Mogensen vibratory tables for Cardinal Cast Slates

Grantham-based firm supplies six new tables incorporating customer-specified design modifications

CARDINAL Cast Slates Ltd of Ducklington, near Oxford, manufacture concrete reproduction tiles which match those generally used in the Cotswold area, and which are accepted for use in Grade II listed buildings.

In the late-1990s, Mogensen supplied five vibratory tables for use in settling the raw concrete mix into the vertical moulds used in the manufacturing process, to ensure complete filling at the correct packing density needed to achieve a consistent high quality in the finished tiles.

Early in 2013 Cardinal suffered a fire which destroyed the manufacturing building and all the process equipment. When the plant was rebuilt Mogensen were asked to supply six new tables incorporating design modifications based on the customer’s experience in the use of the original tables.

Cardinal found that the process was improved by fitting electromagnets to the original tables to hold the frames which contained the moulds firmly in place during the vibratory part of the filling cycle, so the new tables incorporate six magnets which are more powerful than those formerly used.

According to the customer, these have improved the clamping and thereby the effectiveness and consistency of the vibration applied.

Mogensen also supplied three dual control panels, each coupled to a pair of tables. These regulate each individual table and correctly phase the magnetic clamp/release action within the main start/stop cycle.

Each frame can, depending on the size of tile, contain up to 120 moulds and weigh up to 1,500kg when fully loaded.

The filling cycle itself takes less than a minute, after which the frames are removed to a separate area where the curing of the concrete mix takes place. This takes between 18 and 24 hours depending on the ambient temperature.