The Bagela Asphalt Recycler

The concept of recycling existing asphalt is not new. Over the years, quite a number of machines have been manufactured with claims of turning old asphalt into fresh hot mix. Many of the units have fallen by the wayside and are no longer in production. A common failing in the majority of these attempts to reheat and melt the asphalt was the overheating of the material. This resulted in a dry, crumbly material that had little of its original AC oils. Frequently, the asphalt was reheated in a static mode with no agitating or mixing action during the process. This resulted in uneven temperatures producing “Goldilocks” results; some was too hot, some was too cold and some was just right.

The Bagela Asphalt Recycler embodies a unique approach to the shortcomings of these previous machines. The Bagela tumbles the asphalt in a rotating drum. It does not grind the material but lifts and drops it through a stream of hot air. The hot air is produced by a diesel fired burner mounted outside the drum. The air bath from the burner is introduced into the drum through a coned opening which shields from the asphalt from coming in contact with the burner flame.

The Bagela technology is not new, it is proven. The machines have been in production for over fifteen years. In excess of 800 units are in service throughout the world. They are relatively new to North America having been introduced here in 2001.
In today’s setting of rising petroleum costs and tight capital budgets, the Bagela Asphalt Recycler is a convenient and cost effective way to maintain asphalt surfaces in an environmentally friendly way by recycling hydrocarbon products instead of discarding them and using new replacement material.

Overview

Bagela Asphalt Recyclers are manufactured by Bagela Baumaschinen GmbH & Co which is located in Kaltenkirchen, Germany. The company has been in existence for more than 15 years. It has been manufacturing the Bagela Asphalt Recycler for more than 10 years. Over 800 Bagela Asphalt Recyclers have been produced and sold in the European market. Distribution of the Bagela in the North American market was initiated in 2001.

Three models of the Bagela, the BA4000, BA7000 and BA10000, yield rated production of four, seven and ten tons of recycled asphalt per hour respectively. Production varies from rated figures dependent on condition of the asphalt being recycled, its moisture content and the amount of contamination (non-asphaltic material) contained in the asphalt. Under ideal conditions, the rated production can be exceeded.

The Bagela is a portable machine, all models having two axles. The BA4000 and the BA7000 can be towed by 1/2 ton vehicles while the BA10000 requires a 1-1/2 ton vehicle. Machines can be ordered without axles for static mount operation or truck bed mounting.
The basic design of the units involves a rotating drum with internal baffles that tumble the used asphalt through a bath of hot air. The hot air is produced by a diesel fired, twin stage burner at the rear of the drum. The burner introduces the hot air into the drum through a coned opening in the end of the drum. A unique feature of the heating process is that it does not allow the material to come into direct contact with the material being heated. This greatly reduces the potential of overheating the material which can cause it to ignite. It also facilitates the re-melting of the asphalt without driving off the more volatile light hydrocarbons in the asphalt thereby producing an undesirably dry product.

Bagelas are powered by diesel engines and, as before mentioned, employ diesel burners for the heating process. Since no propane is used, the units are very safe to operate. The diesel engines drive a hydraulic pump and an electric generator. The pump powers a hydraulic motor which turns the drum and lifts the charging hopper on the top of the unit. The generator is used in the operation of the burner system.

The recyclers accept both milled (fine) and chunk (coarse) asphalt as input material. The chunk material can be up to a foot or more in diameter. Generally, the larger the model the larger chunks that can be accepted into the throat of the machine. Production using milled material can be slower than chunks if the milled material contains excessive moisture due to being piled outdoors without protection from the elements. Chunk material resists moisture invasion and, therefore, results in higher production.

A rejuvenating additive is sometimes used to restore the oil content of old or contaminated asphalt. Royal Paving also sells a rejuvenating agent which can be used for this purpose. A host of commercially available products can be obtained locally for this use also.