Slipformers are ideal for the manufacture of many different kinds of prestressed precast products, from hollow-core slabs to half and ribbed slabs, beams and even vineyard posts. They are ideal in cases when there is a need for especially thin products, or when there is a need to quickly change product specifications or change to new products. Other slipformer benefits include fewer parts and less need for maintenance. The Elematic slipformers are available in 1200mm and 2400 mm widths.
In many other parts of Europe, slipforming has traditionally been the more common production method, as it allows for the use of slightly more inconsistent raw materials while still producing a robust end product. With a slipformer, it is easy to make a variety of hollow-core cross-sections and a wide assortment of other products as well. These include T-beams, ribbed slabs, posts for vineyards and much more. Regarding the utilization rate of an investment, the many possibilities of the slipformer are a worth-while consideration. You only need to change a few parts to produce different products with the same machine!
Slpformer or extruder?
If you are planning to make small hollow-core and other products on the same bed, you need a slipformer for its versatility. Especially in a small plant, slipforming would be the most viable choice. In a larger factory, it can be more economical to make the hollow-core slabs, at least the thicker ones, with an extruder and the other products with a slipformer. The maintenance costs for a slipformer are lower than for an extruder, but then again an extruded slab is 10 percent lighter than a slab of the same thickness made by slipforming. Naturally, the heavier slipformed slab requires more concrete and occasionally one or two more strands to achieve the same span as with an extruded slab.
You may well want to think about acquiring both a slipformer and an extruder, to combine the advantages of both.