As asphalt road construction continues to pursue high standards, high efficiency, and low energy consumption, more and more construction units, road contractors, and material suppliers are beginning to think about a question: How can we further reduce operating costs and equipment failures while ensuring the quality of the mixture, and even be able to monitor the production dynamics of various sites at any time at the headquarters? Digital twins are the next-generation technical solution to this problem.
Digital Twins: Give your asphalt mixing plant a thinking digital twin
Have you ever imagined such a scene: sitting in the office, with a click of the mouse, you can see the real-time load of each motor, the speed of each belt, and the thermal efficiency of each burner in the mixing plant thousands of miles away on the big screen? You can even enter the equipment to see the vibration trend of the bearing, predict the next time it needs to be replaced, or automatically adjust the air-oil ratio through the historical model to make the combustion more complete and the energy consumption lower?
For many asphalt mixing plants that still rely on operators to listen to the machine sound by ear and adjust the air door by hand, this seems to be out of reach. But digital twin technology has made this scenario a reality.
Digital twin is not a simple monitoring system, but a 1:1 digital clone created for your asphalt mixing plant like stationary asphalt plant in the digital world. It collects data through temperature, flow, weighing, and vibration sensors throughout the equipment, drives this digital clone in real time, and accurately restores every dynamic detail of the physical equipment. Not only does it tell you whether the current equipment is normal or not, but it can also use thermodynamics, kinetics, and material flow calculation models to deduce the future and discover potential risks in advance.
For you, this means completely saying goodbye to the traditional mode of guessing based on experience and responding passively when problems arise, and controlling every link of the asphalt mixing plant in a visible, calculable and controllable way. Production is more efficient, energy is more saved, quality is more stable, and the headquarters can always know it.
Digital twins can help you solve these problems at once
Asphalt mixing plants often face multiple management pain points in traditional operations. Digital twin technology provides precise solutions to these problems through systematic design, which can be divided into the following categories:
The production process is invisible and cannot be adjusted quickly? — Early detection of abnormalities and less waste
- Specific pain points of traditional management: Asphalt production is a multi-linked assembly line. Problems such as sudden increase in moisture content of cold materials, unstable flame of drying drum, and deviation in mixing main machine ratio often have to wait for results, such as the finished material temperature is 50℃ lower and the oil-stone ratio exceeds 0.3% before being discovered. For example, if the moisture content of cold materials rises suddenly from 8% to 12%, the operator fails to notice it in time, and the outlet temperature of the drying drum will drop from 180℃ to 130℃. At this time, the 20 tons of materials produced can only be discarded due to insufficient temperature, and the machine must be stopped to adjust parameters, resulting in a loss of nearly 1 hour of production time + 20 tons of material cost per trip.
- Digital twin solution: By installing moisture sensors in the cold material bin, infrared thermometers at the outlet of the drying cylinder, and ratio detectors on the mixing main unit, abnormal signals such as “sudden increase of moisture content by 3%” and “temperature drops by 40℃ in 10 minutes” can be captured in real time. The system will immediately mark a red warning on the monitoring interface and automatically push adjustment suggestions such as “open the air door of the drying cylinder burner by 15% to compensate for the increase in moisture content”. The dispatcher can complete the parameter adjustment within 3 minutes without going to the site, and almost no waste materials are generated, and the production cycle is not delayed.
- Actual benefits: The adjustment time is shortened by more than 60%, and the waste materials in the initial startup are reduced by 80%. Based on an annual output of 300,000 tons of materials, the waste material loss can be reduced by about 120,000 yuan each year, and the effective production capacity is increased by 5%-8%.
High energy consumption? — Spend 5-10 yuan less per ton of material, saving hundreds of thousands of yuan a year
- Specific pain points of traditional management: Fuel gas/heavy oil and electricity costs of asphalt mixing plants account for 30%-40% of the total asphalt plant cost, but traditional adjustments are entirely based on operator experience: for example, if the outlet temperature of the drying cylinder is set at 180℃, the operator may increase the gas valve based on the “flame color is reddish”, causing the actual temperature to rise to 200℃ due to overburning; or adjust the damper down for “fear of wasting gas”, resulting in the temperature not being able to drop to 160℃, and rework is required.
- Digital twin solution: The system will learn historical data such as “when the moisture content is 8%, 180℃ corresponds to a gas flow of 25m³/h”, combined with real-time working conditions, automatically calculate the optimal gas flow of 28m³/h + damper opening of 30%, and pop up a window prompt on the interface. The operator adjusts according to the suggestions to ensure that the temperature meets the standard without wasting energy.
- Actual benefits: Energy consumption per ton of mixed materials is 5%-10% lower than that of traditional plants. Based on an annual output of 300,000 tons of materials and an energy cost of 100 yuan per ton, it can directly save 150,000 to 300,000 yuan per year.
The quality of the mixture fluctuates greatly and is difficult to trace? —— Leave traces throughout the process, no fear of accountability, and reduce rework
- Specific pain points of traditional management: Owners have increasingly stringent requirements for the allowable deviation of the asphalt-stone ratio of asphalt mixtures by ±0.3% and the allowable deviation of the discharge temperature by ±10℃, but traditionally, only samples can be taken for testing every 2 hours. Once the asphalt-stone ratio is 0.5% higher, 200 tons of material may have been produced and can only be downgraded for use; if segregation occurs on the road surface later, when the owner is held accountable, he cannot provide detailed production process data to prove his innocence, and may even be required to rework.
- Digital twin solution: Real-time recording of the mixing time of each batch of materials, the asphalt-stone ratio curve accuracy of ±0.1%, and the temperature trajectory accuracy of ±2℃, and automatically generating a “quality traceability report” – for example, “128th truck, mixing at 10:05-10:08, asphalt-stone ratio 3.8% (standard 3.6%±0.3%, qualified), temperature 175℃ (standard 160-180℃, qualified)”. When the owner or supervisor is held accountable, the corresponding time period data can be directly retrieved; if there is a slight deviation, the system will immediately link the equipment adjustment (such as “reduce the asphalt pump flow by 5%) to avoid batch failure.
- Actual benefits: The qualified rate of the mixture has increased to more than 99.5%, and the risk of rework caused by quality problems has been reduced by 80%; the quality traceability report has increased the trust of the owner, indirectly helping to undertake higher standard projects such as municipal trunk roads and airport runways.
Repair equipment only when it breaks down? —— Early warning, one day less downtime, 48,000 more profit
- Specific pain points of traditional management: The bearings, chains, screens and other vulnerable parts of asphalt mixing plants are either replaced according to time, such as replacing bearings after 6 months of use, even if they are still usable, or waiting to repair them after they break down. The former costs 30% more spare parts; the latter is more serious. An unplanned downtime lasts at least 8 hours. Based on an hourly production of 300 tons of material and a profit of 20 yuan per ton, the loss of this time alone is 48,000 yuan, which may also delay the progress of the project.
- Digital twin solution: The vibration sensor collects the bearing vibration spectrum and the temperature sensor records the motor temperature rise. The system establishes a life model: When the vibration frequency rises from the normal 20Hz to 35Hz and the temperature is 8℃ higher than the average of the previous month, it will prompt that the remaining life of the vibrating screen bearing is about 15 days, and it is recommended to stop and replace it next week. The maintenance team can replace it during the production interval without affecting daytime production.
- Actual benefits: Unplanned downtime is reduced by 70%, which means 240,000 yuan in losses can be reduced based on 5 days less downtime per year; spare parts costs are reduced by 20%, saving about 50,000 yuan in maintenance fees each year.
Are multiple sites difficult to manage and coordinate? —— Controlled by one screen at the headquarters, resource allocation efficiency increased by 60%
- Specific pain points of traditional management: For enterprises with more than 3 asphalt mixing plants, if the headquarters wants to grasp the status of each plant, it has to call the stationmaster → the stationmaster asks the operator for data → summarizes it into Excel and sends it by email. A set of processes takes at least 2 hours, and there may be errors. For example, the actual energy consumption of station A is 300 yuan/ton, but it is reported as 280 yuan/ton. What’s more troublesome is that when the gas consumption of station B suddenly increases by 10% and the qualified rate decreases by 5%, the headquarters may not find out until 3 days later through the weekly report, and at this time, 20,000 yuan of gas fees have been spent.
- Digital twin solution: All substation data are connected to the same cloud platform, and the headquarters large screen can display in real time “Current output/energy consumption/qualified rate of each station”, “The temperature of the drying cylinder of station A is abnormal, and a repair order has been sent”, “The energy consumption of station B is 8% higher than the average, it is recommended to check the burner damper”. The system also automatically generates comparison reports: for example, “The qualified rate of Station C this month is 99.2%, 1.5% higher than that of Station D. The difference is due to the fact that Station C uses online oil-to-stone ratio detection”, and the headquarters can directly copy excellent experience.
- Actual benefits: The headquarters’ response speed to multiple plants is shortened from 2 hours to 5 minutes, and resource allocation, such as giving priority to plants with low energy consumption and centralized procurement of spare parts, reduces costs and improves efficiency by 60%, which can reduce management costs and resource waste by about 150,000 yuan each year.
The value of digital twins has never been a simple system upgrade, but to reduce waste, increase efficiency, and reduce risks in each link – ultimately converting into tangible profits, making your asphalt mixing plant more confident in the fierce market competition.
How does digital twins achieve a closed loop from perception to insight?
Digital twins can accurately map the status of asphalt mixing plants and achieve efficient management. The underlying logic relies on the collaborative work of four core levels, which form a complete closed loop from data collection to function implementation. The details are as follows:
Physical layer: Collecting real-time data of equipment through sensors
Install various sensors and actuators at key locations of asphalt mixing plants, such as cold material bins, drying drums, burners, vibrating screens, mixing hosts, finished product bins, etc. These devices will collect multi-dimensional data in real time, including material level, temperature, gas flow, vibration acceleration, motor power, finished material temperature, etc., as well as equipment operating parameters such as current and voltage.
These data are the basic information source of the digital twin system and directly reflect the real-time status of physical equipment.
Data layer: realize data transmission and standardized processing
The data collected by sensors are uniformly transmitted to the central database or cloud platform through industrial Ethernet, 5G network or dedicated industrial IoT gateway.
The platform will pre-process the data, including removing noise, correcting errors, identifying abnormal data points, unifying data format (normalization), etc., to ensure the accuracy and consistency of the data and provide a reliable basis for subsequent analysis and model calculations.
Model layer: build dynamic digital models that match physical equipment
Based on the actual structure and process logic of the mixing plant, build a multi-dimensional fusion digital model:
- Three-dimensional geometric model: 1:1 restore the physical structure of the mixing plant, including equipment layout, component connection relationship, etc.
- Professional model: integrate thermodynamic model (reflecting the law of temperature change), mechanical kinematic model (simulating equipment operation trajectory), process formula model (associating material ratio and mixing effect), etc.
These models are combined with real-time data to form a dynamically updated digital body, which can not only reflect the structural characteristics of the equipment, but also accurately reflect the process such as material flow, temperature change, mixing effect, etc.
Application layer: Transformation from data to decision through algorithms
Relying on the algorithm engine, the digital twin system will combine the processed data with the model to achieve multiple functions:
- Visual display, real-time monitoring: present the operating status of the mixing plant through the interface;
- Early warning analysis: judge potential problems based on data trends and provide timely prompts;
- Production optimization: combine process models to propose optimization suggestions such as combustion parameters and ratio strategies;
- Remote maintenance: support viewing historical operation data, predicting equipment failures, etc.
Users can view real-time status, replay historical processes, and obtain optimization suggestions through the monitoring center or mobile terminal operating system, ultimately forming a complete closed loop from data collection to decision execution.
Technological breakthroughs and demands for digital twins build a global blueprint
The global asphalt mixing plant market is expected to grow from US$38 billion in 2023 to US$52 billion in 2028, with a compound annual growth rate of 6.5%. As a core technology, the market penetration rate of digital twins will increase from 18% in 2023 to 45% in 2028, becoming the core engine to promote the intelligent transformation of the industry.
- Rigid policy requirements: The EU Construction Products Regulation (CPR) requires that all new road projects must use digital twins for full life cycle management from 2025; China’s Outline for Building a Strong Transportation Country clearly states that the CNC rate of key processes will exceed 75% in 2025, which directly promotes the deep integration of digital twins and BIM systems.
- Green and low-carbon rigid demand: Under the “dual carbon” goal, the application ratio of recycled asphalt mixture technology is expected to increase from 30% in 2025 to 50% in 2030. Digital twins can increase the proportion of old materials to 50% by real-time monitoring of thermal regeneration process parameters, driving a 18% reduction in the cost of the entire life cycle.
- Upgraded customer demand: International large contractors (such as STRABAG in Europe and AECOM in North America) have listed digital twins as the “hidden threshold” for supply chain review, requiring suppliers to provide data interfaces that can be connected to the headquarters platform. Energy giants such as Saudi Aramco in the Middle East and DEWA in the United Arab Emirates have included digital twins in the mandatory requirements of oil refining supporting road projects.
Global Competition Landscape: Who is Leading the Future of Digital Twins
Digital twins are being implemented at an accelerated pace around the world. From European airport runways to Middle Eastern desert highways to Southeast Asian coastal expressways, road construction around the world is introducing digital twins to optimize full-process management. In this intelligent competition, international and Chinese manufacturers are accelerating their layout, and the technical competition points are gradually moving from simple monitoring to energy management, carbon footprint tracking and even full life cycle prediction.
International brands: leaders in high-end markets and complex scenarios
- Ammann: Leading in large projects in the Middle East and Europe, its digital twin and thermal regeneration system has increased the proportion of old materials from 30% to 45% in the Abu Dhabi Airport runway project in the United Arab Emirates by real-time monitoring of recycled material temperature, effectively reducing carbon emissions.
- Siemens: Deployed the COMOS digital twin platform in multiple mixing plants in Europe, combined with virtual commissioning technology, the installation and commissioning cycle of new mixing plants was shortened by 25%, helping customers to start production faster.
- ASTEC (USA): Dominated the North American market through the Voyager system, using AI algorithms to correct the impact of moisture content on combustion in real time, reducing initial waste by 80%, becoming the preferred brand for North American interstate highway projects.
Chinese companies: fast-rising global players
- XCMG: Through the acquisition of Germany’s SCHWING STETTER, it quickly mastered digital twin and modular mixing technology, and launched solutions compatible with international data standards. In 2023, the coverage rate of digital twin sites in EPC projects along the “Belt and Road” will exceed 60%.
- Nanfang Road Machinery: jointly launched an industry-specific cloud platform with Alibaba Cloud to help small and medium-sized customers quickly access digital twins with an annual fee model. It has grown by more than 30% in the Southeast Asian and African markets for three consecutive years and has become the main equipment supplier for the upgrading and reconstruction of local urban expressways.
- Macroad: The digital twin and remote monitoring system has been launched on more than 800 devices worldwide, with an early warning accuracy rate of 92%, and has been exported to more than 50 countries including Malaysia and the Philippines through the EU CE certification. Macroad as an outstanding asphalt plant supplier is try to make innovations with digital twins.
Focus of technology evolution: from interoperability to low carbon in digital twins
As digital twins move from being visible to being accurate and fully managed, the competition among global manufacturers has shifted from single-point monitoring to multi-dimensional collaboration:
- Data interoperability: BHS TITAN and LINTEC have opened API interfaces to achieve unified management of multi-brand equipment across sites, meeting the needs of large groups for centralized monitoring at headquarters.
- Edge computing: Sany Heavy Industry deploys edge servers in African mining areas to directly analyze vibration and temperature rise data on site to reduce cloud transmission delays.
- Carbon footprint tracking: Ammann is the first in the European market to incorporate carbon emission modules into digital twins, displaying carbon emission data per ton of mixed materials in real time, helping customers cope with carbon taxes and green procurement reviews.
- BIM deep integration: CCCC West Construction has embedded digital twins into BIM in the zero-carbon asphalt park in Xiongan New Area, making the entire process from design to construction transparent and controllable.
Digital twins technology trends and application scenario breakthroughs
Core technology integration in digital twins
- 5G+AI deep collaboration: XCMG piloted an “unmanned mixing plant” in Xuzhou, achieving full process automation through digital twins, and increasing per capita output of a single plant by 30%.
- Digital twin and BIM integration: CCCC West Construction has embedded digital twin data into the BIM model in the zero-carbon asphalt concrete demonstration park in Xiong’an New Area to achieve full-chain visualization from design to construction.
- 3D real-time reconstruction technology: Zoomlion’s digital twin platform uses a single camera to achieve dynamic modeling of equipment, reducing hardware costs by 70%, and achieving an accuracy of ±2mm in dynamic monitoring of mixing plants.
Emerging application scenarios in digital twins
- Optimization of recycled asphalt mixture: The LBGZ4000 equipment of Southern Road Machinery adjusts the proportion of recycled materials in real time through digital twins, and the utilization rate of old materials in the Jiangxi National Highway 316 project reaches 50%, and carbon emissions are reduced by 30%.
- Adaptability to extreme environments: The digital twin system deployed in the Jubail Petrochemical Park in Saudi Arabia ensures the stability of equipment in high temperature and high dust environments through high temperature sensors and anti-wind and sand algorithms.
- Energy management innovation: XCMG Hanyun platform realizes the multi-energy complementarity of photovoltaics, energy storage and power grid in a mixing plant in the Yangtze River Delta. The digital twin predicts daily energy demand, reducing the overall energy consumption by 15%.
Challenges and Future Prospects of digital twins
Global common challenges for digital twins
- Data island problem: The interfaces of equipment from different manufacturers are incompatible. A road and bridge group once spent 3 months to achieve unified data access to the headquarters platform due to differences in equipment brands at substations.
- Low penetration rate of small and medium-sized sites: Only 30% of mixing plants in the world are equipped with complete digital twin systems. The high cost of equipment renewal (about 500,000-1 million yuan/set) and insufficient digital awareness of personnel are the main reasons.
- Weak voice in international standards: There are technical barriers for the domestic digital twin platform to connect with the international mainstream system, which affects the expansion of overseas projects.
Regional challenges for digital twins
- Middle East: High temperature and high dust environment places strict requirements on sensor reliability, requiring the use of special packaging technology (such as IP68 protection level).
- Africa: Weak infrastructure leads to insufficient network coverage. XCMG uses a satellite communication + edge computing hybrid architecture in its Kenya project to ensure data transmission stability.
- EU: Carbon tariff policies force equipment to be low-carbon. The digital twin system launched by Ammann in Europe has integrated a carbon footprint tracking module to display carbon emission data per ton of mixed materials in real time.
Digital twins key breakthroughs in the next three to five years
- Technical standardization: The “Technical Specifications for Digital Twins of Asphalt Mixing Plants” led by the China Construction Machinery Industry Association is planned to be released in 2025 to promote interface standardization and data interoperability.
- Increased market concentration: It is estimated that by 2028, the global industry CR5 will reach 60%, and small and medium-sized enterprises will occupy 23% of the market space through equipment leasing, regional customization and other models.
- Emerging market outbreak: The infrastructure demand of countries along the “Belt and Road” has surged. The export volume of companies such as XCMG and Southern Road Machinery increased by 67% year-on-year in 2023. Digital twins have become a differentiated competitive advantage to seize the international market.
Faced with the global green infrastructure wave and the pressure of digital transformation, digital twins are no longer just an option for high-end customers, but have gradually become the entry threshold for large international projects. In the future, as carbon emission policies in various countries become stricter and the concept of project life cycle management becomes more popular, digital twins will play a more core role in the field of asphalt mixing plants: from material traceability, energy efficiency optimization, to real-time working condition monitoring and predictive maintenance, lean management will be achieved through digital twin technology. It not only improves the quality and delivery efficiency of a single project, but also helps companies accumulate sustainable development competitiveness in the global market, laying a solid digital foundation.