Astec Digital Platform Connects Plant and Paving Data

Astec Industries, Chattanooga, launched its Signal Connectivity Suite from Astec Digital during CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2026. The platform allows communication and monitoring across all plant and mobile assets, letting the owner stay connected, gain actionable insights, and optimize operations. It provides:

• System Integrations
• Predictive Maintenance
• Machine Learning & AI
• Robotics
• Advanced Simulation
• Extended Reality
• Digital Twins
• Cloud Computing
• Internet of Things

Specifically, Signal includes an asset map, machine overview, plant overview, LiveJob (live tracker), and paver tracker screens. Let’s break down what those highlights provide.

When on the Asset Map screen, you have a visual, location-based view of all assets, allowing you to check key statuses like fuel level and engine hours. This offers you access to your entire fleet for easy navigation and lets you spot assets needing attention.

When on the Machine Overview screen, you have a comprehensive, real-time snapshot of a specific piece of equipment. This shows you “live” machine status indicators for fuel, faults, location, live schematics, and so on, letting you identify any issues with real-time diagnostics and historical data views.

When on the Plant Overview screen, you have a real-time, high-level snapshot in one dashboard of all the plant operations, from production rates and energy use to historical trends. This offers instant visibility into top-level plant performance with production and energy metrics and drill-down views into the individual details like mix information, silo inventory, tank inventory, alarm information, and so on.

When on the LiveJob screen, you have a real-time, live dashboard of ticketed material output and job progress. This gives you visibility into tons loaded and job progress with detailed breakdowns by job, customer, mix and truck rotations.

When on the Paver Tracker screen, you have real-time location and activity tracking of the asphalt paver. This screen provides insight into job activity such as total runtime, distance paved, average feet per minute, idle events and reasons, and it integrates with Astec Digital’s telematics ecosystem for unified data and alerts.

Attendees at CONEXPO-CON/AGG could see live demos of the Signal Connectivity Suite, and you can run through a quick tour at the company’s website. For more information, visit https://www.astecdigital.com/en/digital-solutions/plant-telematics/signal-marketing.html

Among the many products on display, Astec included its well-known Double Barrel® dryer/drum mixer with high RAP capability. At the core of the design is a proprietary two-chamber configuration consisting of an inner drying drum and an outer mixing drum. This configuration ensures virgin aggregate is fully dried in an extended drying zone before entering a flame-free mixing environment, where RAP, liquid asphalt cement, and fines are introduced in a controlled, sequential manner. This process promotes temperature uniformity, thorough coating, and reduced oxidation, supporting clean, efficient operation at high RAP percentages.

The Double Barrel’s sequential, flame-free mixing process is designed to support mix quality even at elevated RAP rates, helping producers reduce virgin material consumption while maintaining performance. The unit on display at CONEXPO-CON/AGG featured these key design improvements, based on customer feedback:

• Enhanced trunnion adjustment design for simplified maintenance;
• Increased drum tire width on portable units for improved load distribution;
• Reinforced suspension designs to extend working life of drum support components;
• Optional bar-spoke suspension configuration for added durability;
• High-wear mixing tips included as standard for extended service life;
• Reversing/interstitial mixing tips designed to increase material dwell time and improve mix quality;
• Improved access and service features including upgraded door hardware, mounting systems, and service platforms; and
• Portable-unit enhancements that simplify setup, teardown, and cable management.

For more information, visit www.astecindustries.com.