Three producers explain why they sw

Three producers explain why they switched to granular colors M Color is an integral part of the product line for a number of concrete masonry unit producers. Davis colors
Page 3
Why did you select granular pigments? Gilbert: Our No. 1 reason was to increase the plant's cleanliness. When we visited plants that use the system, we didn't see pigment dust lying around and being tracked everywhere. And it works with the mental attitude of the people in the plant. The cleaner the plant is, the cleaner they keep it. Moser: I agree. Our new pigment storage area is one of the first places we show plant visitors. People say they can't believe it because pigment isn't everywhere. Gilbert: We also switched to gran- ular pigments because we were hoping for better color dispersion in the mix. Our old method often caused smearing on the paver's side or left little clumps of powder on top of a stone. Schupbach: We wanted a system that disperses colors more consistent- ly. Resultantly, we have discovered that powder colors may have to mix longer than granulars to achieve the same ultimate color. We were able to decrease our cycle times with granu- lars, yet I believe I'm getting all the tinting strength I can out of the color. Moser: We demand high output, high efficiency and a minimum amount of downtime for mainte- nance. Our mixers cycle every 90 sec- onds to two minutes, with pigment batch sizing anywhere from a quarter of a kilogram to 14 kilos. We sat down with a vendor and said, "We're going to have two mixers going every 90 seconds, and we don't want to have to wait for pigment." The granular coloring system hasn't slowed pro- duction at all. In addition, we do a lot of multi- colored or brindled color blending and have had good success in making cus- tom colors. We wanted a system with a lot of options, and we selected a sys- tem with 100 different recipes we can program into it. Did you consider liquid coloring system? Moser: I didn't because I'm not too keen on liquid systems. I have the impression that they're very equip- ment-intensive, with lots of pumps and valves. I was just at a meeting where I saw the latest state-of-the-art liquid systems. While they've greatly improved, there are still a lot more moving parts that require maintenance and upkeep. Also, I've been to plants that have liquid systems, and you can see a big stain on the wall or floor from a leaking hose or pump. Everyone we talked to about liquid systems said you need some kind of containment sys- tem, "just in case." Gilbert: My concern with the liq- uid system was in controlling slump. We make a zero-slump mix, and some- times the additional water for the liq- uid makes a batch too wet. When it's rainy and aggregates are wet, you can't add any water at all. Schupbach: I avoided liquid pig- ments for weather-related reasons. I have an outdoor plant. Even in Las Vegas we get freezing weather. I would have had to run liquid lines up to 50 yards to get to each of my block machines. I didn't want that because of freezing problems. And during summer, when temperatures get to 115° F,I thought liq- uids could dry out in the hot sun. Bob Moser, Unilock's Chicago-based senior plant manager of US operations. Free-flowing granulated pigments flow as easily as liquids without the dust of powder. The organic binder dissolves easily in a concrete mix's moisture, dispersing color quickly and enhancing disper- sion of color into the mix.
Page 4
What did it take to get the granular system on line? Gilbert: It wasn't that hard to devel- op new formulas to match our existing color lines. It was very important to us that our customers wouldn't detect a difference in our product colors. Moser: I have a six-bag system that makes six pigment colors available. The manufacturer did an excellent job matching our paver colors. However, two of our most popular colors required a special raw material that's not available in the basic four-color pigment system. We wanted to keep our products exactly as we had them, so our vendor custom-made granules to match our special colors. Gilbert: We installed our granular system as a stand-alone system. When it was time to switch over, we simply shut one off and turned the other on. We didn't have downtime. Moser: It was two days before we were up and running. The first day, we did calibrations and timing checks to make sure it was delivering the pig- ment in time to feed two mixers. On the second day, we ran trial batches with everything from half a pound of pigment up to 20 pounds of pigment, checking the system for accuracy. By the end of the day, we had the green light to go into full production. Is the granular system more expensive? Schlegel: Granular pigments them- selves probably cost a couple of cents more per pound. But you gain labor savings, and it's cleaner, so there are tradeoffs. It is a higher-quality system which, in the long run, is a better value for ourselves and for our customers. Moser: Our corporate philosophy is,"You get what you pay for." I encour- age people to look at maintenance and housekeeping. There are lots of great systems out there that were designed by engineers. But it's the people who run them, maintain them and clean them every day who really know what's going to work. Don't look at just the price—you've got to look at the really big picture. Gilbert: In our situation, switching to granules has eliminated one to two people from the workforce and reduced waste. There's a waste factor involved with 50-pound pigment bags. You leave X percent in every bag that you just can't get out. Besides, han- dling a 2,000- or 2,500-pound bag of granules with a forklift is easier than a 50-pound bag with a man. Moser: We figured one guy was spending four hours a day handling pigments with the dry system. Now we've got it down to 30 minutes a day. And because of the way our dispensing system tracks pigment consumption, we're more accurate in assigning costs per square foot per color. It's also a big tool for forecasting. We can take a look at this data and say, "Compared to last year, we're using a lot more red and brown." The salespeople use this infor- mation, too. Every year, there seem to be colors that are more popular than the year before. Schupbach: Compared to what I was doing, granular easily pays for itself in less than a year. How would you sum up your experience with granular colors? Schlegel: We're on a perfect-quali- ty, zero-defect mission. Granular pig- ments are definitely part of the quali- ty program. We've got six plants using granules, and we have for five or six years now. We think it's a better system. Moser: Since we switched to gran- ulars, our color consistency, day in, day out, has improved. The solid red I make in March and the one I make in September are virtually identical. Plus, this plant runs 24 hours a day, five or six days a week. We turn our machines on in March, and they essentially don't stop until December. The granular sys- tem has worked very well. Schupbach: I've used liquid, I've used powders, but I like this the best. This system has taken care of a lot of problems in our color. —Interviewed by Michael Chusid Unilock's Chicago plant has a low-maintenance granular coloring system that runs continuously for nine months a year and produces little dust. Michael Chusid is president of Chusid Associates, a consulting firm specializing in the development and marketing of new building products. He can be reached at 818-769-2221 or [e-mail] Editor's note: The producers interviewed for this article use the Brockhues granule coloring system marketed in North America by Davis Colors. In March, The Concrete Producer looks at advances in pigment metering equipment for five

Kết quả (Việt) 1:

Ba nhà sản xuất giải thích tại sao họ chuyển sang chi tiết màu sắc màu sắc M là một phần của dòng sản phẩm cho một số bê tông xây dựng nhà sản xuất đơn vị. Davis màu sắcTrang 3Why did you select granular pigments? Gilbert: Our No. 1 reason was to increase the plant's cleanliness. When we visited plants that use the system, we didn't see pigment dust lying around and being tracked everywhere. And it works with the mental attitude of the people in the plant. The cleaner the plant is, the cleaner they keep it. Moser: I agree. Our new pigment storage area is one of the first places we show plant visitors. People say they can't believe it because pigment isn't everywhere. Gilbert: We also switched to gran- ular pigments because we were hoping for better color dispersion in the mix. Our old method often caused smearing on the paver's side or left little clumps of powder on top of a stone. Schupbach: We wanted a system that disperses colors more consistent- ly. Resultantly, we have discovered that powder colors may have to mix longer than granulars to achieve the same ultimate color. We were able to decrease our cycle times with granu- lars, yet I believe I'm getting all the tinting strength I can out of the color. Moser: We demand high output, high efficiency and a minimum amount of downtime for mainte- nance. Our mixers cycle every 90 sec- onds to two minutes, with pigment batch sizing anywhere from a quarter of a kilogram to 14 kilos. We sat down with a vendor and said, "We're going to have two mixers going every 90 seconds, and we don't want to have to wait for pigment." The granular coloring system hasn't slowed pro- duction at all. In addition, we do a lot of multi- colored or brindled color blending and have had good success in making cus- tom colors. We wanted a system with a lot of options, and we selected a sys- tem with 100 different recipes we can program into it. Did you consider liquid coloring system? Moser: I didn't because I'm not too keen on liquid systems. I have the impression that they're very equip- ment-intensive, with lots of pumps and valves. I was just at a meeting where I saw the latest state-of-the-art liquid systems. While they've greatly improved, there are still a lot more moving parts that require maintenance and upkeep. Also, I've been to plants that have liquid systems, and you can see a big stain on the wall or floor from a leaking hose or pump. Everyone we talked to about liquid systems said you need some kind of containment sys- tem, "just in case." Gilbert: My concern with the liq- uid system was in controlling slump. We make a zero-slump mix, and some- times the additional water for the liq- uid makes a batch too wet. When it's rainy and aggregates are wet, you can't add any water at all. Schupbach: I avoided liquid pig- ments for weather-related reasons. I have an outdoor plant. Even in Las Vegas we get freezing weather. I would have had to run liquid lines up to 50 yards to get to each of my block machines. I didn't want that because of freezing problems. And during summer, when temperatures get to 115° F,I thought liq- uids could dry out in the hot sun. Bob Moser, Unilock's Chicago-based senior plant manager of US operations. Free-flowing granulated pigments flow as easily as liquids without the dust of powder. The organic binder dissolves easily in a concrete mix's moisture, dispersing color quickly and enhancing disper- sion of color into the mix.Trang 4What did it take to get the granular system on line? Gilbert: It wasn't that hard to devel- op new formulas to match our existing color lines. It was very important to us that our customers wouldn't detect a difference in our product colors. Moser: I have a six-bag system that makes six pigment colors available. The manufacturer did an excellent job matching our paver colors. However, two of our most popular colors required a special raw material that's not available in the basic four-color pigment system. We wanted to keep our products exactly as we had them, so our vendor custom-made granules to match our special colors. Gilbert: We installed our granular system as a stand-alone system. When it was time to switch over, we simply shut one off and turned the other on. We didn't have downtime. Moser: It was two days before we were up and running. The first day, we did calibrations and timing checks to make sure it was delivering the pig- ment in time to feed two mixers. On the second day, we ran trial batches with everything from half a pound of pigment up to 20 pounds of pigment, checking the system for accuracy. By the end of the day, we had the green light to go into full production. Is the granular system more expensive? Schlegel: Granular pigments them- selves probably cost a couple of cents more per pound. But you gain labor savings, and it's cleaner, so there are tradeoffs. It is a higher-quality system which, in the long run, is a better value for ourselves and for our customers. Moser: Our corporate philosophy is,"You get what you pay for." I encour- age people to look at maintenance and housekeeping. There are lots of great systems out there that were designed by engineers. But it's the people who run them, maintain them and clean them every day who really know what's going to work. Don't look at just the price—you've got to look at the really big picture. Gilbert: In our situation, switching to granules has eliminated one to two people from the workforce and reduced waste. There's a waste factor involved with 50-pound pigment bags. You leave X percent in every bag that you just can't get out. Besides, han- dling a 2,000- or 2,500-pound bag of granules with a forklift is easier than a 50-pound bag with a man. Moser: We figured one guy was spending four hours a day handling pigments with the dry system. Now we've got it down to 30 minutes a day. And because of the way our dispensing system tracks pigment consumption, we're more accurate in assigning costs per square foot per color. It's also a big tool for forecasting. We can take a look at this data and say, "Compared to last year, we're using a lot more red and brown." The salespeople use this infor- mation, too. Every year, there seem to be colors that are more popular than the year before. Schupbach: Compared to what I was doing, granular easily pays for itself in less than a year. How would you sum up your experience with granular colors? Schlegel: We're on a perfect-quali- ty, zero-defect mission. Granular pig- ments are definitely part of the quali- ty program. We've got six plants using granules, and we have for five or six years now. We think it's a better system. Moser: Since we switched to gran- ulars, our color consistency, day in, day out, has improved. The solid red I make in March and the one I make in September are virtually identical. Plus, this plant runs 24 hours a day, five or six days a week. We turn our machines on in March, and they essentially don't stop until December. The granular sys- tem has worked very well. Schupbach: I've used liquid, I've used powders, but I like this the best. This system has taken care of a lot of problems in our color. —Interviewed by Michael Chusid Unilock's Chicago plant has a low-maintenance granular coloring system that runs continuously for nine months a year and produces little dust. Michael Chusid is president of Chusid Associates, a consulting firm specializing in the development and marketing of new building products. He can be reached at 818-769-2221 or [e-mail] Editor's note: The producers interviewed for this article use the Brockhues granule coloring system marketed in North America by Davis Colors. In March, The Concrete Producer looks at advances in pigment metering equipment for five