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Truck mixer concrete pumps – application and disadvantages

Truck mixer concrete pumps – is a machine that is a combination of concrete mixer and concrete pumps. It is assembled on a truck chassis – in most cases, 8 x 4 type. It can be described as a typical “two-in-one” machine. The total weight limit of the complete vehicle requires significant restrictions in the size of the units used in the machine. .

Characteristics of popular truck mixer concrete pumps.


The mixer drums used in the pump-mixers are usually 7, 8 or 9 cubic meters nominal capacity. The boom usually has 3 or 4 arms and is is folded on the right side of the concrete mixer. In terms of kinematics of the boom the most common is the boom with “Z” type folding system. Currently, there is no rule as to the diameter of the pipeline mounted in the pump-mixer. One of the major producers – Putzmeister – currently produces machines 25 – 4.60 CS with a DN 125 pipeline. The 28-meter machine from this manufacturer already has a DN 100 pipeline .

The Italian CIFA manufacturer produces 28-meter machines also in variants with DN 100 and DN 125 pipelines. What is a very significant fact is the total weight of vehicle with a upperbody equipped with a 28-meter / 4-arm boom with a DN 125 diameter installed together with a 9 cubic meter mixer. Such a machine, in order to meet the Polish regulations regarding axle loads and the permissible total weight of the vehicle, can transport  in total about 3 cubic meter of concrete. Booms in pump-mixers are far optimized for strength, so their “slimming” is significant. This fact is unfortunately associated with the low durability of kinematic joints between the arms.

Truck mixer concrete pumps 01

The output of a typical truck mixer concrete pump .

Due to the limited space for installation and due to the need to achieve an optimally low weight of the entire machine, the pumping unit is small. The maximum capacity offered by various manufacturers ranges from 55 to 80 m3 / h. The crucial fact is that the stroke of the pumping cylinder is very small, 700 mm for Putzmeister TMP 60 CS pumps, up to 1000 mm for CIFA PB 607 or PB 806 pumps. As a result, achieving a high pumping capacity is possible only with a large number of working strokes. As a consequence, the use of this set for efficient and effective pumping of large concrete quantities causes significant wear of the pumping unit.

Application of truck mixer concrete pumps.


The original intention of the inventors of the truck mixer pumps was that such machine was supposed to be a typical complementation to the offer of a concrete plant. The idea was to solve the problem of transporting and pumping small amounts of concrete. Eventually not to involve concrete pumps and concrete mixers for transporting quantities of 6 or 8 cubic meters concrete. In Poland, truck mixer pumps have become the basic tool for some concrete producers and the only tool to do the pumping work of supplying a few meters of concrete, as well as working like a typical concrete pump by pumping 50 – 80 or 100 m3 of concrete. It is also common that truck mixer pumps are loaded with concrete (in the amount allowed by the Road Transport Inspection!) only for the first construction site for the entire day-schedule. The machine then travels from one construction site to another and works typically like a concrete pump.

Track mixer pumps.

Use of truck mixer concrete pumps.

As a rule, for people not involved and those who do not know the details, the truck mixer pumps is positively rated as a very universal machine. First of all, as an equipment in which one operator carries both concrete and concrete pumping. A detailed analysis of labor costs for these machines unfortunately results in poor results. Especially with regard to the effective cost of pumping one cubic meter of concrete. In large and medium-sized concrete plants, the truck mixer pumps should serve as a typical complement to the offer – for small tasks and small orders. With a fleet of a few boom concrete pumps, one or two such machines will always find a job. In small concrete plants, truck mixer pumps have unfortunately become the only tool for selling concrete, leading to a situation where – for example – both 6 cubic meters and 60 cubic meters of concrete are pumped with a concrete mixer. Our country has become a kind of “golden market” for truck mixer pumps today, although the next few years can significantly change this state.