The Caleidosline is a completely automatic machine that is used to create aged or antiqued paving blocks.
This machine can be installed directly in line, over the conveyor; between the lowerator and the cubing equipment. Due to its compact design it can be installed over most existing paving block dry side lines, or it can be built off line and can be supplied with appropriate grippers and conveyor lines.
The machine has been designed to have a cycle time for each board between 12–16 seconds, so that it can work on line and not reduce the cycle time of the manufacturing machine.
There is no extra wear on the production board, as the process pushes the blocks off a board, and the blocks are brushed clean before they are pushed back onto a board, when the process is complete.
The waste material from the process falls through the steel grids in the machines curved sections, and they can easily be collected for disposal in special removable boxes under the machine.
The ageing process is achieved in two principles:
- The imitation of working within the traditional cylinder, that is the rubbing of the blocks together. During their travel around the curved tunnel of the Caleidosline, and during the shaking movement, the contact of the block edge onto another block edge causes the erosion and scratching of the corners.
- The use of powered mechanical devices, which operate on the surface and edges of the materials.

Each production board of cured paving blocks coming from the lowerator down to the dry line is first compacted by a device installed at the entry of the Caleidosline machine. Then one board of blocks is raised up, and inserted into the machine, by means of a lifting device. Caleidosline machine is essentially a closed circuit tunnel where the layers are transported and treated. The movement of the materials is achieved through a multiple-pusher moving the layers of blocks.
When the board is lifted up from the line, the layer is automatically drawn from the board by one of the multiple pushers. This process is repeated on a different board every 12 -16 seconds, for extracting the material to be aged, and placing the aged material from the Caleidosline machine back onto a production board.
The board, with the aged material, is lowered and released by the lifting device onto the dry line, where it then moves into the cubing area.
THE CALEIDOSLINE HAS 2 INTERNATIONAL PATENTS

TECHNICAL FEATURES:
SUPPLY OF PRODUCTS TO BE AGED: From the existing steel, plastic or wooden factory production boards; removed from the dry side of the production process.
BOARD SIZES: standard 1400x1100 (max 1450x1150)
PAVING BLOCK DIMENSIONS:
Max: 350x350mm (single size); H= 50-100mm. Subject to discussions with Penta technicians, some blocks with larger dimensions can also be handled, depending on the configuration of the production mould.
Products: the machine can handle products with square and rectangular shapes both single size and multiple sizes. Moreover it is possible to also handle materials with spacer nibs on the block sides, with chamfers and with rounded top surfaces.
Block compacting device: by a special compacting device on 4 sides, working on the same station occupied by the Caleidosline.
Board in-feeding and out-feeding: using a lifting device included in the Caleidosline machine. One board is emptied, and then re-filled, during each machine cycle.
Ageing process:
The pavers ageing process is obtained through the rubbing and the impact of the blocks against one another during their passage inside the tunnel.
During the passage inside the tunnel the surfaces of the blocks undergo an ageing effect created by some of the waste debris left inside the machine rubbing the surfaces of the blocks.
Powered aging rollers, and other devices, are installed in an appropriate area inside the tunnel, and are used to round off corners and create scratches.
A motor brush, placed just before the exit, cleans the blocks in the final phase of the process.
Usually the product to age needs to be at least 24 hours old.
AVERAGE PRODUCTION: 12 - 16 seconds per layer, depending on the desired effect; 6 layers ageing at the same time ADJUSTMENTs to the machine:
To change the height of the tunnel: depending on the thickness and dimensions of the blocks. The machine can be adjusted using a manual mechanical device.
Width and length of the guides for holding the pavers: depending on the sizes of the production mould; the machine can be adjusted using a manual mechanical device.
WEIGHT: » 9500Kg
MACHINE DIMENSIONS: 4600mm x 2380mm x H≈2900mm
ELECTRICAL POWER SUPPLY: » 36Kw
EASILY REPLACEABLE WEARING PARTS: the sliding surfaces (in hardox steel).
AUTOMATIC EVACUATION OF THE AGED WASTE onto the belt located under the waste deposit grids or a portable box (box and belt are not included in the supply);
WHEN THE CALEIDOSLINE MACHINE is switched off, the existing dry line is unchanged, therefore it can allow the passage of all products along the line that are not to be aged (for example kerbs), up to a max height of 350mm.