Vogele 8-ft. Vision Pavers Offer Unsurpassed Versatility

March 2008 The 8-ft. tracked Vision 5100-2 and 8-ft. wheeled Vision 5103-2 pavers from Vogele America offer unsurpassed versatility and innovation for America contractors.

The tracked Vision 5100-2 asphalt paver is 18 ft., 2-in. long, and with the standard E-Z IV screed, permits 8 to 15 ft. of paving width, at a weight of 34,050 lbs. The wheeled Vision 5103-2 asphalt paver, similarly equipped with E-Z IV screed, is 19 ft. 9-in. long, at a weight of 32,849 lb. 

Either configuration gives contractors the ability to tackle the largest highway jobs, to suburban streets, to heavy commercial projects, with optimum smoothness, productivity and economy. 

˜Quiet, cool and full of fuel™, was our operating mantra in designing the 5100-2 and 5103-2, said Brodie Hutchins, general manager, Vogele America, Inc., Chambersburg, Pa. It sums up what the 8-ft. machines needed to be. We kept them quiet, with cooler operating temperatures, but with a large fuel capacity, because most 8-ft. machines don™t carry enough fuel to go through an entire day of paving. 

 ˜Bigger is better™ was not the case here, Hutchins said. Our objective was to figure out how to put all the technology improvements of the 10-ft. machine into an 8-ft., smaller package for the customer, he said. We designed in ErgoPlus technology, with its ease of operation and integrated leveling system. It™s exactly the same system as with the 10-ft. [Vision 5200-2 and 5203-2] pavers. Many of the maintenance-free features of the 10-ft. machines have been brought over to the 8-ft. machines. Most important, we kept all of the operator comfort features. For example, the operator™s station can extend out beyond the edge of the machine, so they get the same visibility they do on the 10-ft. machines.

 In addition, fuel tank capacities are larger for greater daily productivity. For the 10-ft. machines, it™s 106 gallons, and for the 8-ft. machines it™s 60 gallons, Hutchins said. That will be enough to take a customer through a 10-hour shift. Also, noise levels, operating temperatures and fuel capacities all are major issues for the 8-ft. paver market, and we™ve solved those problems with the 5100-2 and 5103-2 pavers.

 The feeder system and hoppers are critical to high performance, and here the Vision 5100 Series shines. The Vision 5100-2™s independent auger and conveyor drive are equipped with four sensors. The outer center conveyor drive has narrow center chain guards. There is better feeding under the auger box for reduced center line segregation, and the pavers have standard hopper wall thicknesses and functional hydraulic apron.

Both 8-ft. machines are powered by a Cummins 170 hp Tier III emissions-controlled engine. On the 8-ft. machines, there was not the option of placing the fan for exhaust or fumes extraction as was done for the 5200-2 models, so the exhaust stack is placed differently than with the 10-ft. machines. The stack is angled forward for operator comfort, keeping the noise, soot and fumes up and away from him. 

Wirtgen America, Inc., Nashville, is the North American arm of the Wirtgen Group, the single-source marketer of the world”s most technologically advanced lines of asphalt reclaiming and recycling equipment from Wirtgen, asphalt and soil compactors from Hamm Compaction Division, asphalt pavers from Vogele America Inc., and construction materials processing equipment from Kleemann Inc. USA. 

In late 2004 Reinhard Wirtgen, founder of Wirtgen Group, was honored as one of the “Top 100 Private Sector Transportation Design & Construction Professionals of the 20th Century” by the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA). 

Visit https://www.wirtgen-group.com/voegele/ for more information.