Manufactured sand, also known as M-sand, is produced by crushing hard rocks or granite into fine particles that are similar in texture and size to natural sand. Here’s a step-by-step overview of how it is made:
-
Source Material Selection: High-quality rocks or granite are chosen as the source material. The selected material should be durable and have the right properties for construction use.
-
Crushing Process:
- Primary Crushing: Large rocks are fed into a primary crusher, which reduces them to smaller, more manageable sizes.
- Secondary and Tertiary Crushing: The smaller pieces are then fed into secondary and tertiary crushers to further reduce their size. These stages ensure that the material is reduced to the required size for sand.
-
Screening:
- The crushed material is passed through screens to separate it into different size fractions. This helps in obtaining uniformly sized particles.
- Oversized particles are sent back for further crushing.
-
Washing:
- The sand is washed to remove impurities like clay, silt, and other unwanted materials. This improves the quality and suitability of the manufactured sand for construction purposes.
-
Grading and Sorting:
- After washing, the sand is graded and sorted according to size. This ensures that the product meets specific standards required for different construction applications.
-
Quality Control:
- Continuous quality control processes are in place to ensure that the manufactured sand meets industry standards, such as IS 383, ASTM C33, and other relevant specifications.
-
Storage and Dispatch:
- The final product is stored in designated silos and is ready for dispatch. It is then transported to construction sites or other required locations.
Manufactured sand offers several advantages over natural sand, including consistent quality, better adherence to standards, and reduced environmental impact due to the reduced need for river sand extraction.
