en.Wedoany.com Reported - Wirtgen is continuously adapting its products to support customers and the future of the industry through ongoing development of its road construction equipment series and compaction and paving technologies. As one of the world's leading manufacturers of road construction machinery, the company is at the forefront of automation advancements while placing a high priority on providing operators with the best tools. Through its HAMM brand, Wirtgen is strongly driving smarter, more automated roller technology. Craig Yeats, Product Support Manager at HAMM – Wirtgen Australia, stated that these innovations aim to improve quality, reduce costs, and alleviate the skill burden on operators.

In the road construction industry, a fully automated construction site remains a vision, but daily progress in technology development is gradually bringing this goal closer. Wirtgen has introduced two advancements on asphalt rollers: Smart Compact Basic and Smart Compact Pro. Smart Compact Basic uses machine data along with temperature and stiffness readings to automatically control functions previously managed manually by operators, such as frequency, amplitude, and roller configuration, reducing reliance on highly skilled operators and allowing them to focus more on maintaining good rolling patterns and lane keeping. Smart Compact Pro directly measures density using Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), targeting density rather than relying on stiffness values that vary with temperature and mix design. Yeats noted that some customers, from granular subbase design to asphalt layer construction, have already seen the benefits of using both density scanners and traditional stiffness meters.

Yeats stated that customers want to use the same machine to compact the base layer and identify soft spots before paving asphalt, a need that is entirely achievable through technology. Such technologies not only boost productivity but also help reduce costs: decreasing idle time and the workload required for the machine to complete its tasks. If compaction is insufficient, discovering it the next day through core sampling is too late to reheat the asphalt and continue compaction, leading to rework or financial penalties. Therefore, customers have a strong economic incentive to intelligently integrate these technologies. The shift towards smarter, more automated systems also directly supports safer operations. Integrated proximity detection, collision warning, and collision avoidance systems can communicate with the machine, and when connected to a pedestrian detection system, can slow down or stop the roller when someone enters a hazardous area.

Fuel efficiency is key. Wirtgen uses performance tracking and telematics to make fuel consumption visible and quantifiable. Customers access fuel consumption data through systems like the Operation Centre, gaining insights into machine usage, quantifying total fuel use, and highlighting inefficiencies such as excessive idling. Brett Ferris, Product Support Manager at Wirtgen, mentioned that one customer reviewed their fleet and found a cumulative 20,000 hours of idle time over several years, equivalent to wasting two machines over their entire service life. On the latest WR 240 X cold recycler, features like Mix Assist and CoPilot support fuel efficiency. Mix Assist is an automatic assistance function that helps operators set and maintain correct mixing parameters for high-quality mixtures. CoPilot is an operator assistance and interface platform that integrates machine data, automation, and guidance functions, providing real-time step-by-step instructions. Ferris said customers complain about being unable to hire operators, but this technology allows almost anyone to achieve good results.

Paul Ridgeway, Application Support Manager for Road Technology at Wirtgen Australia, stated that through VÖGELE, the Eco Plus option is available for large pavers. This option includes a clutch that disengages the pump drive gearbox from the engine when there is no load demand and automatically re-engages it when needed. An asphalt paver may idle for extended periods while waiting for material, and using this option can significantly reduce fuel consumption. Wirtgen also provides detailed explanations of these features to customers, ensuring they understand how to use and optimize them for higher quality results. Ridgeway believes that machine suppliers have a responsibility to ensure operators are fully trained to use the equipment correctly.

A key differentiator in Wirtgen's after-sales support is its centralized model, which does not rely on a dealer network for distribution and support. Yeats explained that keeping service in-house helps avoid dilution of knowledge or quality and speeds up response times. Wirtgen has extensive expertise at every business level, with many service technicians and product specialists having worked for over 20 years, communicating directly with those who manufacture the equipment. Wirtgen conducts extensive training to ensure customers receive consistent, high-quality support. When launching the WR 240 X soil stabilizer or advanced features like CoPilot and Mix Assist, Wirtgen brings in experts from Germany or sends employees overseas for training. Then, trained product managers pass on knowledge internally and develop training programs for local technicians. Ferris believes this commitment sets the company apart: when selling a machine to a new market, support must be provided as if a fleet were already there. Properly training its own staff enables the company to support the machine throughout its entire working life.