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Innovative road construction

Wirtgen is introducing an innovative concept for road construction in the shape of its new WRC 240(i) rock crusher. The machine has been developed from the firm’s proven soil stabiliser technology and is designed to break coarse rocks in-situ, as found in hand-packed pavement layers.
By Mike Woof February 19, 2024 Read time: 3 mins
The WRC 240(i) from Wirtgen extends the firm’s range of wheeled soil stabilisers designed especially for the processing of stony ground

It produces a homogeneous mix using a continuous process to a working width of 2.32m and a working depth down to 510mm. This enables an output of up to 600tonnes/hour. The market launch of the Rock Crusher will take place in November 2023.

The WRC 240(i) from Wirtgen extends the firm’s range of wheeled soil stabilisers designed especially for the processing of stony ground. In addition to the crushing of rocks and stones with an edge length of up to 300mm and a compressive strength of up to 200MPa, the machine can add cement and water in the same pass, for instance in the preparation of base layers. For this last application, cement is pre-spread with a binding agent spreader and water required is sprayed into the mixing chamber of the Rock Crusher via the machine’s Varioinjection bar.

The machine can also be used for conventional soil stabilisation duties. For this application, the pre-spread binding agents such as lime or cement are mixed into soils with insufficient bearing capacity, transforming it in-situ into a high-grade construction material and depositing the mix evenly behind the machine. The main task of the WRC is the granulation and mixing of a variety of soils, courses and layers to produce a homogeneous final product in a continuous process. As opposed to the removal and replacement of material, the processes are characterised by shorter construction times, conservation of resources and lower CO2 emissions.

The machine features a rugged and resilient crushing and mixing rotor with toolholders developed especially for crushing applications and said to deliver high quality results when working in stony ground. The tools are fitted with large, impact-resistant carbide cutting edges and the holder bases are protected by wear-resistant protective elements made from high-tensile steel. This ensures high machine utilisation rates and process reliability in demanding applications. Robust edge protectors reduce wear on the rotor’s edge ring segments. The rotor is driven via a transmission developed for the WRC that allows high rotor speeds.

To ensure resistance to the stresses encountered when crushing rocks, the rotor housing is lined with abrasion-resistant wearing plates made from tough high-tensile steel. These provide a longer service life and increase the stability of the housing. The hard-wearing plates can be individually replaced if required.

The WRC 240(i) offers several setting options that allow a range of grain sizes as well as uniform distribution in a wide range of applications. The machine has nine rotor speeds, a variable crushing stage, exchangeable screens with a range of clear mesh sizes and adjustable distance from the rotor and adjustable rotor plate pressure and machine advance rate. These allow the configuration of the machine to match the needs of the site conditions and the application.

It benefits from the satellite-based AutoTrac system to ensure precise, automatic steering, delivering operating efficiency. The system steers the machine accurately within tolerances of a few centimetres on the basis of a previously calculated reference strip and a specified overlap of adjacent strips. This enables consistent utilisation of the machine’s ideal working width. The Wirtgen Performance Tracker (WPT) registers all relevant location-specific working parameters to provide a comprehensive database for the analysis and documentation of the construction site.

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Wirtgen: AutoTrac for the WR series

 

In view of growing demands for environmentally compatible processes, the need for responsible handling of valuable resources is also increasing in the areas of soil stabilisation and cold recycling. Cost-effective realisation of these processes is only possible when they are efficiently executed. With the launch of the AutoTrac system for the WR series, it now offers a technology that focuses on precisely this.

Pioneering technology for soil stabilisation and cold recycling

Soil stabilisers are used, for example, for the resource-friendly preparation of road beds in the course of traffic infrastructure projects. A sub-base with insufficient load bearing capacity is transformed into resilient ground that can withstand heavier loading. This process takes the existing soil material and simply adds and mixes in binding agents such as cement and/or lime. In the case of cold recycling with WR series machines, damaged asphalt layers are milled and resized in a single operation, re-bound by the addition of binding agents and water and then repaved. The new base layers produced on site then stand out due to their exceptional bearing capacity.

Automatic steering system for optimal overlaps

The AutoTrac automatic steering system makes Wirtgen cold recyclers and soil stabilisers even more efficient.
The AutoTrac automatic steering system makes Wirtgen cold recyclers and soil stabilisers even more efficient.

By enabling precise, automatic steering, the AutoTrac system helps Wirtgen wheeled recyclers to achieve greater process efficiency and, as a result of this, a high degree of environmental compatibility. It steers the machine precisely within tolerances reckoned in centimetres on the basis of a previously calculated reference strip and a specified overlap of adjacent strips, enabling consistent utilisation of the machine’s ideal working width. AutoTrac relies, among other things, on various global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) for precise determination of the machine’s position and direction of travel. The system is operated from an additional control panel that also enables the operator to view information about the position of the machine and previously completed strips.

Make the best of savings potentials and increase process quality

Considering the sum of the large, avoidable overlaps with neighbouring strips that can occur in manual operations and the corresponding wastage of resources, the potential savings the system can bring soon become obvious. Keeping to the pre-set overlaps reduces the consumption of binding agents, consumables and fuel, makes the carbon footprint smaller and shortens the project completion time. The outcome of this is increased process efficiency and, in consequence, greater cost-effectiveness and environmental compatibility. Manual steering of the machine always requires considerable effort when it comes to avoiding unprocessed gaps in the ground being worked. Here again, the automatic steering system assists the operator and reduces the workload. Maintaining the desired overlap avoids unwanted gaps in the final results. Knowing this allows the operator to concentrate fully on the mixing process and keep an eye on what’s going on around the machine.

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Content produced in association with Wirtgen Group

The new Wirtgen AutoTrac system for the WR series impresses with its ability to conserve resources and increase efficiency.
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