Concrete mix: IRN rounds-up some recent concreting accessort launches.

Pumps, screeds, vibrators, power trowels and saws: IRN reports on the latest concreting products available to rental companies worldwide.

Uni-corp launches Paclite
light equipment brand

Singapore-Chinese company Uni-corp is marketing its own Paclite Equipment range of light concreting and compaction equipment worldwide after many years acting as an OEM supplier to manufacturers in the west.

Kent Gorsun, the ex-Dynapac and Belle Group salesman who is coordinating the introduction of the Paclite branded equipment in Europe and elsewhere, tells IRN that the strategy is to sell only to distributors and rental companies, and not to end users.

"We are pitching at the high end of the quality market", says Mr Gorsun, "And we sell directly." He says dealers and rental companies would get quality equipment but with more competitive pricing that available from manufacturers in the west. "The quality is the same as we delivered before [as an OEM supplier]."

The range includes vibrators, floor finishing products and mixers, as well as plate compactors, rammers, walk behind rollers and ride-on rollers to be introduced before the end of this year.

Uni-corp is a €200 million business employing around 470 people and with research and development, design and testing facilities in Singapore and manufacturing at an assembly facility in Shanghai, China.

Paclite has a warehouse in Paris, France and Mr Gorsun says the new brand had so far been well received in the market. "We will be aiming at about €10 million in turnover within the next 15 months. Paclite is expanding rapidly, and we intend to focus on rental, for sure, and develop more products for rental."

The new ride on rollers will include 3.7 t, 1.2 m wide and 900 mm wide models. Mr Gorsun says a move into North America is likely, probably with a Paclite subsidiary company.

Concrete Highlights

Reduced vibration is one of the key features of the new three-headed scabbler from Chicago Pneumatic. The CP 0006 SVR, launched at Bauma, is for cleaning and roughening concrete and construction joints, as well as for creating ornamental or contrasting finishes on road and building structures. The CP 0006 SVR uses many of the same components as the existing CP 0006, but with some new design features such as dampening of the movement from the scabbler pistons (heads), which has reduced vibration. The scabbler weighs 6.5 kg, is 510 mm long and operates at 3000 blows per minute.

A new compact wall saw is the latest addition to the braxx range saws produced by Austrian concrete drilling and sawing specialist EDT Eurodima. The 12 kW hurricane SB120 uses blades of up to 1000 mm diameter, cutting up to 430 mm deep, and the maximum blade diameter without any preceding cut is 700 mm, with 280 mm cutting depth. The saw body weighs only 22.5 kg, and the system is really compact, with a maximum depth of just 35 cm. The rail fastening brackets can be set at a slant for optimal stair cutting. Launched together with the hurricane SB120 is the new braxx BC120 control box.

Weber MT's new IV series of IVUR internal concrete vibrators feature a new electronic system that protects them from voltage spikes. The vibrators combine an internal vibrator and frequency converter in one device. However, when connected to a power generator, power fluctuations can damage the converter. To prevent this, a new electrical system provides complete protection against voltage peaks of more than 400 V. The internal vibrators are available with poker diameters from 31 mm to 80 mm.

This RD6536 skid steer pump attachment from Blastcrete Equipment Co gives you a mobile concrete pump capable of handling pump grouts, shotcrete and structural concrete mixes. It can handle volumes of up to around 25 cubic yards per hour (19 m3/hr) and it has a vertical pumping height of up to 50 ft (15 m), with a maximum horizontal distance of 250 feet (75 m). The pump, which weighs 2700 lb (1215 kg), has a 48 in (1.2 m) wide frame, and a hydraulic agitator is included in the receiving hopper to keep the concrete well mixed.

Stone Construction Equipment Inc is now offering a lightweight 91 cm model trowel in its Smooth Operator Power Trowel line. The CF36L trowel weighs 10 kg less than the standard 91 cm CF364 model and is ideal for basement work because it is easier to carry down stairs. Stone says it is also perfect for jobs where the concrete hasn't cured enough to support a heavier trowel. The trowel is powered by either a 4.0 kW or a 6.0 kW Honda engine. A lower cost engine option is available using a Robin EX Series model.

E-Z Drill's new 240B ‘combo' drill system, designed for straight-line drilling on a level subgrade, is similar to the company's existing 210B but with the added capability of converting to a core drill. This means it caters to both rock drilling and core drilling applications, eliminating the need for separate drilling systems. The pneumatic drill can core and drill holes from 5/8 in (16 mm) diameter up to 2 1/2 in (63 mm), and drill up to 18 in (0.45 m) deep. An optional vertical conversion kit enhances the machine's versatility, allowing it to switch from a horizontal drill to a vertical drill.

The new Lightning Strike Concrete Screed from Lura Enterprises in the US is a "revolutionary, lightweight and versatile roller screed enabling easy transport and one-man set up", claims the West Fargo, North Dakota-based company. Weighing less than 4.5 lb/ft (6 kg/m), the aluminium tube is half the weight of traditional roller screeds. Lura says the screed can be used for applications including pervious concrete or low slump mud as well as uphill, downhill or circular pours. "It's also extremely easy to clean, making it a hassle-free and valuable addition to rental centres", says the company.

EZ Grout Corp recently launched this skid steer or forklift mounted crushing tool for on-site processing of concrete (not reinforced), brick, stone and asphalt. The Hog Crusher can recycle materials up to 4 in (10 cm) thick and crushes down to a 2 in (50 mm ) size or smaller, handling up to 10 t per hour. It weighs 1550 lb (700 kg) and the minimum operating pressure for the hydraulics is 15 gallons at 3000 psi (67 litres at 207 bar). Multiquip is the exclusive seller of the Hog Crusher in the US and Mexico, but the company can sell it anywhere in the world.

Bartell Morrison Inc (BMi) has acquired the exclusive worldwide distribution rights (excluding the US and Mexico) for Ligchine's ScreedSaver, a wireless remote controlled automatic laser screeding machine. The machine - picture here at its launch at the World of Concrete exhibition in Las Vegas earlier this year - screeds up to 460 m2/hr and "yet it can be purchased for less than one third of the price of the big ride-on machines", says BMi. The price is less than US$75000. Ligchine is based in Indiana, US.