Smart road pavers

Display showing the Smart Pave assistance system

Automated steering and grade control

Automation solutions reduce the machine operator’s workload, increase efficiency, promote process reliability, and reduce material consumption. With Grade Assist, AutoTrac, and Smart Pave, Vögele provides three particularly clever helpers: they control profile paving as well as the steering direction and paving width of Dash 5 road pavers.

Road construction companies around the world are facing growing challenges: a shortage of skilled labour, climate change, rising raw material prices, cost and deadline pressures, high quality requirements and proof of performance obligations are forcing companies to conserve resources and work with greater efficiency and precision. Construction machines with integrated automation technologies are a key factor in enabling compliance with these demands. They handle routine tasks, reduce the risk of errors, and streamline workflows. Road pavers in particular have significant potential because they directly influence the paving process and paving quality.

Dash 5 generation

In combination with Dash 5 pavers, users can utilise the optional automation solutions Grade Assist, AutoTrac, and Smart Pave.

Less stressful paving

The automation solutions reduce the operator’s workload and provide assistance with steering and grade control. This allows operators to focus on the paving process and quality monitoring.

Side view of a paver and paving crew.
Paver operator smiling at the camera from the operator's cabin.

Smart assistance solutions for asphalt paving

That is why paver manufacturer Vögele offers a broad spectrum of digital construction technologies: Cloud-based Jobsite Intelligence solutions help construction companies collect and analyse relevant paving and paver data in real time and optimise the entire paving process. In turn, Smart Automation solutions assist paver operators with steering and grade control. ‘We design our machines to work as an ideal team with operators. The pavers autonomously carry out routine or repetitive tasks and allow operators to focus on the actual paving and quality assurance,’ says Bastian Fleischer, Head of Product Management at Vögele. In combination with the Dash 5 generation, Vögele has launched new solutions that automate grade control tasks as well as the control of paving width, paving direction, and paving position.

Portrait of Bastian Fleischer

‘We design our machines to work as an ideal team with operators. The pavers autonomously carry out routine or repetitive tasks and allow operators to focus on the actual paving and quality assurance.’

Bastian Fleischer, Head of Product Management at Vögele

Grade Assist: Automated profile paving

The Grade Assist system simplifies the paving of crown profiles and transverse pavement profiles, and it supplements the existing Auto Grade Plus system for automated grade and slope control. Operators manually set the desired profile at a target point, the slope values and the distance until the point is reached on the screed or on the paver operator’s console. After starting the function, the automated grade and slope control system automatically regulates consistent convergence with the target values. This means that users no longer have to gradually adjust the slope up to the predefined point by hand, which avoids paving errors such as variations in the asphalt. The automated system ensures ideal transitions and an even paving result, particularly when paving with varying crown and cross slope profiles. ‘By taking over slope control, Grade Assist reduces operator workloads and allows them to focus on monitoring the entered parameters and other quality-relevant factors,’ says Fleischer.

‘Users get a tool that helps them work with less stress – and gives contractors a way to boost productivity.’

Bastian Fleischer, Head of Product Management at Vögele

Preview image for the Edge Control animation.
Preview image for the Edge Detection animation.

AutoTrac: Automated control based on physical references

If physical references such as edges, stringlines, or kerbs are present, operators can also use the optional AutoTrac automated steering and width control system. It controls the paving width and travel direction of a Dash 5 paver with the aid of various sensors that scan such physical references. This solution from Vögele consists of four components that can, to some extent, be used individually or in combination: Edge Control, Steering Control, Edge Detection and fixed-width screed.

A stringline as a reference

If a stringline is tensioned to control the grade, it can also be used for automated control of the paving width. For this, the paver must be fitted with Edge Control and an ultrasonic sensor. The screed operator activates the appropriate function and the screed extension then automatically follows the stringline. Only one stringline is required for constant paving widths, as the stringless side of the screed is automatically extended or retracted. If stringlines have been set up on both sides, Edge Control can also realise varying paving widths. On tracked pavers, operators can also use Steering Control and a sonic sensor to automatically control the direction of travel along the stringline.

Edge as a reference

If milled edges, kerbs, or gutters serve as a reference, paving crews can use Edge Control in combination with Edge Detection. The LIDAR sensor (Light Detection And Ranging) scans the area in front of the side plate and detects edges with a profile of at least 2 cm. When the screed operator activates the corresponding function, the respective screed extension automatically follows the edge. With this solution, paving crews can also equip either one or both sides of the screed with an Edge Detection sensor to achieve a constant or varying paving width. The exact and precise control along the reference enables a perfectly fitting edge path. If the reference is present on only one side, the automated control prevents excess paving width – which, depending on the length of the project, enables considerable savings in terms of material and costs.

Smart Pave: steering based on virtual references

Smart Pave takes automation a step further and is the all-in-one solution from Vögele: the integrated system automatically controls the paving width, paving position, and paving direction of the paver based on virtual references. The workflow is simple: the site surveyor loads the CAD model of the route into the John Deere Operations Center™, the digital jobsite management system of the Wirtgen Group. There, the system automatically checks the data for plausibility. Before starting the construction project, the operator imports the verified paving geometries via the touchscreen dsplay on the paver operator’s console. The data is transmitted wirelessly via a cellular network connection, and the paver is automatically steered along the defined route after activating the job.

Precise paving and easy handling

The necessary hardware components are integrated into the paver: The StarFire dual-antenna system from John Deere determines the exact position of the paver, while the RTK modem calculates the correction value for the satellite positioning data and enables a high accuracy of ± 2.5 cm. ‘Smart Pave ensures particularly precise paving that prevents excess widths and thus reduces the tonnage of mix required and cuts costs,’ says Fleischer. ‘On top of this, the solution is particularly efficient and user-friendly: Operators don’t need to install anything, data handling is simple and transparent and, thanks to automatic error analysis, leads to exactly the desired result.’ The automated control system saves time-consuming position marking and increases the reliability of the paving process. At the same time, it assists users in challenging operating conditions: In challenging conditions such as darkness or when working in tight spaces such as in moving traffic, users enjoy a reduced workload, can work more attentively, and are more likely to stay clear of high-risk zones.

Tolles Produkt
View of a screed with the Big Multiplex Ski sensor system.
Low effort, high impact

‘Ultimately, we are pursuing a single goal with our automation solutions: making paving processes more precise, faster, safer, and more resource-friendly with minimal effort,’ says Fleischer.Grade Assist, AutoTrac and Smart Pave have therefore been designed as simple, scalable solutions that can be used alone or together and cater for the widely differing requirements of new road construction or rehabilitation. “They are a set of tools that reduce the workload for users on paving projects – and provide contractors with a means of leveraging higher productivity.’

Automation solutions from Vögele

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