Operating and owning a concrete plant can be challenging most days. However, the challenges from stone, sand, and gravel on equipment for concrete production make your day even more difficult. There are two significant challenges that can impact your bottom line. They include the high cost of steel, and noise.

1-Challenge: High Cost of Steel

Concrete plant equipment is typically made from a form of steel. According to the chart above, starting around 2005, the cost of steel began to increase. However, there was a significant spike during the pandemic. Although prices have come down somewhat, they remain elevated. Hence, owners continue to face increased costs for equipment made with steel and repairing steel parts.

With this higher cost of steel… it more important than ever to maintain equipment properly to protect it from damage from rocks, metal, masonry, and gravel. Ensuring regular maintenance and utilizing protective measures can extend the lifespan of steel components, thus reducing the need for costly replacements and repairs. This approach not only helps in managing expenses but also ensures the reliability and efficiency of operations, mitigating the impact of fluctuating steel prices on budgets.

A single piece of equipment can experience multiple types of wear of steel parts simultaneously, complicating the diagnosis and making timely repairs more difficult. 

However, all forms of wear can be managed proactively to prevent them from becoming serious and expensive problems.

Many owners & operators have found that adding urethane liners to equipment can help extend the life of the equipment significantly thus reduce the amount of time and money need to replace the steel and at the same time these liners will help reduce noise.

2. Challenge: Noise

Concrete plants often generate significant noise due to heavy machinery, truck operations, and the concrete mixing process. This constant noise can impact the workers at the plant and disrupt the tranquility of nearby neighborhoods. This noise level can also lead to potential health issues for employees and neighbors such as stress, sleep disturbances, and hearing loss.  Additionally, the persistent noise pollution can lower property values and negatively impact the overall quality of life for residents.

Some concrete plant owners have found that one way to help lower the level of noise is to add urethane liners to the equipment. Urethane liners in concrete plants will reduce noise by absorbing and dampening the sound.

By installing urethane liners, concrete plants create a quieter environment, and will improve overall working conditions for its employees.

Additional Advantages of Urethane Liners

1-Urethane products for concrete plants are lighter than steel, making them easier for your team to handle and install. Trimming can be done on site with a sharp knife or reciprocating saw, unlike steel, which may need to be removed for adjustment.

2-These liners and wear parts are designed to fit common wear areas in most plant brands, including central mix drum liners and blade liners, turnhead liners, cement pipe liners, hopper and bin liners, scale liners, and dump chute liners.

3-For concrete trucks, there are charge hopper liners designed to fit most makes and models. Additionally, urethane discharge bibs and drum wipers greatly outperform the typical rubber products used in the industry today.

4-Liner are much easier to fasten / install today with a variety of options such as:

• Weld-on liners with plugs
• Bolt-on liners
• Threaded studs attached to backing plates
• Counter-bored holes with urethane-covered elevator bolts
• Fastener-free magnetic liner

Durex Products offers a number of wear-resistant urethane and urethane-ceramic liner solutions and fastening options that provide long-term protection in concrete plants and concrete trucks. Durex Products also offers standard liners or can design and build custom liner solutions

Concrete wears, Durex Products protects. To learn more about our liners for your concrete plant: https://durexproducts.com/products/liners/urethane-liners/