 | Soil Block Presses (GTZ, 1988, 38 p.) |
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Astram soil block machine
Manual Block Presses Produced in India 2
Manufacturer
AEROWELD INDUSTRIES
B-9, H.A.L. Industrial
Estate
Bangalore 560 037 / India
Tel. 57 55 32
Description
The ASTRAM Soil BlockMachine is the lightest soil block press with interchangeable moulds. It was designed in 1980 by Professor K.S. Jagadish of ASTRA (Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore), on the basis of laboratory studies on the relations between compaction force, human effort and output rate.
The welded, all-steel machine consists of a frame, a mould and a toggle lever mechanism. The mould is provided with a stiffened plate lid which. when closed. can be locked down with a bolt locking mechanism. A scoop is provided for measuring the correct amount of soil to fill into the mould.
The high position of the mould and the lever action being only on one side, greatly facilitate block production and reduce the physical strain on the workers.
Commercial production of the ASTRAM began in 1985 and the machine is now in use in almost all parts of India.
Operating the ASTRAM
With the lever in the vertical position, the base plate is at its lowest level and the mould ready for filling. Lubrication of the side walls of the mould is advisable to facilitate ejection of the blocks. While the soil mix, measured out in the scoop, is filled in by one worker, the second worker precompacts the soil in each corner with his fingers. Further precompaction is achieved by closing the lid with some force, and clamping it down.
Only one person is required to pull down the lever until it reaches the stop, when the base plate has moved up 6 cm. The lid is unclamped and opened, so that the lever can be pushed further down to eject the block, which can be easily removed for curing.
Reference Literature
ASTRA Alternative Building Series (1981):
by Jagadish, K.S.;
Venkatarama Reddy, B.V.:
1. A Manual of Soil Block Construction
2. Experiments in
Building Technologies for Rural Areas, Part I: Materials and Building
3.
Part II: Alternative Buildings in theUngra Region
by Venkatarama Reddy, B.V.;
Jagadish, K.S.; Nageswara Rao, M.:
4. The Design of a Soil Compaction Ram for
Rural Housing
Technical Details
|
Size of machine (length x width x height) | |
220 x 34 x 103 em (87 x 14 x 41 in) |
|
Weight of machine (without mould) | |
75 kg |
|
Weight of largest/smallest (standard) mould | |
70/63 kg |
|
Size of crate for shipment | |
133 x 45 x 114 em (53 x 18 x 45 in) |
|
Weight of packed machine | |
185 kg |
|
Standard block size (single mould) |
a. |
30.5 x 14.4 x 10 em (12 x 5.7 x 4 in) |
|
Standard block size (single mould) |
b. |
23 x 19 x 10 cm (9 x 7.5 x 4 in) |
|
Standard brick size (double mould), each |
c. |
23 x 10 x 7.5 cm (9 x 4 x 3 in) |
|
Maximum nominal compaction force | |
8 tonnes |
|
Nominal compaction pressure | |
1.8 N/mm² (264 p.s.i.) |
|
Compression ratio (including dynamic compaction by closing the cover) |
1.7: 1 | |
|
Energy input/transmission | |
manual/mechanical |
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No. of blocks per cycle/output rate |
a. |
1 / 56 blocks per hour |
| |
b. |
1 / 56 blocks per hour |
| |
c. |
2 / 112 bricks per hour |
|
Labour force required (incl. excavation and mixing) |
5 men | |
|
Price (ex works) |
ASTRAM with mould |
a. or b. |
5000 Ind.Rs.(approx. 400 US$) |
|
valid April 1988 |
ASTRAM with mould |
c. |
6750 Ind.Rs (approx. 540 US$) |
|
Ind.Rs. = Indian Rupees | | | |
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