New Rapid batching plant for Stanton Bonna

Bespoke static concrete plant supports company’s strategic growth plans, improves capacity and efficiency

STANTON Bonna, one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of precast concrete products, have recently invested a bespoke concrete batching plant from Rapid International for their Derbyshire site.

Part of Consolis, Europe’s largest precast concrete producers, Stanton Bonna manufacture a wide range of products including manhole systems, storm water management systems, flow-control systems, vibration mitigation sleeper systems, and power station cooling pipework, among many others, as well as providing bespoke off-site solutions.

The company’s previous large-diameter (LDP) batching plant with Winget pan mixers was a tower-type installation erected in the 1950s. However, owing to its age and condition, the plant had become inherently unreliable and Stanton Bonna were facing breakdowns, high maintenance costs, difficulty sourcing spare parts, reduced mixing speeds, inconsistency and lower than desired capacities.

Recognizing that without major refurbishment the previous plant would continue to deteriorate and affect production, Stanton Bonna knew their desire to achieve improved capacities, efficiency and production levels, and to introduce of new bespoke products into the market, could not be met by the existing LDP plant and concrete distribution system.

Having subsequently secured the investment needed to acquire a new concrete plant and distribution system, Stanton Bonna collaborated with Rapid International to develop a totally bespoke tower plant that would meet their desired increase in efficiency and concrete volumes.

According to Rob Fifer, major projects director at Stanton Bonna, one of the key reasons for selecting the Rapid batching plant was its compact footprint.

The plant, which includes two Rapid planetary mixers, has an output of approximately 80 cubic metres per hour and features an integral high-pressure (2,000psi) Rapid Jetwash mixer-washout system with auto-cleaning functionality.

Thanks to the plant’s six 60-tonne aggregate bins, the number of ground bunkers has been restricted, as minimal product is stored at grade with more of it lifted to high level. This has virtually eliminated the need to use the site’ loading shovel, thereby increasing efficiency.

Moreover, platforms on the new plant allows maximum access for cleaning and maintenance on four levels, all accessed by stairs.

Also, to ensure maximum output in adverse weather conditions, Stanton Bonna opted for winterization measures, including composite cladding, lined doors and provision for the injection of hot air into the bottom of the aggregate storage bins.

Commenting on the collaborative design process, Mr Fifer remarked: ‘Rapid were certainly very responsive to any questions we had, both during the design and implementation phases of the project.’

His sentiments were echoed by Stanton Bonna project manager Paul Gamble, who added: ‘Rapid were excellent; they were very proactive, worked very safely, were very much on the ball and completed the work in a very timely manner.’