Witness the pinnacle of performance with Big Ben Ready Mix, where their average monthly production stands at an impressive 30,000m3, soaring to an extraordinary record-high of 36,700m3 during peak seasons, all achieved throughthe utilization of their two Supreme 150 Concrete Batching Plants from Dainam. As pioneers in the industry, they’ve learned from common pitfalls, recognizing that opting for a cheap plant and overlooking expansion vision are often the downfall of newcomers. However, at Big Ben, success isn’t just a result of chance, it’s a product of meticulous planning and unwavering dedication. Their visionary owner, coupled with a talented consultant team boasting 10 to 25 years of concrete industry experience, has been instrumental in their triumphs. This journey serves as a valuable case study for newcomers entering the Ready-Mix business, showcasing the transformative power of foresight and expertise.
Mr. Benjamin Eusebio, a 23-year-old entrepreneur, embarked on his journey in the ready-mix concrete industry in 2019, initially investing in a Chinese budgeted plant. However, the plant fell short of his expectations, prompting him to search for alternatives. Serendipitously, he stumbled upon videos showcasing Dainam’s projects on YouTube. Enthralled by the performance and quality, Mr. Eusebio reached out to Dainam in 2020, determined to acquire a high-performance plant like the ones he had witnessed. However, amidst the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing lockdowns, conducting business became exceedingly difficult. Physical visits for inspections were out of the question, hindering both parties’ ability to proceed with confidence.
Despite these obstacles, after numerous discussions and countless messages exchanged, Big Ben Ready Mix made the bold decision to entrust nearly 20 million pesos to a supplier they had never met face-to-face. Simultaneously, Dainam rose to the occasion, establishing temporary accommodations adjacent to their office to house nine designers and creating a self-sustaining labor camp within their workshop. Here, employees lived, ate, slept, and worked tirelessly, ensuring that the project continued to progress even amidst the stringent lockdown measures.
Following their experience with the Chinese budgeted plant, Big Ben gained invaluable insights into the requirements for their next plant in order to reach their ambitious target of 350,000m3/year. Collaborating closely with our skilled experts, they homed in on eight key aspects that would later set a new standard for Dainam and be implemented across all export projects:
-
Outstanding Performance
-
Excellent concrete quality
-
Ultra-long lifetime
-
Easy maintenance
-
Minimized downtime
-
Dust and noise control
-
Documentation
-
Parts Master App
The target of 350,000m3/year translates to 1,200m3/day, accounting for 54 Sundays and numerous public holidays observed in the Philippines. Despite the ability of the plant to operate around the clock, the practical production period is significantly shortened due to mixer truck restrictions in certain areas. Therefore, it’s imperative that the plant’s practical capacity be at least 140m3/h. Most ordinary batching plants with traditional designs, equipped with 3m3 mixers, typically achieve only 120m3/h in practice, despite their inflated nominal capacities such as 160, which are often mere marketing gimmicks. Our C model (Cheap model), equivalent to Chinese budgeted plants, falls short of this target. While our E model (Economic model), comparable to Singaporean, Turkish, and Chinese high-end plants, initially achieves the required capacity, it struggles to maintain it over the long term without extensive maintenance and replacement. Consequently, we proposed our S150 model (Supreme) to Big Ben, a model typically employed in airport projects.
- They must be capable of producing high volumes of high-strength, zero-slump concrete continuously, without any downtime. Any delay in the next batch risks the separation of concrete layers, a critical concern for project integrity.
- Maintenance requirements must be minimal and convenient, with swift replacement capabilities. This ensures uninterrupted operations and mitigates the risk of project delays.
- The plant structure must be robust to facilitate easy relocation for subsequent airport projects. A prime example is our plant supplied to Phu Quoc airport in 2011, which has since been utilized for numerous commercial projects. Remarkably, after 12 years of service, it continues to operate seamlessly at Long Thanh Airport, Vietnam’s largest airport. Another notable project is our plant for Tra Noc airport, later relocated to Lien Khuong airport before serving as a job site to supply 400,000m3 for an industrial zone. This achievement was recognized as a reference project by German BHS-Sonthofen on their website.
- Strict adherence to dust and noise control regulations is essential, given the proximity of these plants to existing airport operations. This ensures minimal disruption during runway repair or extension activities. Even though our S model has lots of advanced features, the talent team of Big Ben could add a lot more improvements thanks to their many years of practical experience. Big Ben Ready Mbwas a new company, but their core engineer and technical team were people who had IO to 25 years in the concrete industry. Engineer Albert, Engineer Michael, and Engineer Topher contributed so much to our R&D process that became the model for our design team in terms of taking practical know-how into the plant design.
Despite travel restrictions during the lockdown, our team was unable to physically travel to the Philippines. However, we adapted swiftly, leveraging video calls, messages and detailed documents to provide instructions for the erection process. We allocated two designers to meticulously document every step, utilizing our 3D models for container loading, composing packing lists, and providing comprehensive installation instructions.
Following two months of production and one month of erection, the plant successfully produced its inaugural batch in April 2020 and has since operated continuously, fulfilling our commitment to Big Ben Ready Mix.
The high volume of production led to challenges with cement cooling. In response, Big Ben invested in two additional silos in 2022, each with a capacity of 500 tons. Despite the project’s complexity, our team overcame adverse weather conditions, including strong winds and earthquakes in the Philippines. Utilizing simulation software, laser CNC cutting machines (from the renowned Bytronics group in Switzerland), and welding robots (manufactured by Panasonic in Japan), we ensured the structural integrity of the silos. Notably, the silos withstood Typhoon Noru (Karding) in 2022, with wind speeds reaching 195km/h and gusts of 240km/h, as well as a magnitude 5.5 earthquake in 2023.
Having achieved their monthly production target of 15,000m3, Big Ben made the strategic decision to invest in a second plant in 2023. With both plants from Dainam in operation, Big Ben now effortlessly produces 30,000m3 each month. This success positions them closer than ever to their ambitious goal of 350,000m3/year.
The high volume of production led to challenges with cement cooling. In response, Big Ben invested in two additional silos in 2022, each with a capacity of 500 tons. Despite the project’s complexity, our team overcame adverse weather conditions, including strong winds and earthquakes in the Philippines. Utilizing simulation software, laser CNC cutting machines (from the renowned Bytronics group in Switzerland), and welding robots (manufactured by Panasonic in Japan), we ensured the structural integrity of the silos. Notably, the silos withstood Typhoon Noru (Karding) in 2022, with wind speeds reaching 195km/h and gusts of 240km/h, as well as a magnitude 5.5 earthquake in 2023.
Having achieved their monthly production target of 15,000m3, Big Ben made the strategic decision to invest in a second plant in 2023. With both plants from Dainam in operation, Big Ben now effortlessly produces 30,000m3 each month. This success positions them closer than ever to their ambitious goal of 350,000m3/year.
