TBA 3000 – Retrofit increases flexibility

Hermann Schäfer GmbH & Co. KG from Weilmünster in Germany is a pioneer when it comes to sustainability. The road construction company, which was founded in 1911, has been using an asphalt plant with recycling feed for many years. In addition to this, several photovoltaic systems supply the power for emissions-free, self-sufficient heating of the bitumen tanks.

To increase the flexibility of asphalt production with the existing Benninghoven asphalt mixing plant TBA 3000, Schäfer recently invested in a Retrofit project. Expanding the cold feed unit for the virgin mineral has made it much easier to produce different asphalt recipes in sequence, saving time and money.

Two additional cold feed units installed as a Retrofit

Hermann Schäfer GmbH & Co. KG recently placed an order with Benninghoven for a Retrofit project. Two additional cold feed units, into which the mineral material is loaded, increase the flexibility of the company’s TBA 3000. “This means that our asphalt mixing plant can implement a variety of different recipes within a very short time,” says the experienced mixing forement Dietmar Lehnhardt. “In the past, we had to drain the feed unit with the ≤ 32 mm mineral size every evening in order to be flexible in the morning.”

A total of six cold feed units would have been sufficient, so one additional one instead of two. “We decided to have seven in total so we can be ready to go at all times.”

The Retrofit project was planned and implemented by the experts at the Benninghoven engineering office. “The collaboration went smoothly from the start. The Benninghoven team did a great job, from the consultation on site and the implementation to commissioning” the mixing foreman acknowledges. The complex mechanical and electrical integration into the overall plant was also carried out to the full satisfaction of Hermann Schäfer GmbH & Co. KG.

The partnership with Benninghoven has a longstanding tradition.

“Working together for this long builds up a certain level of trust and familiarity,” says Falco Schäfer, Managing Director of Hermann Schäfer GmbH & Co. KG. “Our partnership with Benninghoven has been a factor in our success for decades.” It was started by his grandfather and predecessor, who used to run the company before him.

Schäfer has been recycling asphalt for a long time: “We have long since been aware of the importance of running a sustainable and eco-friendly operation,” says Falco Schäfer. The Benninghoven asphalt mixing plant forms the basis for working with minimised use of resources: “With our TBA 3000, we can produce asphalt with up to 40 % recycling material. We make best possible use of that.” This is made possible by the cold recycling technology of the multivariable feed unit from Benninghoven which gently adds reclaimed asphalt directly into the mixer in synch with the cycle. This prevents water hammer events and therefore protects the mixer and the plant.

Photovoltaic system as another contribution to environmental protection

As a company that is committed to green operation, Hermann Schäfer GmbH & Co. KG also has other strategies in place. Several photovoltaic systems on the roofs of the company buildings make the production of asphalt mixtures with the TBA 3000 particularly eco-friendly and sustainable. They supply solar power and reduce the CO₂ footprint in the long term.

Schäfer use the free electricity exclusively to power the mixing plant with sustainable energy. The heating of the bitumen tanks is mostly self-sufficient.