Finlay says its SBM212 is designed for consistently high quality production of all kinds of cement bound concrete pre-cast products produced from lightweight and high-density concrete.

Elaborating on the features of the machine, company spokesman says: "It is ideal for high production of hollow blocks, solid blocks, paving stones, edge stones and various other products for applications within the construction, building and landscaping industries.

''The SBM212 can produce precast products from 50 mm to 300 mm high. Pallet size is 1,400 mm by 950 run producing 24 standard blocks (440 mm by 98 mm by 215 mm). The machine dimensions are 2,400 mm wide, 2,880 mm high and 3,500 mm long with a power requirement of 200 kW including optional face mix unit.

''It is built around a rigid frame of welded thick wall box section steel to ensure stability and durability to produce high volumes of products to a consistently high quality in tough, demanding environments.

''The combination of powerful, responsive hydraulic tamper head, mould box and feed hopper movements creates a fast cycle time for increased production. Fast electric servomotor movement of feed tray gives increased accuracy during mould filling for quality that is more consistent.

''Another feature providing consistent quality is the infinitely variable vibration force that gives the operator precise control of the mould filling process.

''The SBM212 is designed for easy operation and maintenance. Moulds and tamper head are easily removed on a purpose-built trolley arrangement. The tamper head is locked to the tamper-head carriage by means of six air bags, which are simply deflated when changing moulds. The mould and tamper head carriages run up and down their guide shafts in linear bearings which are designed to reduce friction between shaft and bearing for longer component life.

''The SBM212 is designed and built for continuous production of high-quality blocks. The mix material silo, located above the filling box, has a capacity of 1,500 litres.

''To give complete control of the pre-vibration and main vibration, the servomotors of the four vibrators are programmable to rotate at any angle and any speed from 0 to 3,500 rpm. A heavy-duty steel frame ensures stability and durability.

''A rugged, sophisticated electronic control system enables the operator to alter the pre-set parameters of the machine. These can be stored as recipes for each type of product. Access to the product rnenus can be restricted as required by the plant operator.

''All operations are controlled and monitored through an industrial PC, with a high-quality visual display unit, using the latest Allen Bradley supervisory control and data acquisition (Scada) software. Apart from controlling normal operation, the system records statistical information, such as current cycle time, pallet count and fault diagnosis. It is also possible to record production data per shift for plant accountability.

''The system can also be equipped with a modem link for remote assistance from Finlay's new £5 million ($7.1 million) manufacturing facility in Northern Ireland.

''There is a secondary control panel for mould changes, conveniently located for slow movement of the tamper head, mould and feed tray carriages.''

To enhance the production and versatility of the machine, there is the SBM212F - an optional face mix unit used primarily to reduce consumption of pigment when making coloured paving products. Placed in front of the machine, the SBM212F features an electric drive arrangement to facilitate easy movement when access to the front of the block machine is required for mould changing and cleaning.

Key features of the SBM212F include:

With the introduction of the SBM212 - the company's first stationary model - Finlay believes that it opens up significant new opportunities in the global market. Block-making machines such as the SBM212 are not only highly-efficient units in the developed world but are also affordable solutions within developing countries, he says.

The company also produces: