Cracking concrete residue in truckmixer drums

New daily cleaning lance ends need for periodic chipping of hardened concrete mixer drums

THE new Hansa Engineering STF145 washing lance is said to cut down a truck’s daily wash-out time to less than five minutes. The lance delivers such a thorough clean that drums no longer need the tough deep cleaning that can often reduce the working life of the mixer.

Recently trialled through a harsh Scandinavian winter, no concrete build-up was reported, even after 12 months in operation.

Specially designed to be robust and user-friendly, the STF145 washing lance (pictured) features an extended motorized arm (approximately 8m) fitted with a unique multi-nozzle head that delivers a complete clean by targeting both the back and front of the drum’s agitator blades.

For ease of use, the lance itself is installed at a pre-set angle and can be manipulated backwards and forwards by a simple control panel. Its height can be adjusted so that it can be used on different-sized trucks, whilst the depth of penetration is automatically set via a sensor at its head.

The extension and retraction speed of the arm is pre-set at just under five minutes, to maximize the cleaning performance of the lance in one sweep. This controlled washing cycle time also helps to optimize the scheduling of trucks to be cleaned.

Mounted on a platform to suit site parameters, the STF145 washing lance can be run on 450 litres/min of recycled or grey water pumped at 8–10 bar. Wash water and sediment from the drum can be collected and recycled via a settlement or filtration system.

The cleaning cycle is controlled externally so there is no need for the operator to have direct contact with the mixer drum. The driver guides the lance using a simple joystick control panel – safeguarded with a dead man’s control mechanism as well as an emergency stop facility.

Payback time can be less than a year with reduced downtime for daily cleaning and no days off the road for chipping or jackhammering. Daily cleaning with the lance prevents the uneven build-up of residue which can lead to unbalanced loads. This results in the haulage of fuller, high-quality loads and a reduced risk of trucks overturning on the highway.

Amanda Murray, managing director of UK distributors Dasic Concrete Cleaning Ltd, said: ‘The lance is very popular with drivers because it’s very safe, fast and effective.’