A new digital surface profile generated on the computer can be transferred directly to the Wirtgen cold milling machine using 3D levelling systems. The technology offers better quality at a reduced cost says Ramesh Palagiri, MD & CEO, Wirtgen Group India.

How important is the role that subgrade material plays in compaction?
Subgrade is the most important underlying material upon which the pavement structure is built. Compaction increases the load bearing capacity of the subgrade thus it supports a high amount of loading resulting in building stronger roads.

What kind of impact does cold milling machines have on the quality of road rehabilitation?
Cold milling is one of the first measures taken when a roadway or traffic area needs to be rehabilitated. The condition of the milled surface has a significant impact on the quality of the new surface courses, their service qualities, and the economical and efficient execution of the other construction measures. An evenly milled surface, true to line and level, is a crucial factor about paving surface courses of uniform thickness and avoiding costly correction measures in the form of asphalt levelling courses.

The company has an extensive line-up of cold milling machines with milling widths ranging from 14 mm to 4.40 m. The customers can choose from over 30 different machine types, each also available with a variety of milling widths. One of the decisive factors in milling a surface true to line and level is precision levelling. The purpose of levelling is to regulate the milling depth and slope automatically based on a reference line, as precisely as possible.

Moreover, defined surface profiles such as specified cross slopes or crowns can also be created by means of 3D milling. A new digital surface profile generated on the computer can be transferred directly to the Wirtgen cold milling machine using 3D levelling systems. Increased quality and cost-effectiveness are major benefits offered by 3D milling technology. The powerful ‘heart’ of the cold milling machine, the milling drum assembly with all the cutting technology components also has a critical bearing on the quality, costs and performance of the milling process.

What are some of your equipments for compaction, paving and milling?
Wirtgen Group is the world market leader in mobile road construction and road rehabilitation equipment, incorporating five strong brands: Wirtgen, Vögele, HAMM, Kleemann and Benninghoven. As technological leader, we offer our customers mobile machine solutions for road construction and road rehabilitation, plants for mining and processing minerals or recycling material and for the production of asphalt.

Wirtgen Group offers range of soil compactors, tandem rollers, concrete and asphalt paver and various milling machines. Hamm compactors have been the driving force and trendsetter in the industry. Many technologies and solutions that have become the standard in the compaction sector were developed by HAMM. Today, HAMM is the world market leader in the road roller segment. With over 200 models between 1.5 and 25 t, HAMM offers an extremely diverse product range for earthwork, road construction and gardening and landscaping worldwide. The product range includes compactors, tandem rollers and pneumatic tyre rollers.

The Vögele product range includes the right road paver for every application, screeds with innovative precision engineering and Vögele PowerFeeders which deliver pure power for large-scale construction sites. Yet there are suitable solutions for digital road construction too. Vögele’s seamless product range is considered unique in the industry.

Whether a service road or a motorway, an airfield or a race track, a new construction or a rehabilitation job, thick or thin, hot or cold – customers will find the right machine in our product range for every paving task. Our products range from pavers with state-of-the-art screeds to material feeders particularly suitable for large-scale job sites and digital solutions for Road Construction 4.0.

If we talk about milling; Wirtgen offers the widest range of cold milling machines in the industry. The range of applications extends from the complete removal of asphalt and concrete to the layer-by-layer removal and levelling of asphalt and concrete surfaces. Wirtgen cold milling machines working widths extends from 35 cm up to 4.40 m and working depths of up to 35 cm in a single pass.