The industry specialists were given an in-depth look behind the scenes during the tours of the Benninghoven plants in Mülheim and Wittlich. The considerable vertical manufacturing range and the handling of the enormous components used in the production of the gigantic steel structures were very impressive, as was the machinery exhibition that provided a superb overview of the sophisticated product range in the Wirtgen Group mineral technologies business sector. This event offered an ideal opportunity for industry experts to compare notes.
Application expertise and project support for customer success
In addition to our premium products, the range of services offered by the Wirtgen Group in the mineral technologies business sector is based on sound applications expertise and reliable after-sales solutions. In the project business, in particular, expert knowledge and best practice are crucial if potential is to be harnessed to the full, using the correct machine or plant for every application.
Steel giants in action
The applications experts at the Wirtgen Group staged exciting live demonstrations as how things can actually work in practice. The two surface miners 2200 SM 3.8 and 2500 SM are representative of the wide range of applications for which the Wirtgen machines are used in the productive extraction of soft to hard stone. The 111-t Wirtgen surface miner 2500 SM operated at an impressive 1,065 HP when mining material and loading it directly on to trucks via a conveyor belt. Kleemann was notable not only for its interlinked machine combination consisting of the jaw crusher MC 110 Z EVO, the cone crusher MCO 9 EVO and the screening unit MS 16 D for crushing natural stone in various high-quality final grain sizes in a three-stage process chain. Once the mobile impact crusher MR 130 ZS EVO 2 had clearly demonstrated how even large quantities of natural stone can be processed, the Kleemann jaw crusher MC 110 Z EVO showed how both machines can also deal effortlessly with high-performance concrete and construction waste recycling. Host of the event, Benninghoven, hit the mark with its granulator MBRG 2000-2 and the gentle granulation of RAP with subsequent separation into two fractions. And, that's not all! The operation and control of the asphalt mixing plant TBA 3000 was demonstrated on site, covering the material flow from the cold feed stage through the drying and heating processes to the actual mixing process and subsequent loading of the finished mixture.
Presentations by international specialists
International specialists shared their knowledge and practical experience in talks on such topics as polymer bitumen and recycling technologies. Themed exhibitions on the technological core competencies of the Wirtgen Group product brands are a recurrent feature at the Group's get-togethers. During the 2015 Mineral Technology Days, trade visitors were invited to explore the fascinating world of Wirtgen cutting technology, the highlights of the Kleemann EVOseries and the modern Benninghoven recycling management system, from RAP processing to the feed systems for the asphalt mixing plants.
Product range bursting with innovations
No fewer than 19 exhibits – a cross-section of the Wirtgen Group's comprehensive product range in the mineral technologies business sector – were presented to trade visitors at the machinery exhibition. Visibly impressed by the exhibits and their sheer size, the visitors were particularly drawn to the innovations that were being unveiled for the first time at this event in Mülheiman der Mosel.
Wirtgen
Wirtgen showcased a new cutting drum unit for the flagship surface miner 4200 SM that was specially designed for the windrowing method. Delivering a15% increase in output and a 15% reduction in tool consumption compared with the standard cutting drum unit, this innovation is set to maximize the cost-efficiency of mineral deposit extraction. Mining companies will profit financially from the new camera system for detecting rock interfaces. Providing a simple visualization of the interface between valuable mineral and interburden based on the different colors and/or structures of the two minerals, it will raise the efficiency of selective mining to new levels. Thanks to this precision mining process, a greater quantity of material with a high degree of purity can be extracted and upgraded in the processing plant. For mining companies, this promises a reduction in the downstream processing costs and a significant increase in profits.
Kleemann
The MOBICONE MCO 9 EVO was the centerpiece of the Kleemann exhibits. This track-mounted mobile cone crusher fills one of the last remaining gaps in the Kleemann range of models. Like the other Kleemann crushers in the EVO series, the MCO 9 was specially developed to meet the needs of customers in the contractor market and owes its appeal to its user-friendly operation and easy transport, in addition to optimum interlinking options. The live demonstration clearly illustrated what a perfect match the MCO 9 EVO is for the mobile jaw crusher MOBICAT MC 110 EVO. Teamed with the mobile triple-deck screening unit MS 16D, the machines formed a very productive interlinked machine combination for processing natural stone.
Benninghoven
The majority of the products on display in Mülheim were contributed by the asphalt mixing plant specialist, Benninghoven, which presented as many as 14 exhibits. The new hot gas generator was a particularly big attraction. The indirect heating of RAP in counter flow using a hot gas generator is a particularly environment-friendly and efficient technique that Benninghoven has been applying and continually advancing for decades. With the company's new hot gas generator, it will be possible to increase the input of recycled material while reducing emission levels. One key advantage of this is the positive overall energy balance.
Wirtgen Group: Complete process chain
Having welcomed Benninghoven into the fold, the Wirtgen Group now offers a complete range of solutions in the mineral technologies business sector for the extraction of mineral deposits, the processing of mineral raw materials and recycling materials and the production of asphalt. The Group now covers the entire cycle from road to mineral technologies and back again, servicing the complete road construction process chain with its own technologies: processing, mixing, paving and compaction and then rehabilitation.
