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| Caterpillar's AP500E Asphalt Paver  Caterpillar Inc. announced the addition of the AP500E Asphalt Paver to the Paving Products machine family. Excellent mobility, superb visibility, powerful C4.4 engine, quick setup, and a comfortable operating environment are just some of the features that you can expect from the AP500E wheel-type asphalt paver. The compact, lighter weight design allows contractors to haul the paver along with other necessary job site equipment, maximizing machine transport while minimizing costs. The AP500E when equipped with the AS2252C screed has an operating weight of 15 290 kg and when equipped with the AS3251C screed has an operating weight of 15 520 kg.The AP500E features a Cat C4.4 engine with ACERT Technology that is U.S. EPA Tier 3 emissions compliant, wheel undercarriage, dual operating stations with Advisor display, tilting consoles, high capacity cooling system, belt-driven generator, and unique material handling system with independent conveyor and auger controls. The powerful Cat C4.4 engine is a 4-cylinder, turbocharged diesel engine that provides 106 kW of power. A deck-mounted cooling system provides cool intake air in order to maximize fuel efficiency and minimize emissions. The exhaust air exits toward the hopper providing a cool engine compartment and cleaner working environment for the crew. The dual swing-out stations, tilting consoles and low profile design of the cooling system provide good forward visibility that enables the operator to communicate effectively with the truck driver while monitoring mix in the hopper. Extending the stations beyond the machine frame also enables good joint-matching capability and optimal rearward visibility to the auger chamber. An Advisor Monitoring System located on the left operating station provides an interactive interface to assist the operator. The system includes project planning calculators, start-up checklists, engine operating conditions, and many other features to assist the operator. The system also lists fault codes for machine functions, making troubleshooting quick and easy. Whether most of your paving applications take place on hard surfaces or soft base materials, the non-directional radial drive tires provide a large ground contact area for good flotation, stability and tractive effort for pushing trucks and working on inclines. A position sensor located in the left steering cylinder helps maintain consistent travel speeds when making turns by adjusting the drive speed of the propel motors according to the steering angle of the front wheels, leading to better mat quality and less wear on the drive system. The front wheel assist option provides power to the front bogie wheels for added traction when pushing trucks or working on soft base, while the all-wheel drive option provides power to the front and rear bogie wheels, maximizing tractive effort. Mobility and consistent speeds are keys to efficient paving operations. The Cat system is equipped with automatic speed control and three propel/steering modes: PAVE, TRAVEL and MANEUVER. The TRAVEL mode provides speeds of up to 16 km/hr, enabling the AP500E to be quickly repositioned around the job site. The PAVE mode enables the automatics for mix delivery, while the MANEUVER mode allows 0.75 m inside turning radius for excellent mobility in tight quarters. The material handling system is the most advanced in the paving industry. Automated controls and well-designed components reduce segregation potential and maximize efficiency for higher mat quality. The system utilizes four individual pumps that enable each conveyor and each auger to deliver the exact amount of mix to the screed. The left and right conveyors in addition to the left and right augers are controlled independently ensuring mix demand is met when increasing or decreasing paving widths. Ratio control dials and sensors (mechanical or sonic) signal the augers and conveyors to run faster or slower when changing paving widths, thus keeping the head of material at the set level. When paving around obstacles the system automatically makes the necessary adjustments for uniform mix delivery. The 25 kW, belt-driven generator provides quiet power for the electric screed heat, auxiliary lights and job site tools. The 7 kW auxiliary power panel is equipped with six, 120-volt receptacles and one, 240-volt receptacle, providing power for job site lighting and other work tools. Rigid supports, reliable heating systems and easily adjustable screed plates make Cat screeds the choice of commercial contractor's. The AS2252C Vers-A-Mat vibratory screed features narrow front-mounted extenders. The extenders utilize 229 mm wide screed plates, allowing it to work close to obstacles and making it a perfect fit for commercial applications by reducing the need for handwork when changing paving widths. The AS3251C Extend-A-Mat vibratory screed features hydraulically driven, rear-mounted extenders. Heavy-duty support tubes stabilize the extenders, providing rigidity for even material flow when paving wider widths. This screed performs well on highways and streets as well as commercial applications. write your comments about the article :: © 2010 Construction News :: home page |