Roadtec’s CB-100 Conveyor Broom
BY AsphaltPro Staff
When it comes to collecting RAP on the job site, it can also be worthwhile to establish a method for gathering fine material. Fine material typically has a higher asphalt content than normal RAP–around 7 percent, Roadtec’s Kyle Hammon estimates–and that can mean big money for contractors who also own an asphalt plant. That’s exactly what the team at Roadtec had in mind when they engineered the CB-100 mobile, self-propelled conveyor broom. Here’s how it works.
The CB-100 is designed to clean the surface behind the milling machine, as well as capture fines for use back at the asphalt plant. The machine, powered by a 99 horsepower Kubota engine, can travel at speeds up to 10 miles per hour. It also features a folding conveyor design for easier and more efficient transit to and from the jobsite.
Fine material capture starts with the CB-100 flow system design. First, front-mounted rakes detach debris from the road surface. Next, strike-off blades cut material heights to a manageable level.
Then, the material is swept up by the 72-inch-wide brush, which rotates at 150 rpm. Its enclosed brush housing helps to contain fine material while dual moldboards direct material to the center to prevent end gate material loss. The brush’s adjustable, free floating design–controlled by the operator–enables the brush to reach every crevice. A cyclone air filter prevents fine material from infiltrating the operator’s cabin.
As fines are collected, they’re channeled to the machine’s 48-inch-wide primary conveyor, which pulls material out of the housing and transfers it to the CB-100’s 24-inch-wide secondary, or discharge, conveyor. The secondary conveyor is equipped with a canvas cover, similar to what you might see on a milling machine, to mitigate material loss. Unlike a milling machine, the secondary conveyor also has solid side walls to keep material from escaping on its way to the dump truck.
The secondary conveyor ejects fine material into a dump truck traveling in front of the CB-100, eliminating the need for a vacuum truck. The fines can then be returned to the asphalt plant to recover the cost of the broom and eventually become an additional revenue stream for the contractor.
For more information, contact Eric Baker at (800) 272-7100 or ebaker@roadtec.com.