A diverse array of advanced paver designs is now being offered in the asphalt paving sector – Mike Woof reports With the World of Asphalt and INTERMAT 2012 events having both taken place in recent months, a series of innovations have been introduced for the asphalt paving market. Developments have come to market that widen the array of both US and European asphalt paving systems and all the major manufacturers have developed new pavers and materials feeders to meet the latest emissions requirements.
Demand
Caterpillar’s smallest paver, the AP255E, is in many ways its biggest news as this machine has been designed specifically for European customers
A diverse array of advanced paver designs is now being offered in the asphalt paving sector – Mike Woof reports
With the World of Asphalt and
From Ammann comes the AFW350 and AFT350 medium-sized asphalt pavers, which are said to offer good manoeuvrability in confined areas. These hydrostatically driven machines offer a paving width from 1.8–3.5metres and the output potential of up to 230tonnes/hour. The machines have been reconfigured to work efficiently with
Available in wheeled or tracked models, the BOMAG BF 800 is powered by a 139kW, six-cylinder
The screeds feature electric heating as standard, with heating elements cast in an aluminium block for durability and reliability. Optimised heat transfer is said to ensure
good heat distribution as well as fast heating-up times.
For the maximum screed extension of 1m, mechanical attachments are used, fitted with quick fit sliding couplings to reduce set-up times. The screeds allow paving thicknesses of up to 300mm and crown adjustments of -2.5% to +4.5%. Meanwhile, high pre-compaction and surface finish performance is claimed for both the tamper and vibration units.
The company has had sales success in the Middle East and North Africa, for example, and is also pushing hard with its paving products in Europe. Caterpillar is looking to increase its market share and is introducing 20 new paving and compaction machines. Meyer said, “We as Cat have been investing heavily in our product lines.”
“In Africa, Latin America and Asia we’re seeing enormous growth in new road development. In North America and Europe we’re seeing more investment in road maintenance and road rehabilitation.”
Caterpillar is offering an improved range of pavers also, with the diminutive AP255E being the firm’s biggest move in the sector as it has been designed specifically for use by European customers. The paver is intended to operate in limited spaces, due to its compact design and exceptional manoeuvrability. The AP255E is powered by a Cat C2.2 engine delivering 34kW, weighs 4.5tonnes and has a standard paving width of 1.4–2.6m. The firm’s paving controls are also offered with this machine. Its AS3143 electric screed is powered by an onboard generator with independent temperature control in all four sections. Three heating elements for each screed section ensure uniform heating over the entire screed plate.
The AP555E also offers the AS4251C tamper bar screed with two double-width hydraulically driven extenders for excellent stability on wide-width paving applications. Fitted with extensions, the AS4252C screed can pave widths up to 7m on the wheeled AP500E and up to 8m when used with the tracked AP555E. The standard, extendable paving
range is 2.5–5m.
Key improvements for the mid-sized pavers are more screed options and improved fumes extraction systems. Wheeled and tracked models are available and the AP500E and AP555E pavers are designed for global use in a wide array of jobsite applications. The machines are available with both vibratory screeds and tamper bar screeds with vibration, suiting them to both US and European applications, while a notable benefit is the sophisticated fumes extraction system.
Independent research recently concluded that as much as 92% of fumes are re-directed from Cat pavers by a new system that collects fumes from the auger chamber as well as the conveyor tunnel and routes them through the exhaust stack. In addition, the front-mounted cooling fan blows fumes away from the hopper and the paver operator. The AP555E is fitted with the Mobil-Trac undercarriage, which is said to offer good mobility on the jobsite. The AP500E can be used on hard surfaces or soft base materials and features non-directional, radial drive tyres that provide a large ground contact area for good flotation, stability and tractive effort. Both the AP500E and AP555E feature a Cat C4.4 engine that provides 106kW.
Dual swing-out operator stations, tilting consoles and a low-profile design are said to provide good forward visibility. The operator can extend the station beyond the machine frame when matching joints or monitoring the auger chamber. The AP500E is available with three screeds: The AS2252C, the AS3251C – and the tamper bar screed, the AS4252C. The AS2252C vibratory screed features narrow front-mounted extenders. The extenders have 229mm-wide screed plates, enabling it to work close to obstacles and making it a perfect fit for urban applications by reducing the need for handwork when changing paving widths. The AS3251C vibratory screed features hydraulically driven, rear-mounted extenders.
The AP1000E and AP1055E pavers replace the earlier D-Series' machines. The AP1000E is a wheeled model while the AP1055E is the tracked version of the same basic machine. Productivity is provided in part through the heavy-duty screed designs offered, with customers able to choose between the AS2302C, AS3301C, AS4251C and AS4252C. The AS2302C and AS3301C feature vibratory screed plates, while the AS4251C and AS4252C come equipped with tamper bars and vibratory screed plates. As with the AP500E and AP555E, these models are equipped with the fumes extraction system. Like the smaller AP555E, the AP1055E is offered with the Mobil-Trac undercarriage, while the AP1000E also has non-directional radial drive tyres like the AP500E.
In markets that require Tier 4 Interim and Stage IIIB standards, the AP1000E and AP1055E will feature a Cat C7.1 engine with ACERT Technology, while machines that are only required to meet Tier 3 or Stage IIIA emission standards come equipped with the Cat C6.6 engine with ACERT Technology. Both engines deliver 168kW. Cat pavers can be equipped with the Cat Grade and Slope control system, which is factory-integrated and removes irregularities from the surface while controlling mat thickness for increased production, lower operating costs, and higher profitability.
The firm is also offering the PaveSmart 3D package from Leica Geosystems as part of a system alongside the Dynapac PaveManager v1.0 levelling system. The sophisticated PaveSmart 3D machine control system is being offered on the new-generation SD2500C CS and SD2550C CS asphalt pavers. In addition, PaveSmart 3D v3.0 also supports all other Dynapac paver models capable of being controlled using the MOBAmatic levelling system.
The company has still to reveal details of its European style pavers being developed in Germany but these have been based on the proven US designs and modified as required. The German-built pavers will also have European-style screeds.
Ichiro Shimada, vice president international sales for
Europe is another key market for Sumitomo and the firm is focusing on countries such as France, Poland and Switzerland, while the company has also had sales success in the Middle East including Dubai, Iraq, Iran and the UAE. The new HA60W wheeled machine is designed to meet the Stage IIIB/Tier 4 Interim emissions requirements and will be a focus for European sales. The machine is in prototype form at present and testing is still on-going, with the production machine due to be available in Europe in the third quarter of 2012. This features a novel screed design with competitive benefits over rival products and Shimada said, “Our J paver covers two classes of screed.”
The innovative overlapping telescope unit design can extend from 2.3–6m, whereas conventional units from other firms compete in the 2-5–5m or 3–6m classes. Shimada continued: “We are keen to introduce the bigger one into Europe, the 9m machine. We’ve had some successes in China with it. The HA90C will have a J screed that extends from 3–7.5m without mechanical bolt-ons.”
Bolt-on extensions can also be used as with conventional units, further increasing paving width for the new 2360 and 3075 screed models in comparison with rival designs. The units have the firm’s proven STV tamper bar and vibration features for pre-compaction, providing good finish. The 2360 screed is offered on the firm’s wheeled HA60W and tracked HA60C pavers, as well as the HTP60W tack coat machine. The 3075 screed is offered on the 22.6tonne HA90C paver, which offers paving widths of 3–7.5m using hydraulic extension and up to 9m with bolt-on units fitted.
The plans are that the 9m machine will be CE marked for launch in Europe in 2013. The firm is not considering developing a US style paver for the moment, however, as this is not simply a case of replacing the screed. North American customers also pave at higher speeds, which would require a redesign of the drive system. “If we get into the US market, we’d need something different.”
Mold board controls govern the flow of asphalt so that there is no cooling or material segregation while each screed has its own heating system. Electric heating is an option, although LPG heating remains the standard fitting on the Sumitomo machines at present. The firm works with Topcon mainly for paving control technologies and Shimada added, “Topcon is popular in Japan and very popular in Asian countries.”
Sumitomo has also developed a dual layer paving machine that features twin screeds, which has been used successfully in Japan.
Powered by a Cummins QSB6.7 diesel rated at 191kW, the Terex CR662RM paver meets the Tier 4 Interim but is 5% more fuel efficient than before. The engine features cooled exhaust gas recirculation with a diesel oxidation catalyst and diesel particulate filter (DPF) to reduce emissions. Regeneration of the DPF occurs automatically without affecting machine performance. A new cooling system arrangement features a larger radiator core size and improved airflow to increase ambient operating temperatures to 48.9°C.
To offset increased space requirements of the Tier 4i engine components,
With intelligent emissions control from the introduction of a six-cylinder Cummins diesel rated at 186kW,
Vögele Super 2100-3i operators also get a revised platform with a larger colour display. The proven ErgoPlus operating system has also been developed further for the Dash 3 pavers. The new AutoSet function enables the paver to be moved quickly and easily on the jobsite. At the push of a button, hopper sides and the hydraulic hopper front are folded up, the deflectors in front of the tracks are raised, the augers moved into their uppermost position and the screed is raised and locked in place. The EcoPlus Package includes a splitter gearbox with the ability to disengage hydraulic pumps, a variable-speed fan, and an energy-optimised tamper drive, which further reduces fuel consumption and noise levels.
There are two notable new functions. The automatic docking function called PaveDock is fitted to the Super 2100-3i and absorbs impacts from the feeder. Meanwhile any truck movements required during the feeding process are communicated to the lorry driver using a set of signals. This is called PaveDock Assistant and provides an efficient communication system for paver operator and driver of the feed vehicle.
The latest tracked asphalt pavers from
Meanwhile Volvo’s US style paver, the P6110C, is said to feature a low deck height and has seats that telescope over the side to improve visibility. The fumes extraction system pushes gases away from the operator while good heat control is said to ensure better mat quality. The Tier 4 Interim engine offers lower fuel consumption than the previous diesel, as well as reduced noise.
