What is a concrete scarifier?
Concrete scarifier machine, also known as milling machine or surface planer, is mainly used on the solidified concrete ground. It plans or flattens the higher part of the concrete ground; brush the floor surface before the new epoxy resin is paved; remove floor coatings, paint, various traffic markings.
Its applications also include light or heavy floor milling, paint removing (such as floor tile cement, rubber adhesive, or epoxy), cutting sidewalks and making the anti slip sidewalks and leveling misplaced concrete joints and uneven surface.
The models of concrete floor scarifier ranges from small handheld devices with a working width of 2 to 3 inches to manual or self-propelled walk-behind machines with a working path of 4 to 16 inches.
The productivity of walk-behind models ranges from 300 to 1,500 square feet per hour, depending on the size and horsepower of the machine, the material to be removed, the hardness of the concrete and the type of tool used.
The working depth of concrete planers are usually adjustable. The cutting depth varies according to the floor hardness, the materials to be removed, up to 1/8 inch to 1 1/6 inch of floor material at a time. Like the floor grinder, the floor scarifier has many power options (natural gas, electricity, diesel, and gasoline engine).
The most common one is electrical motor (2.2kw, 5.5kw, 7.5kw, 11kw,18.5kw, etc) and gasoline engine (9hp, 13hp, 20hp, 25hp, etc). It can be connected to dust extractor which collects dust and debris, for a dust free working environment.
The small milling machine has the characteristics of maneuverability, high work efficiency and fast cutting speed.
The working principle of concrete scarifier.
The cutting tools are mounted on the shaft of the replaceable drum. The drum is mounted in the bottom of concrete scarifier through the hexagonal axis. The flail of cutting tool that rotates around the drum to cut or scratch the concrete surface.
The drum with the flail of cuttings tool rotate at a very high speed, so its impact is more strong than floor grinder, and speed is faster. It could remove concrete surface more than floor grinder. The flail of cutting tool leaves a rough surface profile for various floor purposes.
The number of cutting tool / cutter or shafts per drum varies by model. In general, more shafts, more cutters increase cutting force and productivity.
Structure of a concrete scarifier.
Generally concrete scarifier consists of engine, frame, milling drum assembly, milling depth adjustment device, hydraulic components, and brake system.
The milling drum is the main part of the machine. It consists of a drum, rods and the flail of cutters. It directly contacts the pavement surface and the high-speed rotation of milling cutter achieves the purpose of milling floor.
Pay attention:
The hydraulic system is used to drive the walk of whole machine. Generally, it is an independent closed hydraulic system.
The engine is the power part of the machine; if you want to check the drum on the bottom of concrete scarifier, remind that the machine must be turned forward, and it must not be turned backwards, otherwise the oil will be poured into the engine cylinder.
How to choose a concrete scarifier TCT cutters?
The cutting tool is made of tungsten carbide or hardened steel for different floor applications. Depending on the floor material and the desired final contour, different diameter, width, No. of teeth and cutter styles (i.e. flat, sharp or angled) can produce different results.You can choose from different diameters and widths, number of cutting teeth, and tip styles (blunt or flat for aggressive removal, sharp for gentler scarifying action, or angled for scraping). Different grades of cutters are also available, with ultra-premium grades providing a much longer service life and more predictable finish. Manufacturers can recommend the cutter style and grade best suited for your needs.
1. The cutters are carbide embedded carbide ones, which have 5 teeth, 6 teeth, 8 teeth, 12 teeth, 16 teeth and whole carbide blades. The shape of the cutter head is cylindrical, pointed, and square.
2. The diameter of the blade’s inner hole is determined by the diameter of the rod. The diameter of the blade is generally 4-6mm larger than the diameter of the rod, which ensures that a certain gap is left between the cutter and the rod.
3.TCT cutter with round shape carbide head cutter are mainly used for scarifying floors,cement and asphalt pavement. The milling depth is relatively deep, and the surface is coarse.
4, TCT cutter with rectangle carbide head are mainly used for removing the road traffic markings and hot-melt paint on the ground. The milling depth is relatively shallow, and the surface is flat.
Which application the concrete scarifier is used?
Thicker epoxy coating
Three kinds of machines-floor scarifier, floor shot blasting machine, and floor grinder can be the choices when it comes to the epoxy coating removal, depending on the thickness of coating, operator preferences, and surrounding conditions etc. If you need to polish the floor after remove the thick epoxy coating, floor scarifier is the most effective machine among them. It is no to say that floor grinder with PCD diamond tools is unable to remove coating. It is just that for this kind of coating removal, floor scarifier is faster and more effective as it is more aggressive. On the other hand, the floor after scarifying will be a very rough profile that some coatings need to adhere to the floor closely.
Remove 1/8 to 1/4” concrete surface
As the flail of carbide cutters strike the floor and break up the concrete into debris, so it can quickly and safely shoot down the coarse and uneven floor.
The uneven places are usually in the joint or crack, so floor scarifier is very suitable for attack any high spots and reduce it to the adjacent low spot.
Trip Hazards
Trip hazards can occur in many different environments, but one of the most common hazards is the sidewalk. AS the continuous exposure to change, extreme weather and frequent traffic, the sidewalk boards often become uneven and bulge at the joints. As a result, you ultimately need to reduce the risk of tripping.
The floor scarifier is more suitable to make anti slip profiles on the ground than other machines.
Remove the traffic and paint line
Different density of the cutters and the weight of the machine could remove the marking lines of different widths and thicknesses. Floor scarifier, also called traffic and paint line removal machine, has the advantages of smallness and easy operation, it often works in the cities of big traffic.
In the end, concrete floor scarifiers are extremely effective for many different types of removal and surface prep jobs. As you gain experience, you will develop your own way of doing things and find which equipment is most effective for your business. However, keeping an open mind about all the options you available to you in the industry will prove to be a benefit.
