Bituminous mixing and laying plant

Introduction

The mixing and laying of bitumen for roads and pavements can be undertaken using a range of
different types of plant. The type of plant used will be determined by the type of material that is
required and the process adopted.

Heaters and boilers

Bitumen heaters and boilers range from small mobile units to large permanent plant. The most
common types are:

 Mobile boilers: Mounted on a steel chassis and towed from place to place. The furnace at
the base of the boiler is either gas or oil-fired.
  Static heating and storage tanks: These are heated by oil-fired burners and are available
for high outputs as they can have capacities of up to 18,000 litres. They will usually be
transported on a low loader.

Binder distributors

The most common type of binder distributor is the bulk tank sprayer. The binder is kept at the
required temperature by fitted heating units. A static heating unit feeds the binder into the bulk
tanker which can have a range of tank capacities. A horizontal spray bar and power-driven pump
mounted at the rear of the unit is used to spray the binder over the road surface.

High speed road-surfacing units

These are commonly used in resurfacing projects. The road is sprayed with hot binder and then
coated with grit from a slow-moving machine. A lorry follows behind the chip-spreader to keep
it supplied with chippings. These are fed into a rear hopper and carried on a conveyor to the
spreader.

Road planers and heaters

Road planers heat the bituminous road surface until soft and then make it even by using
revolving blades. The blades cut away to leave a smooth surface that can then be treated as
required.

Road heaters are used on road surfaces that have become too smooth. They dry, heat and burn
the road surface to enable further treatment as required.

Asphalt and bitumen mixing plant

These are either permanent plant installations or small mobile units. They perform a complete
sequence of operations, from drying, to aggregate heating and mixing, to coating them with
binder, to delivering them ready to be laid.
  Drying units: A long rotating cylindrical drum is heated internally by hot gases through
which the aggregate is passed, ensuring that it is thoroughly dry before being coated with
a binder.
 Batch-mixing plants: These have several individual sections – aggregate feeder, drier
unit, binder heater, weighing plant and mechanical mixer.
 Mixing units: These are a form of paddle mixer that enables a thorough mix in a short
space of time.

Spreading and finishing plant

PLANT MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR

The plant maintenance program is vital to consistent production of high quality feeds and no less
important to cost control and assurance to the customer that their feed will arrive on time and to
formula specification (Parr, 1988).

Equipment breakdowns are bad enough as they impede aquaculture feed production, but at least
as bad is machinery which is not working to design which may, through short weighing, or
improper mixing, produce a defective feed.

Such defective feed may, at the least, hurt the farmer’s production and at worst create a serious
crop failure. Also possible is a threat to human health.

Keeping motors, scales, pellet dies, conveyors and all other components of the mill in proper
working order is as important as formulation or the quality of ingredients which go into the
finished feed.

Mechanical or electronic failures may occur from time to time in a complex system like a feed
mill, but proper attention to preventive maintenance will minimize down time and the prospect
of the customer receiving feed which is out of specification. The latter may cause a costly recall
of feed or possibly compensation for damages to the customer’s crop, if the error is not found in
a timely way (Appendix II).

A good preventive maintenance programme should provide adequate maintenance at reasonable

cost (Appendix III).

Preventive Maintenance Objectives:

 Reduce major repairs by correcting minor difficulties as soon as they are evident. This
means listening to your operators who usually recognise before management that
machinery is making a “funny noise” or other irregularity in performance of equipment.
Do not punish employees who are trying to report a defect beyond their control.
 Maintain equipment in a more productive state. Keep it clean; repair or replace lost or
worn parts immediately. Follow the machinery manual recommendations.
  Improve scheduling of repairs. Do not postpone needed repairs. Delaying repairs usually
results in much more costly problems later on.
 Maintain safety. Some parts as they become worn become dangerous, as in worn chain or
belt drives. Staff are valuable and injuries are costly from the standpoint of lost time and
training replacements, not to mention adverse impacts on employee morale.
 Improved customer service. A well-maintained mill looks good to the customer and helps
assure the customer that the feed is made correctly the first time.
 Reduce overall operating costs. The miller of aquaculture feeds benefits from a well-
maintained facility through reduced costs of operation and customer satisfaction.
 Provide trained maintenance personnel. Training of maintenance staff should be a high
priority with high-level management oversight. Too often maintenance is seen as the
bottom of the ladder, when in reality the quality and training of staff for this important
responsibility should be paramount.

Building and Grounds Maintenance:

 The building grounds shall be adequately drained and maintained to be reasonably free
from litter, waste, refuse, uncut weeds or grass, standing water and improperly stored
equipment.
 The buildings shall be maintained in a reasonably clean and orderly manner.
 Adequate space, ventilation and lighting shall be maintained for the proper performance
of all manufacturing, storing, labelling, quality assurance and maintenance aspects of
aquaculture feed manufacturing.

Preventive Maintenance Areas:

 In Appendix IV a checklist is provided to highlight generalised preventive maintenance

functions, which are to be checked periodically. Each plant manager should take this
guideline and revise it to conform to the actual conditions of his plant.
 A log (record) book or computer record should be maintained on a daily basis. Careful
attention should be paid to the equipment manufacturer’s suggested maintenance
schedule(s).
Maintenance on plant and equipment is carried out to prevent problems arising, to put faults
right, and to ensure equipment is working effectively.

Maintenance may be part of a planned programme or may have to be carried out at short notice
after a breakdown. It always involves non-routine activities and can expose those involved (and
others) to a range of risks.

Why is maintenance of plant and equipment important?

An effective maintenance programme will make plant and equipment more reliable. Fewer
breakdowns will mean less dangerous contact with machinery is required, as well as having the
cost benefits of better productivity and efficiency.

Additional hazards can occur when machinery becomes unreliable and develops faults.
Maintenance allows these faults to be diagnosed early to manage any risks. However,
maintenance needs to be correctly planned and carried out. Unsafe maintenance has caused many
fatalities and serious injuries either during the maintenance or to those using the badly
maintained or wrongly maintained/repaired equipment.

The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) require work equipment
and plant to be maintained so it remains safe and the maintenance operation is carried out safely.

What do I have to do?

If you are an employer and you provide equipment for use, from hand tools and ladders to
electrical power tools and larger plant, you need to demonstrate that you have arrangements in
place to make sure they are maintained in a safe condition.

Think about what hazards can occur:

 if tools break during use

 machinery starts up unexpectedly
 there is contact with materials that are normally enclosed within the machine, ie caused
by leaks/breakage/ejection etc
Failing to correctly plan and communicate clear instructions and information before starting
maintenance can lead to confusion and can cause accidents. This can be a particular problem if
maintenance is during normal production work or where there are contractors who are unfamiliar
with the site.

How can I do it?

Establishing a planned maintenance programme may be a useful step towards reducing risk, as
well as having a reporting procedure for workers who may notice problems while working on
machinery.

Some items of plant and equipment may have safety-critical features where deterioration would
cause a risk. You must have arrangements in place to make sure the necessary inspections take
place.

But there are other steps to consider:

Before you start maintenance

 Decide if the work should be done by specialist contractors. Never take on work for
which you are not prepared or competent
 Plan the work carefully before you start, ideally using the manufacturer’s maintenance
instructions, and produce a safe system of work. This will avoid unforeseen delays and
reduce the risks
 Make sure maintenance staff are competent and have appropriate clothing and equipment
 Try and use downtime for maintenance. You can avoid the difficulties in co-ordinating
maintenance and production work if maintenance work is performed before start-up or
during shutdown periods

Safe working areas

 You must provide safe access and a safe place of work

  Don’t just focus on the safety of maintenance workers – take the necessary precautions to
ensure the safety of others who may be affected by their work, eg other employees or
contractors working nearby
 Set up signs and barriers and position people at key points if they are needed to keep
other people out

Safe plant and equipment

Plant and equipment must be made safe before maintenance starts.

Safe isolation

 Ensure moving plant has stopped and isolate electrical and other power supplies. Most
maintenance should be carried out with the power off. If the work is near uninsulated,
overhead electrical conductors, eg close to overhead travelling cranes, cut the power off
first
 Lock off machines if there is a chance the power could be accidentally switched back on
 Isolate plant and pipelines containing pressured fluid, gas, steam or hazardous material.
Lock off isolating valves

Other factors you need to consider

 Release any stored energy, such as compressed air or hydraulic pressure that could cause
the machine to move or cycle
 Support parts of plant that could fall, eg support the blades of down-stroking bale cutters
and guillotines with blocks
 Allow components that operate at high temperatures time to cool
 Place mobile plant in neutral gear, apply the brake and chock the wheels
 Safely clean out vessels containing flammable solids, liquids, gases or dusts, and check
them before hot work is carried out to prevent explosions. You may need specialist help
and advice to do this safely
 Avoid entering tanks and vessels where possible. This can be very high-risk work. If
required, get specialist help to ensure adequate precautions are taken
  Clean and check vessels containing toxic materials before work starts

Dos and don’ts of plant and equipment maintenance

Do…

 ensure maintenance is carried out by a competent person (someone who has the necessary
skills, knowledge and experience to carry out the work safely)
 maintain plant and equipment regularly – use the manufacturer’s maintenance
instructions as a guide, particularly if there are safety-critical features
 have a procedure that allows workers to report damaged or faulty equipment
 provide the proper tools for the maintenance person
 schedule maintenance to minimise the risk to other workers and the maintenance person
wherever possible
 make sure maintenance is done safely, that machines and moving parts are isolated or
locked and that flammable/explosive/toxic materials are dealt with properly

Don’t…

 ignore maintenance
 ignore reports of damaged or unsafe equipment
 use faulty or damaged equipment