Caterpillar Paving Products has released the "Grade-Link" intelligent screed control system for its AP1055 series asphalt pavers. The smoothness of a paved road is heavily dependent on the "Grade" of the screed (the leveling plate at the back). Traditional pavers use a mechanical "skii" that drags on the ground to average out bumps. On severely rutted or milled surfaces, this mechanical averaging is too slow and often "copies" the dips.
The Grade-Link system replaces the mechanical skii with a "Multi-Sonic Sensor Array." Three non-contact ultrasonic sensors are mounted on a 4-meter multi-segmented beam in front of the screed. The engineering breakthrough is the "Layered Matrix Averaging Logic." The system processes the three distance readings simultaneously. If the left sensor detects a deep pothole, the algorithm isolates it as a localized anomaly rather than lowering the entire screed.
Crucially, the system integrates "Independent Hydraulic Toe-In Control." The screed has two hydraulic cylinders (left and right) that adjust the screed angle. If the system detects that the left side of the road is lower than the right, it independently adjusts the left cylinder to maintain the mat thickness without tilting the entire screed. This closed-loop electronic control increases road smoothness by 35% and completely eliminates the need for manual grade adjustments by the operator, maximizing paving speed and quality.
