FEATURE
“ “ As a general rule of thumb a 40 Sq . Ft . infrared repair machine really gives a contractor the capability to tackle any asphalt repair they come across , big or small .
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Photo courtesy of asphaltheater . com
Asphalt contractors working on utility cuts , highways , fast food lots , campuses and large parking lots have different needs for equipment both in size and scope .”
The pavement repair should dictate the appropriate size infrared repair unit . “ Bigger is not necessarily better ,” stated Michael Blake , director of marketing ,
KM International , North Branch , Michigan . “ It will really depend on what type of repairs you will be making . If you , for example , are making larger roadway patches then , yes , a bigger machine is probably more suitable . However , if you are working mostly in driveways or commercial lots and will be moving the machine around a lot or working in more confined areas then a mid-sized machine is probably a better option .
“ As a general rule of thumb a 40 Sq . Ft . infrared repair machine really gives a contractor the capability to tackle any asphalt repair they come across , big or small . This holds especially true if the infrared repair machine has independent heating zones that can be isolated to heat portions of the machine .“
Infrared equipment has become an essential part of a pavement maintenance and asphalt restoration service . To determine the best size infrared unit to buy and use will depend on the market being pursued . “ The best size depends on your clientele ,” stated R . E . Kieswetter , P . Eng ., president of Heat Design Equipment Inc ., Kitchener , Ontario , Canada . “ If you have an established business and do a lot of cut and patches , say a parking lot , you should go for a larger unit . Standard truck size is 8 ’ x6 ’ but can go as large as 16 ’ x6 ’ with tilt out wings that can be operated if necessary . That feature becomes real efficient .”
Kieswetter cautioned that a unit with ability to adjust the heat to fit your timing required to work on the last heat area is best : “ You never want to shut that heater off while scarifying / leveling / luting / compacting the already heated area . That ’ s not efficient . But you have to have someone designated to watch the new heat , or better yet , heat on low until you are ready to move the crew forward .”
The question becomes if bigger size is www . callape . com [ 14 ] 1.800.210.5923