Asphalt Production and Liquids Essentials

AsphaltPro brings you a new way to examine the equipment, products and services available to you in the marketplace. Of course we still focus on the items relevant to an asphalt business, but we have a different approach to make the focus more useful to you. Notice this month that all equipment listed in the product gallery relates to production. The information contained herein pertains to the AC, aggregate, design and production portion of our industry. Let’s start by taking a look at the globally harmonized system (GHS) and safety data sheet (SDS) requirements specifically.

SAFETY DATA REQUIRED
As of June 1 this year, all asphalt producers have been required to provide GHS-compliant SDS information to customers. That means when a customer comes to your plant to purchase a few tons of mix, you must provide the haul truck driver with a label that includes warning language about the ingredients of the mix.

Let’s have a quick review.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) proved asphalt fume is not a carcinogen, but components associated with mixes can be deemed hazardous. The National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA), in its Environment, Health & Safety Alert “Complying with GHS HazCom Requirements for Safety Data Sheets,” reminded us that ingredients in asphalt pavement mix can range from aggregate to asphalt binder to anti-stripping agents, etc. “Some of these raw materials carry various classification labels, e.g., identifying the hazard of crystalline silica exposure from aggregate dust. However, because of the unique characteristics of asphalt pavement mix, many of the potentially classifiable hazards from individual raw material ingredients may be minimized once the material is combined into its final product, asphalt pavement mix.”

Even so, asphalt mixes must have an SDS that identifies the product’s hazard “as sold or used,” so that each batch of mix meets the GHS requirements. Chemical or product suppliers are required to include a safety label on the initial shipment of a product so that each employee or worker who will have contact with the product has clear and full information about its potential hazards. That means an asphalt producer needs a safety label on more than the haul trucks in his in-house fleet. Customers who haul mix away need the label, too. You must provide it along with the mix.

Controls systems manufacturers such as B&S Light Industries and Libra Systems can help there. “Our system allows an administrator to configure any safety message to print on the tickets,” Ken Cardy of Libra said. Notice in this month’s product gallery listing that Fairbanks Scales has a new printer with advanced abilities. Many controls OEMs offer ticketing kiosks that can be programmed to include your company’s SDS for the mixes you’re providing. Be sure you ask about this capability or how the OEM can help you get it set up.

Printing the SDS label on the back of loadout tickets is the method Oldcastle Materials found most expedient to be in compliance, as shared in the March edition of AsphaltPro. Now each and every load of asphalt pavement mix that leaves an Oldcastle facility can meet regulations and direct customers to a page on the company’s website with additional information.

Your company may think of a different way to get the SDS to accompany initial deliveries of product, but it’s good to know there’s a working model in action. Your company may also wish to look into the service providers who can help prepare the SDS from the get-go.

NAPA worked with an SDS authoring consultant earlier this year, and decided producers would have a more legitimate labeling item if they contacted an SDS authoring vendor individually as well. NAPA worked with Experien Health Sciences, headquartered in Kingwood, Texas, which you can reach at (281) 812-6667 or visit at www.experienhealthsciences.com. Are you feeling creative? Check out www.chemdox.com/en/materialsafetydatasheet for SDS software, admin documents, and templates to create your sheets. Be aware that items are spelled with the Queen’s English, so you’ll want to proofread carefully. Do you only need a consultant? Try www.ehsi.com out of Flemington, New Jersey, or call them at (908) 237-9348. The point is you don’t have to face the construction of a safety data document alone.

ADM OFFERS EX SERIES
Asphalt Drum Mixers, Inc., of Huntertown, Indiana, offers a single-drum counterflow plant in its EX series of asphalt plants. The series is designed to offer high efficiency in a compact design for producers with low to medium production needs—the range is 100 to 425 TPH while processing high percentages of RAP. Using counterflow technology, the EX series has separate drying and mixing zones. The system is designed to introduce residual gases back to the drum’s combustion zone.
•    Use this to make asphalt mix.
•    For more information, contact Mike Devine at (260) 637-5729 or mgdevine@admasphaltplants.com.

CEI GIVES TEMPERATURE A BOOST
The vertical asphalt booster heater from CEI Enterprises, Albuquerque, New Mexico, is used to boost the heat of liquid asphalt from storage temperatures to usage temperatures. The heater is typically used at asphalt terminals to boost the heat of liquid asphalt as it is pumped to a tanker truck. This application allows terminals to store bulk quantities of liquid asphalt at lower temps, reducing the energy demand and heating expense associated with storage. The booster heater raises the temperature of the liquid asphalt up to approximately 360oF before it is loaded into the tanker.

The booster heater contains a helical coil inside its shell. A burner fires a flame upward through the center of the helical coil, transferring heat to the coil via radiation and convection. Hot burner gases turn at the end of the coil and pass along the coil’s outer surface, transferring heat to the coil only be convection. Exhaust gases then exit the heater through the exhaust stack. Liquid asphalt enters the coil and gains heat as it flows upward through the heater. Heated liquid asphalt then exits the heater at the pre-set temperature. Digital controls allow the user to precisely control the outlet temperature of the liquid asphalt.
•    Use this at the terminal.
•    For more information, contact Mike Bremmer at (505) 842-5556 or visit www.ceienterprises.com.

CLARENCE RICHARD INDICATES LEVELS
Does your loader operator ever allow one cold feed bin to run almost empty while filling another to overflowing? Clarence Richard Company, of Minnetonka, Minnesota, offers two choices to help. The Ez-Bin Wizard addresses the need as described above while Ez-Weigh Loss scale control does that and more.

First, the Ez-Bin Wizard, is designed to provide the loader operator an indication of the level of material in each bin. The 24-inch vertical bar has eight horizontal rows of green LEDs to indicate the level, and also one horizontal row of red LEDs on top to indicate when the bin is running. The light bar is made of polycarbonate to resist scratching and fading. The mechanic mounts the Bin Wizard above the bin on the opposite side from the loader with Sorbothane, which is a vibration-isolating medium. The acoustic sonar sensor has waveform signature analysis that makes it virtually impervious to external noise, according to its manufacturer. The “empty” and “full” trimpots will allow the Bin Wizard to fit bins anywhere from 5 to 15 feet deep. As the level of material in the bin goes down, the horizontal rows of green LEDs extinguish. As the loader operator fills the bin and the level of material rises, the horizontal rows of green LEDs light up. The plant operator usually can see the light bars from the control room. This helps the plant and loader operator determine how much to fill the bins when getting close to shutdown at the end of the day.

Next, the Ez-Weigh Loss scale control has the same features of the EZ-Bin Wizard plus bin calibration ability. The scale-control portion controls the feeder belt speed based upon the rate of material depletion. The Ez-Weigh Loss scale control is designed to work with any existing blend control without requiring any changes to the customer’s equipment. Clarence Richard Co also offers the new Ez-Flo scale with low, 4-inch profile; web-based training; the tank gauge to prevent running low or running over on liquid material.
•    Use this at the plant.
•    For more information, contact Clarence Richard at (952) 939-6000 or Clarence@clarencerichard.com.

D&H BLENDS, STORES
The high production asphalt rubber blender from D&H Equipment, Ltd., has new controls to include new reporting capabilities. The automated valving on the blender and reaction tank has the ability to manage all aspects of the plant from precise metering of ingredients to the reaction time and temperature, according to the manufacturer. The plant uses low NOx burners and redesigned finned condensers. A second hopper has been included with the system so the customer can add two different dry material modifiers, or hold SBS or other polymer material. A new, 30,000-gallon, two-compartment reaction tank accompanies the rubber blending unit and a new premier automation package replaces the manual valves to allow the PLC to automatically record reaction tank data. Both compartments are heated by smooth hot oil serpentine coils and feature D&H’s unique top-mounted agitation system.

For storage, D&H builds tanks ranging from 10,000 to 32,000 gallons for a variety of asphalt needs. They feature agitation using top-mounted drive screw augers or top-mounted mixers, heating coils or direct fire systems to regulate temperature, and high-density fiberglass insulation and embossed aluminum skin.
•    Use this to make asphalt mix.
•    For more information, contact Jason Cox at (830) 833-5366 x227 or Jason@dhequip.com.

ERIEZ GETS METAL OUT
If your large recycling or mining operation needs to keep oversized pieces of tramp metal from messing up the crusher or grinder downstream, Eriez of Erie, Pennsylvania, offers the SE 7000 model line of large suspended electromagnets for heavy-duty applications. These BAMs are designed to accommodate belt widths up to 144 inches and magnet sizes starting at 90 inches. They are offered with a five-year warranty on the coil assembly.
•    Use this in recycling.
•    For more information, visit http://ow.ly/PXAYT or contact John Blicha at jblicha@eriez.com.

FAIRBANKS PRINTS CODES
With the safety data sheet requirements for asphalt products, producers must now provide information beyond the weight of loads ordered from their plants. Fairbanks Scales, Inc., of Kansas City, Missouri, announced this summer the release of the PM43 direct thermal label printer, which allows for the printing of additional information. The PM43 is an industrial, mid-range, direct thermal and thermal transfer label, ticket and tag printer, and was designed for applications in distribution centers, warehouses, manufacturing and transportation environments, according to the manufacturer. It features a large, color, multi-lingual, tamper-proof touch screen user interface, and a built-in web interface for device monitoring. The new printer’s precision print feature allows for printing of small bar codes and images. It is the only CCX certified fixed printer with standard IPv6 implementation, according to the manufacturer.
•    Use this at the plant.
•    For more information, contact Ingrid Adel at (816) 471-0231 ext.288 or iadel@fairbanks.com.

HEATEC INSTALLS BLALOCK COMPONENTS
Heatec of Chattanooga, Tennessee, provided a number of products for the Charles Blalock and Sons, Inc., facility in Sevierville, Tennessee. Those products include: unloading pump; horizontal additive tank; vertical 15,000-gallon emulsion tank; two 35,000-gallon vertical asphalt tanks with vent condensers; two 20,000-gallon vertical fuel tanks; one 1,000-gallon calibration tank; one 2-million BTU/hour hot oil heater; and a twin pump metering system.
•    Use this at the plant.
•    For more information, contact Heatec at (423) 821-5200.

HMA LAB GETS SAMPLES
The T-REX hydraulic truck sampler distributed by HMA Lab Supply of Richmond, Virginia, is designed to address safety concerns while obtaining quality HMA samples at the loadout site. T-REX meets the requirement of the new CalTrans sampling spec, according to the manufacturer. It obtains a 50-pound sample from the haul truck and drops it into a sample separation device. It is designed to sit on a pedestal, mounted at the end of a sampling rack, or it can be mounted on a trailer for mobile and portable operations.
•    Use this at the plant.
•    For more information, contact HMA Lab Supply or InstroTek, Inc.

IROCK RETURNS PRODUCTION
IROCK Crushers of Valley View, Ohio, introduced its RDS-15 horizontal impact crushing plant with four-bar impactor design this summer for those contractors who need to crush on the go. The manufacturer states the compact crushing and screening system is ideal for processing smaller materials such as RAP. It’s powered by a Caterpillar® C-9 ACERT Tier 3 engine with 350 horsepower. The plant is self-contained with on-board power supply and three outlets to power optional auxiliary conveyors. The mobile crusher can be hooked up to a truck and hauled as one unit.
•    Use this in recycling.
•    For more information, contact Robert Nelson at (866) 240-0201 or rnelson@irockcrushers.com.

LIBRA PINGS INFO
Web Services from Libra Systems Corporation of Harleysville, Pennsylvania, is a new platform that provides real-time information to customers. Its Web Alerts function allows authorized users to configure alerts that they will then receive via text or email on their portable devices. Its Web Reports function provides authorized users mobile access to company-wide or filtered reports. Administrators of the Web Services may grant “end-user customers” the right to subscribe to alerts or access reports as well. Web Services is designed to automatically and securely limit the end user’s information access to only that information that pertains to his/her particular job(s). Libra also offers self-service kiosks and remote printer terminals for use at the plant, as well as the Libra Silo Safety System. Libra offers the Generation3, PlantWise and Enterprise control systems.
•    Use this at the plant.
•    For more information, contact Ken Cardy at (215) 256-1700 or kcardy@librasystems.com.

MAXAM GETS SAMPLES
Automating material sampling at the silo loadout area offers safety and quality assurance for producers. To that end, Maxam Equipment, Kansas City, Missouri, offers the California bulk sampler. It has a trailer-mounted, conical hopper designed to receive a 1,000-pound sample directly from a hot mix silo. Once loaded, the CB sampler is towed by pickup truck to the plant lab or other testing location.

The hopper of the CB sampler sits directly atop a CalTrans-approved Gilson Quartermaster asphalt sample divider for splitting samples into four 4-gallon buckets. Hopper gate control for discharging into the splitter is by air-actuated cylinders powered by a self-contained air tank.

After the samples have been taken, the hopper can be laid on its side for ease of cleaning. Simply pull on the lock bar handle and reverse the 12-volt winch to recline the hopper to a horizontal position. With the CB sampler laid on its side and secured with deck-mounted toggle clamps, the unit can be towed back to the silo area or to another plant site. See the Here’s How it Works feature on page xx for details.
•    Use this at the plant.
•    For more information, contact Mike Hawkins at (800) 292-6070.

MEEKER COMMUNICATES
The Patriot hot oil heater from Meeker Equipment includes a way to access its status remotely. It features PLC touchscreen technology and “SABER” technology, which is designed to reduce stack temperatures.
•    Use this at the plant.
•    For more information, contact Meeker Equipment at (888) 333-0323 or visit www.meekerequipment.com.

POWERSCREEN COMPRESSES IMPACT CRUSHING
Powerscreen®, a Terex brand, has added the new Powerscreen® Trakpactor 260 and Trakpactor 260SR horizontal shaft impactor tracked crushers for the recycling and demolition markets. The 260 is designed to yield up to 175 TPH of product, is compact and mobile, and includes a Tier 4 Final Scania® DC9 engine. The impact crusher chamber has a feed opening of 34 inches by 24 inches and can be configured with a variety of blow bars.
•    Use this in recycling.
•    For more information, visit www.powerscreen.com or contact Dearbhaile.mulholland@powerscreen.com.

PROCESS HEATS TANKS
Process Heating Company’s Lo-Density® unitized storage tank heaters are designed to be installed into any above-ground tank or vat, and then dissipate controlled heat as low as three watts per square inch on the heater’s sheath to prevent coking or damaging of temperature-sensitive material. Unitized heaters feature the company’s unique drywell-style elements that reside inside the sheath, making them accessible from outside of the tank and eliminating the need to drain the tank to service the elements. UL-listed controls offer easy-to-use complete automation of temperature regulation. The main indicating temperature control regulates the product temperature and includes a high-limit control for safety. There is a main disconnect, and the individually fused heat circuits provide overcurrent protection. All components are mounted and prewired in a NEMA Type 4 enclosure. Custom control panels are also available.
•    Use this at the tank farm.
•    For more information, contact Process Heating at (866) 682-1582 or visit www.processheating.com.

RAP TECH GOES ALL RAP
RAP Technologies offers a portable plant designed for small paving contractors interested in producing their own mixes. The plant uses a 75kW generator. It comprises a dryer, two cold feeds, a baghouse and control room on two trailers. With this setup, it creates up to 100 percent RAP mixes at 50 to 150 TPH, according to the manufacturer.
•    Use this to make asphalt mix.
•    For more information, contact Bob Frank at bobfrank@raptech.us.

STURTEVANT MOVES AIR CLASSIFYING
Aggregate and sand producers with multiple quarries now have an option for a portable air classifier. Sturtevant, Inc., Hanover, Massachusetts, has introduced what it purports is the world’s only self-contained, 100 percent mobile air classifying plant with integral collapsible conveyors. The Whirlwind air classifier and conveyors hydraulically unfold for setup and fold away for breakdown and transport, with no cranes, no boom trucks, no front-end loaders or special crew needed for any part of the operation, according to the manufacturer. Dual hydraulic cylinders provide the steady raising and lowering of the Whirlwind air classifier and the integral, collapsible feed and dual discharge conveyors.

The plant is mounted on a chassis frame with tri-axle suspension for travel on highways and back roads. The compact design features a transport height of 13 feet 5 inches, trailer transport length of 61 feet 9 inches, and transport width of 12 feet 7 inches. The feed capacity is 30 to 90 TPH with a 50-horsepower variable frequency motor.

Other features aggregate and asphalt producers requested include the long, high discharge conveyor for greater stockpile heights of de-dusted manufactured sand, and a feed conveyor intake hopper that is low to the ground and can be fed by a front-end loader. Also, the feed hopper is located behind the trailer rear wheels to prevent feed material spilling onto the chassis. The smaller side conveyor is for byproduct fines. An internal fan lifts minus #200 mesh fines out of the feed, and removable selector blades within the housing control the amount of fines to be removed.

For safety and nuisance dust control, all three belt conveyors are covered and can be vented. In addition, the gravity feed inlet at the top of the classifier is under a slight vacuum to prevent airborne nuisance dust during material transfer. The conveyor covers also help reduce moisture. The air classifier is designed for dry operation and to eliminate the need for screening, cyclones, bag houses or wet washing where water is not readily available or where waste water disposal is a problem.
•    Use this in the quarry.

For more information, contact Sturtevant at (800) 992-0209 or visit www.sturtevantinc.com.