ADM

Categories:

• Plants/plant components pertinent to production
• Plant controls/automation
• Pavement recycling/pavement reclaiming equipment
• Ticketing/software solutions

Forward-Thinking Technology

The number-one most-important product trait that ADM brings to the asphalt marketplace is the company’s approach to the design and manufacture of its continuous-mix asphalt plants.

All of ADM’s four series of asphalt plants—the EX Series, MileMaker Series, RoadBuilder Series, or SPL Series—are designed with the utmost in operational efficiency, enabling the cost effectiveness on which producers rely for their maximum return on investment (ROI).

Many plant models allow efficient operation using just one plant operator and one loader operator, while the ability to customize any plant ADM manufactures using standard ADM components, assures just the right asphalt plant for their operations’ specific needs to streamline operational efficiencies at every level.

ADM asphalt plants are available in 60–425 TPH allowing them to operate at the specific production capacity a producer needs for greatest production-site efficiency. Depending on the plant series purchased, ADM plants can handle up-to-25% or up-to-50% RAP. Recycled material in the mix significantly impacts producers’ bottom lines for higher ROI.

ADM asphalt plants fitted with baghouses go even further to improve ROI, since the baghouse allows fines to be reintroduced into the hot mix. In that way, baghouses also save producers in material costs by reducing material, itself.

When it comes to meeting strict environmental standards, ADM counterflow plants are designed and manufactured for clean and efficient operation, practically eliminating blue smoke and hydrocarbon emissions. Further demonstrating operational efficiencies, ADM warm-mix systems allow for the production of mix at reduced temperatures, thus allowing for savings in power and fuel.

The strength and durability of the materials used in the manufacture of ADM hot-mix asphalt plants is of such high quality, that with proper and ongoing plant maintenance, producers may rest assured of significant and long-lasting plant life.

Quality in the Industry

Achieving highest quality asphalt production entails many factors. A key factor in ADM plants is the company’s control technology. ADM control technology enables plant operators to accurately input the specific production requirements necessary to achieve the right spec product, including input of the different aggregate types, the necessary percentages by type, and the controls’ abilities to keep the percentages accurate.

The stability and consistency of ADM’s control system also prevents interruption in the hot-mix process that can cause quality inconsistency or bad mix. Plus, ADM controls are specially designed for use of a simple calibration procedure that allows operators to calibrate more often, and ensures consistently, high-quality mix, to spec.

ADM EX Series and MileMaker Series plants also feature counterflow technology, providing some of the industry’s longest drying and mixing times, accomplished through the use of separate drying and mixing zones, for efficient, consistent, high volume, and highest quality asphalt.

The higher the quality of material that goes into the hot mix, the higher quality material that is discharged. Impacting material quality going into the mix is the ADM drum. The  positioning of the nozzle of the long nose burner, which is located about one-third of the way into the drum, allows for the separation of the drying and mixing zones, creating optimum drying time for virgin aggregate, for improved aggregate quality. The drier the material, the better-quality product that can be output.

Additionally, the drum allows for the dry, high-quality virgin aggregate to mix with the baghouse fines that are reintroduced into the process and any RAP or dry fillers that are being added into the mix. Liquid asphalt is introduced, and through a specialized blending method, the liquid asphalt is mixed with the previous materials for output of the highest quality asphalt.

Get Zoned

As challenging a process as asphalt-plant permitting can be, ADM has suggestions to help make the process easier. Helpful considerations prior to applying for a construction permit, include:

• Knowing which asphalt plant a contractor is purchasing
• Picking a lot that will accommodate the specific plant for the proposed site layout
• Ensuring the land is properly zoned prior to purchase
• Also prior to land purchase, considering accessibility of the site based on adjacent roadways, traffic patterns, and amount of traffic
• Considering traffic flow on the site, itself

The four types of necessary permits include:

• Zoning
• Storm water drainage
• Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC)
• Air quality

Air quality permits are issued based on positive stack testing results. ADM can assist with stack testing by arranging to be on site two days prior to the test to ensure the plant is operating as efficiently as possible. ADM performs at least two, test runs to see if the baghouse is working properly, or whether bags may have to be changed, the burner is tuned up, and a backlight test is also performed to ensure additional, proper-plant operation. If a contractor fails the stack test, they have to pay, again, for retesting, so ADM recommends having them on site, beforehand, to help ensure successful testing the first time.

ADM highly recommends use of a outside environmental agency to help producers save considerable, internal time and expense. A knowledgeable environmental agency can uncover the exact permitting requirements necessary by city, state, locality, municipality, etc., and further helps contractors understand the ongoing reporting and recordkeeping required. An agency may also save the heartache of what can be a months-to-years-long process trying to do it yourself.

For air permits, ADM recommends allowing a minimum of 120 days for the permit to be issued.

https://www.admasphaltplants.com/

(260) 637-5729