QESTMix is a sophisticated concrete mix maintenance software system for the concrete production industry. It provides the tools required to efficiently manage mix designs and products. The tools allow for quick changes to individual mixes, groups of mixes or globally so that concrete producers can rapidly respond to changes in performance, materials, weather conditions, etc. This flexibility allows concrete producers to manage and adjust their concrete mixes easily and quickly, leading to significant savings in concrete production costs.

QESTMix guides the concrete producer towards a more systematic approach to mix management. The system is designed for medium to large concrete operations (from five to hundreds of plants, with hundreds of mix designs used). It is a dynamic system (as opposed to a number of relatively fixed mix design tables that are commonly in use) which has a number of features that give maximum flexibility in mix adjustment according to material availability, changes in material properties (eg. aggregate gradings, cement performance) and seasonal and customer requirements. This allows switching between different sources, utilising cheaper aggregates when available and reducing driver products which may be temporarily in short supply.

The first principle of the system is that mixes are not managed in isolation, but combined into logical groups (Mix Groups). For example structural mixes, or pump mixes of all strength grades are grouped. Relationships between the mixes may be established and maintained, especially with regard to cement contents, aggregate ratios, etc. Adjustments can be made while maintaining those relationships. This eliminates a common problem concrete manufacturers have that individual mixes are adjusted, but similar, related mixes remain unchanged, which leads to inconsistencies and non optimised performance.

Other principles that give QESTMix its flexibility and provide efficiencies in the management of mixes are Change Points, Virtual Materials and Structured Mix Adjustments.

A full history of mix changes including costs is also available. Extensive cost analysis may be provided, with details allowing producers to report on:

• Current delivered material costs;
• Current net costs (based on rebated material cost, or production costs of raw materials);
• Costs of delivery of materials into the concrete plant; and
• Normalised delivered and net costs, which eliminate to effects of material cost changes for historical cost analysis.

QESTMix has been integrated with company wide financial systems including SAP and Oracle financials and with a number of major dispatch systems. This allows mix design and material cost changes to be distributed company wide, effecting changes to the production systems and plants quickly and keeping all system up to date.

For additional information on QESTMix, please contact Spectra QEST sales.