MAKORO FIELD TRIP REPORT

NAME: ANGELA MASOLE

STUDENT ID: 20000277

MODULE: Non-Metallic Materials I

MODULE CODES: MMEE 323

DATE OF SUBMISSION: 24/02/23

NAME OF INSTRUCTOR: Prof Enoch Ogunmuyiwa

ABSTRACT

Makoro Tank Technologies (PTY) LTD is a Tank Manufacturing Company that was
founded in 2011 in Makoro, Botswana, near Palapye. It is proud to be a Botswana-
based company with over 40 Batswana employees who contribute significantly to its
success. Makoro Brick &Tile (PTY)LTD is a Clay Brick Manufacturing Company
founded in 1987 in Makoro Village near Palapye, Botswana. Since then, the company
has grown from strength to strength, staying on top of cutting-edge technology and
product design.
 Contents
INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................... 2
MAKORO TANK’S ............................................................................................................. 2
Rotational Moulding ............................................................................................................ 3
Rotational Moulding Process ........................................................................................ 3
MAKORO BRICKS ............................................................................................................. 5
QUALITY POLICY ............................................................................................................. 5
QUALITY GUARRANTEE ................................................................................................ 5
BRICK MAKING PROCESS & RAW MATERIALS ..................................................... 5
BRICK MAKING PROCESS ................................................................................................ 6
REFERENCES ......................................................................................................................... 9

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 INTRODUCTION
MAKORO TANK; ; MANUFACTURE OF PLASTIC WATER STORAGE
TANKS

Makoro Tank Technologies (PTY) LTD is a Tank Manufacturing Company that was
founded in 2011 in Makoro, Botswana, near Palapye. It is proud to be a Botswana-
based company with over 40 Batswana employees who contribute significantly to its
success. In exchange, the Company assists and contributes to the national quest for
job creation, which is the philosophy of the Botswana Government's SMME policy.

Makoro Tank Technologies PTY LTD is still expanding, keeping up with the most
cutting-edge roto-moulding technology and product design. The company is
constantly upgrading its equipment and technology, and it supports ongoing employee
training at every opportunity, to ensure that it offers innovative, high-value products
that work for their intended purposes. The company manufactures high-quality water
tanks, septic tanks, water troughs, and flower pots for both domestic and international
markets. (2011, Technologies)

Makoro Liquid and Water Storage Tanks are manufactured from polyethylene powder
using a rotational moulding process. This method is well known and suitable for
producing plastic tanks for water and liquid. HR 486 grade Low Linear Density
Polyethylene (LLDPE) polymer and H359 polymer supplied by Rotoflo and SASOL
Polymers were used in the production. The roto-moulded tanks made from these
polymers are expected to be physically strong, and the potable water stored in such
tanks is expected to have no negative effects on humans or animals when consumed.
The tanks are available in a variety of liquid capacities (up to 10,000 litres) and
colors. Makoro's water tank and liquid storage tank are both made to order. In any
case, the contents' temperature should not exceed 60°C and they should be at
atmospheric pressure. Tanks are only designed to withstand hydrostatic pressure.
These tanks are made entirely of virgin UV-resistant materials, with no reworked
materials used in the manufacturing process. The tank's interior is lined with a UV-
free black layer of resistant polyethylene.

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Rotational Moulding

Rotational moulding requires energy to heat up the oven, and open or poorly insulated
areas will inevitably increase heat losses and energy use. Reducing oven loss is an
important aspect of reducing energy use in rotational moulding, but current machines
do not appear to have taken this issue seriously, resulting in large heat losses on many
ovens. Reduced heat losses from ovens reduces any health and safety concerns
associated with hot surfaces.

Simple improvements to oven sealing and insulation can significantly improve energy
performance at a low cost. Thermographic examination of rotational moulding ovens
is strongly advised as a method of quickly identifying areas of high heat loss in
rotational moulding and determining the appropriate action.

Rotational Moulding Process

The rotational moulding process is unique among plastic moulding
methods in that the plastic is placed in a mould at about room temperature
and the entire assembly is heated up to the plastic's melting temperature.
The mold and the plastic are then cooled to room temperature.The
rotational speeds are slow, and the powder is constantly tumbling and
mixing. In essence, the powder is at the bottom of the mold, and various
points on the mold tool's surface fall into the powder pool. The met al wall
of the oven heats up as the mould tool rotates, causing the powder to melt
and become tacky

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The powder adheres to the mould's wall and to itself, forming the walls of the plastic
part against the mould's side as well (GYROPLASTICS, n.d.)

Rotational Moulding Process ( (University, 2017)

Makoro Products from Moulding (Technologies, 2011)

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MAKORO BRICKS
Makoro Brick & Tile manufactures BOBS Certified FBX, FBS, and NFX clay bricks
for both domestic and international markets. The Makoro Clay Brick collection is a
timeless reminder of the versatility and value of our Clay Face Bricks. We provide
high-quality, competitively priced products that are long-lasting, cost-effective,
maintenance-free, and environmentally friendly. A month produces approximately 4.5
million bricks.

Makoro is a Botswana company with over 200 Batswana employees who play an
important role in their success and, in turn, contribute to the national quest for job
creation, which is the philosophy of the Botswana Government's SMME policy.

QUALITY POLICY

Their policy as a supplier is to ensure that their products adhere to contractual

specifications and that the customer is satisfied in terms of consistent Quality and
Service delivery. They are dedicated to preserving an effective and approved Quality
Management System. They adhere to all statutory safety and environmental
regulations, ensuring a safe working and shopping environment for our employees
and customers..

QUALITY GUARRANTEE
Makoro guarantees that all certified bricks supplied by Makoro will meet the
Botswana Bureau of Standards standard (BOS 28:2000) in terms of strength, density,
and size and shape uniformity. Unless proof of product failure in the wall can be
confirmed, all bricks supplied that do not adhere to the specification will be replaced
if they have not been built into the wall.

BRICK MAKING PROCESS & RAW MATERIALS

Makoro Bricks manufactures high-quality products. The company manufactures
bricks in a variety of price ranges. Marble Travertine, Sunrise Travertine, Ivory
Travertine, Nkwe Satin, Marble Satin, Sunrise Satin, and Ivory Sandstone are all
available. All bricks are manufactured in imperial format, are available in special
shapes, and have a strength greater than 18mpa. Makoro Bricks is considering
expanding to produce red bricks. (CENTER, undated)

Clay and water are the raw materials.

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BRICK MAKING PROCESS

MAKORO BRICKS (Technologies, 2011)

Clay is prepared for brick production in six stages: For the production of bricks, we
need pure clay that has been decontaminated. Because the top 200mm of soil may
contain impurities, the clay in that layer is discarded. This is referred to as unsoiling.
Digging After removing the top layer, the clay is dug out of the ground and spread on
the plain ground. Cleaning At this stage, the clay is cleaned of stones, vegetable
matter, and other impurities. If the clay contains a lot of particulate matter, it is

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washed and screened. Using earth crushing rollers, the clay lumps are ground into
powder. 2014 (CONSTRUCTOR)

Feeding pulverized material and water into one end of a pug mill, which uses knives
on a rotating shaft to cut through and fold together material in a shallow chamber, is
the most common method of brick formation. The mixture is then fed into an extruder
at the mill's far end. Extruders are typically made up of two chambers. The first uses a
vacuum to remove air from the ground clay, preventing cracking and other defects.
The second chamber, a high-pressure cylinder, compacts the material so that it can be
extruded through the die by the auger. The plastic material is forced out of the
chamber after being compressed through a specially shaped die orifice. The most
common method of brick formation is to feed pulverized material and water into one
end of a pug mill, which uses knives on a rotating shaft to cut through and fold
together material in a shallow chamber. The mixture is then fed into an extruder at the
far end of the mill. Extruders typically consist of two chambers. The first removes air
from the ground clay with a vacuum, preventing cracking and other defects. The
second chamber, a high-pressure cylinder, compacts the material so that the auger can
extrude it through the die. After being compressed through a specially shaped die
orifice, the plastic material is forced out of the chamber.

Drying is usually done by placing the bricks in sheds with open sides to ensure free
circulation of air and protection from bad weather and rains. The bricks are allowed to
dry till they are left with 5 to 7 percent moisture content

It is the very important step in manufacture of bricks. Bricks may be burnt by two
distinct methods given below.

Pazawah known as clamp burning

Burning in a flame kiln or Bhatta known as kiln burning

After being removed from the kilns, the bricks are given more time to cool. The
bricks are then loaded onto conveyor belts by a de-hacking machine. The bricks are
unloaded from the kiln or kiln cars during de-hacking. Workers sort the bricks into
different piles based on color and texture along the conveyor's length before

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 packaging them into batches.

MAKORO BRICKS (Technologies, 2011)

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REFERENCES
ASSOCIATION, T. B. I., n.d. THE BRICK INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION. [Online]
Available at: https://www.gobrick.com/advocate-for-brick/environmental
[Accessed 20 02 23].
CENTER, B. I. &. T., n.d. BOTSWANA INVESTMENT & TRADE CENTER. [Online]
Available at: https://www.gobotswana.com/makoro-brick-pty-ltd
[Accessed 19 02 23].
CONSTRUCTOR, T., 2014. THE CONSTRUCTOR. [Online]
Available at: https://theconstructor.org/building/manufacturing-of-bricks-methods-and-
process/11972/
[Accessed 19 02 23].
GYROPLASTICS, n.d. GYRO Specialist In Rotational Moulding. [Online]
Available at: https://www.gyroplastics.com/article/rotational-moulding-process
[Accessed 19 02 23].
Kent, R., 2018. Energy Management in Plastics Processing. 3rd ed. s.l.:s.n.
MADEHOW, 2011. MADEHOW. [Online]
Available at: http://www.madehow.com/Volume-1/Brick.html
[Accessed 19 02 23].
Technologies, M. T., 2011. Makoro Tank Technologies. [Online]
Available at: https://tank.makoro.co.bw/
[Accessed 17 02 2023].
University, T. O., 2017. The Open University. [Online]
Available at: https://www.open.edu/openlearn/science-maths-technology/engineering-
technology/manupedia/rotational-moulding-rotational-or-rotary-casting
[Accessed 18 02 23].