Fastest concrete pole casting method in the world.

The brilliance of the Vertech Hume casting process is its mechanical simplicity and the immediate savings in absolutely every aspect of production - from time to space and manpower - from operating costs to massive advantages in occupational health and safety. The fact that the end product is also superior is a bonus.

Introduction

Vertech Hume has developed new technology for the manufacture of steel reinforced hollow concrete poles replacing an outdated technology that had been in place internationally for 95 years.

In the 1990’s, Vertech Hume developed a new patented, vertical casting process, which offers a vastly superior manufacturing method and an end product that is better in every area.

The implications for the concrete power pole and pile manufacturing businesses around the world are considerable. The vertical casting process makes the labour intensive, spin casting method obsolete and offers significant benefits in every area of production - from plant requirements and space, OH&S, environmental, speed of production and the ultimate quality of the end product.

Vertech Hume manufactures and supplies poles to leading power suppliers in the Australian market.

The company has also developed with TransHume additional technologies and manufacturing advances such as the portable plant which can be quickly established on site, manufacturing pre-stressed poles which is a development that is unheard of in this industry.

AchievementsVertech Hume won the Australian Engineering Innovation Award Sponsored by Australian Government (AusIndustry), for their vertical casting and immediate de-moulding of concrete poles, piles and large pipe.

Vertech Hume winners of the Engineering Excellence Award for Engineering Innovation Sponsored by the State Government of Victoria and the Southern and eastern Integrated Transport Authority (SEITA).

2007 Wyndham Business Award Winners

Finalist Victorian Training Awards 2013

Vertech Hume & TransHume technology is patented worldwide

Comparing Technology

• Themouldiscleanedandoiled

• Thereinforcingcageisloweredandtiedintothe halfmould

• Lowslumpconcreteisplacedalongthelength ofthemouldandthejointsurfacescleaned.

• Thetwohalvesareboltedtogetherandcraned ontorollersforspinning

• Themouldisspunfor25minutestocompress theconcreteanddriveoutthewater

• Themouldisthencranedintoacuringchamber andheatedforapproximately6hours.(This mouldisnowtiedupforthatperiodoftime.)

• Thehotmouldisthencranedtoastripping bench,unboltedandtheproductrecoveredand cranedoutofthemould.

• Themouldisthencleanedandoiledforthe nextcast.

• Thefixedverticalmouldisopened hydraulically.

• Thereinforcingcageisswungintoposition andthemouldisclosedhydraulically.

• Theinnerformerisloweredintothemould.

• Theconcretepumpelbowisattachedtothe bottomofthemould.

• Concreteispumpedintothemould.

• Theinnerformerispressurizedandthe concreteisdewateredin10-15minutes.

• Freewaterisrecoveredforreuse.

• Themouldisunlockedhydraulicallyandthe finishedproducttransferredintothecuring carouselsituatednexttothemould.

The spun- cast manufacturing procedure.

The Vertech vertical casting manufacturing sequence.

Apart from the simplicity of the Vertech vertical casting system, several immediate benefits are apparent when looking at the two processes:

The Vertech Hume casting plant has few moving parts unlike its alternative, is extremely quiet and is more receptive to automation. Hence a dual module plant (2 moulds) requires only four men to operate it at normal capacity, where the spinning plant requires seventeen. (More than four times less or an 80% saving in human resources.)

Vertical casting technology also saves on power consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, as it requires considerably less power than the spinning process.

At the present time, Vertech Hume sells its entire production output from the test plant. As this technology and plants are sold both here and internationally, the market take up of these new cast products will see the eventual cessation of mainstream power suppliers using timber for poles.

Occupational Health & Safety was addressed from day one with this new technology. The spinning method of casting pipes has a number of inherent problem areas including moving parts, noise, multiple lifts, energy consumption, resources usage and lack of automation.

The vertical casting process eliminates the majority of OH&S issues that exist in the industry today and it requires 80% less personnel to achieve the same production output.

• The noise and the forces generated by a spin casting plant require hearing and eye protection. Vertical casting generates little or no noise at all.

• The spin casting system is an OH&S ‘minefield’, with numerous risks associated with the cranage, spinning and moving of heavy moulds. Vertical casting requires no manhandling and presents very few safety requirements.

• Spin casting requires multiple moulds. Vertical casting requires just one. (To produce 32 power poles or piles per normal working day for example – the Vertech plant would require two stations (moulds) and 4 men. The same capacity from a spin casting plants would require 30 moulds and 22 men.)

Cost and productivity

StatisticsPRODUCTION less personnel per pole

LOCATION one 10th the land space required

CAPITAL COST 20-25% reduction

PRODUCTIVITY 14 pole increase per mould

Vertech Hume won the Australian Engineering Innovation Award sponsored by Australian Government (AusIndustry)

Cost and productivity

Vertech Hume concrete power poles are moulded and de-moulded ready for curing in 30 minutes.

• Superior quality

• High productivity

• Low manpower requirement

• Low level skill demand

• Low plant maintenance

• Low power requirement

• Low noise levels

• Environmentally sound

• Safer, faster, easier

Planview of twin mould plant

05m

COMPARING THE PROCESS

SPUN CASTING VERTICAL CASTING

PERSONNEL

LAND SPACE

CAPITAL COST$ = 1 MIL

PRODUCTIVITYPoles/Mould/8hr Shift

14 moulds

14 POLES MADE

1 mould

120m2

$$$$ $$

$$$$

1,250m2

Hume Innovation

Vertech Hume has been developing innovative technologies providing solutions for the power pole industry.The Hume name in Concrete Casting- Walter Hume – Founder of the Hume Pipe Co. The Hume family has been working with concrete for four generations, over 100 years. The commercial history began with Walter Hume, a rare example of a self made entrepreneur who combined the qualities of inventor, promoter, manufacturer and large scale industrialist. At the age of 33 in 1909, he invented and developed the centrifugal process for manufacturing concrete pipe and in 1912 they cast the first concrete pipe using his patented process.

The Australian Hume Pipe Co was formed in 1920 and expanded in the early 1920`s into New Zealand, Britain, South Africa, California and India. In 1922, Hume Industries (Far East) Ltd. was formed. During his lifetime Walter Hume took out more than 80 patents relating to concrete and steel pipe, welding techniques and numerous other engineering applications.

In the 1930’s, The Australian Hume Pipe Co was the only Australian company that exported Australian technology. The Hume Spun Process as it became known, was first applied successfully to the manufacture of round hollow concrete poles in Australia in the 1950`s to produce both stressed and non-stressed and is still accepted as world best practice.

Second Generation – Founders of W.R. Hume Pty Ltd. Immediately after WWII and following the death of Walter Hume in 1943, the four surviving sons established a new steel and concrete pipe company called W.R.Hume Pty. Ltd. This company made a significant contribution to the making and laying of pipe in Australia and was acquired by the Hume Co in 1959. The two companies became known as Humes Ltd. This second generation separately went on to establish a leading concrete post-tensioning company now listed as Structural Systems P/L..

Third Generation - Hume Bros. - The Casting of Polymer Concrete. For Don and Graeme Hume concrete, steel fabrication, quarrying and post tensioning is in their blood and it’s given them a unique opportunity to use an innovative approach to all areas of analysis and problem solving. In the 1980’s, their local electric power distribution network was experiencing bird flash over problems leading to bush fires. In response, Hume Bros invented a centrifugal polymer concrete casting system that produced an air free polymer concrete cross-arm cover that effectively solved these problems. The super profits generated by this polymer process funded all of the early development of the Vertech pole casting process.

Hume Innovation

The Vertech Process. The Vertech Process was developed to manufacture concrete poles up to 14M for the distribution of power. The patented pole production process does not spin the mould, rather there is an inner core and an outer mould that when assembled creates a pole shaped chamber where a reinforcing cage is suspended. Concrete is pumped into the chamber and then compressed to extract any free water. The mould and core is removed immediately as the now stiff concrete adheres to the reinforcing cage. The pole is steam cured to finish the process. The entire process is completed in 30 minutes.

Fourth Generation- Tamas Hume - The TransHume Process. The TransHume process makes pre stressed concrete poles up to 30M for the transmission of power. The pole plant is a fully transportable low cost plant for localised manufacturing. The major benefits come from significantly reduced transportation costs.

The technology is scaled to meet local demand, relocating as required.

Pole Specifications

Pole Specifications compliant to Australian Standards: AS1379, AS/NZS 1554.3, AS 3600: 2009AS/NZS 4065: 2010, AS/NZS 4676: 2000

These specifications can be modified to suit regulatory standards specific to your region.

Pole Specifications

64-66 Lock Avenue

Werribee VIC 3030

Australia

T: +61 3 9742 5277

E: tamas@vertechhume.com.au

Agent for India and Africa

Vadodara, Gujarat

India

T: +91 9978 338 787

E: jimesh1912@gmail.com

www.trade.indiamart.com

www.vertechhume.com.au