A wonderfully sunny day welcomed reporters on day three of ConExpo for the Wirtgen Group's press conference. There was a plethora of material talked up; here's a few choices bites of what's new in the world of asphalt milling, paving, and compaction.
Among cold milling machines Wirtgen has added the W 220 Fi and W 250 Fi flagship models to its intelligent F Series. These models are premiered here at Conexpo-Con/Agg 2020. The new W 220 Fi and W 250 Fi large milling machines serve a wide range of applications at a maximum milling depth of 350° mm/14 in. – from surface course rehabilitation and fine milling work to complete removal of the surface. Various drive concepts are available to ensure maximum, optimal milling performance, e.g., the W 220 Fi is equipped with a two-speed Dual Shift powershift transmission, while the W 250 Fi has an Active Dual Power dual engine drive. With an engine power of 801 HP/812 PS (W 220 Fi) and 1,010 HP/1,024 PS (W 250 Fi) respectively, the two flagship models are exceptionally powerful.
Mill Assist is also standard on these machines. The assistance system provides an optimal balance between performance and operating costs. This not only improves milling performance, but also reduces diesel, water, and pick consumption, as well as CO2 emissions.
On the recycling side comes the North American premiere of the W 380 CRi, set up as a recycling train with the Vögele paver SUPER 2000 - 3i including extending screed AB 600 TV+ and tandem roller HD+ 140i VVHF HCQ from Hamm. This purpose built machine can convert to cold mill from recycling right on-site with very little down time. The W 380 CRi can restore road surfaces beyond the available working widths of 3,200 mm/10 ft. 6 in., 3,500 mm/11 ft. 6 in. and 3,800 mm/12 ft. 6 in. In this case, the recycler picks up the material that was pre-milled on the side by a cold milling machine and adds it to the mixing process. With a mixing capacity of 800 t/h / 787.2 US t/h in combination with rear loading onto a road paver with the appropriate stockpiling and paving screed, even very wide road surfaces can be rehabilitated in a single pass.
From Hamm, the HD+ 90i PH VO, which was debuted in 2019 and has been gaining traction since, was on hand. This hybrid roller features a convertible edge press, and works with a smaller engine than previous comparable sized models due to an increase in power aided by diesel hydraulic accumulators, which also result in no need for DEF. It offers a reduction inCo2 emissions and its price point, unlike many other hybrid models, is in line with diesel alternatives.
Finally, from Vogele is the Super 1800-3i Sprayjet, the only model of its kind. This machine can put down a 5/8-in. lift of thin-bonded overlay, in advance of asphalt layout to eliminate the chance of tack affecting the fresh asphalt. It can also be easily converted, in about 30 minutes, to a conventional paver. At its widest, it covers a seamless width of 19 ft 8 in.
