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CAPITAL EQUIPMENT NEWS
SEPTEMBER 2017
17
As part of its broader plan to gun for an
increased share of the asphalt paver market,
Caterpillar has recently been on an expansion
spree of its entire paving range that has
significantly expanded its product offering
in this market segment. Jon Anderson,
Global Sales Consultant at Caterpillar,
tells
Capital Equipment News
that the
smallest in the range is the AP255E, which
comes with a steel track undercarriage,
and with its 0,15 m-3,4 m paving width, it
is ideal for commercial applications and
paths, among others. The biggest in the
range is the AP1055F, with a Mobil-Trac and
3 m-10 m paving width. It is ideal for urban
works, paths, roadways, runways, highways
and racetracks. This is primarily sold in North
America. Other models in the Caterpillar
range include the AP300F (0,7 m-4 m paving
width); AP355F (0,7 m-4 m paving width);
AP500F (2,55 m-7,5 m paving width);
AP555F (2,55 m-7,5 m paving width); AP600F
(2,55 m-8 m paving width) and the AP655F
(2,55 m-10 m paving width).
Cat innovations abound
The talking point is really the raft of
sophisticated asphalt paver technology
that is now available on the market. A key
feature that sets Caterpillar’s range apart
from the rest – especially the highway
class (large), including the AP500F, AP555F,
AP600F, AP655F, AP1000F and AP1055F –
is the integrated 70 kW generator. “This is
an exclusive feature and a differentiator for
Cat pavers,” says Anderson. The integrated
generator is the power behind Cat’s quick
heating screed system, which is said to cut
heating times by half.
When Barloworld Equipment introduced
theAP600F in southern Africa in early 2016,
Johan Hartman, Barloworld Equipment’s
paving product manager, reiterated that,
operating as a core part of the machine,
the generator is connected directly to the
machine’s engine, and in conjunction with
the heat distribution system of the new
SE50 and SE60 screed platforms, it heats
the asphalt to the appropriate temperature in
just 15 minutes, down from 30 to 45 minutes
on the previous range.
When heating, the paver runs at 1 300 rpm,
way lower than the common 2 200 rpm most
of the pavers in this size class run at. “The
integrated design makes it quieter, and
The main focus of Vögele’s
new generation pavers is
ease of operation, high daily
production capabilities with
increased paving quality.
Cat F-Series pavers of all size classes share
common control surfaces that are intuitive
and easy to use, allowing the crew to focus
on the work at hand.
“The integrated design makes it quieter, and its power
output also allows the engine to run at a lower engine
speed, which contributes to low noise as well as lower
fuel consumption.”