# HMA Drum Plant

Drum plants, which produce HMA in a continuous manner, generally offer higher production rates than batch plants for comparable cost.

- Canonical URL: https://pavementinteractive.org/reference-desk/construction/production/hma-drum-plant/
- Last updated: 2026-11-01
- Review: reviewed by licensed professional engineers on the previous Pavement Interactive site, where reviewers were not recorded by name

Drum plants, which produce HMA in a continuous manner, generally offer higher production rates than [batch plants](https://pavementinteractive.org/glossary/batch-plant/) for comparable cost. Typical production rates for drum plants vary between about 100 tons/hr up to over 900 tons/hr depending upon drum design. Figure 1 shows the basic components of a drum plant and their functions.

Figure 1. HMA drum plant. Scroll over the different components to see descriptions.

## Burner

A key component of the drum plant is the burner. Burner fuel can be natural gas, diesel, fuel oil, recycled/reused kitchen oils and more depending upon the burner design. Burners like these can reach temperatures in excess of 760°C (1400°F). Typical HMA temperatures out of the drum are on the order of 150 - 160°C (300 - 325°F).

![Infrared view of a drum mix plant.](https://pavementinteractive.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/Infrared_drum.jpg)

*Figure 1.* Infrared view of a drum mix plant.