7 Steps to Making Your Asphalt Plant Last

How to make the asphalt mixing plant last in the face of harsh external environmental conditions?

1. Demand quality when purchasing the plant. 

Choose a superior product, because all the maintenance in the world can’t make a poorly manufactured plant last.

2. Buy quality replacement parts. 

You don’t save money when you use cheap replacements, that’s why we buy parts directly from the manufacturer. Parts that fit perfectly reduce wear, last longer and therefore reduce cost.

3. Walk around – a lot. 

You need to have your regular inspections of dryers, the baghouse and other commonsense locations. Yet you also look for wear in less obvious places. Have abrasive aggregates worn down various components of the elevator? Do materials routinely spill in a specific location, which can take a toll over time? If you can’t find something, you’re not looking hard enough.

4. Watch what’s moving. 

There are a lot of moving parts to an asphalt plant. Pay special attention to those moving parts. Moving causes wear and, if one of the moving parts breaks down, it can often damage others.

5. Schedule a regular maintenance day. 

I think the saving grace of any asphalt plant is preventive maintenance. Tasks include maintenance and repairs, as well as inspections that often uncover work for the following weekend. 

6. Utilize outside resources. 

If your team does most of the maintenance, please also ask the manufacturer for certain specialized services. 

7. Think through the process in advance. 

You would be surprised how many frustrations you can avoid by looking and thinking through as many details as possible in advance.

That approach and the others means more maintenance and repairs are completed in a timely manner. And that leaves time for … more maintenance and repairs, which in the end ensures the plant lasts longer.