VÖGELE Universal Class pavers are the mainstay for many medium-sized contractors. And no wonder: these machines can be used to handle a wide array of projects. The world’s best-selling paver, the SUPER 1800-3i, is not the only successful model: the somewhat more compact SUPER 1600-3i is also highly popular. Two jobs in southern Germany explain the popularity of these machines.
Rehabilitation of an urban road in Karlsruhe: the newly formed paving team were eager to see the SUPER 1600-3i make its debut with the AB 500 TV Extending Screed. It was the first asphalt job site that the contractor Oettinger GmbH had ever handled. But not the first for screed operator Marcel Keule, an experienced road construction worker. “It’s wonderful to breathe in the scent of fresh asphalt mix again, and to have a chance to pave this material with such fantastic technology,” says Keule. On their first job, he and the paving team laid down a binder and a surface course on a short section of urban road, paving across a width that varied between 3.5 and 3.8 m.
ErgoPlus 3: Simple operation paves the way to quality
One factor made a key contribution to the success of this job site premiere: ErgoPlus 3. The many advantages of this user-friendly and field-tested operating concept come into play every time a team uses a VÖGELE machine – be it their very first job or their thousandth. This is because ErgoPlus 3 was designed according to the principle that even the best machine with the most advanced technology can only really show its strengths to the full if it is as easy and intuitive to operate as possible. ErgoPlus 3 encompasses the operator’s platform as well as the paver and screed operator’s consoles and incorporates Niveltronic Plus, the VÖGELE System for Automated Grade and Slope Control. The robust consoles are arranged logically and feature push-buttons for frequently required functions. Operators can feel when the push-buttons have been pressed, even when wearing work gloves. Settings that are made less frequently can be called up and altered in the menu of the colour display.
VÖGELE multi-cell sonic sensors: Non-contacting and highly precise
High-precision paving was required, even on the team’s very first job. An accuracy of ± 4mm had been specified. The Oettinger GmbH paving team opted to use two VÖGELE multi-cell sonic sensors in order to meet this requirement. The non-contacting sensors scanned the base as a reference. Working together with VÖGELE’s Niveltronic Plus System for Automated Grade and Slope Control, they had no problem achieving the specified level of precision. Calibrating the sensors is a particularly convenient process: all it takes is the push of a button on the screed operator’s ErgoPlus 3 consoles using the Quick Set-Up function. The LED crosses on the sensors then signal whether the specified and actual values for the layer thickness correspond.
Premium Line paver with cutting-edge “Dash 3” technology
Another team in Titisee-Neustadt successfully put their brand new SUPER 1600-3i paver through its paces on its first assignment. The large range of applications covered by the paver was a key factor in the decision to purchase this Universal Class machine. It can tackle everything from narrow pathways to the construction and rehabilitation of rural roads. Its 116 kW engine, large 13 t material hopper and maximum laydown rate of 600 t/h added to the paver’s appeal.
However, the machine did not need to operate at maximum output when asphalting a company site. On this job, it was all about minimizing the time loss due to frequent repositioning. Here too, the SUPER 1600-3i had the perfect solution for the paving team: the AutoSet Plus Repositioning function. With this function, all the current paver settings are saved and can be retrieved at the push of a button once the paver has been repositioned. AutoSet Plus is just one of the many highlights of the current “Dash 3” paver generation from the world market leader. Indeed, these Premium Line machines have a host of other impressive innovations to commend them. For instance, the VÖGELE ECO Plus package reduces fuel consumption and noise emissions significantly.
AB 500 TV: Extending screed can tackle even complex road profiles
On the job in Titisee-Neustadt, the SUPER 1600-3i paved across a width of around 5 m; or rather, the AB 500 TV Extending Screed was set to this width. It has a maximum pave width of 7.5 m. Even using the version with only tamper and vibrators, the team achieved a high degree of precompaction, both on the
10 cm-thick base course and the 4 cm-thick surface course. Three HD series rollers from HAMM were used for final compaction: an HD 10, an HD 12 and an HD 14.
The paving work included one special task: creating several funnel-shaped slopes to ensure a fast runoff of rainwater. Thanks to highly responsive mechanical systems, the experienced operators of the AB 500 TV Extending Screed were able to set the transverse slope profiles perfectly on the screed operator’s console and produce the funnels with a high degree of precision.
Paving close to boundaries eliminates hand work with shovels
One challenging aspect of the project was the fact that the machines had to pave along buildings, because the asphalt surface extended right up to the exterior walls in places. But here, too, the AB 500 Extending Screed was in its element. After all, the extending screed is designed to pave far out to the sides with minimal loss of space. This proved absolutely invaluable on the job site in the Black Forest: the shovels and brooms were hardly ever taken out, because so little hand work was required. Meanwhile, the quality of the asphalt surface is outstanding, right up to the final few centimetres.
The tracked paver itself ensured excellent manœuvrability during the paving process: it can be turned on the spot by moving the crawler tracks in opposite directions. What is more, with its length of just 5.7 m, the SUPER 1600-3i paver is designed for compactness, enabling it to deliver a powerful and efficient performance, even when operating under complicated conditions.
