Application of Concrete Brick Machines in Colored Pavement Brick Production: Quality Control and Color Preservation Techniques

Application of Concrete Brick Machines in Colored Pavement Brick Production: Quality Control and Color Preservation Techniques

In today's rapidly urbanizing world, colored pavement bricks, due to their rich colors, excellent performance, and environmentally friendly characteristics, have become the preferred paving material for sidewalks, plazas, courtyards, and other scenarios. As core production equipment, the concrete brick machine's process control and color management directly determine the product's market competitiveness. This article will analyze the key technical points of concrete brick machines in colored pavement brick production from two dimensions: quality control and color preservation.

I. Core Prerequisite: Key Points of Quality Control with the Support of Concrete Brick Machines

High-quality colored pavement bricks require a solid foundation of quality. Relying on concrete brick machine production, a quality defense line needs to be built from three key aspects:

✅ 1. Precise Control of Raw Material Ratios: Based on the strength requirements of colored pavement bricks, the proportions of cement, aggregates, pigments, and admixtures should be strictly controlled through the concrete brick machine's batching system. It is recommended to use an automated batching module to avoid human error leading to insufficient brick strength and easy cracking. In particular, pigment addition must be uniform; the secondary mixing function of the brick machine can be used to ensure a consistent color base.

✅ 2. Scientific Setting of Pressing Parameters: The pressing pressure and speed of the concrete brick machine directly affect the density of the brick. For colored paving bricks, it is recommended to control the pressing pressure at 15-25MPa and adjust the pressing speed to 3-5 times/minute according to the brick shape to ensure that there are no voids inside the brick and reduce the risk of water absorption and efflorescence later. At the same time, pay attention to the precision calibration of the mold to avoid irregular brick shapes and missing edges.

✅ 3. Coordinated Curing Process: Wet bricks produced by the brick machine need to be promptly placed in a standard curing kiln, with the curing temperature controlled at 20±2℃ and humidity ≥90%, and the curing time no less than 7 days. Inadequate curing can easily lead to brick shrinkage and cracking, affecting service life. This step needs to be precisely coordinated with the brick machine's production rhythm to avoid excessive stacking of wet bricks.

II. Color Preservation: Optimization of the Entire Chain from Raw Materials to Construction

1. Raw Material Selection: Ensuring Color Stability at the Source

 Pigment Quality: Prioritize the selection of pigments from the same batch or with consistent clinker composition to avoid color differences between different batches. For example, a project experienced significant color differences in brick surfaces due to the purchase of different batches of iron oxide red pigment. The problem was ultimately resolved by sourcing pigment from the same manufacturer.

 Aggregate Selection: White or light-colored ores are selected as aggregates to avoid materials containing impurities or uneven coloring. For example, using fine granite aggregate can improve wear resistance and reduce material costs, but the aggregate-to-cement ratio (granite to cement ratio) must be controlled between 1.5 and 2.0 to prevent delamination or cracking.

2. Production Control: Process Guarantee for Color Uniformity

 Mixing Process: Strictly control mixing time and speed to ensure thorough mixing of pigment, cement, and aggregate. For example, one company significantly improved the smoothness and color uniformity of the colored surface layer material by extending the mixing time to 2 minutes.

 Mold Management: Regularly check the mold levelness and pallet strength to prevent brick cracks or color differences caused by mold deformation or pallet joints. For example, one project completely solved the brick cracking problem by replacing the pallets with high-strength fiberboard pallets.

3. Construction Application: On-site Management of Color Durability

 Construction Environment: Avoid construction in rainy weather, high or low temperatures to prevent pigment loss or abnormal curing. For example, shading measures are required for summer construction, and the mixing water needs to be heated to 15-20℃ in winter.

 Grouting Treatment: Use fine sand for grouting, which enhances the stability of the brick connection and prevents rainwater penetration that could cause pigment fading. For example, a plaza project optimized its grouting process, resulting in brick surface color remaining largely unchanged for over 5 years.

III. Summary: Equipment and Process Synergy for High-Quality Colored Bricks

The application of concrete brick machines in the production of colored paving bricks hinges on "precise equipment control + meticulous process implementation." By scientifically setting brick machine parameters and strictly controlling raw materials and curing processes, both the strength and durability of the bricks can be guaranteed, and reasonable color processing techniques can ensure that the colored paving bricks maintain their vibrant appearance for a long time.

💡 Tip: Regularly maintaining the concrete brick machine's mixing system, pressing mechanism, and batching module to ensure stable equipment operation is fundamental to the continuous production of high-quality colored paving bricks!