CBM 12 Block and Paving Stone Machine Installation – Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

In Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, we installed and commissioned a CBM 12 block and paving stone machine for one of our customers. The CBM 12 is the smallest twin-hopper model in our semi-automatic range: the same machine makes wall blocks and double-layer paving stones whose top surface is a separate face mix. During commissioning our team produced both products with the customer's operators and trained them in operating the machine, changing moulds and routine maintenance.

Fully automatic paver quality from a semi-automatic machine

The first thing a buyer looks at on a paving stone is its top face. The close-ups of the first pallets out of the mould in Ouagadougou show it clearly: the interlocking pavers have a fine, dense, smooth top layer with crisp, even chamfers, while the body of each stone is coarser concrete that carries the load. Two features work together to give this result.

Twin hoppers: body and face mix separately

The CBM 12 has two separate feed hoppers. The first fills the mould with the body concrete, the second spreads a fine-aggregate face mix on top, and both layers are compacted together in the same press cycle. The visible face of the stone is made from fine material, while the body stays economical and strong. Adding pigment to the face mix lets the same machine produce coloured pavers.

The vibration system

What makes the surface dense and free of voids is vibration. On the CBM 12, two 5.5 kW vibration motors work under the mould table, with top vibration available as an option. Because our vibration system compacts the mix evenly across the whole mould, the semi-automatic CBM 12 produces paving stones of the quality normally expected from fully automatic machines. For an investor starting with a semi-automatic line, that means pavers that meet the market's quality expectations for a smaller investment.

Concrete blocks on the same line

Swap the paver mould for a block mould and the same machine switches to wall blocks. In the photos, each pallet leaving the roller table carries five fresh three-cavity hollow blocks, one press cycle of the 150x400x200 mm mould. The corners are full and the cavity walls are straight: a freshly moulded product that holds its shape shows that the mix and the vibration settings are right.

According to our product record, the CBM 12 produces the following with each mould:

The line in Ouagadougou

The plant was set up on open ground enclosed by a block wall, on a concrete base poured for the machine. The photos show the parts of the line:

• Mixer and belt conveyor: an inclined belt conveyor carries the mix from the mixer up to the hopper on top of the machine.
• CBM 12: İBAR MAKİNA lettering on the front frame and safety mesh guards on the sides; the hydraulic unit and the control panel stand right beside the machine.
• Roller table: after leaving the mould, the 90 x 60 cm wooden pallets move along this table one after another; in one shot the table is full from end to end with pallets of twelve paving stones each.
• Pallet exit and curing: pallets of fresh products are taken from the end of the table with a pallet trolley and lined up in the curing area.

At the end of commissioning, the team gathered in front of the machine beside a pallet of freshly moulded blocks.

Planning a similar plant?

Installation and operator training are included in the price of every quote; our machines carry a 2-year warranty and spare parts ship the same day. With more than 45 years of experience, we have set up plants in over 30 countries. Another example of the same model in West Africa: the CBM 12-2 installation in Senegal. Tell us which products you want to make (paving stones, blocks, curbstones) and your daily target — message us on WhatsApp and we will send you the right machine, moulds and price.