Applications for Pico Products
Using EnviroMon to Improve the Quality of Concrete Products
Ceramic Drying Systems (CDS) of Stoke, England design and manufacture high performance curing systems and chambers for the concrete industry.
Traditionally, concrete paving, blocks and roof tiles have been cured in open air racks. This leads to variations in the cure due to draughts, and temperature/humidity variations between the top and bottom of the racking. The curing process is exothermic so the blocks at the top are heated by the lower ones causing major stratification problems and a poor curing environment.
The CDS solution addresses these problems by sealing the drying environment inside a large enclosure, and by using AHUs (Air Handling Units) to control temperature and humidity, a whole batch can be cured under the same conditions. This ensures that all of the end product has been cured under ideal conditions, eliminating inconsistency of product quality within a batch, and waste.
The Enviromon EL005 data logger, in conjunction with the EL026 temperature and RH converter, and sensors is used to monitor and record the temperature and relative humidity at the top, middle and bottom of the chamber throughout its length and width. The data shows that the entire batch has been cured correctly, and that the control systems are working as they should.
CDS has used the system to help validate its chambers, and is now able to offer the total solution to its customers. CDS customers benefit greatly from less waste and a more consistent product. The data is archived, enabling them to easily prove that their individual batches of paving blocks have been manufactured correctly, and comply with QA standards.
