The Challenge
In 2022, a precast concrete manufacturer in Morocco, with a 1,000 m² plant, approached Rometa to solve a critical problem: their existing installation was very outdated and could no longer supply product with the quality or quantity needed on time. The client needed to fully modernise their hollow slab production line without giving up the civil works or the moulds already in use at the plant.
The challenge for Rometa was to design a fully automatic installation that would integrate precisely into an existing building, reusing the client's civil works and current moulds. The tray had to measure 1,400 x 660 mm, and the main output would be 15 cm hollow slabs (8 units per cycle), palletized in packs of 14 hollow slabs per layer using a palletless system. The production target was set at 1,500 hollow slabs per hour.
The Rometa Solution
To meet this project, Rometa redesigned the 2050 Machine, adapting it to these specific needs: a 1,400 mm tray, an advanced vibration system, a feed box, a hopper and an exact fit to the client's existing moulds.
Mechanical integration. A lift and multi-fork carriage were integrated, matched exactly to the spacing of the existing civil works, avoiding any structural changes to the building.
Power and hydraulics. The machine was fitted with a dual vibration system with 3 motors (30 kW total installed power) and a high-performance hydraulic unit with a dual pump.
Palletizing and packaging system. The most distinctive feature of this installation is the format change between manufacturing and palletizing: two clamps and a separating/pushing table convert the manufacturing format (8+8 hollow slabs) into the palletizing format (7+7 hollow slabs). The first clamp accumulates the hollow slabs and prepares the 7+7 set for the second clamp to palletize up to a maximum height of 7 layers. The pack is then ready for vertical strapping and is delivered directly without a wooden pallet. All palletizing movement, both lifting and traversing, is 100% electric, with speed variation.
Control and automation. The whole process is controlled from a smart control panel, from which all production parameters can be adjusted, reports extracted, and remote online support accessed.
The Result
The result is a fully automatic installation that meets all of the client's requirements: it runs 2 shifts a day, 6 days a week, reaching a steady output of 1,500 hollow slabs per hour. The line is run by just one operator and one assistant, and the drying chambers have capacity for 3,600 trays.
Compared to the outdated installation they started with, the client now has a line capable of sustaining the pace and quality the market demanded, without needing to build a new building or replace the moulds already in use.
