An asphalt drum mixing plant manufactures asphalt and other types of coated roadstone. It is also known as asphalt concrete or blacktop. The manufacturing of this type of material demands that several different types of aggregates, filler and sand equally combined. These materials are then heated and coated with a type of binder. The binder can be bitumen based or it can be made of tar.
It is important that mixture is heated and maintained at a temperature that allows it to be easily transported to the work site. The average temperature range is 100 to 200 degrees Celsius.
Recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) is also being used more frequently in these mixtures. An hot mix asphalt plants will use flammable binders and is heated via gas fire burners.
RAP is then introduced after the process of heating the mixture is completed. RAP must also be accounted in the overall temperature of the mixture.
The introduction of warm mix applications are now allowing asphalt mix plant to create asphalt at slightly lower temperatures while also extending the temperature range needed for paving. As a matter of fact, in 2014, almost one third of the asphalt that was created during the construction period was made using warm mix application technology.
The Structure Of An Asphalt Plant
An asphalt plant is made of several smaller structures. These structures are:
Drum dryer
Coal feeder
Dust collector
Coal burner
Filler supply system
Asphalt storage
Hot aggregate elevator
Vibrating screen
Weighing system
Mixing system
The Importance Of Sand
One of the most important materials used in an asphalt plant is sand. It is common in roadstones because it has high water content. Boiling this water off is one of the major reasons for the energy cost in asphalt plants. The aggregate is heated and this is a part of the operational cost in the system.
The amount of water in the sand also varies especially when the sand is stored outside. Sand can take the form of grains and has a high surface area for every unit volume. This is when the binder attaches to the aggregates.
The Drum Mix Plant
The drum mix plant is also referred to as a continuous asphalt plant. It is a set of machines that are used to produce asphalt. It is one of the most common types of mixing plants. However, it is different from a batch mix plant because a drum mix plant produces asphalt continuously. You can learn more details here: http://asphaltmixingplants.net/asphalt-drum-mix-plant/.
The structure of the drum mix plant allows it to be divided into either a single drum plant or a twin drum mix plant. It can also be a stationary or a mobile drum mix plant.
In a continuous or drum mix plant, aggregates that are raw are brought from ground hoppers at a precise rate that is controlled. It is then fed into the heater similarly to the process used in an asphalt plant. After it is heated, it is coated in the drum immediately.
Mobile asphalt plants are essential to creating roadstones for large construction projects. The plant keeps the asphalt mixture in continuous production.