Bomag introduce latest user-friendly compaction technology

19 January, 2015

First published in the January 2015 issue of Quarry Management as Let’s go Techno

Bomag begin the roll-out of their latest user-friendly compaction technology for single-drum and tandem rollers

Following the Prime Minister’s speech to the Confederation of British Industry on 10 November 2014 and the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s subsequent Autumn Statement, the UK’s contracting sector has a £15 billion, five-year, roads investment in the offing should the Tories be returned to power. This is clearly good news for an industry still in ‘recovery mode’, and if this work is commissioned contractors will be able to take advantage of new technology that will increase productivity and quality assurance, and reduce operating costs.

Bomag are well known for ‘state-of-the-art’ compaction technology and the Boppard-based company has recently introduced further refinements to two of its unique proprietary technologies, namely BCM start, a real-time GPS location system, and the TanGO exciter system, which has introduced tangential oscillation for the first time.

BCM start is a positioning module that uses ‘StarFire’ technology and can be fitted to single-drum and larger tandem rollers. Comprising a roof-mounted StarFire GPS receiver and BCM start ‘touch-screen’ tablet computer, the system constantly informs the machine’s operator through the compaction process, showing the machine’s position in real time, the number of completed passes, and, on asphalt jobs, the surface temperature of the mat. The system can also generate a comprehensive report, in PDF format, at the end of each job that can transferred to and saved on a PC for further analysis and as a permanent record to aid quality control and assurance. BCM start is available on all new-generation Dash-5 Bomag articulated tandem rollers, including the BW 141AD-5 (6.9 tonnes), BW 151AD-5 (7.6 tonnes), BW 161AD-5 (10.0 tonnes) and the BW 191 AD-5 (13.5 tonnes).

The new Bomag TanGO system, which is contained within the rear drum, consists of two exciter shafts which rotate around the drum axis to generate torque. In fast sequences the drum itself changes its effective direction tangentially to the contact surface forwards and backwards, which effectively means that the surface is compacted at double the frequency. Tangential oscillation is always directed horizontally which helps the drum maintain continuous ground contact through gravity.

This new exciter system with tangential oscillation is particularly suitable for use on jobs with joints and connections, on thin surfaces and close to buildings, or on bridge structures, as it produces hardly any vibrations. Users of the new system say they have seen increased efficiency in compaction immediately after a few roller passes. Furthermore, the interplay of tangential oscillation in the rear drum and more conventional vibration in the front drum results in the exciter systems interacting in a highly beneficial way to improve overall compaction. The net result is a new standard of efficiency that gives quicker compaction with fewer roller passes, thus saving time and money.

Bomag have begun the roll-out of this new technology by offering TanGO in the 10-tonne class of tandem rollers on their model BW 161 ADO-4. With the new tangential oscillation, Bomag say they are once again pioneering usable compaction technology that improves productivity and the quality of the rolled mat.

For more information visit: www.bomag.co.uk; or www.intelligentcompaction.co.uk