Get 25% more production in three years?
APA Asfalt in Amsterdam produced 440,000 tons of asphalt last year by mixing bitumen with sand, filler, crushed stone and admixtures in a “hot process. From relatively cool ZOAB (150 °C) to poured asphalt (prepared at 300 °C for delivery at 215 °C) … APA Asfalt supplies it all. We spoke with the person responsible for the production process: Patrick Groenendijk. Once started as a shovel operator, and via eight years of mechanic and three years of process operator he grew up to become plant manager. Or, as they say at the plant: mill boss.
What is the production process like?
It is mainly a mixing process, from top to bottom. We start by heating and drying the crushed stone. That then goes by a kind of conveyor belt – the hot ladder to a height of 42 meters, at the top of the plant. Then through a system of sieves and weigh bins to the mixer. There we can also add other ingredients, such as filler (fine lime dust) and dyes for red asphalt, for example.
In what part of the process did Wivé contribute?
Wivé helps us with wear prevention in various process parts, but especially in the mixer. This is like a cement mixer, only slightly larger: it holds four tons. Here the hot asphalt with crushed rock and bitumen continuously scrapes along the walls. The weight, hardness and temperature cause a lot of wear and tear. Until recently, we used special plates with a welded-on layer of Vautid to prevent wear, but that was no longer sufficient.
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But to innovate is to take risks. And it has worked out well.
What wasn’t good about Vautid?
With the growth of production, we were running into limits. Once a year we shut down the mill for a complete overhaul. So the lining has to last at least a year. That was no longer possible. So I was very interested when Ronald van Lent of Wivé asked, “We have something new, would you like to try it out?”. Wivé’s innovation consisted of ceramic mats that are poured into the mold with the cast steel. So you get walls of cast steel with a wear layer of ceramic.
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But to innovate is to take risks. And it has worked out well.
Something entirely new … wasn’t that a risk?
It was exciting for a while, yes. We were especially afraid of the ceramic breaking. The harder the material, the more breakable. So we definitely stuck our necks out with this test. For the same money, you could stop the process again after a week to replace everything. But innovation is about taking risks. And fortunately it worked out well, because the mixer lasted nicely all year. What’s more, this new product offers room for further production growth to 500,000 tons. So for now we can go on for years!