An investment with a future.

Commissioning of a TBA 3000 in Bergamo

The first BENNINGHOVEN plant to produce asphalt in Italy: A TBA 3000 improves productivity and flexibility for its operator, PMB s.p.a.

The city of Bergamo is known throughout Italy for its thriving industry and one of its most important sectors is the production of building materials. The latest innovation in this sector is a recently acquired asphalt mixing plant from BENNINGHOVEN. And it’s something of a sensation. The TBA 3000 plant is the very first that BENNINGHOVEN has delivered to Italy as this market is dominated by local suppliers. So what made the difference? “Our machine pool comprises 20 WIRTGEN milling machines, VÖGELE pavers and HAMM rollers. That’s why we have so much confidence in the WIRTGEN GROUP. Once we had visited the BENNINGHOVEN factory and examined the performance characteristics, we were fully convinced that they were the right choice.” This is how the partners of PMB s.p.a, Angelo Legrenzi, Mauro Bergamelli and Matteo Bergamelli, explain their investment in technology “made in Germany”.

PMB s.p.a.'s TBA 3000 in Bergamo, Italy

First-class technology for high-grade asphalt

The transportable BENNINGHOVEN type TBA asphalt mixing plants are characterized by their modular design, large performance range, ability to add more than 70% of RAP material, high robustness and wide range of options. These features make the acquisition of a TBA 3000 plant a strategic decision for PMB s.p.a., since it allows the company to boost its productivity, gain flexibility with regards to new market requirements and significantly improve its eco-friendliness.

Italy’s BENNINGHOVEN pioneers: the three managing directors of PMB s.p.a., Angelo Legrenzi, Mauro Bergamelli and Matteo Bergamelli

3 metric tons of asphalt every 45 seconds

The TBA 3000 delivered to PMB is equipped with a 3,000 kg mixer and guarantees a mixing output of 240 t/h. Plants of this type are typically designed to be extremely robust, which even allows them to be installed in earthquake zones and makes them resistant to high wind loads. Nevertheless, every TBA plant can be easily transported and quickly installed at another location thanks to their modular design and the preinstalled cabling designed for rapid connection.

Rising demand for RC processing

Specializing in asphalt production, “Produzione Materiali Bituminosi” – or PMB s.p.a. for short – was founded in 1980 as a joint venture between three companies that had already been actively involved in this sector since the 1950s. PMB operates two asphalt mixing plants in the immediate vicinity of the A4 motorway, one of the busiest in Europe. The need to replace one of these plants was used as an opportunity to upgrade the technology for the future.

The TBA 3000 with a multivariable feed system delivers impressive asphalt quality even at an RAP material rate of 40%.

Highlights of the recycling process: Granulator and multivariable feed system

Two central components enable a high portion of RAP material to be used: the upstream stationary granulator SBRG 2000 and the multivariable RC feed system. The innovative BENNINGHOVEN granulator crushes the reclaimed asphalt in a particularly gentle manner, preserving the grain structure. In the asphalt mixing plant, this RAP granulate is delivered “cold” to the mixer via a multi-variable feed system. The procedure works as follows: A space-saving elevator delivers the granulate to the mixing tower. The defined feed quantity is then delivered to the mixer in small quantities. This prevents shocks caused by steam expansion, thus protecting the plant and minimizing maintenance.

Granulator SBRG 2000 and the multivariable RC feed system

Modern BENNINGHOVEN bitumen tanks increase efficiency even further

As well as the recycling technologies, PMB attaches great importance to diversity: “We want to offer our customers the broadest possible range of asphalt grades. That’s why we opted for multiple bitumen tanks – not least because it enables us to store modified bitumen,” says Angelo Legrenzi from PMB. BENNINGHOVEN also offers an innovative solution here: The temperature of the hot bitumen held in the tanks is maintained electrically – and thus economically – at between 160–180°C and is continuously agitated by the BENNINGHOVEN mixing nozzle.