Vögele Presents New Class of 4 Pavers for the US Market

VISION Pavers made their Debut at Conexpo 2008.

Given the name "VISION Series", the line of machines was designed specifically for the North American market.

VÖGELE already is the global market leader with its SUPER Series, currently encompassing a total of 13 machines. VÖGELE offers a uniquely diverse and ultra-modern range of products, from the small paver for footpaths and cycle paths all the way to a very large machine capable of placing asphalt in pave widths up to 52 feet 6 inches. With its new VISION Series, VÖGELE now has expanded its product portfolio by four machines. The tracked VISION 5200-2 paver and the wheeled VISION 5203-2 model serve the 10-ft. segment. They primarily are used for building highways and for other large-scale construction projects. VISION 5100-2 and VISION 5103-2 are two machines for the smaller 8-ft. segment, ideal for building streets and town squares.

American asphalt paver concept with modern "Dash 2" technology

The VISION Series encompasses all-American asphalt pavers designed and engineered by a German/American team based on the specific needs of the American market. As the "dash 2" ending indicates, these machines are part of the "dash 2" paver generation successful all over the globe.

All four machines come with ErgoPlus, the highly intuitive paver operating system characterized by easy-to-learn handling. ErgoPlus makes it very easy for both the paver operator and the paving crew to control the machine. But ErgoPlus offers more than that. The entire operator's stand is of strictly ergonomic design, offering the paver operator maximum visibility and maximum comfort. From a sitting position, he can follow the entire material feed and paving process at all times, thanks to an unobstructed view of the material hopper, the outer edges of the screed and the auger tunnel.

Powerful engines and high pave speeds up to 250 fpm

In the US, the paving process is carried out at a significantly higher speed than, for example, in Europe. Pave speeds of up to 250 fpm are common practice in America. To compare, the pave speed in Europe normally is no more than 82 fpm.

For this reason, the entire machine and material handling concept of the VISION pavers is tailored to high throughput rates.

The VISION 5200-2 and VISION 5203-2 10-ft. pavers reach a laydown rate of up to 1,381 tons of mix per hour. For this high performance, powerful engines are installed in the new pavers. With an engine output of 240 h.p. at 2,000 rpm, the CUMMINS engines are real powerhouses. As the machines come with large fuel tanks holding 106 gallons, they can work all day without refilling. The VISION 5100-2 and VISION 5103-2 8-ft. pavers reach laydown rates up to 700 tons per hour and have modern CUMMINS engines rated at 170 h.p. All engines comply with current Tier III exhaust emission standards.

Efficient cooling according to W.A.T (World Ambient Temperature design)

Naturally these extremely high performance values can only be achieved if cooling of the entire system is efficient. In VÖGELE road pavers, a large cooler assembly ensures ideal temperatures of engine cooling liquid, hydraulic oil and charge air based on highly innovative air routing. Efficient cooling not only allows paver operation at ambient temperatures of more than 122 °F temperature, but also contributes to a long service life of all paver components. The VÖGELE cooling system operates very quietly, helping to maintain noise emission of the pavers at very low levels.

Modern drive concept supports precision control of the paver

One of the major advantages of the VISION line is the perfectly coordinated drive system of its pavers. Electronically controlled, separate drive units ensure excellent power transmission, tracking stability and precise turning of radii. For their high pave speeds, the tracked pavers are fitted with rubber tracks. As far as the wheeled pavers are concerned, excellent ground contact is ensured by 3-point suspension of the front wheels. For the wheeled VISION 5203-2 paver, an all-wheel drive is available as an option.

When it comes to material handling, the VISION pavers incorporate the highest-quality components and solutions. The material hopper of the 10-ft. pavers, for instance, holds 240 cubic feet of material, so that enough asphalt is available at all times to tide over breaks in supply, e.g. under bridges. A hydraulic hopper apron (option) provides for a clean construction site and guarantees a continuous flow of material. Material handling, in the longitudinal and transverse directions, is by conveyors and augers for which separate hydraulic drives are installed. Due to proportional feed rate control for conveyors and augers, exactly the amount of mix needed in front of the screed is conveyed and spread on either side.

Modern technology supports paving without segregation

Material segregation is one of the main problems of everyday construction work. VÖGELE offers a number of technical solutions to counteract mix segregation. For instance, the shape of the material hopper is designed to prevent mix from sticking to the hopper and thus to ensure that material is conveyed in a continuous flow.

The conveyor ascends slightly from front to back, towards the augers, to ensure delivery of the material onto the top of the augers instead of pressing it into them. Another technical feature that counteracts segregation is the auger flights: with a diameter of 16 inches, they provide for homogenous spreading of the asphalt in front of the screed.

Large variety of screed options

Different fields of application require different types of screeds. VÖGELE offers a wide variety of screed options for the VISION pavers. For the tracked VISION 5200-2, for instance, contractors have a choice of the VÖGELE HR 500-1 screed with rear-mounted extensions, or two Carlson screeds (EZ III and EZ IV) with front-mounted extensions. When it comes to applications requiring very high pre-compaction, the tracked VISION paver can be combined with a VÖGELE AB 600-2 Extending Screed, also available in the versions TP1 or TP2 for high compaction.

The VÖGELE HR 500-1 screed is suitable for pave widths of up to 25 feet, 6 inches. In the version with the tamper and vibrators, the AB 600-2 boasts a pave width of 27 feet, 11 inches. On account of their range of application in the municipal sector, the 8-ft. machines are offered with the Carlson screeds with front-mounted extensions.

Designed specifically for the North American market, VÖGELE's new VISION asphalt pavers incorporate leading-edge technology. The four pavers set new standards in terms of ease of operation, low noise and exhaust emission, material management and drive technology.