Cement & Concrete Testing Equipment

Often, with the right configuration. The BlaineGenPLUS has an on-screen wizard for EN 196-6 or ASTM C204 with up to five reference cements per method. The NG-DMM mixer lists ASTM C305, EN 196-1, EN 196-3, ISO 679 and AASHTO T 162. Vicat results are the exception: ASTM and EN read the endpoints differently, so a report should name the method followed. Send us your standards and we will confirm the setup.

Each follows its own method. The BlaineGenPLUS calibrates automatically and calculates the K constant to EN or ASTM, using a cement surface standard reference material. The BlaineGen Classic is checked regularly against a reference cement. The Automatic Vicat performs a one-key position calibration after rough positioning and remembers it. Mixer bowl-to-blade clearance is quoted at 3 plus or minus 1 mm. Ask for the calibration certificate that matches your audit standard.

It varies, so check the page. The Manual Vicat Apparatus frame is supplied without accessories, and an EN set and an ASTM and AASHTO set are chosen with the order, plus a balance, stopwatch, glass dish, tray and trowel on the bench. The autoclave needs bar moulds and a length comparator, and we quote what is missing. The BlaineGenPLUS ships as a complete bench with cell, tube, reference cement and certificate. The BlaineGen Classic includes a reference cement when ordered as part of the package.

Paste tests include time of setting with the Vicat needle under ASTM C191, which applies to hydraulic cement paste and should not be treated as interchangeable with mortar or concrete setting, and autoclave expansion on hardened paste bars under ASTM C151. Fineness is measured on a compacted powder bed under ASTM C204. Mortar tests, such as strength under EN 196-1, start with a standardized mixing procedure (ASTM C305 covers pastes and mortars of plastic consistency) and then controlled curing.

Power differs by instrument, so state your local supply when you order. The automatic Vicat, BlaineGen Classic and Curemate cabinets list 220 V, the BlaineGenPLUS is offered at 115 V / 60 Hz or 230 V / 50 Hz, and the customizable climatic chambers list 110/120 V at 60 Hz. The autoclave has a 2,600 W heater and stands 42.5 in. tall. Climatic chambers with a water inlet accept water up to 600 ppm CaCO3 hardness, and Blaine fineness is best tested in a controlled-temperature room.

NextGen covers the physical tests a cement lab runs on the binder itself, from raw powder to cured specimen:

• Fineness, with Blaine air-permeability apparatus.
• Setting time, with Vicat apparatus.
• Soundness, with a high-pressure autoclave.
• Curing, with climatic curing cabinets.
• Specimen preparation, with programmable mortar mixers.

Tell us which tests your standard requires and we'll map them to the right systems. Contact our team or request a quote.

Work from the property you report:

• Fineness of the cement powder: a Blaine apparatus.
• How quickly it sets: a Vicat apparatus.
• Soundness (expansion): an autoclave.
• Curing samples under controlled conditions: a curing cabinet.
• Mixing mortar to a standard profile: a programmable mixer.

If you'd like help matching a system to your standards, contact our team.

The equipment is built to the standards cement labs work to, mainly ASTM and EN. Common ones by test:

• Fineness (Blaine): ASTM C204; EN 196-6.
• Setting time (Vicat): ASTM C191; EN 196-3.
• Soundness (autoclave): ASTM C151.
• Mortar mixing: ASTM C305; EN 196-1.

Each product page lists the exact standards a model meets. If your specification names one you don't see, send it over and we'll confirm it.

By the Blaine air-permeability method, which relates how easily air passes through a bed of cement to its specific surface area. NextGen offers the automated BlaineGen Plus and the digital BlaineGen Classic, both of which run the test to ASTM C204 and EN 196-6. To match one to your throughput, request a quote.

With a Vicat apparatus, which tracks how a needle penetrates a paste over time to find the initial and final set. NextGen supplies both an Automatic Vicat Apparatus and a Manual Vicat Apparatus, to ASTM C191 and EN 196-3.

The Manual Vicat Apparatus requires an operator to take readings at set intervals, which suits labs with lower volumes. The Automatic Vicat Apparatus records penetration automatically over the full test, freeing the operator and removing reading-time variation. Both measure the same setting times to the same standards; the choice comes down to throughput and how hands-off you want the test.

Soundness checks that cement won't expand harmfully after setting. The high-pressure autoclave subjects specimens to high-pressure steam and measures the resulting expansion, to ASTM C151. Excess expansion signals free lime or magnesia that could crack hardened concrete.

Yes. Curing conditions have to be controlled for results to be comparable. The NextGen Curemate climatic curing cabinets hold specimens at set temperature and humidity, in 550 and 750 litre sizes, so mortar and concrete cure under standard conditions before testing. Tell us your capacity and conditions and we'll match a cabinet to them.

NextGen supplies a programmable mixer that follows the standard mixing profile automatically: the Digital Mortar Mixer (NG-DMM). Consistent mixing matters because mixing time and speed affect strength results, and a programmable mixer removes that variation.

Standards such as ASTM C305 and EN 196-1 specify exact mixing speeds, times and rest periods. A programmable mixer runs that sequence the same way every time, so the mortar reaching your setting-time and strength tests is prepared identically batch to batch. Manual timing introduces variation that shows up later as scatter in results.

Yes. Because fineness, setting time, soundness, curing and mixing are all in-house, we can specify, supply, install and train across the physical-testing side of a cement lab as one coordinated package. Request a quote with your scope and we'll build it.

Several are. The automatic Vicat, automated Blaine and programmable mixers run their test sequences on their own and record the results, which reduces operator workload and keeps readings consistent. Manual versions are available where a simpler set-up fits the lab better.

Yes. Installation and hands-on training are done on site, and NextGen provides calibration traceable to recognised standards, spare parts and both remote and on-site service. Support continues for the life of the equipment. To plan an install, contact our team.

Cement producers, ready-mix and precast plants, construction-materials and QC laboratories, and research institutions all use this equipment to meet fineness, setting, soundness and strength specifications. To move forward, request a quote for any product on this page, or contact our team and we can arrange a demonstration. You can also browse the full Cement & Concrete Testing Equipment range.