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Which Type of Hot Mix Asphalt Mixing Plant Do You Like to Choose?
Oct 28, 2025
In road construction and maintenance projects, the choice of hot mix asphalt mixing plant directly impacts construction efficiency, cost control, and project quality. Many practitioners struggle early on: Should they choose a mobile or stationary asphalt plant? And how should they choose between a continuous drum plant and a batch plant? In reality, there's no "absolutely optimal" equipment; only options that "fit the needs."
Projects situation
The key difference between mobile and stationary asphalt plants lies in site adaptability and long-term utilization. Neither is superior or inferior; the key is whether your project model is "distributed across multiple locations" or "centralized, long-term."
1. Mobile asphalt plant
The core advantage of mobile asphalt plants is their disassembly and ease of transport. The main unit is divided into modules, including a drying drum, mixing tank, and finished product storage area, which can be transported to different construction sites via trailer. On-site installation and commissioning typically takes no more than three days. This makes them particularly suitable for two scenarios:
Short-term emergency projects: rural road repairs and local highway maintenance
Multi-site, dispersed projects: the reconstruction of multiple rural roads within a county
However, mobile asphalt stations also have limitations: their single-unit production capacity is low (typically ≤100 tons/hour) and is significantly affected by site flatness and power supply stability. They are not suitable for long-term, high-intensity production (for example, projects with daily production capacity requirements exceeding 200 tons).
2. Stationary asphalt batching plant
Fixed asphalt plants require a foundation (concrete base and pipelines) at a designated site. They feature highly integrated equipment and a significantly higher production capacity than mobile plants (standard models offer 150-300 tons/hour, with higher specifications available). Their core value lies in scalability and high efficiency, making them suitable for the following scenarios:
Large-scale infrastructure projects: They have long construction periods (over six months) and high daily demand (over 200 tons). Fixed stations offer high production capacity to meet the demands of continuous construction.
Regional asphalt supply centers: Some companies build fixed asphalt mixing plant at transportation hubs to centrally supply asphalt to multiple construction sites in the surrounding area. This centralized production reduces unit costs (for example, fuel consumption is 8%-12% lower than with mobile stations).
It's important to note that fixed asphalt plant require high initial investment (equipment and infrastructure costs are approximately 2-3 times that of mobile stations) and cannot be relocated. Site selection requires comprehensive consideration of the raw material transportation radius (sand, gravel, and asphalt transportation costs), the finished product distribution range, and environmental requirements (fixed stations require more comprehensive dust removal and noise reduction facilities).
Production model
After determining the general direction of mobile/stationary production, the core production process must be selected: continuous drum or batch type. The differences between the two primarily lie in batching accuracy, production efficiency, and applicable materials.
1. Continuous drum type
The continuous drum method operates on the principle of "drying and mixing simultaneously": gravel is continuously fed into the drum from one end, dried by flames while continuously mixing with the injected asphalt, and the finished product is continuously discharged from the other end. The core advantages of this model are process consistency and high efficiency, making it suitable for the following scenarios:
Single-specification asphalt production: For example, rural road maintenance requires only a single grade of asphalt mixture (such as AC-13), eliminating the need for frequent formula adjustments. Continuous production maximizes production capacity.
For projects with low batching precision requirements: Continuous batching uses "dynamic continuous metering" with an accuracy typically within ±3% (within the industry standard range). This is adequate for projects with lower road surface grades (such as factory roads and sidewalks).
The continuous process also has significant shortcomings: limited flexibility in formula adjustment (changing the aggregate ratio or asphalt dosage requires stopping the machine to adjust the metering system, which takes 1-2 hours), and inability to produce specialty asphalts that require high temperature and mix precision (such as modified asphalt and rubberized asphalt).
2. Batch type
The core principle of the batch type asphalt plant is "batch production": sand and gravel are first dried and screened, then precisely metered according to the recipe ratio and fed into the mixing tank. Asphalt is then added and mixed until uniformly mixed. Once one batch is completed, the next batch can be produced. The advantages of this "batch" production process lie in its high batching accuracy and flexible formulations. It is applicable for:
High-grade pavement construction: the use of modified asphalt or multi-specification mixes (e.g., AC-13 for the top course and AC-20 for the mid-course) is required. Intermittent mixing systems offer a static metering accuracy of ±1%, ensuring stable mix performance.
Projects with frequent multiple-formula changes: Some projects require formula adjustments based on road section requirements (e.g., higher slip resistance required for slopes and curves). Intermittent systems can complete formula changes within 10-15 minutes, without disrupting the construction schedule. The stationary batch asphalt plant is an mainstream choice.
Original source: https://www.concretebatchplanthm.com/a/which-type-of-hot-mix-asphalt-mixing-plant-do-you-like-to-choose.html
Tags: stationary asphalt plant
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