The Process

Layout Formliners, Steel Reinforcing, Window Bucks, Electrical Boxes Concrete Placement Shaking, Consolidation & Curing Flippjng & Flopping Installation of Insulation & Shipping About Our Plant

	Flipping or Flopping

Flipping & Flopping
After achieving its necessary strength, the Side A panel wythe is ready to be handled as a hardened product. The computer calls for the steel table which Side A is resting on to be brought out of the curing room. Once the table fully exits the curing room, the Side A panels are located beneath an overhead crane. Workers remove all edge forms and magnets from the perimeter locations of the panels. At this time, the overhead crane, equipped with hooked lifting devices, picks up the Side A panel wythe by its steel trusses. The crane brings the Side A panel wythe over to the superstructure located above the consolidation station. The superstructure is commonly referred to as the vacuum flipping device. The Side A panel wythe is placed (form finished side down) on top of a series of adjustable vacuum pads that are mounted to the top of the flipping device. The vacuums are turned on holding the panel(s) in place in preparation for the procedures to follow.

Concurrently, the Side B panel wythes that will match up to their partner Side A panel wythes have gone through their paces (layout, installation of rebar, etc.) and are being filled with concrete. Immediately after the Side B panel wythe receives its concrete, the steel table with the Side B panel(s) is sent on rollers to the shaking and consolidation station (directly beneath the vacuum flipping device superstructure).

At this time, the vacuum flipping device holding the Side A panel(s) rotates 180 degrees, thus holding the panel(s) completely upside down. Then the vacuum flipping device superstructure slowly lowers the Side A panel wythe until it is joined into the fresh concrete mixture in the Side B panel wythe via the steel trusses. The procedure is facilitated with spacers and holdbacks to insure that final sandwich panel dimensions are the correct, 8, 10, or 12-inch widths. After the two panel wythes are connected, the shaking and consolidation procedures begin to thoroughly "marry together" the two panel wythes and consolidate the finished surface of the Side B panel wythe.

After this procedure, which effectively forms the double-wall, is complete, the now joined panels travel to the inspection station for additional quality control checks; overall panel thickness assured, insulation barriers installed and edges cleaned. The table now advances to the curing room for strength gain of the now-composite panel.