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Bespoke Additive Packages for Dry Mortar Manufacturers
UKCP develops bespoke black box additive packages in powder or liquid form, built around the raw materials already used on a manufacturer's own production site.
5 min read UKCP Technical Team
UK Construction Products (UKCP) formulates and manufactures bespoke additive packages for dry mortar manufacturers and the wider construction industry. Working with the raw materials already used on the customer's production site, our in-house development team creates "black box" additives in powder or liquid form, which are blended and delivered ready to add alongside the customer's own sand, cement and fillers.
Key takeaways
- UKCP develops bespoke additive and admixture packages tailored to each customer's requirements.
- Packages are developed using the raw materials from the customer's own production site.
- Several small addition raw materials are combined into one "black box" additive, in powder or liquid form.
- Blends are supplied in paper sacks or bulk bags, direct to the customer.
- The service draws on over 30 years' technical experience with dry mortars, silo mortars and concrete applications.
What is a bespoke additive package?
Most factory made dry mortars contain small quantities of performance additives alongside the main ingredients of sand, cement and fillers. Depending on the product, these can include air entrainers, water retainers, set accelerators, retarders and water repellents. Individually they make up a tiny fraction of the mix, but together they control how the mortar mixes, works, sets and performs once it is in place.
A bespoke additive package brings those small additions together into a single product that has been formulated for a specific mortar and a specific plant. UKCP calls these "black box" additives. The manufacturer adds one blended package rather than sourcing, storing and weighing each additive separately.
Why do dry mortar manufacturers use bespoke additive packages?
Fewer suppliers and fewer raw materials to manage
Sourcing several additives from different suppliers means more purchase orders, more deliveries, more stock lines and more incoming checks. A bespoke package removes the need to bring in multiple additives from different suppliers, because UKCP sources the small addition raw materials, blends them and supplies the finished package.
Simpler batching
Small additions are the hardest ingredients to dose consistently. Combining them into one pre-blended package means the plant handles one additive instead of several, which simplifies weighing and batching.
A formulation built around your materials
Sand grading, cement type and fillers all influence how additives behave in a mortar. Because UKCP's in-house team develops the package using the raw materials from the customer's own production site, the formulation is designed around the materials the plant actually uses rather than a generic set of ingredients.
Improve existing products or develop new ones
Bespoke additives can be formulated to improve an existing product or to support the development of new product technology. Either way, the aim is a package tailored to the customer's specific requirements.
What can go into a black box additive?
UKCP can offer a wide range of additives, including powder air entrainers, rapid set accelerators, retarders and water repellents, and can produce any blend to suit customer needs. The table below summarises the general role each type of additive plays in a dry mortar.
| Additive type | General role in a dry mortar |
|---|---|
| Air entrainers | Introduce small, stable air bubbles that improve workability and resistance to freeze and thaw damage |
| Water retainers | Hold water in the fresh mortar so it stays workable and the cement can hydrate on absorbent backgrounds |
| Rapid set accelerators | Speed up setting and early strength development |
| Retarders | Slow setting to extend working time |
| Water repellents | Reduce the water absorption of the hardened mortar |
You can read more about two of these additive types in our articles on air entraining agents and water retention in dry mix mortars. UKCP also supplies individual mortar admixtures, including Powder AEA, Liquid AEA and Powder Water Retainer.
How does the bespoke formulation process work?
Every project is different, but working with UKCP generally follows these stages:
- Discuss your requirements. Tell us about the product you want to make or improve, how it needs to perform and any problems you are seeing with your current formulation.
- Work with your raw materials. Our in-house development team uses the raw materials from your production site, so the package is developed around your own sand, cement and fillers.
- Develop the package. The team formulates an additive and admixture package, in powder or liquid form, to meet your requirements.
- Blend and supply. UKCP sources the small addition raw materials, blends them and supplies the package in paper sacks or bulk bags direct to your site.
- Produce with confidence. Your plant blends the package with the sand, cement and fillers already used on site, just as it would with any other ingredient.
Throughout the process, UKCP works closely with the client. If you would like to understand what a project might involve for your plant, the bespoke formulation page explains the service in more detail.
Who is the service for?
Bespoke additive packages are designed for:
- Dry bagged mortar manufacturers producing masonry mortars, renders, adhesives and other factory made products
- Silo mortar producers, where consistent additive performance matters across large volumes
- The wider construction industry, including businesses that want to improve an existing product or bring a new one to market
UKCP aims to be a complete solution provider for dry bagged mortar manufacturers and the wider construction industry, from formulation through to supply.
What experience is behind the service?
UKCP has over 30 years' technical experience developing additives and admixtures for dry mortars, silo mortars and concrete applications. The company formulates, manufactures and distributes specialist construction products, including screed admixtures, mortar admixtures and concrete repair products. That experience across both finished products and the additives that go into them is what the bespoke service is built on.
Why choose a single additive package over separate additives?
For many manufacturers the benefit is simplicity. Rather than managing relationships with several additive suppliers and balancing their products against each other, a single package is developed to work as a whole with your materials. When your raw materials or product goals change, you have one technical partner to talk to.
That said, separate additives remain the right answer for some plants, particularly where a manufacturer wants to adjust one property independently. UKCP can supply individual admixtures as well as bespoke blends, and the technical team can help you decide which approach suits your operation.
Start a conversation about bespoke additives
If you manufacture dry mortars or other construction products and want to simplify your additive supply or improve a formulation, talk to UKCP. Visit the bespoke formulation page, speak to our technical support team or get in touch to discuss your requirements.
