A bituminous distributor is an extremely specialized engineering equipment used to spread a uniform, controlled, liquid bituminous material (e.g. hot asphalt cement, cutback bitumen, emulsified bitumen) onto a road surface.
The machine is usually fitted on a truck for ease of transportation and stability on long trips. It provides a link between the raw material storage and the physical pavement application, making sure that the base layers of a highway are tightly connected with microscopic precision.
List the core components and how they operate.
A typical bituminous distributor consists of several thermal, hydraulic and mechanical components in perfect harmony. One has to examine its anatomy to understand what value it has.
The viscosity of bitumen is dependant on operating temperatures and the temperatures in which bitumen is maintained during operations, particularly hot mixes, are very critical and often exceed the temperature of 150°C. The distributor tank is very well insulated (typically high density rock wool or fiberglass) and fitted with internal heating flues and diesel burners for maintaining and/or increasing the material temperature during transport.
The bitumen pump is the main component of a bitumen pump truck, it is a strong-positive-displacement type bitumen pump. Rather than pumping material outward, it is continuously recirculating the liquid bitumen in the machine when it is not pumping. This continuous circulation keeps bitumen from cooling off, solidifying or separating, which would otherwise lead to a clog in the system.
The spray bar is at the back of the truck and is made up of a series of precisely spaced nozzles. Modern bars are hydraulic, and can be extended horizontally up to 6 meters wide in one pass. Nozzles are precisely positioned and adjusted to deliver “triple-overlap” which guarantees equal amounts of binder are applied to every square centimeter of the road.
The distribution of bitumen has been in existence for many years, but today’s infrastructure projects require a degree of precision that just isn’t delivered by traditional machines. Here, the SINOTO Bitumen Distributor establishes a new standard in the world.
SINOTO distributors are designed to withstand hard use and operate with computer intelligence, which converts an old spraying process into a high-tech and automatic spraying process.
The SINOTO distributor’s feature is the high-tech, cabin-integrated PLC control panel. In older machinery, it was the operator’s job to make manual adjustments to pump pressures and truck speeds to set a desired application rate. In the SINOTO smart system, the operator just enters the application rate desired (0.5kg/m²). The bitumen pump speed is automatically matched to the truck’s ground speed, using radar sensors on board the computer. When the truck is slowing down because of an inclined surface the pump automatically adjusts the output so that there is an absolutely uniform application to the whole project.
SINOTO engineering is committed to energy efficiency. The dual burner heating system in our tanks is coupled with the optimized internal flue system that provides quick heating of bitumen without local scorching. Exterior polished stainless steel clad over high quality insulation for an efficient heat retention during long distance moves to remote locations.
Hot bitumen can present a danger when used. To solve this problem SINOTO provides dual control stations. The operator can control the spray bar folding/unfolding, as well as the entire spraying operation from the safety of the truck cab. For special structural adjustments, a secondary rear platform with manual overrides is also available.
What are the structural implications of precision distribution?
What makes contractors around the globe choose SINOTO machinery for their prestigious highway projects? Given that mistakes in bitumen delivery can result in catastrophic failures in the pavement. Check out our case studies.
Consequences of over-application by a distributor are excess binders that bleed to the surface under heavy traffic, creating slick and hazardous driving conditions, called “flushing” or “bleeding.
Too little bitumen (under-application) results in inadequate bonding in the aggregate layers. This causes fast raveling, pothole formation and the infiltration of water into the road subbase, resulting in destruction of the road subbase within a few seasons.
The SINOTO distributor reduces these risks by precisely designing its nozzle geometry and computer-controlled pressure tracking. It guarantees a uniform binder thickness, maintaining the pavement’s “elasticity and water-resistance” over time.
A bituminous distributor is more than a tank truck with a spray bar, it is a precision instrument that determines the structural survival of a road network. In today’s world of growing global logistics networks, and the necessity of heavier axle loads, there is more need than ever before for perfect application of the binder.
When a road construction company or even a municipal fleet invests in a SINOTO bitumen distributor, they are sure to give themselves a definite competitive advantage.
Call our worldwide sales and engineering team to get a personalised technical specification sheet for your local truck chassis and project needs.
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