AVID Bond, managing director of Concrete Pumping Equip ment Australia (CPEA), which supplies Putzmeister equipment, points out that many hydraulic compo nents which were heavy, expensive and prone to leakage, have been replaced by electronic modules that do the job far better.

“Gone are the rudimentary old style auto-electrical relays and bulky wiring. These days CAN BUS is the way elec tronic signals move around, all con nected to one or more computer modules.

“Putzmeister does not use PLCs but prefers rugged, sealed, solid state units that are temperature stable between -40°C and 60°C,” Bond said.

“CPEA now offers Teleservice for the first 12 months free of charge for all truck mounted boom pumps and line pumps.

“Developed over the past five years, it allows a Putzmeister service techni cian to log in live via the Telstra G3 mobile phone network and, using a connected PC, to monitor the machine’s hydraulic and electronic parameters whilst it is actually working.

“With Teleservice technology, fault logs can be downloaded which enables instant diagnosis of problems and allows the Putzmeister service techni cian to guide the operator or his mechanic to quickly troubleshoot and rectify the problem.

“Putzmeister has also designed a new tower boom mast that allows the use of larger booms without counter weights. The latest type R850 column provides users with benefits such as quick connection of all columns and boom using only four reusable pins, and up to 36m horizontal reach booms can be used without counterweights with a free standing column height up to 20m. This new design also means that heavy floor support frames are no longer required, and a climbing system does not have to be moved each time,” notes Bond.

Selecting equipment

John Clarke, national sales and marketing manager at Callaghan Concrete Pumps (CCP), believes that the first consideration when selecting concrete pumping equipment would have to be product support over purchase price. “It’s no good buying the cheapest pump available if there is no after sales service or product support to keep you pumping. Other key con siderations are long term reliability and wear parts, fol lowed by resale value,” Clarke said.

“After the purchase price, the operating cost is the next cost a buyer should look at. At CCP we are able to match our customers pump module requirements (concrete output in m^3/hr) to the most suitable kW rated cab-chassis, thus ensuring we obtain the best possible power match to fuel consumption for the pump/truck combination to reduce operating costs.

“Callaghan produces uncomplicated concrete pumps because we have moved forward in design, weight reduction and function ality without over-complica tion of electrics and hydraulic systems. Australia is a big country with pumps working in remote locations, so the last thing a pump operator wants is a breakdown that requires a technician with special knowl edge to get him pumping again.

“Also, because we do not have a complicated operating system, we are able to offer pumps at a very competitive price.”

CCP markets a wide range of concrete pumping equip ment including truck mounted boom pumps from 16m-48m, line and trailer mounted pumps, and placing booms for high-rise with a self climbing system.

Clarke says CCP’s 40m truck mounted detachable pump is particularly useful for general mobile concrete pumping.

“To increase its utilisation, this unit has a design feature whereby the boom section can easily be lifted off the truck and craned up and mounted on a column or tower, thus enabling it to be used as a 40m placing boom,” he said.

Safe Work Practices

The Concrete Pumping Asso ciation of Australia (CPAA) has prepared documentation for the development of safe work practices in conjunction with laws and standards estab lished by the government and public authorities.

The Association’s CEO, Les McLean, says the documenta tion includes logbooks for recording all maintenance requirements, safety sticker kits for various types of con crete pumps, and safety manuals that provide a guide for the prevention of accidents.

“In addition, the CPAA recently signed an agreement with the Master Builders Association for the purpose of developing operator training to achieve a ‘Statement of Attainment’ for operators that will be introduced nationally,” he said.