Asphalt mixing plants

BENNINGHOVEN technology – the driver for Romania’s infrastructure

Commissioning of three ECO and TBA asphalt mixing plants

Three asphalt producers in Romania have invested in state-of-the-art technology from BENNINGHOVEN. The asphalt mixing plants are working at different locations in the country, but all are united by one great objective: to build and expand this EU member state’s long-distance road network. They decided to purchase ECO and TBA asphalt mixing plants – for convincing reasons.

Investment in the long-distance road network

Roads connect people, markets and countries. At the same time, they are a key factor in economic success. In Romania, these are important reasons to invest in expanding the motorway network - not least also to promote economic growth and in some cases, make it possible in the first place. An important pan-European goods route with the corresponding heavy traffic passes through this south-east European country, but these long-distance roads are in need of rehabilitation, even though at just 750 kilometres, the network is comparatively small.

Romania has set itself the goal of catching up Europe – and also of launching an infrastructure programme. Overall, the aim is to extend the country’s motorways to a total length of 2,710 kilometres. An impressive 223 kilometres are currently under construction.

BENNINGHOVEN asphalt mixing plants are modernizing the construction industry

In order to be able to benefit from this investment, a great many public and private road construction companies are positioning themselves as looking to the future. As part of this process, more and more asphalt mixing plant owners are relying on efficient, user-friendly technology from BENNINGHOVEN. Not without reason ... the WIRTGEN GROUP company has been involved in Romania for decades and is firmly anchored in the construction industry. In addition to quality and ruggedness, the customer proximity and user-focussed service which people experience play a key role in the company’s great market success.

High level of safety in use, even in earthquake zones

A number of special considerations apply when planning and erecting asphalt mixing plants operated in a country with a high level of seismic activity. In areas like these, standard designs of plant cannot be supplied; it is far more the case that specific designs of plant and safety precautions are necessary for these structures which range from 20 to almost 50 m tall.

This is not new territory for BENNINGHOVEN. All three plant types – ECO, TBA and BA – are split into various load classes from the outset. The company’s internal static calculations then show which load class (earthquake, wind, terrain category) has to be met. The higher this is, the more solid reinforcements and foundations, for example, need to be. This is how BENNINGHOVEN guarantees a high level of safety in use.

ECO 2000 in Timisoara: tailor-made technology, a look for the individual customer

In the west of Romania, SDM Timisoara replaced an existing asphalt mixing plant. A business relationship with the WIRTGEN GROUP going back some thirty years drew the attention of this local authority construction company to the BENNINGHOVEN portfolio.

SDM requires asphalt primarily for rehabilitation projects in and around Timisoara. The decision in terms of plant technology was eventually made in favour of an ECO 2000. This transportable asphalt mixing plant in a container design has made fans of its owners: “There are lots of different options which enable BENNINGHOVEN to satisfy perfectly customer requirements and above all the objectives of the plant,” said Valentin Martanov, general manager at SDM.

New BENNINGHOVEN factory ensures high production quality

In addition to plant technology, these options also cover the plant’s appearance. A specific colour can be required for different reasons, whether local authority specifications to integrate the plant more harmoniously in the environment or a customer’s requirement to implement specific corporate colours. The ECO 2000 in Timisoara is orange. These are the kinds of customer requirement which BENNINGHOVEN can easily satisfy because in its new factory, the WIRTGEN GROUP company has implemented high production standards – and commissioned a new powder-coating facility among other things.

Quality and ruggedness for surfaces: new BENNINGHOVEN powder-coating facility

More than a free choice of colour: the new powdercoating facility enables BENNINGHOVEN to create surfaces with maximum resistance to chemical and mechanical attack. The corrosion protection is especially durable, the surface also resistant to scratches and impact, weathering and abrasion. Furthermore, the surface is UV-resistant – all without any clear varnish finish. Now no need for concessions on colour, either.

ECO 2000 in Bistrita: clean asphalt production in a nature reserve

Another ECO 2000 transportable asphalt mixing plant in a container design was also recently commissioned in the north of Romania. Here, new state-of-the-art BENNINGHOVEN engineering is replacing an old plant.

Its special feature is that it is located in the middle of a nature reserve in one of the most beautiful regions of the country. Local authority conditions were correspondingly stringent.

“With BENNINGHOVEN as a partner, we were able to satisfy all the conditions,” reports Alexandru Simionca, general manager at Indemanarea.

This is because the EVO JET burners, tried and tested for decades and continuously further developed, feature a high level of efficiency in operation. The latest frequency control technology means that emissions are minimal.

At the plant in Bistrita, the single-fuel burner in question is an EVO JET 2 for heating oil.

Tidy compressed air supply: compressor containers from BENNINGHOVEN

A great many of the components in asphalt mixing plants are operated using compressed air. In terms of supply, BENNINGHOVEN leaves the choice to the customer: it is possible to choose between a compressor unit and a compressor container.

The premium solution is the compressor container – with clear benefits: in this case, the screw compressor is fitted inside a standard 20-foot container, opening up a further, useful workshop space for operators, including lighting and a power supply socket.

ECO plants are based on a transport-optimized container system – with the following benefits for users and customers:
  • simple and cost-effective to transport all over the world
  • simple to load
  • enormous time saving
  • rapid commissioning thanks to the “plug & work” principle
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TBA plants are likewise quick to move, as primary components are designed in container form with plug-in cabling and transportable foundations.

TBA 2000 in Blejoi: 80 t mineral store for flexibility

A TBA 2000 in Blejoi, about 50 kilometres north of the capital, Bucharest, has recently started producing high-quality asphalt.

The transportable BENNINGHOVEN plant or TBA for short is the benchmark for a sophisticated asphalt mixing plant of an outstanding quality standard.

TBA plants cover a capacity range from 160 to 320 t/h and are suited to both semi-mobile and stationary applications.

“Our TBA 2000 is very well equipped,” reports Andrei Burlacu, general manager at Strabenbau. This is important, because the ready asphalt mix is not stored, but is mixed and loaded directly to order.

Strabenbau is an ambitious company in the Romanian construction industry.

“We have had very good experience with WIRTGEN GROUP machines,” says Andrei Burlacu. The machine fleet also includes VÖGELE road pavers and HAMM rollers.

The young management team sees potential for growth in asphalt production in particular: a further TBA is already being planned.

High-tech facilitates rapid production of asphalt for direct loading

Two BENNINGHOVEN highlights are particularly valuable for completing direct loading as quickly as possible: the generous hot bin which can hold 80 t of white mineral and the BENNINGHOVEN BLS 3000 control system. The latter controls the TBA via an article-based formula and order system.

This means that as many formulas as the customer wishes can be entered and managed. When orders come in, the suitable formula then usually just needs calling up. The mixing supervisor of the TBA 2000 in Blejoi can react flexibly to delays in the day’s operations by splitting orders into part-orders or interrupting orders to give priority to others. The residual quantity is then stored automatically and taken into account when the order in question is resumed.

More than just new plants: retrofit solutions from BENNINGHOVEN

In addition to new asphalt mixing plants with all their benefits, BENNINGHOVEN also supplies retrofit solutions for existing plants. Adding power to existing asphalt mixing plants by retrofitting them with EVO JET burners, for example, is worthwhile in both economical and ecological terms.

BENNINGHOVEN accordingly offers the option, unique in the world, of being able to burn four different types of fuel. Depending on the burner model, and on which fuel currently has the lower price or better logistical availability in the market, anything from oil to natural and liquid gas all the way to solids like coal dust can be used as fuel. At the push of a button, EVO JET burners can easily and significantly minimize the high costs resulting from price fluctuations, delivery bottlenecks and downtimes.