Wirtgen machines accelerate reinforced pavement placement

Wirtgen Group is extending its concrete pavement offerings at World of Concrete 2020 with a WPS 62i placer/spreader global debut, and North American market AutoPilot 2.0 3D control system unveiling.



The intelligent control concept of the fast folding feeder conveyor guarantees maximum concrete availability for the slipform paver trailing the new WPS 62i placer/spreader.

The WPS 62i/WPS 62 is especially geared to reinforced concrete pavement, where pre-placed steel requires the supply of mixes from the side. As the first machine in a Wirtgen paving train, the placer/spreader passes fresh concrete over reinforcement in front of the slipform paver. A truck feeds the concrete from the side, which the placer/spreader then evenly distributes over the entire working surface. The WPS 62i/WPS 62 will be available with two different scraping units: Imperial, 12- to 24-ft. working widths, or metric, 4.00- to 7.5-m working widths. Concrete can be laid up to 20 inches thick with either unit. Due to its fully modular design and standard hydraulic quick-change couplings, the WPS 62i/WPS 62 can be easily reconfigured and quickly prepared for job site or transport, thus increasing machine uptime.

Wirtgen America will exhibit the WPS 62i/WPS 62 with its SP 124i slipform paver and TCM 180i texture curing machine at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The former has a working width up to 40 feet and is the manufacturer’s first slipform paver bearing four steerable and slewing crawler units. The SP 124i is also available with an optional new hydraulic rotational drive system, affording a steering angle up to 260 degrees. Additional concrete paver maneuverability allows the operator to quickly and flexibly adapt a train to job site conditions.

Narrow profile and reduced track line allow the SP 124i to pave close to obstacles. In addition, the four crawler units can be switched to rotation mode at the push of a button. As a result, the machine can turn almost on the spot and directly produce the next lane in the opposite direction without wasting time on repositioning. For transport, the swing legs are hydraulically swung in, further optimizing the transition from paving and decreasing downtime.

Third in the Wirtgen paving train is the new TCM 180i/TCM 180, a self-propelled texture/curing machine. Equipped with an automatic spraying and brooming system, it directly follows the slipform paver to create the desired surface texture. The spraying system applies a coating to the fresh slab surface, preventing premature dry out. The TCM 180i/TCM 180’s modular design supports 13- to 59-ft. working widths.

Wirtgen America will also arrive in Las Vegas this year with the AutoPilot 2.0 3D control system for outdoor demonstration. The system can now create as many offset and inset profiles as required, in the field, even more cost-effectively and precisely than predecessor technology. In doing so, the system either uses an existing data model or creates a new digital data model on site, thereby eliminating the need for a surveyor to create a geodetic data model in advance. In addition, the AutoPilot 2.0 eliminates time-consuming measuring, mounting and removal of stringlines, making the entire operation faster and more cost-effective. Wirtgen America, Antioch, Tenn., 615/501-0600; www.wirtgen-group.com/america

World of Concrete Booth C5426; B51404 (AutoPilot 2.0 demonstration)