Conveyor-fed pavers rely on a system of conveyors that move the asphalt from the paver to the screed assembly. Because of this more consistent and controlled delivery, conveyor-fed units allow for much greater asphalt capacities. It is quite common that a smaller conveyor-fed paver would average 500 tons-per-day, while the largest 16,000-pound units often handle up to 1,000 tons-per-day. In fact, it’s not unheard of for a contractor to push up to 2,000 tons-per-day of asphalt through a large, conveyor-fed paver. Therefore, conveyor units are typically considered production machines.

But the advantages of conveyor-fed commercial pavers do not end with their ability to push more asphalt. The increased capacities of these units also allow for a much higher quality finish. With any paving job, every time the paver stops, a bump is formed in the mat. This diminishes the overall quality of the application. Unfortunately, the very nature of a gravity-fed machine lends to frequent stopping because once the hopper is emptied, the paving train must stop so the bed can be lowered and the hopper refilled. Conveyor-fed units don’t have this problem.

Relying on conveyors, not gravity, to deliver asphalt to the screed, conveyor-fed pavers can continuously receive new asphalt while pushing the feeder truck. Additionally, since hopper capacities are typically larger on conveyor-fed machines, even when the feeder truck empties, there is enough hopper capacity to continue paving while swapping a new, full truck into the operation. This allows for continuous paving and virtually seamless results.