22
COMPACTION
IRN JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2015
automatic control during the asphalt installation
process are decisive factors.”
Meanwhile, as part of its 2014 Road Technology
Days, a customer event attended by nearly 3500
people, Wirtgen Group took the wraps of new
machines from its Hamm compactionbrand.
The H 5I and H 7i soil compactors cover the 4.5 to
8 tonne classes, and one interesting design change
is that the rear wheels are now driven by wheel
motors instead of an axle. Hamm said this improves
climbing ability and increases the ground clearance
of themachines.
The twomodels are due to go into full production
at the end of this year, with commercial availability
from January 2015.
Also new from Hamm are the DV+ 70i and DV+ 90i
tandem rollers, available a double vibratory roller
(VV), an oscillatory roller (VO - a vibratory and
oscillatory drum) and as a combination roller (VT).
One of the most striking things about the
compactors is that they look almost identical from
the front and the back. Indeed, Hamm said this was
part of the design philosophy, which extends to
the 180° rotating seat, allowing the operator to be
comfortablewhatever the directionof travel.
Production of the DV+ is scheduled to start at
the beginning of 2015, with availability from the
spring. Meanwhile, Wacker NeusonandWirtgenhave
entered a strategic alliance for soil and asphalt
compaction rollers, starting in February. Under the
deal, Wacker Neuson said it would source rollers
from the Hamm factory in Tirschenreuth, Germany,
and distribute them via its own sales network,
focussing initially on markets in Germany, Austria
and Switzerland. We'll have an update on these new
models in the next compaction focus.
Electric drive
Meanwhile, Hitachi’s Mr van den Maagdenberg also
commentedon the recent trend for environmentally
friendly electric drive or hybrid construction
equipment – a trend that is alsomaking itsmark in
the compaction sector. He said commercial viability
and reliabilitywere key considerations.
“Rental companies really are the ones that test
these types of machines in the market. I’ve seen
some of the new electric products that have been
launched, and I think there is always an issue
– particularly with compact lines – that these
machines are used on muddy, dusty job sites, and
their electric components need tobe reliable.
“However, from an environmental point of view
there is a need to keep an eye on these product
developments. Certainly Hitachi has the tools in
its wider organisation – look at the AC-drive in its
dumper trucks, for instance, which use electrical
drive motors. We will watch this part of the market
closely.”
Last year, Altrad Belle introduced its first ever
electric powered plate compactor in the form of
the PCEL 400E (see April/May
IRN
), and since then
Wacker Neuson has also launched a new rammer
rangewith an electricmotor for emission-freework
without a power cable.
Thesenewrammerswillbeavailable in twoversions
in2015 – the smallerAS30model isaspecial rammer
for the compaction of pipe gussets, while the larger
50was designed for all traditional rammerwork.
andhow its running. But not everybodyunderstands
advantages yet, but we see this changing.
“Telematics and machine control systems really
increase the production of the machine and I
do believe that the requests for those systems
will grow. I think we will start seeing contractors
demanding this type of accountability onprojects.”
Machine control
Another manufacturer with an eye on telematics
and machine control technology is Ammann, which
put its compaction control system to the test with
a research project, conducted together with three
other manufacturers on the B10 motorway near
Pirmasens, Germany.
One paver and twelve single drum rollers were
in action on five kilometres of road – contractor
Juchem spread the asphalt mix with the paver, and
rollers from Ammann and three competitors took
care of compacting the sections assigned to them.
The finishwas applied by anAmmann tandem roller
equippedwith a disc spreader.
The client, the Federal Highway Research
Institute, and the project supervisors, the Institute
for Highway Research at the University of Siegen,
said the aim of the study was to demonstrate the
influence of comprehensive compaction control on
the quality of the finishedblacktop.
The three pivot-steered Ammann AV 95-2 tandem
vibratory rollerswithaworkingweight of 9.5 tonnes
were fitted with the company’s ACE compaction
system togetherwith TopconGPS technology.
Ammann said increases in load-bearing capacity
were measured as the rollers made each pass and
the compaction output adjusted accordingly. The
ACE system regulates amplitude and frequency
continuously and steplessly in consideration of
the asphalt temperature, and also automatically
transfers the steplessly generated amplitude
vertically into the substrate.
Thomas Remy, sales manager at Ammann, said,
“Tobe involved in this researchproject asoneof the
four ’protagonists’ isof importance toAmmann. The
assignment is considered a meaningful reference
project.
“Our ACEmeasurement system serves companies
as a self-monitoring tool and enables drivers to
achieve the best compaction results with as few
passes as possible. Permanent measurement and
Weber MT’s CR7 series of reversible soil
compactors are equippedwith compaction control
technology known as Compatrol. The 487 kg
machine has aworkingwidth of 650mm and is
powered by a Hatz engine
The H7 I is one of two new soil
compactors fromHamm
Hugo van Oostrum, Europe areamanager for
Caterpillar paving products
