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Start precast floor production with a small investment

No heavy setup and launch costs – it is possible to start high-quality precasting with a relatively small investment. The Elematic SEMI Floor production line is an excellent choice for anyone entering the precast business, and it is particularly well suited to small capacity precasting of a few products or for a particular project. The smart machinery of the mechanized production line keeps the cost down with a 20% smaller initial investment compared to conventional solutions. Plus the technology requires very little manpower.

SEMI Floor technology is well-suited for any smaller-scale precasting need, anywhere in the world. With mechanized key processes and straightforward technology, the SEMI Floor production line produces high quality hollow-core, ribbed/half and solid slabs, and piles. The line has a low level of automation. All machines are low-noise, and they meet the EC Machine Directive requirements.

SEMI Floor can be a strategic tool: it is a cost-effective and easy way to set up and use a precast plant, also in emerging market areas with no previous factories. It can also be used to keep transport costs down by setting up a small plant near the site instead of delivering precast elements from a larger factory further away.

Savings in raw materials

The production line provides a fast return on investment. It is easy to keep operation costs down as the production line saves remarkable amounts of raw material; when you save 100 kg/m3 of cement and have

30 % less scrap due to minimal strand slippage, the annual cost savings exceed 210,000 euro.

Affordable technology requires an innovative approach to R&D. “The idea was not to design more affordable separate machines but to combine them in a cost-efficient and intelligent way. This is a unique solution on the market”, says Jani Eilola, Product Director at Elematic.

Excellent shearing power

The excellent slab quality of SEMI Floor is produced by a trio that forms the core of the production line: the Extruder P7, Sawpreparer S5, and Bed S5. SEMI Floor incorporates a budget-friendly solution of proven and efficient shear compaction technology that minimizes the use of concrete. The high compaction efficiency results in accurate geometry and a low number of rejected slabs.

“The 20 percent lower investment cost does not mean compromises in quality. Less automation and a simple design are combined with high quality standards. Precisely prefabricated modules make it all possible,” says Eilola. SEMI Floor provides excellent flexibility in production: the precast product to be manufactured can be changed easily and at low cost simply by changing the product modules.

Three-in-one sawpreparer

The innovative sawpreparer combines three processes in one: sawing, cleaning and strand pulling. It also cuts the lifts in half compared to a separate saw and preparer combo. The sawpreparer is fully electronic and has four-wheel drive for cleaning and strand pulling. The excellent cleaning results give the end product a totally even surface. The need for maintenance decreases dramatically.

“Pulling the strands requires real strength. The 4WD sawpreparer takes care of business effortlessly, even up to 1,500 kilograms.”

Cutting-edge saw counts the cuts

The saw cuts reasonably sturdy slabs of up to 400 mm in thickness, even diagonally or at a horizontal angle of 90 degrees. It is also possible to cut slabs in half. There is no need for hydraulics or oil, it is 100 % electronically operated. “The machine keeps track of operating hours and the number of cuts. This data really matters in preventive maintenance”, Eilola says.

High precision with the new bed

The even surface and the rigid steel structure of the bed guarantees the straightness of slabs. It is manufactured to strict tolerances.

“The new bed in the SEMI Floor production line has a highly optimized, simple and strong structure for good quality precasting”, Eilola describes. The installation is easy, no concrete filling is needed, and only a minimal amount of welding is required on site.

Jani Eilola

Jani Eilola
Product Director
Elematic

SEMI Floor production line

Theoretical capacity: 144 to 576 m2/day (one casting)
Personnel: 9
Production area: 3,000 m2
Land area: 4,500 m2
Number of beds: 1 to 4
Maximum slab height: 320 mm
All figures are estimates:

SEMI Floor in India

Prestressed slabs for growing economies

“SEMI technology is optimal for the vast amount of Indian building projects for normal residential loading, which have a slab span between 5 to 8 meters”, says Sumedh Gupta, Business Development Manager at Elematic.

The main benefits of implementing SEMI Floor technology include a substantial reduction in concrete consumption, and the reduced amount of steel in the floors. “The use of prestressed hollow-core slabs also lessens the overall load of the building, which has an impact on the foundation requirements. All this brings down the total cost of the structure”, sums Gupta.

“We offer structural design expertise to support the local precast industry. The lack of design codes for precast concrete technology in the Indian Standard IS CODES has somewhat slowed down implementation of the technology, though.”

In India, the majority of buildings are still constructed with cast-in-situ methods. “Prestressed precast elements have not been in extensive use – even in large scale infrastructure projects, post tensioning has been the traditional way. Now more and more businesses are adopting precast, and the awareness of its advantages is growing”, Gupta adds.

Sumedh Gupta

Sumedh Gupta
Business Development Manager at Elematic.

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