Commonly used concrete mixers are mainly divided into two categories: self-falling concrete mixers and forced concrete mixers according to their mixing principles.

1. Self-falling concrete mixer

The mixing drum is placed based on the vertical mixing principle. As the mixing drum rotates, the concrete mixture is flipped and mixed in a free-falling manner in the drum, thereby achieving the purpose of mixing. Self-falling concrete mixers are mostly used to mix plastic concrete and low fluidity concrete. The cylinder and blades have less wear and are easy to clean, but the power consumption is large and the efficiency is low. The mixing time of a self-falling mixer is generally 90-120S/plate. This type of mixer causes greater wear and tear on concrete aggregates, affecting the quality of the concrete.

2. Forced concrete mixer

There are several sets of blades in the mixing barrel. During mixing, the blades rotate around the vertical or horizontal axis to forcefully mix the materials until they are evenly mixed. This kind of concrete mixer has a strong mixing effect. It is suitable for mixing dry hard concrete and lightweight aggregate concrete, and can also mix low-fluidity concrete. It has the advantages of good mixing quality, fast mixing speed, easy operation and safety. However, the wear of the machine parts is serious. Generally, high-strength alloy steel or other wear-resistant materials are needed as linings, which are mostly used in centralized mixing stations or prefabricated plants.

A concrete mixer is a machine that mixes cement, sand and gravel aggregates and water into a concrete mixture. It is mainly composed of mixing drum, feeding and unloading mechanism, water supply system, prime mover, transmission mechanism, frame and supporting device.