Several factors need to be considered in order to get the best value for your investment in a concrete batch plant and the cost of the plant shouldn’t be part the topmost priority. While a batch plant does not come cheap and requires investment of tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars, you’re not going to get the best value for your money by buying cheap. Cheaper plants use substandard quality components that will break down frequently due to high wear and tear. When components break down frequently, you will not only have to spend money on replacing them but your plant will also remain shut down which will add to the operational costs and eat into your margins. Here are a few important factors that should help you get the most value while keeping the concrete batch plant cost down when buying.
1. Optimum capacity
The biggest mistake made by many buyers is they tend to buy as much capacity as they can afford. Sometimes, they borrow money and buy a lot more capacity than they can sell. In order to keep your costs down and to ensure that your plant is always running at a profit, you need to do research to find the optimum capacity levels for your concrete batching mixing plant. The most important factor that will decide the capacity is the demand of concrete in your location.
Instead of buying extra capacity for expected future demand, it is better to choose capacity based on your current requirements. You can always set up another plant to cater to extra demand but if you end up buying too much capacity and that is not utilized properly, it will add to the operational costs of your business and that can have some bad consequences. Therefore, you should choose optimum capacity to get the best value for your money.
2. Automation
These plants are sold in different configurations including semiautomatic and fully automatic. While a fully automatic plant costs more initially, you get to save a lot of money in the long run. If you compare the buying and running cost of a semiautomatic plant with a fully automatic one, you’ll find that a fully automatic plant tends to be much cheaper in the long run over the service life of the plant. Automation not only saves money but also helps in enhancing your reputation in the industry as automation leads to fewer errors which means your clients will be happier and that gives you an edge over your competitors.
3. Customer support
Buyers often assume that they will get the required support from the manufacturer after the installation but in this industry, customer support is more of an afterthought. Don’t assume that every company takes customer service seriously. In fact, many companies only provide support till the sale is made and don’t really care about their customers after the sale. You do not want to partner with such a company. Choose a company that cares about their customers and provides ample support including affordable replacement parts and other such things after the sale has been made.
Conclusion
Overall, the cost of concrete plant equipment isn’t the most important factor when it comes to getting the most value for your money. The choice of capacity, level of automation and after sale support offered by the company are much more important as compared to the initial cost of the batch plant. So, keep the above mentioned tips in mind when buying a concrete batching plant to get the most value for your money.