TBA 3000 – Retrofit increases flexibility

TBA 3000 – Retrofit increases flexibility

Innovative asphalt production since 1911

Expanding the cold feed unit increases the flexibility of an existing TBA 3000, which is particularly eco friendly thanks to asphalt recycling and solar power.

Hermann Schäfer GmbH & Co. KG from Weilmünster in Germany is a pioneer when it comes to sustainability. The road construction company, which was founded in 1911, has been using an asphalt plant with recycling feed for many years. In addition to this, several photovoltaic systems supply the power for emissions-free, self-sufficient heating of the bitumen tanks.

To increase the flexibility of asphalt production with the existing Benninghoven asphalt mixing plant TBA 3000, Schäfer recently invested in a Retrofit project. Expanding the cold feed unit for the virgin mineral has made it much easier to produce different asphalt recipes in sequence, saving time and money.

For more flexibility in asphalt production: Two cold feed units were added to the TBA 3000 in Weilmünster.

Hermann Schäfer GmbH & Co. KG is a medium-sized construction company with a long tradition. Founded in 1911, Schäfer today employs around 120 people. For some time, the company in Weilmünster in the German Taunus region has been running an asphalt mixing plant that forms the backbone for roadworks within a radius of around 100 km.

The partnership with Benninghoven started in 1974 with a Retrofit project in the form of a Benninghoven burner for the asphalt mixing plant run by the company at the time. This was followed by an investment in a Benninghoven asphalt mixing plant of type TBA 3000, which is still producing asphalt for the company's installation crews and for sale to third parties. The Schäfer installation crews install 80 % of the produced asphalt using Vögele road pavers. The machine fleet also includes cold milling machines from Wirtgen, which are used in resurfacing projects and generate recycling material.

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Two additional cold feed units installed as a Retrofit

Hermann Schäfer GmbH & Co. KG recently placed an order with Benninghoven for a Retrofit project. Two additional cold feed units, into which the mineral material is loaded, increase the flexibility of the company’s TBA 3000. “This means that our asphalt mixing plant can implement a variety of different recipes within a very short time,” says the experienced mixing forement Dietmar Lehnhardt. “In the past, we had to drain the feed unit with the ≤ 32 mm mineral size every evening in order to be flexible in the morning.”

A total of six cold feed units would have been sufficient, so one additional one instead of two. “We decided to have seven in total so we can be ready to go at all times.”

The Retrofit project was planned and implemented by the experts at the Benninghoven engineering office. “The collaboration went smoothly from the start. The Benninghoven team did a great job, from the consultation on site and the implementation to commissioning” the mixing foreman acknowledges. The complex mechanical and electrical integration into the overall plant was also carried out to the full satisfaction of Hermann Schäfer GmbH & Co. KG.

“With our TBA 3000, we can produce asphalt with up to 40 % recycling material. We make best possible use of that.”

Falco Schäfer, Managing Director of Hermann Schäfer GmbH & Co. KG

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“Working together for this long builds up a certain level of trust and familiarity. Our partnership with Benninghoven has been a factor in our success for decades.”

Falco Schäfer, Managing Director of Hermann Schäfer GmbH & Co. KG

The partnership with Benninghoven has a longstanding tradition.

“Working together for this long builds up a certain level of trust and familiarity,” says Falco Schäfer, Managing Director of Hermann Schäfer GmbH & Co. KG. “Our partnership with Benninghoven has been a factor in our success for decades.” It was started by his grandfather and predecessor, who used to run the company before him.

Schäfer has been recycling asphalt for a long time: “We have long since been aware of the importance of running a sustainable and eco-friendly operation,” says Falco Schäfer. The Benninghoven asphalt mixing plant forms the basis for working with minimised use of resources: “With our TBA 3000, we can produce asphalt with up to 40 % recycling material. We make best possible use of that.” This is made possible by the cold recycling technology of the multivariable feed unit from Benninghoven which gently adds reclaimed asphalt directly into the mixer in synch with the cycle. This prevents water hammer events and therefore protects the mixer and the plant.

TBA 3000 – Retrofit increases flexibility

Longstanding partnership: Both companies have come a long way since the first order from Schäfer – for a burner – to Benninghoven in 1974. What has not changed is the loyal cooperation between them.

Photovoltaic system as another contribution to environmental protection

As a company that is committed to green operation, Hermann Schäfer GmbH & Co. KG also has other strategies in place. Several photovoltaic systems on the roofs of the company buildings make the production of asphalt mixtures with the TBA 3000 particularly eco-friendly and sustainable. They supply solar power and reduce the CO₂ footprint in the long term.

Schäfer use the free electricity exclusively to power the mixing plant with sustainable energy. The heating of the bitumen tanks is mostly self-sufficient.

Self-sufficient and no emissions: Several photovoltaic systems on the roofs of the Schäfer buildings supply the asphalt mixing plant with power.

Hermann Schäfer GmbH & Co. KG

Founded in 1911, Hermann Schäfer GmbH & Co. KG is a construction company in Germany with a long tradition. In Weilmünster in the Taunus region, Schäfer produces asphalt mixtures that are primarily used by the company’s own installation teams for roadworks projects in the region. Falco Schäfers represents the fifth generation in the management of the family-owned company.

In addition to producing and installing asphalt, the company also works in the fields of earthwork and in water supply and sewer construction. The services further include restoration and development of land. With the provision of infrastructure for wind turbines all over Germany, Hermann Schäfer GmbH & Co. KG has opened up another promising business field.