For simplified setup of similar paving projects, Caterpillar has added a new pave start assistant on its large asphalt pavers.
The system, which debuted at World of Asphalt, is available on the new Cat AP600, AP655, AP1000 and AP1055 asphalt pavers. The upgraded pavers also feature Cat's new nomenclature, which drops the letter after the model number.
The pavers also get new screeds: SE50 V, SE50 VT, SE60 V, SE60 V XW or SE60 VT XW.
Pave start assistant records the functioning conditions of both the paver and screed, including paving width, paving speed and tow-point position. When moving to a similar jobsite, the operator activates a previously recorded profile from the display menu, and the system matches machine setup specifications.
“If I’m paving and I like how everything is going, I just press the button to save these settings and give it a name,” says Jon Anderson, global sales consultant, Cat. “When I come back the next day I can select that jobsite, press the go button and it sets everything up.”
Alternatively, operators can use the assistant to input settings at the beginning of a job, save them and recall them at any time, Anderson explains.
Building on the F-Series line, Cat says, the updated pavers offer better material retention and enhanced visibility with standard opposite side mirrors, offering contractors a high return on investment.
