A major Chinese manufacturer is targeting European market gains as premium concrete batching plants remain in demand worldwide.
A plethora of European Union (EU)-funded projects are putting a Bulgarian business and an Ammann CBS 120 SL Elba concrete-mixing plant to work.
With an hourly output of 120m³, the Elba plant perfectly matches ATMIX’s needs in Zapaden.
ATMIX chief executive officer Ivan Achovski said plants of this size (2m³ to 3m³ mixers) are in great demand in Bulgaria.
“New infrastructure projects are being worked on that need to be supplied with high-quality concrete from this plant,” he said. “Many more will follow in the coming years.
“They are not too small, so construction projects are supplied with a decent delivery rate and match the work cycle. But it should also not be a high-performance system whose cost–benefit value overshoots the mark.”
ATMIX operates multiple Ammann Elba mixing plants, and Achovski is “highly satisfied with their superiority and reliability”. His familiarity with the plants helped him decide on the new CBS 120 SL Elba.
Achovski and his ATMIX colleagues first saw the plant at bauma 2022, where it was exhibited in its latest configuration with the CEM 2660 S mixer. Investing in an Ammann solution was an easy choice for ATMIX, given the mixer, market needs, plant size, and Ammann’s product support history.
The CBS120 SL Elba stationary concrete mixing plant for ATMIX has a CEM 2660 S single-shaft compulsory mixer and a specially developed CEM 2660 S single-shaft compulsory mixer for 8m³ mixing vehicles. The set-up runs three batches until it is full.
The ATMIX plant also has a dust extraction filter system for the mixing plant and a CEL140/4 linear aggregate dosing bin (140m³ with four chambers at 35m³ each). The solution offers compact installation thanks to feeding the aggregate via skip track into the mixer, a galvanised skip, an additive dosing system with two 30-litre chambers, and four additive pumps, including control.
Customised features on the CBS120 SL Elba for ATMIX include a mounting frame for later plant enclosure, access stairs, surrounding platforms for the mixer and weighing platform, a by-pass for dosing water directly into the mixer, integration of the cement silos of the customer, upgraded with Ammann Elba silo equipment silos equipped with the latest filter and safety technology, integration of on-site silos and screw conveyors, and an interface cabinet for the connection of external control.
Achovski said Ammann’s exemplary product support continued after the most recent sale.
“Permanent customer contact was maintained during installation to achieve the best possible success,” he said.
Of course, the true test comes when the plant begins operation. In that regard, Achovski said the plant was “flawless and without any unfulfilled wishes”.
Next forward
Chinese off-highway equipment manufacturer NFLG (Next Forward Lead Global) is keen to make a big impression in the European market in 2025, and its concrete mixing plants are a crucial part of its growth strategy in the region.
The company came to Europe in 2007, making a notable impression with an innovative asphalt mixing plant. Meanwhile, its strategic partnership with European dry mortar mixing plant giants in the Chinese market has expanded globally.
“Our strategy for Europe focuses on exploring market and product adaptability over the next one to two years while preparing the entire sales chain, including establishing European spare parts warehouses and localised installation and service teams,” a company spokesperson told Aggregates Business.
“After nearly 30 years of refining its technology, quality and cost-effectiveness in China’s diverse and challenging conditions, NFLG aims to provide the European market with a superior ‘Made in China’ alternative.
“The product portfolio includes all nine of NFLG’s lines: asphalt mixing plant, concrete mixing plant, dry mortar mixing plant, mobile and static crusher and screen, aggregate shaping and sand-making plant, C&D waste recycling, washing plant, and residual sludge recycling plant.
“At bauma China [24–27 November 2024], European distributors recognised NFLG’s quality and products. We are currently in close communication with these potential partners.”
NFLG will be an exhibitor (booth C6. CNN – 100/1) at April’s bauma Munich 2025, the world’s biggest construction, quarrying, mining, and recycling equipment industry trade fair.
“We warmly welcome interested partners and customers to visit and connect with us at our booth. Due to the close timing of bauma Munich and bauma China, we will not display equipment this year. Instead, we will focus on brand promotion and introducing key products such as concrete mixing plants, asphalt mixing plants, dry mortar mixing plants, and mobile crushers and screens. For NFLG, the European and global markets represent more diverse opportunities,” a company spokesperson said.
“Currently, equipment for European customers is manufactured and assembled in China. As our business grows and the European strategy progresses, establishing local R&D [research and development] and supply chain facilities in Europe is a key part of NFLG’s strategic plan. This goal is expected to be steadily achieved by 2028.”
The NFLG spokesperson said the company’s founder, Fang Qingxi, constantly encouraged NFLG to manufacture future-oriented products and benchmark them against premium European brands.
“The business’s product development has consistently anticipated domestic market demands while exceeding industry quality standards,” the spokesperson said. “In 2001, NFLG became one of China’s pioneers in dry mortar mixing plant technology. The firm collaborated with an Italian asphalt expert a year later to develop China’s first hot recycling asphalt mixing technology. These innovations have been pivotal to our growth.
NFLG’s products are available globally, with markets in Asia, the Middle East, South America, and Russian-speaking regions. The company operates under a distributor model, and its distributor network maintains strong partnerships in key markets. Outside China, NFLG has offices in Moscow and St. Petersburg (Russia), Almaty (Kazakhstan), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Singapore, Jakarta (Indonesia), and Riyadh (Saudi Arabia).
NFLG equipment is manufactured and assembled at its headquarters in Quanzhou, Fujian, and its production base in Xiantao, Hubei. It is exploring and localisation of non-core components in Southeast Asia and Russian-speaking regions.
“NFLG aims to enhance price competitiveness and localisation ratios by producing mature non-core steel components locally,” the company spokesperson said. “A dedicated team ensures strict quality control during localisation to maintain global supply chain standards and delivery quality.”
NFLG plans to accelerate product localisation and build a global supplier network that aligns with its expanding international business.
This global collaboration will “ensure superior quality, performance and pricing for customers worldwide”.
The NFLG spokesperson said the firm promotes sustainability in the manufacturing and operation of its product range.
“NFLG actively promotes sustainability by adopting green design principles in equipment manufacturing, focusing on energy efficiency, emission reduction, and enhanced environmental performance during production,” the spokesperson said.
“We also take a broader approach to low-carbon emission reduction and sustainable development across the industry chain. Our solid waste recycling and residual sludge recycling plant are designed to enable resource recycling, embodying the principles of low-carbon and sustainable development. Additionally, we have introduced a green building material processing and recycling system, transforming recycled aggregates into low-carbon products such as recycled concrete, mortar and asphalt.”
The company is committed to being part of the industry’s digital transformation regarding equipment operation.
“By leveraging intelligent technologies, we address carbon reduction and sustainability challenges through technological upgrades, achieving smarter energy efficiency, emission reduction, and low-carbon operations,” the spokesperson said.
Up to the multi-task
Multi-Task, a prominent sub-contractor in Saudi Arabia, has acquired a Lintec UCP120 concrete batching plant to fulfil a critical road infrastructure project for Engineering for the Petroleum and Process Industries (Enppi). A a major road contractor in Saudi Arabia, Enppi is overseeing the ambitious development, with the Lintec UCP120 playing a pivotal role in meeting the project’s requirements.
The UCP120 was sourced through Medco (Middle East Development Co. Ltd.), Lintec & Linnhoff’s distributor in Saudi Arabia, and began operations in the Eastern Province in December 2023. Known for high production capacity and advanced engineering, the plant is instrumental in ensuring the timely completion of the multi-year project.
Multi-Task’s choice of the Lintec UCP120 reflects its commitment to high-performance equipment tailored to complex infrastructure demands. High production capacity is a key feature of the UCP120, and plant can produce up to 120m³ of concrete per hour, ensuring smooth execution of large-scale roadworks.
The UCP120 has advanced automation features available through a computerised process control system that delivers precise batching and consistent concrete quality to meet project specifications. The plant’s adaptable design allows Multi-Task to tailor operations to specific project needs. The UCP120 has multiple aggregate bins and a central discharge belt conveyor system, minimising waiting times and maximising efficiency. The plant uses advanced German technology and high-quality materials, ensuring long-term reliability under demanding conditions.
Medco’s fast delivery timeline and reliable after-sales support also influenced the decision to invest in the Lintec UCP120. The plant’s rapid set-up allowed Multi-Task to commence operations on schedule, allowing seamless progress on Enppi’s road construction initiative.
The Lintec UCP120’s deployment for this Saudi infrastructure project adds to its impressive track record, such as a customised version to handle unique requirements for the Mombasa port expansion in Kenya. UCP120 plants also supplied high-quality ready-mix concrete for diverse commercial developments in the United Arab Emirates and various infrastructure works in large-scale developments in the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam and Sri Lanka.
As the Enppi project advances, the UCP120 continues to showcase its performance and reliability. This collaboration between Multi-Task, Enppi, and Lintec & Linnhoff demonstrates the importance of leveraging cutting-edge technology to achieve operational excellence in infrastructure development. The use of the UCP120 facilitates milestones and sets benchmarks for future road construction projects in the region and beyond.
On trak
Shannon Valley Group, one of Ireland’s leading civil engineering contractors, recently invested in the Rapid Trakmix, a track-mounted mobile continuous mixing plant, in response to a growing demand for ex-situ soil stabilisation projects.
Established in 1991 and headquartered in Drumshanbo, County Leitrim, Shannon Valley Group’s services include groundworks and civil engineering, commercial and housing site developments, controlled demolition, environmental, and recycling.
Trakmix is a valuable addition to Shannon Valley Group’s impressive machinery fleet. The new Trakmix continuous mixing plant offers total mobile flexibility via a self-contained, track-mounted unit. This enables the company to undertake remote location projects easily and meet the growing demand for eco-friendly projects.
Ex-situ soil stabilisation involves using binders to improve weak soils geotechnically for construction purposes. This process produces a viable construction material suitable for reuse. Stabilised soils are often used as sub-bases for paving. Stabilisation increases the stability, impermeability, and load-bearing capacity of the sub-base.
Excavated screened material is mixed with the appropriate binder (cement, lime, etc) in Rapid Trakmix’s integral continuous mixer. The Trakmix’s aggressive, high-velocity mixing action, combined with the full weighing of all materials, ensures fully homogeneous outputs. The material is placed in its final point of deposition or stockpiled to cure before being finally deposited.
Ex-situ soil stabilisation uses raw materials more efficiently, limiting waste disposal and the use of virgin materials. As one of Ireland’s most progressive civil engineering groups, Shannon Valley Group is among the first in the market to offer ex-situ soil stabilisation using a mobile continuous mixing plant.
“We are always on the lookout for new technology. If there is a better way of doing things, we want to be the first to offer this solution to our clients,” Shannon Valley Group director, Michael English, said
“It’s simple: with Rapid, we get a job done faster and cheaper than our competitors. Mixing weak soils with binders for re-use on-site provides cost savings compared to traditional aggregates and muckaway methods.
“Our experience with the Rapid Trakmix 250 has been very positive so far. We are currently processing boulder clay material; we may not be getting 250 tonnes per hour [tph] because it’s a difficult material to work with, as it needs screening before treatment, but it still saves us time on the programme.”
Trakmix is a track-mounted, mobile, self-contained, fully-weighed, high-volume mixing plant. It is recommended for applications where all varieties of binders or neutralising powders are required in the mixing process, including road construction, road paving, groundworks or civil engineering, environmental stabilisation projects, aggregate recycling, and many more.
Trakmix was designed in response to the growing demand for a mobile continuous mixing plant that provides easy, cost-effective transportation and eliminates the need for special transportation permits.
Customer demand also indicated a need for mixing technology that provides more output options on a different platform, offering flexibility for various site types and applications.
The addition of the Trakmix to the company’s fleet offers much-needed mobility and ease of set-up from project site to site. The machine possesses an entirely self-contained design mounted on tracks, including an on-board genset, providing mobile flexibility. Trakmix can be set up in minutes via remote control.
Trakmix includes several innovative features, including a modern control system that weighs all materials and a double-hopper cement weighing system. Other cutting-edge features include low-friction surface lining on hoppers, a bottom conveyor for easy cleanout, and an out-loading conveyor for easy discharge.
Trakmix offers outputs of up to 250tph via a high-volume continuous Rapid twin-shaft mixer and 12m3 aggregate hopper, including a division plate for two aggregates. The Rapid-designed continuous twin-shaft mixer (pugmill) is one of the market’s largest and fastest continuous mixers. Its specially phased shafts and paddles ensure a homogenous mix for various applications within the concrete, construction and environmental industries.
Trakmix features full weighing capabilities via an integral, fully automated control system. Adjustable feeder gates from the aggregate bins and a variable-speed belt feeder to aggregate weigh belts are provided. Powders are thoroughly weighed via a twin hopper system with twin-screw discharge, and a flow meter measures the water. An integral 600-litre water tank and provision for admixtures are also included.
