Paving slabs, or paving stones, are a beautiful, durable material that is used for arranging and decorating garden paths, playgrounds and the interior of the yard. Everything would be fine, but, to my great regret, paving stones are not a cheap pleasure, but everyone wants to make their yard clean and pretty, so I had such a great desire. I could not buy paving stones in the required quantity - it turned out to be too expensive, but it was easy to make it myself. :) It is about how to make paving stones on my own that I will tell you in this article, fully illustrating the manufacturing process.

Actually, the technology for the production of paving stones, as well as its recipe, was found by me on the Internet, since there is more than enough information, and I set to work.

For the manufacture of such paving slabs, it is necessary to have cement, sand, a superplasticizer and, if desired, a dye.


In the store, I purchased several bags of cement grade 500 and a superplasticizer, it will increase the strength of the paving stones and increase its resistance to low temperatures.


Not a huge, of course, but quite a decent pile of sand, brought about a year ago from a local quarry, we left after the completion of the house.


And I decided not to buy a colorant-dye. To be honest, as for me, the difference between colored and gray paving stones is small, the color still turns out with a shade of gray!

As a vibrating table, without which the production of high-quality paving stones is simply impossible, it was decided to use an old Siemens washing machine, which has long served its time, but is still very much in working order. If anyone does not know what a vibrating table is for, I explain - with its help, the maximum compaction of the forms of any concrete elements is achieved, in our case paving stones, which become more homogeneous and, accordingly, strong.

I will tell you about the forms separately and in more detail. :)

When I shared an idea self-manufacturing paving stones with friends, some of them suggested that I make the molds myself. Some suggested putting together forms from old wooden planks, the second advised to use unnecessary containers - trays, vessels, etc., the third persuaded them to make the molds themselves from a special polymer. Of course, I am a girl with “hands”, but I didn’t dare to do this, I decided to purchase ready-made forms, they are quite diverse, so you can choose a form with a beautiful pattern that will be printed on the surface of the finished product, giving it a special charm and chic.

Buying molds was also not an easy task, for a start it was necessary to decide which molds I needed: rubber, capable of withstanding about 500 castings - manufacturing cycles, plastic, which will last about 250 cycles, or polyurethane, the service life of which does not exceed 100 castings . Rubber and plastic turned out to be quite expensive, and given that I was not 100% sure of a successful outcome, I purchased ordinary polyurethane molds for making paving stones in the amount of 10 pieces.


I started the production of paving stones back in May, since the weather turned out to be favorable, and I continue to this day, I need a lot of paving stones. :)

Now I will describe to you in detail the technology for the production of paving slabs - paving stones. For one casting, to fill 10 molds, I needed 10 kilograms of sand, 5 kg of cement and 30 grams of superplasticizer.


I thoroughly mixed all of the above components in the usual manual way in a large plastic bucket, and only after that I began to add water in small portions, stirring the mixture until smooth - so that the solution was viscous.


At this stage, the main thing is not to overdo it with water, its excess will reduce the strength of the finished product at times!

In addition to the components listed by me above, fine gravel or screenings can be added to the mixture for casting paving stones.

In addition to the fact that gravel will add even more strength to products, its inclusions will visually make paving stones more natural - “stone”. The ratio of the solution in this case will be as follows: 30 grams of superplasticizer, 2 parts of sand, gravel and cement.


Before pouring our solution into the mold, it must be lubricated with a special emulsion. There are a lot of emulsions on the market for these purposes, but I took the advice of my old friend and processed the forms with ordinary dishwashing liquid - you can use any. I applied the liquid with a small brush, carefully distributing it in a thin layer over the entire inner surface of each form.

After all forms have been processed, they must be slowly filled with a solution. I laid the forms directly on the top cover of the washing machine and, having filled them in half, turned on the machine in the spin mode.


To slightly increase the vibration, I first put an old blanket in the drum of the washing machine. As soon as the machine began to vibrate along with the forms, I added the remaining solution to them, filling them completely. Such an impromptu vibrating table copes with its task perfectly, and the quality of vibrocasting made me very happy.


Then I removed the forms from the washing machine and, having laid them out on racks in the garage, covered with an ordinary plastic wrap to prevent excess moisture from evaporating. Only two days later I removed the paving stones from the molds, it is not recommended to do this earlier because cracks quickly form on the molds during operation.


In order to remove the paving stones from the mold, I lowered them for a few seconds into water heated to 80 ° C, this contributes to the expansion of the mold, as a result, the paving stones are very easy to remove.


The vacated forms were filled with a new portion of the solution, and the paving stones were laid in rows on a pallet left over from the acquired blocks.


Finished products were stored for the first 10 days under plastic wrap, all in the same garage, and then moved outside and kept for another month to gain strength.

Naturally, it makes sense to make paving stones on your own only when you don’t need a lot of it, although the concept of “a lot” is different for each of us. :) But it was this method that turned out to be the most acceptable for me, especially since the work did not take me much time and I did it in the intervals between the main things and, most importantly, with great interest and pleasure.

To make paving stones with your own hands or not, everyone decides for himself, and I can only say that it is exciting, easy and profitable. I hope my little master class on making paving stones will be useful for you, try it and brag about your results.

But how to make a vibrating table (I feel sorry for the washing machine !!!)

How to make it yourself, make such a simple homemade vibrating table from tires. It is very simple and accessible to almost everyone, if you want to make such a vibrating table for homemade paving slabs and other concrete products You do not need such large tires and such a large piece of metal. To do this, you can use car tires from a car, and if you don’t have such tires, then this is also not a problem, you can buy them for a penny at any vulcanization, there are always mountains of used tires and they will most likely just be presented to you. So we take three tires from passenger car and twist them together with bolts, three bolts for each connection of one tire to another. Then we need a piece of metal a little larger than the size of the tires, approximately as shown in the photo, such a piece of metal, if you don’t have it, you can buy it at scrap metal collection points, if they don’t have such a piece, then you can order it from them and they will give you it will be found in a few days and sold at the price at which the scrap metal itself is rented, at the rate of 1 kg. it is not very expensive and available to everyone. After you have found the ramps and a piece of metal, you need to weld a piece of the channel in the center to your piece of metal by welding, a piece of the channel can be bought there at the scrap metal collection point, as it was shown in the photo lesson above and drill four holes for attaching the vibration motor. Now you just need to find a used vibration motor, it can be not large, you can use a standard one, for example IV - 99E, such a used vibration motor can be bought at electric motor repair shops or ordered from them, they will find the vibration motor you need very quickly or you can look for such a used vibration motor on the Internet. After you find the vibration motor, the vibrator needs to be screwed to the mount, the channel that you welded to the metal sheet with bolts, it is best to find the old used bolts as well. they are much stronger and more reliable than new ones, also be sure to use a grower for the vibration motor mounting bolts, tighten the bolts well otherwise they will break. After that, it is necessary to connect a wire to the vibration motor, which must first be passed through a hole made in advance in one of the slopes, as shown in the photo of a home-made vibrating table. After you have connected the wire to the vibration motor, you can install your countertop on the ramps, with the vibration motor at the bottom, so that it goes inside the ramps. All Your vibrating table is ready to go. For even greater convenience, you can scald your countertop with a corner along the contour, you can use it so that the forms with concrete do not shrink or fall during vibration.

Here, as you can see from everything described, it follows that a home-made inexpensive vibrating table for home-made all kinds of concrete products can be made very quickly and
not very expensive. In the future, if you no longer need such a vibrating table, you can sell it to your neighbors and return the funds spent on it. We wish you good luck and for everything to work out for you, we are also always ready to help and advise you, visit our professional forum and we will answer all your questions. Sincerely, Spirit.

Paving slabs are one of the most popular floor coverings. open ground. Its main advantage over other materials is its low cost and sufficient durability.

What is this article about

Methods for the manufacture of paving slabs

Concrete tiles are made in three ways:

1. simple casting;
2. vibration casting;
3. vibrocompression.

The first method is available to any person. To do this, it is enough to have one or more forms of the tile itself, which will need to be filled with concrete mixed in the construction tank and, after it has completely dried, released for the manufacture of the next product. The disadvantages of this method - the tile will not be very durable.

The latter method requires the presence of relatively complex equipment - a vibropress, which has several vibration motors and a hydraulic system in its design.

The most common manufacturing method is vibrocasting. It requires a vibrating table, which performs the function of vibrating concrete compaction in order to increase its quality characteristics, such as water absorption coefficient and concrete grade.

Vibrating table and its design

Making a vibrating table for paving slabs with your own hands will not be difficult for any relatively prepared home master. Until recently, almost all such equipment was made by the owners of small enterprises with their own hands.

main frame

You need to start with the main frame. Here you should take into account how many molds are available, whether something else will be made on the table. After all, the construction of such equipment is quite a costly and time-consuming business. And if you approach this issue in a businesslike way, then it is better to make the dimensions of the future product such that it can be manufactured on it, in addition to paving slabs:

1. concrete monuments;
2. concrete fences;
3. cinder block;
4. concrete poles for different types of barriers or for grapes;
5. lintels for window or doorways, under monuments, etc.

Based on the above, optimal size for the table will be - 2000 mm x 600 mm.

It is on them that the supporting frame will be made. Its height will be such that a person can carry out actions on the table without bending down. Approximate comfortable height - 700-800 mm. But here you should take into account the fact that the table must be attached to the floor surface:

• by fixing in the pits (for this you need to make the “legs” of the frame 300–400 mm longer and immerse them into the recesses made in the floor, followed by concreting or burying);
• by welding metal plates to the frame posts and screwing anchors to them, fixed in the floor holes.

Here is a list of what you need to do to assemble a homemade vibrating table for paving slabs:

1. First of all, you need to cut off a corner with ribs 50 x 50 mm - two pieces of 2000 mm and two of 600 mm;
2. Fold them into a frame and be sure to weld. It can be bolted, but given future vibrations, it is worth noting that this will be a weak connection;
3. Cut six pieces of 1 m from the pipe 70–80 mm for future table supports;
4. Weld pipes perpendicular to the length of the corners from the side of the side rib descending down - four in the corners, two in the middle of the long sections of the frame;
5. From the side opposite the "legs", we weld the rings from the same pipe. The height of these rings is 40 - 50 mm. Springs will be installed in them, which will carry the main vibrating plates;
6. We fix the resulting frame to the floor by the above methods;

Working surface

The vibrating table for the production of paving slabs has a working surface, which can be made in two ways:

1. The easiest is to purchase a solid sheet of metal, at least 12–14 mm thick and 2000 by 600 mm in size;
2. In the corners and in the middle of the long sides on one side we weld rings, the same as in paragraph 1.5. so that when installing the top of the table on the frame, they are strictly opposite those that are fixed on the frame.

The use of rings can be completely eliminated if an incomplete set of springs is used as a vibration cushion, but a large old wheel from heavy equipment, having an outer diameter of about 1 m and installed in the middle of the frame. You can replace this wheel with six tires from a passenger car, installed at the corners and in the middle of the long sides. When using wheels, it will be necessary to fasten the plate and the frame together with studs with a diameter of 12-14 mm or more. With their help, it will be possible to regulate the strength of vibration, which is very important to achieve the quality of the product and to be able to unify the table for different masses of future products of the mini-shop.

1. A more complicated way is to weld the upper part of sheet metal, 4 - 5 mm thick and a corner. For this, a solid sheet of iron is taken, measuring 2000 by 600 mm. A corner with sides of 40 by 40 mm is welded to the sides around the entire perimeter;
2. Rings are welded, as in paragraph 2.1.2.
3. On the underside of the vibrating plate, we weld two pieces of a corner 50 by 50 mm and half a meter long at the motor attachment points;

Engine mount

After the main parts of the future vibrating table are assembled, you can begin to mount the engine. The vibrating table requires a vibration motor. It is a conventional engine, but with an eccentric attached to a protruding shaft. It is this part that is responsible for the vibration. By shifting or changing the mass of the eccentric, it is possible to achieve a change in the amplitude and strength of vibration, which will need to be done after the final installation of the table to obtain high-quality products.

The motor should ideally have the following characteristics:

• three phases;
• voltage 12 volts;
• power 600 watts.

Such a motor is connected to a 380 volt transformer, which lowers the voltage to 12 volts. It is safe to work at 12 volts, because you constantly have to deal with a humid environment and weights, concrete residues, and vibration. All this can lead to a break in the wire and its contact with metal parts, which, in the case of using 380 or 220 volt motors, will need to be grounded and the integrity of the ground wire, which can also fall off at any moment from constant vibration. There are many such motors produced not only in Russia, but also in Poland, Ukraine and other republics.

The easiest way is to use the engine IV - 98 or IV - 99 for 220 volts.

It will need to be fixed to the vibrating table plate from below with bolts through the holes in the plate itself (if its thickness is 12 mm or more) or to the welded corners (if 4-5 mm metal was used).

The assembly of the complete structure is carried out by installing a vibrating plate on the frame:

1. First you need to install the plate on wooden bars, 100 mm high. They should stand around the entire perimeter of the frame;
2. Align the spring well holes and install the springs in them.

The springs for this purpose are those that are used on the valves of the Zhiguli engine. They can be freely bought at the auto shop. Suitable and moped, cut into two parts.

If old tires are used, then lay them down and fasten the entire structure with studs, after removing the wooden blocks.

Vobrostol is ready. What to do next?

After complete assembly, it is necessary to connect the finished structure to electrical network and check the functionality.

In the production of paving slabs or other products, you need to monitor the following characteristics of the vibrating table:

1. Compliance with the horizontal level of the vibrating plate surface. If the weights are not properly positioned on the table, the pillows sag and the concrete in the molds slides towards the skew. Therefore, it is necessary to place the molds on the plate during vibration in the center. If there is a displacement of concrete, then the future product can be moved directly while the engine is running in the direction opposite to the displacement, and everything will be corrected. Further, if the plate is fastened to the frame with studs, you can adjust the horizontal level;
2. If the concrete in the mold is ejected or seething, then the vibration is strong. It can be reduced by tightening the studs or changing the position of the eccentric. You can reduce its mass by replacing or grinding the existing one. If paving slabs are being made, then vibration can be reduced by increasing the load on the table. It is enough to put next to those that already exist, several other forms filled with concrete. If they are not available, then you can attach an additional load to the plate;
3. If the product has a lot of air bubbles, then the vibration is weak. Such products will not be durable and in a few years will collapse from the ice formed in the pores. It is necessary to reduce the load on the plate or loosen the tension of the studs (if used). If this does not help, then the motor is selected too weak and needs to be replaced.

Summing up, you should pay attention to the need to comply with safety regulations not only when using a finished product made by yourself. To make a vibrating table, you will need to use a cutting and welding tool in your work. Working with them requires increased attention and precautions.

To make a vibrating table with your own hands, it will be enough to use standard tools that most home craftsmen have. The most difficult skill that may be needed is the ability to use welding. A home-made vibrating table will even win in comparison with the factory one, as it will be calculated for its own construction: the size of the tiles and their number that will be made at a time. It can be used for cinder blocks and making vibrocasting tiles with your own hands.

What you need to prepare - tools and materials

If the workshop has all of the above, then you can make a vibrating machine for making blocks:

• Welding machine. You can assemble a vibrator for shaking blocks with your own hands and on bolted joints, but much faster.
• Bulgarian with cutting and grinding wheels.
• Drill and drills of the required sizes.
• Bolts, nuts, washers and wrenches for them.
• Roulette and ruler, for measuring and marking.
• Metal sheet - a cover for the vibrating table will be made from it. At home, you can also use wood, but only for a low-power device, otherwise the vibration will loosen the fasteners very quickly.
• Metal corners or channel for the frame or edging of the tabletop, with a section of 5-10 mm. Their number and length depend on the calculated dimensions of the table. Do-it-yourself metal pipes are also suitable for a vibrating table, but they are more difficult to process.

In the video, a vibrating table assembled from improvised parts:

• Four identical springs can be from moped shock absorbers, dense belts or chains that can withstand the weight of the tabletop and the concrete forms loaded on it.
• Vibrating or ordinary electric motor.

Construction details, drawings, materials and manufacturing procedures

Each vibrating machine for block production has approximately the same design, the details of which differ only slightly in personal modifications. Before you make a vibrating table with your own hands, you need to decide on its size. Drawings of a suitable design are usually problematic to find - it is better to take general scheme or this drawing and adjust it to fit your needs.

The main components and the materials required for them are as follows:

bed

It consists of four vertical supports connected at the top and, if necessary, reinforced with jumpers at the bottom. It should be heavy enough to support the entire structure, plus the weight of the molds with concrete. A factory or home-made vibrating machine is most often made from corners with a metal thickness of 5-10 mm.

table top

This is a perfectly flat surface with upturned edges so that the molds with concrete do not pop out of it during operation. Depending on the size and weight of the blocks for which the vibrating table is needed, the thickness of the tabletop and the material from which it will be made are selected. Most often, a sheet of iron with a thickness of 3 mm is chosen for it. If the work is planned with heavy large-shaped tiles, then the countertop can be reinforced around the perimeter and in the inside. metal corners. Depending on the chosen design, a vibration motor can be attached to the tabletop.

Springs

They provide the necessary range of movement of the tabletop relative to the fixed frame. With the correct calculation of the mass of the countertops, they do not need any fixing - they are simply installed in glasses specially fixed for them. Good vibration machines are obtained if springs from moped springs are used in the design. The length is selected so that the tabletop can vibrate, but not sway from side to side.

Cups for fixing springs

Made from scraps metal pipe slightly larger than the diameter of the springs. If the inner size is small, then the springs will be difficult to remove, for example, to replace the countertop with a molding one. If the diameter is too large, the countertop will “play” a lot under the influence of vibration and the weight of the building blocks and may simply fly off the bed. Also, a good result is obtained if the glasses are inside the springs.

Vibrating table without springs

Instead of steel springs, without compromising the quality of the construction, it is possible to use ropes, chains or tight harnesses. In this case, the tabletop is made somewhat wider than the frame and is attached to it with a belt shock absorber. To do this, instead of glasses, guides are welded to the corners of the tabletop surface, connected by belts to the frame, as shown in the diagram.

Vibro-block

Depending on the design chosen, the vibrating table may consist of one or two elements.

• If a factory-made vibration motor is available, it is installed directly on the surface of the table top. Such an engine has a specific design - eccentrics are mounted on both sides of its shaft. They are made in the form of two semicircles, which can be displaced relative to each other, which can regulate the strength of the vibration. The factory vibration motor is specially designed to work in conditions of constant vibration, so it is not dangerous to place it on the table top.

How to make your own machine and an example of its operation in the video:

• When an ordinary engine is selected, for example, from a washing machine, it must be modernized using self-made eccentrics, for which bolts are welded to the shaft, and the vibration force can be adjusted by tightening them closer or further from the center with nuts. If the engine is planned to be used in another place, then it is better to fix the eccentric on the shaft with a clamp connection. The disadvantage of this solution is that in this case the engine is constantly exposed to vibration and there is a risk of its premature failure.
• Use of a separate eccentric. In this case, a standard electric motor is also used, but it is mounted on a frame. A shaft with a displaced center of gravity is attached to the surface of the vibrating table, connected to the engine by a belt drive. This solution protects the motor from vibration, but requires careful calibration of the eccentrics, which is often done by selection.

All these designs allow you to get an acceptable result of the device - the choice between them is made based on what kind of material is available. The engine power of factory vibrating tables is in the range of 0.75-2.2 kW. For homemade, it is selected experimentally. The following diagram is an approximate drawing of a home-made vibrating table, which you can refer to during manufacture.

Vibrating table

Used to remove dried tiles from the mould. In fact, this is an ordinary do-it-yourself vibrating table, only there is a hole in its lid. A form is placed on top of it and under the action of vibration the tile falls out of it.

To work with a vibrating table, the form must have handles or margins that can be used to lean it against the table. From artisanal forms, instead of which plastic containers are used, it will not work to remove the tile in this way, unless you simply put it on the table so that the engagement between the form and the tile becomes less due to vibration.

In production, separate vibrating tables are used, in which there is a pillow under the table top or a conveyor belt for the falling tiles. The tabletop itself is removable, under different forms tiles.

There are two ways to turn a self-made vibrating table into a molding table:

• Make an extra table. If the springs are tightly in the glasses and are not welded, then it will not take long to replace the surfaces.
• Get by with one countertop, but on one side make a removable hatch, instead of which you can insert the desired forms. Also, under the hatch it does not hurt to make a pillow - even if you plan to pick up the tile, sooner or later it will come in handy.

Custom designs

Why make a full-fledged vibrating machine to process a dozen other tiles? If the manufacture of your vibrating table is not necessary for permanent work, then you can pay attention to simplified designs that can be assembled within an hour, and their task will be completed at a fairly high level.

Here's a video of one of them in action:

From car tires

For the simplest design, you only need 1-3 tires (depending on the required height), a wooden shield (1-2 tile size) and a rubber mallet.

Borders can be made along the perimeter of the shield so that the forms do not fly off it. The solution is poured, the forms are placed on the shield and its vibration is caused by tapping the hammer, the strength of which is regulated in the full sense of the word “manually”. The shield, if necessary, can be screwed to the tires with a pair of screws.

The design can be complicated if the farm has an electric motor. It is screwed to the shield, an eccentric is attached to the shaft ... And the hammer can be put aside.

From a hammer drill or impact drill

A steel plate is attached to the edge of a wooden shield or iron sheet (perpendicular to the surface). Something elastic is attached to the other end (rags, a piece of rubber) and it all rests against the wall. A perforator is brought to the steel plate and the vibration is no worse than with the tire method.

Instead of a drill, you can use a piece of pipe - the thickness is selected depending on the capabilities of the perforator cartridge.

In such a simple way, you can quickly make a vibrating table for molding and for removing tiles from molds.

What can be done to save your budget when arranging the site, paths in the garden and make a beautiful and convenient entrance to the garage? One option is a homemade vibrating table. With it, you can make tiles different sizes and colours.

A vibrating table is a so-called countertop, which, under the influence of an electric motor, vibrates and leads to vibration of the mold with a tile mortar.

If you decide to produce tiles only for yourself, then the vibrating table can be made in small sizes so that it does not take up much space.

Standard parameters of the vibrating table

The optimal size of the working surface of the vibrating table is 600x600 centimeters. As a table frame, you can use improvised strong metal sheets or an old tabletop.

In any case, use such material so that after the final preparation of the tile, it is useful to you for other work and does not gather dust on the sidelines idle.

It should be noted that the quality of your tiles will directly depend on the materials from which it will be made. Therefore, we recommend that you carefully calculate everything.

The number of tiles obtained is the sum of the number of molds purchased as blanks for tiles. Immediately after manufacturing, you will not be able to pull the finished product out of the mold; it needs to lie down thoroughly in its mold for about 24 hours.

That is, if you buy 50 molds, you can produce no more than 50 tiles per day.

Production of vibrating tables

So, what initial tasks need to be solved before starting work on the manufacture of a vibrating table:

You must determine the optimal height of the vibrating table yourself, depending on your height and build, as comfortable work will add efficiency and productivity in the manufacture of tiles. A height of up to one meter is usually recommended.

After you have decided on the dimensions, we begin to assemble the vibrating table, it is usually mounted on four legs, which are used pipes, but just remember that they should be similar in size with springs. The springs should be loosely seated in the pipes at the height of a couple of coils.

Or, corners welded together into a frame are used as legs. But in this case, the springs will need to be connected to the frame by welding, or cut out small sections from the pipes and insert the springs into them, and weld the pipes themselves to the frame.

In any case, the vibrating table must stand stably, not stagger or fall on its side. Here you already decide what quality you want to make a table and how much money you are willing to invest in it.

If making a vibrating table is not included in your plans, and you want to make a tile with your own hands, then we recommend buying a vibrating table for tiles according to an ad on Avito.

Thus, you will save your time and immediately begin the process of making tiles.

The classic vibrating table has the following frame dimensions:

• Width 0.5 m;
• Length 1 m;
• Height 1 m.

Important advice: more is not better! Do not think that if you design a huge table, you will produce a large volume of tiles.

The larger the table, the more difficult it is to achieve uniform vibration with a conventional motor. In such a situation, you will have to spend money and buy a powerful vibration motor.

Vibrating table from car tires

An interesting solution was the manufacture of a table from used car tires. Any driver will have such material. And you do not have to look for pipes or metal corners.

To make this type of vibrating table, you will need 3 tires. Connect them together in four places with bolts. We attach the motor to the bottom cover of the table, exactly in the middle. Thus, your design will be stable.

Let's summarize.

We have given you a few examples of the manufacture of vibrating tables. All available tools that are in your garage can be used: tires, bolts, an electric motor, car springs, pipe sections and metal corners.

After making tiles, you can use your vibrating table for other purposes, for example, as a machine for sawing boards and other materials.

The amount of work performed depends only on you and the volume of forms that you will acquire for your work. Install the table at the optimal height for your height, this contributes to the comfort and speed of creating tiles.

The production of paving slabs is carried out using the vibrocasting method. For this, a special device is used - a vibrating table. There is nothing to replace it at home, so you have to make it yourself.

How to make a vibrating table for the manufacture of paving slabs? Let's consider this question in more detail.

The process of solidification of concrete, accompanied by small frequent fluctuations, proceeds with the release of air bubbles, compaction of the concrete structure and an increase in the density and strength of the material. To ensure this mode, a vibrating table is used.. It is a surface that makes frequent oscillatory movements (about 3000 / min).

Forms filled with concrete are installed on this surface and vibration treatment is performed. The mode significantly compacts the concrete structure, which significantly affects the quality of paving slabs, the operating conditions of which require great strength.

Exist different types fixtures, from large industrial ones with a hydraulic vibration source for processing large concrete blocks, to smaller electric ones that create vibration using an eccentric mounted on an electric motor shaft. Since only the second option is available at home, we will not consider the hydraulic drive device.

Frequency and amplitude of vibrations- characteristics that determine the texture of the processed material. They are being tuned empirically, it is too difficult to calculate in advance all the nuances, because too many variables are involved in the process.

Therefore, the design of the table should provide for the possibility of some adjustment of the oscillation amplitude.

Find out on our website how to lay. Let's talk about the successive stages of the work performed.

And you will find many useful information about preparing the site for laying paving slabs.

Materials and tools that will be required

The specifics of the device allows the use of only metal elements. All connections are welded or bolted. Accordingly, for the manufacture you need sheet metal with a thickness of 3 mm(the larger the area, the thicker the sheet will be required).

For the bed you need a corner or channel. Table movement is provided by springs, the size of which must correspond to the mass of the table plus the load from the installed molds.

To assemble a vibrating table for paving slabs with your own hands need welding machine, electric drill with a set of drills for metal. cutting metal parts produced in Bulgaria. You will need a measuring tool, a set of wrenches for threaded connections.

Table legs require secure anchoring to the floor, otherwise, during operation, he will run around the room. It is best to cement the legs into the recesses, for which sheet metal pads must be welded to the ends and deepened by 10-15 cm.

If possible, you should pour anchors into the floor and attach the table to them, this option will allow you to disconnect the device if necessary and move it to another location.

How to make a drawing

Manufacturing work you need to start by creating a drawing of the device. Random fabrication is not recommended, as it is difficult to remake a welded assembly.

All dimensions must be calculated, distances, engine mounting locations so that its location is as close as possible to the center of mass of the table. If the eccentric is located not on the motor shaft, but on a separate drive, then it is placed in the center. The creation of a drawing must begin with a bed.

Height, type of fastening to the floor is taken into account, the perimeter of the strapping of the bed in terms of repeats the outlines of the working surface. This is necessary because the springs are located at the corners and at the center points of the sides of the table.

How to choose the right engine

The table area is selected based on the engine power, which should not be too large. Usually, power up to 1 kW is sufficient.. A table with dimensions of 1500 by 800 mm is suitable for such an engine.

The dimensions are approximate, since the weight of the table and the speed of the motor shaft are not taken into account. In general, care should be taken not so much about power as about the condition of bearings or bushings.

They bear the entire load, and to ensure long-term operation, it is necessary to choose a motor with reliable bearings. If necessary, if the design allows it, engine can be upgraded by removing the bushings and replacing them with reinforced bearings.

If you plan to install an eccentric directly on the motor shaft, such a procedure will greatly extend the performance of the motor.

Manufacturing instructions

On this, the process of assembling a home-made vibrating table for paving slabs can be considered complete, it remains to start the device and adjust the amplitude of vibrations by changing the position of the eccentric.

Important nuances, error prevention

• Along the perimeter of the working surface of the table, a side is needed to prevent the form from slipping with concrete.
• If you use long bolts as guide rods for the springs, you can tighten the springs slightly by screwing on the nuts and washers to fix the table more securely and limit the amplitude of vibration.
• Instead of a conventional electric motor, you can use a vibrator of the IV99 type or similar, with which you can more accurately control vibrations and get a high-quality result.

Security measures

All work should be carried out in a room designed for such actions. Welding work, as fire hazardous, must be carried out with the presence of fire extinguishing equipment.

Cutting, drilling and other work with metal is carried out in compliance with safety regulations. Attention should be paid to working with a grinder.

The first start is best done with the drive belt removed. to eliminate the consequences of incorrect connection or fastening of nodes.

We must not forget about protective earth , which must be connected before the trial run.

In this video, see how you can make a vibrating table for the production of paving slabs with your own hands:

The assembly process of the vibrating table does not take much time, usually its installation is completed in one day.

Setting the mode can be done almost instantly, or drag on for some time, since the best option is found empirically.

The unit made in this way can serve for a long time, and can be used both for the production of paving slabs, and for other work with concrete, ceramics or other compositions that require vibration treatment.