How Do Asphalt Milling Machines Work?
Asphalt milling is a process which removes some section of a paved surface, for instance from a roadway or parking lot. Milling can remove only the surface section of the pavement, or it might take off the entire depth, and in this case it’s usually referred to as full depth removal. There are lots of reasons why you may want to mill a paved area, for instance to repair damage which has been inflicted on the pavement. Below you’ll find a description of how the milling process works.
How asphalt milling works
This process is accomplished by using a heavy duty construction machine which is referred to as a cold planer or a milling machine. These machines make use of a large rotating drum which is capable of removing the asphalt and grinding it up. The exterior of the drum is covered with scrolls of tool holders, and these fix the carbide cutters in place which actually accomplish the cutting of the pavement. These carbide cutters are fixed in place so that once the pavement is cut, it can automatically be transferred directly to the drum’s center.
The cut pavement is then transferred to a conveyor belt which is attached to the milling machine. Most of the modern day milling machines are equipped with a front-loading conveyor system that is capable of picking up any pavement which falls off the conveyor belt while the milling process is underway. As milling takes place, water is usually applied to the drum, and this helps to lessen the intense heat generated by the machine, and it also helps to reduce the level of airborne dust which is caused by the milling process.
What is micro milling?
This is a special kind of asphalt milling which uses a unique drum equipped with many more cutting teeth than a standard milling drum would have. These cutting tools are packed very close together, so that they produce a smooth road surface. This is in contrast to regular milling drums which tend to create very deep ridges in areas that have been milled. Micro milling is used for many of the same purposes that regular milling is, but it’s almost always done at a significantly shallower depth.
How pavement milling is used
There are quite a few uses for pavement milling, the first of which is to recycle a road surface. The extracted asphalt is ground up and repurposed as aggregate in a brand-new pavement material. This of course, has a tremendously positive impact on the environment, because it avoids the use of additional resources, and producing all new asphalt from scratch. Another use for pavement milling is to smooth out bumpy or uneven road surfaces, and to smooth over damage from fires or accidents.
In some cases the aggregate or the binder, which are components used in producing asphalt, become separated from each other and cause problems for the surface of the road. This is another use for asphalt milling, which can effectively repair this kind of separation. Sometimes pavement milling is also used for the purpose of generating rumble strips. That can be tremendously useful, because these rumble strips can easily be added to pre-existing surfaces and roadways.
Who can do asphalt milling?
If you have a project that calls for asphalt milling, contact us at Prime Paving & Seal Coating. We have done a great many asphalt milling projects in the region around Mooresville, NC, and we can handle your milling project whether it’s large or small. You can count on efficient and professional service, as well as high-quality expert workmanship. Call us today with any questions you might have, or to obtain a quote for an asphalt milling project you have in mind.
