CIFA’s newest edition to its CARBOTECH truck-mounted concrete pump range is ready to prove a big hit for one ambitious UK on-site ready mixed concrete supplier, as Guy Woodford reports
Impressed with the performance of his
“I started a ready-mixed concrete equipment supply business two-and-a-half years ago and bought the K20L which is a nice, compact truck-mounted concrete pump. The problem was that we wanted to be doing bigger and bigger customer jobs,” said Baker at the recent UK Concrete Show at the NEC in Birmingham, England.
Standing next to his firm’s new K39H truck-mounted pump, which was due to be delivered after the two-day event, Baker said he chose the pump as it uses the latest technology that allows operators to limit the effective range of the boom through smartronic machine stability control when there’s not enough room to fully open the machine’s outriggers. This allows operators to work safely with partial outrigger stabilisation. “That’s important for some of the K39H’s rural and urban applications. Its flexibility means it’s also a safer machine to use,” he added.
Among the K39H’s features are its B5HRZ 39/35 placing boom in five robust and reliable sections, a 125mm pipe system, and a ‘RZ’ fold-up system. The first three sections of the boom are made with high resistance steel, with sections four and five made in CIFA CARBOTECH composite material. The K39H is also said by CIFA to offer ‘perfect assembly’ on a three axle chassis.
The K39H’s HP-EC pumping unit with electronic closed circuit and reverse flow is said to ensure superb performances, high pressures and output, smooth pumping, high reliability and easier maintenance with a nine inch S valve. Hydraulic outrigger controls on both sides of the truck, front ‘X’ style diagonal outriggers with double telescopic opening and swing-out rear outriggers for quick and easy set-up, load sensing proportional boom control, a concrete flow rate regulator, and a safety device on its opening inspection hatch, are other model features.
Speaking about why he chose a second CIFA truck-mounted concrete pump model, Baker said: “At the time that I bought the K20L pump, there was not really another suitable compact boom pump on the market. After liking the performance of that pump, we naturally wanted to buy another CIFA pump.”
Equipped with a four-section boom, the K20L was specifically designed for small working sites or covered places. It is said by CIFA to be comfortable working in city centres, being mountable on compact two-axle trucks with compact wheelbase. Typical applications are renewal works, up to mid-size pave ways, city roads & service structures. Its novel quick release system for the boom allows the boom to be detached from the chassis each time more payload is needed. CIFA claims this allows the K20L to withstand even the lowest weight restrictions imposed by some city centre authorities and continuing pumping concrete with its powerful pumping unit, capable of delivering up to 70cm with a maximum pressure of 90bar.
Baker said Eastern Concrete had been impressed with the aftermarket care for its K20L model given by Danfords, CIFA’s UK agent for truck-mounted concrete pumps.
“They look after us and their technicians are very good with the pump. We’ve not had reason to call them out other than the odd bit of maintenance and a once a year inspection.
“The K20L has proved popular with customers and allowed us to sell more concrete. We get better productivity out of the pump – up to three jobs a day.”
As well as his on-site ready-mixed concrete supply business, Baker has been running a successful volumetric concrete mixer generated concrete supply business for 13 years.
“I started that company as I spotted a niche in the market for the supply of small loads of concrete. As business has grown, we’ve needed bigger machines. With the volumetric business we do specialist work and out of hours work.”
Of the UK concrete supply market, Baker adds: “The UK market has been improving since 2013. There’s a definite improvement in the construction industry, and we’ve invested a lot to in truck-mounted concrete pumps, concrete batching plants and concrete truck mixers to meet growing demand. The five years from when the global recession hit in 2008 were dismal. It’s nice to be cheerful again!”
