Asphalt & Road Maintenance - Trommel - Gravel lifter - Stationary equipment - Sweden - +50% lifetime

Objective

Evaluate the performance of Creusabro^® 8000 as a replacement for 450 HB water-quenched steel in gravel lifters inside an asphalt drum, with the goal of extending wear life and minimizing production downtime.

Test Conditions

• Location: Asphalt production facility in Sweden

• Environment: Continuous handling of hot, abrasive gravel within the rotating drum of an asphalt plant. Exposure to both mechanical wear and elevated temperatures during the mixing and drying process.

• Function: Gravel lifters inside the drum, responsible for lifting and cascading aggregate to ensure even drying and mixing.

• Original material: 450 HB water-quenched steel, 8 mm thickness

• Replacement material: Creusabro® 8000, 8 mm thickness, processed by plasma cutting and machining.

Results

• The Creusabro® 8000 gravel lifters reached a service life of 75,000 tons of processed aggregate, compared to 50,000 tons for the original 450 HB — a +50% improvement in wear performance.

• The improvement was achieved with the same thickness and same fabrication process, facilitating an easy upgrade.

Value Delivered

• Longer Service Life: +50% more tons processed before replacement, reducing plant interruptions.

• No Design Changes Required: Same thickness and processing ensured full compatibility with existing lifter design.

• Increased Equipment Availability: Fewer maintenance shutdowns improved plant uptime and throughput.

• Optimized Performance in Heat: Creusabro® 8000 maintained wear resistance despite high working temperatures inside the drum.

Conclusion

By switching to Creusabro® 8000, PEAB Asphalt and Bergsmekaniska implemented a smarter, longer-lasting solution for drum gravel lifters, achieving a 50% increase in wear life with no change in design or installation method.

Creusabro® once again proves to be a reliable and efficient solution for the demanding environments of asphalt production.

Comparative test