hard as it sounds to make a concrete pump by hand. Using drawings and doing all of the calculations beforehand are crucial. This is a popular choice because purchasing a factory model is costly, and renting one for a set number of hours or days can occasionally be just as expensive as the parts and labor costs involved in building the device yourself.

Although you can purchase a used concrete pump, nobody can guarantee how long it will last or how well it will carry out the tasks that have been given to it. Making a small concrete pump by hand is far more profitable because you can ensure the quality of the mechanisms you choose and how well they work, as well as that the unit is assembled in compliance with the specifications and required indicators.

Although homemade units are not as strong as those made in factories, they can guarantee a trouble-free, seamless operation and are simple to install. It is advisable to manufacture a pump if large-scale construction or repair work involving concrete mortar is not frequently performed or if a large house is being built. In this instance, the chance to expedite construction and save labor will fully offset the costs.

How to make a simple concrete pump

In order to assemble a concrete pump by hand, you will need to gather the supplies and equipment listed in the drawings. What you’ll need is a welded frame, a gearbox with a reduction gear, plastic or steel pipes for a concrete pipeline, a 5-millimeter-thick sheet of metal, a lathe, round metal sheets (to make a piston and valve), a screwdriver, an electric motor, wrenches, and bolts.

Mechanisms with a single piston are typically selected for self-assembly.

The primary steps involved in creating a small concrete pump by hand are:

• Finding a drawing, drawing up a plan indicating everything you need, a design diagram.
• You need to select a cylinder and a piston – these are the key parts. The cylinder diameter should be a maximum of 400 millimeters (but better less), the piston stroke should be at least 0.5 meters. If the parameters do not match, the mechanism will wear out quickly. Parts must be made precisely, without roughness.
• Selecting a pump – it can be a hydraulic drive or an electromechanical one.
• Gearbox – must include a gear ratio for reducing and converting rotary motion into linear motion.
• Kingpin – is connected to the mechanism.
• A metal corner is used as a welded frame.
• Creating check valves from steel.

Every component is examined and combined into a unified mechanism with the aid of a drawing (a drive diagram for every structural unit is ideal). The operation has to be checked after that. Without concrete within or a specific starting mixture, the unit cannot be started. It is made separately by diluting a regular concrete mixture with water and adding machine oil afterward.

The main points of the pump assembly:

• A lathe is used to create some elements, usually these are small round parts that after creation need to be cleaned and finished to the desired size.
• The body is made of sheet iron.
• When choosing a drive, you need to consider the features of different designs: it should be economical and simple.
• Starting a concrete pump requires the presence of the following basic parts: a gear reducer, an asynchronous electric motor with a 3-phase feed, a piston reciprocating converter. Special requirements are imposed on the quality of these parts, since the correctness and efficiency of the concrete pump will directly depend on them.
• Everything is easy to assemble: a frame is welded from metal profiles, all the elements are attached to it according to the diagram, the electric motor is connected to the switch. The gear reducer is bolted to the engine, the converter is mounted, the cable is connected to the engine.
• After checking, the concrete pump must be disassembled and cleaned – just like after each time the building mixture is prepared.
• If you need to make a mobile concrete pump with your own hands, you can install it on the same -based trailer.

Application in construction

To transport the mixture to its intended location and to carry out tasks in areas that are difficult to access, a concrete pump is required. Everywhere concrete is used, including in the construction of residential and commercial buildings, multi-story buildings, bridges, tunnels, etc., the unit is utilized because it greatly expedites the work process.

The concrete pump has an output range of 20 to 150 m3/hour. The device is easy to use: when concrete from the container arrives at the location, it automatically pumps in the desired mode. The equipment is suitable for year-round use because it has a diesel heating system and thermal insulation.

Concrete pump maintenance is easy: all that is needed is the use of a flushing pump equipped with a water cannon following each mixture preparation. The device is able to operate continuously.

Constructing a DIY concrete pump can be a gratifying endeavor that provides financial benefits and a feeling of achievement. You can choose a design that most closely matches your requirements and ability level by being aware of the various pump types and their intended applications. Based on your needs and financial constraints, you can choose from a variety of options, ranging from basic lever-operated models to more intricate piston pumps.

Every kind of concrete pump has benefits and cons of its own. For example, a lever-operated pump may be simpler to build but may not be able to handle higher volumes as well as a piston pump. On the other hand, even though a piston pump might perform better, building one can be more difficult and require more precision in construction. It is imperative that you carefully consider these factors in order to determine which approach is best for your project.

Building a concrete pump at home takes careful planning and attention to detail, regardless of the design you select. To guarantee your pump functions efficiently and safely, it’s critical to use high-quality components and adhere to safety regulations. A homemade concrete pump can be a useful addition to your DIY toolkit, increasing the accessibility and efficiency of concrete work with the correct planning and effort.

Video on the topic

DIY concrete pump (pump)!

Concrete pump SO-154 380v to 220 volts

Screw (auger) pump – device and operating principle / SOLTEC

Concrete pump and pneumatic pump – device and operating principle