| Asphalt plant swing pyrometer |
On asphalt plants the temperature of the feed material is critical to the final quality of the product. Many plants use a pyrometer positioned just above the flow of the material in the dryer discharge chute to ensure an accurate reading. However, there is limited clearance such that when a piece of oversized material leaves the dryer there can be insufficient clearance within the chute around the fixed pyrometer sensor, resulting in a serious plant blockage.
In the past this often led to operators subjecting themselves to the following risks:
• Confined space working;
• Excessive heat exposure;
• Manual handling of any spillage on the floor beside the discharge chute;
• Burns, fumes and fire risk from any spillage; and
• The risk of slips, trips and falls from any spillage
To overcome these issues many plants have moved the pyrometer out of the chute, removing the potential for a blockage but increasing the risk of poor quality control of the product.
A simple swing-mounting arrangement was developed for the pyrometer, directly above the chute. As a result, any oversized material travelling down the chute is able to push the pyrometer out of the way before the pyrometer swings back into position. The ‘Swing Pyrometer’ was fitted to the plant in June 2007 and has to date totally eliminated any blockages.
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