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CONCRETE PRODUCTS & CAST STONE82 CPI %u2013 Concrete Plant International %u2013 4 | 2025 www.cpi-worldwide.comspecialist for machine and plant technology in the concrete industry. Since then, both companies have operated independently in organisational and economic terms, linked by common roots but with different focuses: the concrete plant as a product supplier, Rekers GmbH as a machine manufacturer for the concrete block industry.Today, both companies are successfully managed by the following generations. Rekers Betonwerk GmbH & Co KG is managed in the third generation by Christof and Ulrich Rekers and, with over 700 employees at several locations in Germany and Poland, stands for quality, adherence to deadlines and innovative strength. The company continuously invests in modern production technologies %u2013 most recently in a stateof-the-art block making machine of the latest generation from Rekers GmbH Maschinen- und Anlagenbau, which is now managed by Norbert and Annette Foppe, the second generation of the family to do so.Objective of the remodelling: Securing efficiency, shaping the futureIn view of the continuing high demand for high-quality concrete paving blocks, slabs and kerbstones and the strong market position of the Rekers concrete plant, the conversion of the block making plant was deliberately scheduled for the winter overhaul. The aim was to keep production downtime to an absolute minimum without compromising on technology and quality.A central concern was to continue using the existing foundations. This was already sufficiently designed for the machine installed in 2001 and offered sufficient load-bearing capacity. However, as the design requirements of modern block making machines have changed over the years, the machine base has been specifically reinforced. The new base frame has been adapted to the increased dynamics and machine rigidity %u2013 a measure that increases both the stability and the service life of the system.Another key planning aspect was the adoption of the existing concrete delivery systems. In order to integrate the conversion into the existing production line as smoothly as possible, the machine heights and concrete transfer points had to be largely retained. In particular, the colour blending system on the facing side, which processes different concrete batches for multi-coloured facing layers, was adopted as a central element and precisely adapted to the new machine technology.The tried and tested conveyor technology was also largely retained. For example, the board conveyor from the separator to the vibrating table and the walking beam conveyor on the wet side were retained. These components are in very good condition and could be optimally reused thanks to targeted integration into the new machine control system.A pioneering step was the complete replacement of the control and visualisation technology. In addition to the new Siemens S7 TIA machine control system, a modern safety PLC was integrated to replace the obsolete and discontinued PILZ technology. A new visualisation level has also been created on the dry side, which clearly displays all the relevant components of the system and makes operation much easier. This not only improves the clarity, but also the ease of maintenance and process reliability of the entire system.New KRS 4 block making machineThe centrepiece of the new production line at the Rekers concrete plant is the fully automatic Rekers KRS 4 block making machine, which is designed for the production of a wide range of concrete products such as paving blocks, kerbstones, slabs and special shapes in the height range from 40 to 500 mm. Production takes place on durable Wasa Uniplast%u00ae Ultra production boards (1,450 x 1,100 x 60 mm), which are equipped with RFID technology for data acquisition.The KRS 4 combines a particularly robust machine frame made of rectangular tube profiles with very high precision in power transmission and vibration control. Its state-of-theart control system allows fine adjustment of all production parameters so that the machine can be flexibly adapted to different concrete recipes. The Rekers Vario servo vibration, the servo-driven filling trolleys with energy recovery and an automatic energy-saving mode emphasise the high energy efficiency and sustainability of this machine class.Mould and tamper traverseThe mould and tamper traverse is central to the quality and dimensional accuracy of the concrete products. While the mould forms the product geometrically, the tamper defines the surface structure. The use of tamper vibrators improves compaction, particularly with high products, and smoothes the surfaces at the same time. In addition, briefly jogging the tamper makes demoulding easier and prevents soiling on the production board.KRS 4 block making machine offers flexible equipment options for a wide range of production requirements%u00a9CPi-worldwide