The World’s Second Most Consumed Material
Concrete, second only to water in global consumption, is fundamental to modern construction. Choosing between a batch plant (Ready-Mix) and a volumetric mixer for concrete delivery is crucial to keeping your project on time and within budget.

Batch Plant or Volumetric Mixer?
Each option offers unique advantages for different types of projects. Understanding these differences will help you make an informed decision that optimizes productivity.

Location and Mobility
The first consideration is location and mobility. Batching plants operate from a single, stationary site and deliver concrete from a fixed location. While this ensures a controlled environment, it limits mobility. Can your project accommodate deliveries from a fixed location? How will delays—whether due to traffic or other transport issues—affect the quality and timeliness of your concrete?

In contrast, volumetric mixers are mobile batch plants that mix materials on-site. This flexibility makes them ideal for projects spanning multiple locations or requiring different mix designs. They also enable the production of rapid-setting mixes, potentially accelerating project completion.

Mixing Process
Next, consider the mixing process. Batch plants provide centralized mixing, ideal for larger projects where volume is key. However, once dispatched the mix cannot be altered once it’s in transit. This could lead to issues if conditions change, such as traffic delays or hot weather.

Volumetric mixers allow for on-demand mixing, combining materials on-site. This real-time control ensures the mix can be adjusted to meet specific project requirements, avoiding potential problems like slump changes due to environmental conditions.

Production Control
Batch plants offer consistent production in a controlled environment but lack the flexibility to adapt to changing project needs. Volumetric mixers, on the other hand, allow operators to make on-the-fly adjustments. For example, in hot or windy conditions, volumetric mixers can instantly incorporate admixtures to optimize the mix without compromising strength, unlike Ready- Mix, which may require adding water and, therefore, weakening the strength of the concrete.

Waste Management
With batch plants, Ready-Mix concrete is transported to the site, potentially producing waste if the quantity required is miscalculated. Under-ordering can also cause costly delays. Short loads or make-up deliveries can be at a significant cost. Volumetric mixers eliminate this uncertainty by producing only the exact amount needed, resulting in zero waste.

The choice depends on your project’s specific needs. For consistent, high-volume production, a Ready-Mix delivery may be best. However, for flexibility, on-site mixing, and waste elimination, a volumetric mixer might be the better option.

Take control of your supply Chain.
You could join the many contractors who have added volumetric mixers to their business and have created a new revenue stream by selling concrete delivery services when they don’t need the truck. This adds additional profit to your business and can pay for the cost of the mixer

You could also stand out from your competitors by adding specialist products such as cellular concrete, self-consolidating concrete, fibre-reinforced concrete, latex-modified concrete and more. With a volumetric mixer, you can produce high-value products, making it easier to secure larger specialist contracts.