Prensoland : “There is a demand of machinery in the market that could produce Flyash bricks as well as other concrete products,”

says Mr. Udey H Sardana, Area Manager - India, Prensoland.

How is the fly-ash brick making machine market shaping up?
Lately there is a surge in the requirement of fly Ash bricks. It is because the building designers have woken up to the concept of green buildings and Fly Ash being waste product helps in that direction.

What are the innovative technological credentials of your machines and why should buyers opt for them?
There is a demand of machinery in the market that could produce Fly Ash bricks as well as other concrete products like Blocks and Pavers. Main difference in the production of Fly Ash and Concrete products is the requirement of Vibration in the process of manufacturing. Our machines have possibility of varying the frequency and amplitude of vibration and can hence adapt to both the requirements.

Potential flyash brick manufacturers are looking for versatile machines that can manufacture various products apart from fly-ash bricks such as pavers, kerb stones, and slabs. In that context, how is versatility incorporated in your machines?
Potential manufacturers of Fly Ash bricks have to dedicate themselves to producing Fly Ash bricks only, in the most cost-effective manner, and should not try to kill two birds with one stone. In case one can make good fly ash bricks in a cost-effective way, wherein he can compete with red bricks, the demand in the market is such that one machine would be busy 24/7 in making Fly Ash bricks itself, and to make other products they would need additional machines. Otherwise they need to have 2 separate mixing lines feeding the same machine to be able to make both the products effectively. Our machines are capable of making both products provided proper mix is fed to the machine.

Players in this industry have time and again wooed contractors, builders, and developers by encouraging them to set up commercial flyash brick making units. Nevertheless, the cost proposition in comparison with less expensive red bricks is a deterrent. How should a fly-ash brick maker convince potential buyers to choose his products over red bricks? Please elaborate by sharing cost comparisons between fly-ash bricks and red bricks.
Fly Ash bricks at the end of the day have to compete with Red bricks in price. Hence the technology adopted for making these bricks is most important. In case the bricks are made using Cylo Ash, Pond ash and Cement, the production cost vis a vis the selling cost does not look very attractive, as the installation cost of European machines does not get justified, unless that buyer of bricks is ready to pay a higher price for these bricks which are also superior in quality when compared to red bricks and can have crushing strengths of 10 MPa. In case the same fly Ash bricks are made using only Pond Ash, Lime, Gypsum (maximum waste products) they need different mixing set up as compared to former, as in this case we need to have a grinder mixer to crush the fly ash that might have lumps in it. The price of such bricks can be competitive in front of red bricks and would have crushing strengths in range of 5 - 7 MPa. To produce concrete products on such lines one needs to have a parallel mixing set up as mixing concrete would demand a different mixer (Pan Mixer or Double shaft mixer or Planetary mixer). This fact, that one needs different Mixing arrangements for the two technologies, prevents people from using the same line for manufacturing both Fly Ash and Concrete products.