Asphalt batch mix plant and asphalt drum mix plant are different in many aspects, ranging from working principle, equipment structure, finished mixture to the price of asphalt plant for sale. If you want to buy a set of asphalt plant, it’s supposed to be first question you must give much consideration. Once you make a decision between asphalt batch mix plant for sale and asphalt drum mix plant for sale, other issues will follow.
There are two kinds of asphalt plants, asphalt batch plant and asphalt drum plant. The former produces finished mixture in batches with a short interval; the latter can continuously produce finished mixture without interruption. Therefore, in some countries or regions, asphalt batch plant is also called the intermittent asphalt plant, and asphalt drum plant is also called the continuous asphalt plant.
How do they mix? What are the differences in the finished mixture they produce? Which projects are they suitable for separately? What is the difference in price of them? this article will give you a detailed explanation.
The Differences Between Asphalt Batch Mix Plant and Asphalt Drum Mix Plant?
1. Working Principle
①Asphalt Batch Mix Plant
Instruction
After being poured into suitable hoppers according to the particle size, cold aggregates are conveyed by the conveyor belt to the vibrating screen, where the cold aggregates with particle size larger than 4 cm are filtered out, and other cold aggregates are sent to the drying drum by a diagonal belt conveyor. Hot aggregates enter the elevator from the burner end of drying drum after being dried and heated. With its help, hot aggregates reach the vibrating screens. Depending on the size of the mesh, hot aggregates are sieved to different silos. Through accurate weighing, the hot aggregates in different silos are batched into the mixer according to the ratio designated ahead. Mineral powder also falls from the screw conveyor, and the heated liquid bitumen also sprays from the nozzle. After mixing, finished mixture is produced one batch by another.
② Asphalt Drum Mix Plant
Instruction
Drying drum of asphalt drum plant has functions of drying, heating and stirring. The cold aggregates go into the non-stop rotating drum from the hoppers via conveyor belt, in which cold aggregates are dried and heated in sequence. The nozzle in the drying drum continuously sprays the bitumen, and mixture comes out uninterruptedly with the drum rotating.
2. Equipment Structure
① Graphical Representation of Systems of Asphalt Drum Mix Plant and Asphalt Drum Mix Plant
② The Differences in Devices of Asphalt Batch Mix Plant and Asphalt Drum Mix Plant
| Model | Asphalt Batch Mix Plant | Asphalt Drum Mix Plant |
| Cold Aggregate Weighing Device | No | No/Belt Weighing Device(Rough Weighing) |
| Powder Bin | Yes（Add Additives Such as Mineral Powder and Fiber） | No |
| Powder Weighing Device | Yes | No |
| Screw Conveyer | Yes | No |
| Bitumen Weighing Device | Yes | No |
| Variable Frequency Motor Driving Bitumen Pump | No | Yes |
| Vibrating Screen | Yes（4—5 layers) | No |
| Mixer | Yes | No |
| Dust Collector | Volute Dust Collector + Baghouse Dust Collector | Cyclone Dust Filter（Capacity≤40t/h） Water Dust Collector（Capacity＞ |
③Instruction
After being heated, cold aggregates must be accurately sieved and weighed before entering the mixer. Hence it is not necessary to add a weighing device to the feeding system of asphalt batch plant.
Asphalt drum plant doesn’t have a mixer, and the powder cannot be sufficiently stirred like it’s in asphalt batch plant, so no powder can be added.
As to asphalt batch plant, before spraying in the mixer,the bitumen must be accurately weighed; Asphalt drum plant has no such a bitumen weighing device, but it can use bitumen pump that can be driven by variable frequency motor to control the amount of bitumen added during mixing process.
Asphalt batch plant has a precise weighing system, which makes it able to monitor the oil-stone ratio in real time and change oil-stone ratio at any time; Asphalt drum mixing plant does not have an accurate weighing system, and oil-stone ratio cannot be monitored in real time.
The environmental protection performance of asphalt batch mix plant is higher than that of asphalt drum mix plant.Because it is ordinarily equipped with one volute dust collector and one bag-house dust collector. You can choose to add a bag-house dust collector if local environmental requirements are higher.
Asphalt batch mix plant can add admixtures such as fibers, foams, rubber particles,etc.to the components through the admixture system,which makes itself meet more different road paving requirements, so it has wider applicability.
3. Finished Mixture
① The Difference in Finished Mixture of Asphalt Batch Plant and Asphalt Drum Plant
| Model | Asphalt Batch Mix Plant | Asphalt Drum Mix Plant |
| Capacity（t/h） | 40—240 | 25—80 |
| Applicable Project | Large and Medium | Small |
| Suitable Pavement | High-level Roads like Highway | Low-grade Roads in Villages and Towns |
②Instruction
The capacity of asphalt batch plant is usually large, suitable for large and medium-sized projects. The finished mixture is of high quality and suitable for paving high-grade roads, such as highways.
The capacity of asphalt drum mix plant is relatively small and can only be used for small projects. Due to the lack of accurate weighing, no powder can be added, oil-stone ratio cannot be accurately changed, the quality of finished mixture is comparatively low, only suitable for low-grade roads.
The Advantages and Disadvantages of Asphalt Batch Mix Plant and Asphalt Drum Mix Plant:
Both have their own advantages and disadvantages. Asphalt batch plant is widely used now due to good quality of finished mixture, while asphalt drum plant has high cost-effectiveness, and can be applied to a large number of low-grade roads in towns and villages.
| Model | Asphalt Batch Mix Plant | Asphalt Drum Mix Plant |
| Advantages | Cold Aggregates Undergo High Precision Screening and all Components are Accurately Weighed |
Compact Structure, Convenient for Transportation and Relocation |
| Able to Add Various Admixtures | Less Land Footprint and could be Located in Narrow or Confined Areas |
|
| Monitor the Oil-stone Ratio in Real Time and Change Oil-stone Ratio during Operation |
Relatively Low Operating Cost | |
| Adopt Pulse Baghouse Dust Collector, Environmental Performance is fine |
Low Investment Cost and High Cost-effectiveness |
|
| High Degree of Intelligence in Control System |
Particularly Suitable for Countries and Regions that are Rapidly Developing Rural Transport |
|
| High Quality of Finished Mixture | ||
| Applicable to Large-scale and High-grade Road Construction Projects |
||
| Disadvantages | More Land Footprint, Small Place is not Suitable |
No Accurate weighing and Precise Screening |
| High Initial Investment | Can’t Add Various Admixtures | |
| High Maintenance and Operation Cost | Unable to Monitor and Accurately Change Oil-stone Ratio during the Operation |
|
| Complex Structure, not Easy to Master Quickly | Simple Dust collectors and Relatively Less environmental-friendly |
|
| Low Quality of Finished Mixture |
How To Make a Choice Between Asphalt Batch Mix Plant and Asphalt Drum Mix Plant?
If the project is large in scale, high in grade, or needs to change oil-stone ratio in operation, asphalt batch mix plant is supposed to be a good choice.
If the project scale is small, the grade is low, and environmental protection requirements are not very high, asphalt drum mix plant is probably the best choice.
Take project requirements and project budget in consideration and select asphalt batch mix plant or asphalt drum mix plant customized for you. For example, you can demand to add one more baghouse dust collector to the asphalt drum plant or add recycling and utilization system to asphalt batch mix plant, etc.