At Nicolock, in North Carolina (USA), a new concrete paving stone plant has come to life. For four weeks, our technician Jean-Sébastien was on site to commission the installation, from aggregate handling all the way to feeding the press.
One plant, two layers
Every paving stone made here has two layers: the base, which gives it its structure, and the face, the visible layer that carries the colour and finish. The plant therefore runs two parallel lines. Aggregates are stored in bins, batched, then carried by skip to the Voeller mixers on the base and face sides. Colour pigments are weighed on a scale before being blown to the right mixer. The concrete is then carried by a travelling trolley to the hoppers, and by conveyor to the Masa press that forms the paving stones.
Solution's role
Solution Instrumentation built the control panels for the different sections of the plant. On site, Jean-Sébastien tested every piece of equipment in every panel from the batching software. He assisted with the calibration of scales, counters, and position and level sensors, including a laser sensor calibrated for all six positions of the shuttle conveyor. He also trained Nicolock's operator on the moisture probe calibration procedure.
A team effort
A project of this size always calls for day-to-day adjustments, whether mechanical, electrical or programming. For more than 20 days, Jean-Sébastien worked hand in hand with Yacine from Command Alkon to meet the deadline and deliver a fully functional plant, ready for its first test production with the Masa press.
That's what Solution brings to every project: end-to-end automation expertise, from building the panel to installation and programming, and a team that stays in the field until everything works.