Wear-resistant Vesconite Hilube bushings play an important role in the production of about 150,000 bricks a day at a prominent manufacturer of concrete building products in the Southern Cape, South Africa.
Installed on the shafts that support the tamper guide systems of two block-making machines – a hydraulic/electric Birkenmayer and a PMSA (Pan Mixers South Africa) – the Vesconite Hilube bushings help compress concrete aggregate in moulds to make high-quality bricks and paving blocks.
“Some bushings exhibit wear after a full year of continuous service,” a company representative states. “Others remain in good condition, but, because we cannot afford unscheduled downtime, we choose to replace all bushings during our yearly maintenance cycle,” he adds, noting that this approach ensures consistent machine performance and avoids interruptions that could jeopardise production schedules.
The two machines at the building products company’s facility can be configured to manufacture either paving blocks or building bricks, depending on daily production requirements, says the company representative. With such versatile demand, reliability and minimal downtime are critical, he notes.
Established in 1981, the facility manufactures bricks, paving, retaining blocks, and civil products. Its products are distributed across the Southern and Western Cape, as well as parts of the Eastern Cape.
The company has relied on Vesconite Hilube bushings for many years to ensure smooth, efficient operation of its heavy-duty brick-making machinery.
