PART 2: THE MATERIAL FLOW
Why This Industry Works for Us

2.1 Quarry (Stone Mining)
Process:
Remove overburden
Drill bore holes
Blast rock
Load shot rock
Haul to primary crusher
Convey to secondary crushers
Separate by size
Stockpile finished product
Drone Applications:
Overburden cut/fill
Bench progression
Shot rock volume
Finished stockpiles
Monthly reconciliation
Multi-surface comparisons (RTK required)

2.2 Sand & Gravel Plants
Process:
Excavate or dredge
Wash material
Screen material
Separate sand vs gravel
Stockpile products
Key Differences vs Quarries:
Messier sites
Poor pile definition
Moisture variability
Often near rivers
Heavy wash plant infrastructure
Drone Applications:
Wet sand volume
Multi-product tracking
Dredge progression
Wash plant feed tracking

2.3 Cement & Lime Plants
Process:
Mine limestone
Crush material
Heat in kiln (extreme temps)
Produce clinker/lime
Store in silos
Fuel kilns with coal
Drone Applications:
Coal inventory
Overburden
Raw material piles
Outdoor storage
Terminal inventory
Indoor stockpiles = possible but not preferred.

2.4 Terminals
Function:
Rail in
Stockpile
Load out to trucks
Serve metro markets
Strategic importance:
Centrally located
High throughput
Recurring inventory need
Terminals are ideal recurring customers.

2.5 Ready Mix (Batch Plants)
Function:
Store aggregates in bins
Mix with cement + water
Load concrete trucks
Deliver within 30-minute radius
Why We Love Them:
Extremely dense geographically
Multiple sites per owner
Recurring replenishment
Tight inventory cycles
Easy visual identification (silos + bins)

2.6 Asphalt Plants
Process:
Aggregate
Oil binder
Heat drum
Mix
Load hot
Key marker:
The “arch” structure over drum system
RAP (Recycled Asphalt Pavement) piles
Drone Applications:
RAP volume
Aggregate inventory
Multi-yard operations

2.7 Concrete Recyclers
Function:
Accept demolished concrete
Crush it
Screen it
Sell flex base
Often:
Messy yards
Mixed materials
Irregular piles
Great recurring volume clients.