Concrete mixer pumps usually work together with concrete batching machine. A concrete pump works by discharging the concrete into a hopper located on the back of a pump truck. The concrete falls through a mesh grate on the hopper which prevents large chunks or rocks from obstructing the flow of concrete through the pump hoses. There is also an auger which churns the concrete keeping it liquefied and flowing through the hoses.
As the evenly ready mixed concrete flows into the hopper, it is sucked into a valve system. This is done in small amounts so that smoothly flows through the hoses into the truck boom and can be discharged exactly where it needs to be placed.
There are different types of valve systems available for the concrete pump trucks, including ball valves and s-valves. Another key element to a successful concrete pump operation is the pump truck operator. It is very important to have an experienced operator who understand how the system works and how to repair anything that may break in order to keep the system operating.
Concrete pumps involve electrical and hydraulic systems. Material cylinders link to the hydraulic cylinders which cycle alternately with each other. As the concrete mix is drawn into the hopper, the material cylinder will retract to draw the material in. When this cylinder is fully retracted, a signal is sent to the drive cylinder directional valves and to the S-tube swing cylinder. The drive cylinders change direction and the S-tube shifts position to fully loaded material cylinders. Now the loaded cylinder concrete piston pushed the material through the S-tube and into the delivery hoses.
The engine powers this entire operation, driving the hydraulic pumps and all of the operations controls. The concrete pump is designed to pump wet concrete from a central mix concrete batching plant safely and deliver it wherever the customer desires. Operating a concrete pump requires skill and experience and should always be done within safety guidelines.