Cifa unveils new mixers and booms

Written by Helen Wright - 21 Feb 2012 Cifa, the Italian subsidiary of Chinese construction equipment manufacturer Zoomlion, will showcase a range of new products for the concrete construction industry at Intermat . Highlights include the company's new SLX9 concrete mixer - an upgraded version of the SLX (super light version) series mixer. Mounted on a four-axle chassis, the SLX9 is capable of transporting over 8 m3 of concrete while staying within the maximum weight limit of 32 tonnes under normal operating conditions. Cifa said the product had been modified to meet the needs of French customers and to comply with regulatory standards on the weight of work machinery. The mixer blades in the drum have also been restyled so that the transport and unloading phases could be optimised when using dry concrete. The manufacturer will also present a new concrete pump, the MK-24, which has a detachable pumping system with rotor and is equipped with a three-section distribution boom with Z-fold system and 4-in (102 mm) pipes. Also designed for the French market, the MK-24's pumping unit is detachable, making it possible to unhook the rotor and increase the useful concrete load in the drum. The pump can be mounted on a four-axle chassis and is said to be easy to position and well-adapted for pumping in cramped work sites and during renovation and restoration work in city centres. Cifa will also exhibit its K45H Carbotech series pump at the show. The manufacturer concentrated on reducing the weight of the pump by using carbon fibre on the last two sections of the five-section boom - resulting in an overall weight, including the truck, of less than 32 tonnes. The boom's total height when in vertical position is nearly 45 m, but the carbon fibre segments weigh -25% less than traditional steel sections, according to Cifa. "The Carbotech technology - developed in collaboration with the Milan Politecnico - makes it possible to address weight restrictions and achieve better performance and greater reliability of the structure," Cifa said. Cifa will also introduce a new horizontal twin shaft mixer equipped with helical blades at the show. The Helical Twin Shaft Mixer 2.25 m3/cycle mixer will be installed on the Cifamix 100 stationary system and the compact Cifamoove 90 system. It is said to offer a significant decrease in concrete mixing times, as well as less wear and tear on the blades, booms and mixing vat, and better homogenisation of the concrete. Cifa said it would also be displaying a 3 m3/cycle mixer, a 1.5 m3/cycle mixer and a 1 m3/cycle model. The larger mixer will be installed on large systems such as the Cifamix 120, while the 1.5 m3/cycle and 1 m3/cycle models will be used for more compact systems in the Cifamoove line. In addition to the mixers, new products for shotcrete will also be on show. Cifa will be introducing the CST 8.20, which has a pumping unit with a variable capacity between 2 m3 and 20 m3 per hour. The boom is comprised of two sections, one of which is telescopic, and comes with a standard remote control. The pump is mounted on a specially designed frame for use in small tunnels, and is equipped with four drive wheels with hydrostatic drive. The machine also has front outriggers and a rear axle locking system for stability, and comes with a standard Mattei compressor with a production capacity of 8,900 litres/minute. Cifa described the CST 8.20 as "a new concept machine" designed for both European and non-European markets.