One Year with ALT120: Trust Built in Guatemala

On April 10, 2024, Macroad’s ALT120 stationary asphalt drum mix plant was officially put into operation at a municipal project site in central Guatemala, taking on the task of paving rural roads and repairing municipal roads in the region. The project is led by a local medium-sized road contractor, with the goal of completing a total of 40 kilometers of road paving and daily road patch repair tasks within two years.

The customer’s core demands are clear: cost-effective, simple to operate, long-term use, and stable operation of the asphalt drum mixing plant. As the core production base during the project, with the support of flexible production capacity and low operation and maintenance costs, it helps the project proceed smoothly.

Obstacles faced: Weak local support and complex construction conditions

Of course, project implementation is never a simple process. When the customer first came into contact with Macroad equipment, he also had his own concerns and considerations:

• Lack of local technical service support: Macroad has no permanent service outlets in Guatemala, and the customer was once worried about the after-sales guarantee and installation progress of the equipment.
• Limited experience of the technical team: Most of the customer’s operators are ordinary construction workers, lacking experience in operating automation and complex equipment.

In the selection of multiple equipment brands, the customer prefers solutions with low technical barriers, intuitive operation, and controllable investment, and the Macroad ALT120 drum asphalt mixing plant came into view at this time.

Accurately match needs + full support from resident engineers

Doubts cannot be avoided, and trust must be won through action. The Macroad service team responded to the customer’s concerns with practical solutions:

Precise selection, tailor-made matching

Through multiple rounds of video conferences and project evaluations, we have identified the following customer needs and recommended ALT120 as the main equipment:

• Adaptation project characteristics: Annual construction demand is about 60,000-100,000 tons, and ALT120 daily output can reach 1,000-1,500 tons, which is just enough.
• Continuous production, high efficiency and low labor dependence: Meet the needs of daily road maintenance and continuous operation at multiple work points.
• Flexible fuel adaptation: Diesel/coal can be used to match local energy supply.
• Simple operating system: No complex control logic is required, supporting customers to quickly get started.

Technical engineers were stationed on site to guide installation and commissioning

Although Macroad does not have a fixed service center in the local area, we arranged for senior engineers to be stationed on site for three weeks to guide installation, commissioning and training throughout the process.

• From site preparation to formal ignition, the total installation cycle was completed within 18 days;
• In view of the customer’s weak technical problems, basic electronic control training + practical exercises + maintenance teaching were carried out;
• Video playback tutorials + operation manuals were provided to facilitate subsequent retraining.

One year of stable operation, accelerated payback, and high customer satisfaction

From the successful discharge of the first batch of materials to the stable operation for 14 months, Macroad ALT120 asphalt drum mixing plant has not only withstood the test of the on-site environment, but also won high recognition from customers with its strength.

• The cumulative production of asphalt mixture exceeds 72,000 tons, covering 22 kilometers of municipal roads and multiple rural roads
• The average number of operating days is 23 days per month, and the equipment failure rate is less than 0.8%;
• The quality of the mixture is stable, the loss is low, and there is basically no rework;
• The overall equipment use cost and labor cost are saved by about 12%, helping customers enter the payback period 3 months earlier than originally planned;
• The customer team can independently complete daily maintenance and basic debugging, and the equipment operation and maintenance is completely localized.

The project leader commented: “Although Macroad’s equipment is the first cooperation, its stability and simple operation design have enabled us to achieve a transition from uncertainty to trust.”

The implementation of Macroad ALT120 drum-mix asphalt mixing plant in Guatemala is not only a successful equipment delivery, but also a precise solution practice for local needs. In the absence of a service center, relying on on-site engineers + remote service support, we not only helped customers overcome technical and trust barriers, but also brought real value to customers with the stable performance and efficient production capacity of the equipment. This cooperation has also laid a solid reputation foundation for Macroad’s further expansion in the Central American market.