Equipment World Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/885126
EquipmentWorld.com | October 2017 37 Vögele MT 3000-2i Vögele's Tier 4 Interim MTV is making its North American debut after working in Europe for several years. Featuring a 215-horsepower water-cooled Deutz engine, the MT 3000-2i has a storage capacity of 18 tons and can move 1,300 tons per hour. Weighing in at 56,000 pounds, Vögele says, the MT 3000-2i is "heavy enough to get the job done, but portable enough to haul to operate on bridges." The receiving hopper offers active remixing with two highway contractor | staff report MTV GOAL: UNIFORM, QUALITY MIXES T he first material transfer vehicles (MTVs), designed to transfer hot mix asphalt (HMA) in a uniform way from the truck to the paver, were developed in the late 1980s with the advent of larger aggregate mixes. The switch to larger aggregate mixes – a response to increased truck loading on pavements – also led to increased aggregate segrega- tion, in which coarse and fine ag- gregates became non-uniform and affected mat quality. Aggregate seg- regation wasn't the only problem. Temperature uniformity was critical as well, because transferring the HMA by truck meant temperatures would cool off on the bottom, sides and top of the load. MTVs offer a way to tackle these problems, as well as stop truck delays, provide site HMA storage and eliminate paver stops and starts. In the mid-90s, manufactur- ers started equipping MTVs with reblending systems, such as a pug mill. By offering reblending capabil- ities that remix the material before delivering it to the paver's hopper, MTVs allow for a more uniform density. MTVs also allow for offset pav- ing, which can come in handy for special applications such as pav- ing super-elevated bank turns on racetracks. They offer non-contact paving, meaning the truck does not touch the paver, which is required by some state specifications. These vehicles have large storage capacities to give contractors the necessary material surge to pave continuously at higher speeds, al- lowing more tons to be laid. Upper and lower paver hopper inserts can be used in conjunction with MTVs, offering more mix storage for the paving train. In addition to self-propelled MTVs, some manufacturers offer windrow MTVs, also called "materi- al transfer devices" or MTDs. These machines attach to the paver and pick up HMA either via a windrow placed in front of the machine or a hopper. Since MTDs are not self- propelled, they can offer a cost- effective way to combat aggregate segregation. They also do not have the high axle loads of MTVs. Here are some MTVs and MTDs currently on the market: