The value of using EDEM is to avoid expensive on-site testing of full-scale prototype equipment. Running EDEM simulations is more cost effective than manufacturing prototypes, burning diesel fuel and laying asphalt. Customer can run 50 EDEM simulation cases to virtually compare and test flight geometries in the same time it takes to build and test one physical prototype.

  EDEM is used for applications such as:

  Designing and optimising performance of new asphalt plants including dryer, combustion chamber and mixer.

 Modelling spray coating of aggregate to optimize mixers, particularly determining where to inject asphalt into the mixer for optimum coating.

 Predicting wear problems and recommending where to install wear plates in combustion chambers to prevent damage caused by rocks.

 Better understand areas that can’t be videoed during operation of hot/closed systems. 

Comparison of thermodynamics and heat transfer based on cascading efficiency of dryer flights to heat transfer in real life testing/experiments.

 Verifying accurate correlation between density of total mass of heat transfer to improve basket efficiency.

 Developing torque related power models for measuring torque in mixers to size motors and motor reducers.

 Better understanding cohesion properties of material depending on time in the mixer.

 Customers have identified the following benefits from using EDEM:

 Reduced design, prototype and testing time.

 Significant cost reductions from reduced prototypes, materials, and time related to testing plants in the field.

 Knowledge acquired on research of aggregate flow and material behaviour using EDEM is very important and valuable to Ciber.

 Critical components designed in EDEM don’t fail, so there is no need to redesign and retest.