VOGELE SHOWCASES NEW GENERATION OF HIGHWAY PAVERS
Vögele launched new Highway spec pavers at Bauma 2022, namely the SUPER 1900-5(i) and SUPER 2100-5(i) Road Pavers and AB 500 and AB 600 Extending Screeds. Highway Class pavers are suited to handle highways or other demanding large-scale projects.
The SUPER 1900-5(i) manages pave widths between 2.55 m and 11.5 m, the SUPER 2100-5(i) up to 14 m. Both Dash 5 pavers are feature a flexible, modular system which takes particular account of economy and sustainability as well as of ease of use and process automation.
Vögele has made user requirements a key focus of development, resulting in further optimisation of the Ergoplus operating concept which, with its touchscreen and smartphone shelf, delivers even greater convenience for digital road construction.
The new Paver Access Control (PAC) function enables Dash 5-generation pavers to be equipped for work on the job site more quickly, more conveniently and more safely. The control unit positioned on the screed allows all the initial steps – such as switching on lights, starting the diesel engine, booting up the machine control system, putting up the hardtop and locking it in position, as well as lowering the screed – to be performed safely and conveniently from ground level. This promotes safety and saves time, as the paver operator cannot forget to lock the hardtop in position and can start heating the screed as soon as he has arrived on the paver operator’s platform.
The combination of PAC and Light Package Plus provides additional convenience and safety. The integrated lighting provides even illumination of the whole working area. As the lighting is permanently integrated in the hardtop design, it is not necessary to transport separate lights to the job site and fit them there.
The automation of processes has been intensified in the SUPER 1900-5(i) and SUPER 2100-5(i) road pavers using assistance and control systems. Process automation not only prevents paving errors, it considerably increases efficiency as well as paving quality. Examples of this are Autoset Plus, already tried and tested in the market, as well as two new Niveltronic Plus functions, Assist and Edge Control. The Autoset Plus feature of the Dash 5 generation simplifies handling even further and new functions have been added. Niveltronic Plus Assist helps the paver operator pave the road accurately in predefined cross-sectional profiles. Paving parameters can be entered on the display and the progress of construction monitored accordingly. Edge Control now also makes it possible to control screed width, as well as to steer along a tensioned wire. The physical reference is detected with the aid of a sonic sensor for this purpose. Measurement of screed width in the hydraulic cylinders delivers a precise position signal for what in future will be fully automatic screed width control on the basis of 3D data.
Given the rise in raw material prices, economy is also becoming more and more of a factor in the success of road construction, which is why with its Dash 5 pavers, Vögele has ensured reduced setup times, improved logistics and increased machine availability. In addition to the new Paver Access Control (PAC) function, the intuitive and further optimised Ergoplus 5 operating concept and the Autoset Plus automatic function, optimised material handling, too, improves profitability.
The new material handling control prevents load peaks and facilitates an optimum head of mix in front of the screed throughout the entire paving process. Whilst the benefits here are particularly obvious at relatively large pave widths, the Power Tunnel available as an option demonstrates its strengths primarily in paving jobs involving the extending screed without bolt-on extensions.
The hydraulically extending limiting plates for the auger tunnel ensure an optimum level of material in front of the screed, even with hydraulic extensions fully extended. Retraction and extension of the Power Tunnel can be controlled together with screed width adjustment. Permanent availability without the need for assembly combined with an optimum flow of material save time and money and secure a high level of paving quality.
Both pavers are equipped with a powerful, liquid-cooled 6-cylinder diesel engine from John Deere. The SUPER 1900-5(i) has an output of 149 kw at 2,000 rpm, whereas the engine of the SUPER 2100-5(i) delivers 187 kw at 2,000 rpm. ECO mode, which is adequate for many jobs, reduces costs and facilitates particularly low-noise operation.
The new Dash 5 pavers are also equipped with a further optimised Vögele Ecoplus low-emissions package. The tried and tested functions of the Dash 3 generation, such as the splitter gearbox, the energy-optimised tamper drive and the controlled hydraulic oil temperature circuit, can still be found in the Dash 5 machines. Overhauling the speed-controlled fan, additional noise insulation measures and optimised material handling have made the new machines much more efficient, powerful and quiet – all with increased performance.