Vögele has unveiled the "Sonic-Smooth" intelligent compaction profiling system for its Super 2000 series high-performance tracked asphalt pavers. In highway construction, achieving uniform density across the paved mat is critical for pavement longevity. However, when the paver transitions from a hot, freshly delivered asphalt mass to a cooling tail end of the load, or when matching a cold longitudinal joint, the standard fixed-frequency tamper and vibration screed over-compacts the hot material and under-compacts the cooler, stiffer asphalt. This density differential leads to premature rutting and joint failure.
The Sonic-Smooth system replaces traditional ultrasonic grade sensors with a "Multi-Acoustic Resonance Profiler" mounted across the full width of the screed. The engineering breakthrough is the "Continuous Mat Density Estimation." The acoustic sensors emit low-frequency sound waves into the freshly laid asphalt mat immediately behind the screed. By analyzing the reflection coefficients and the dampening characteristics of the sound wave, the ECU calculates the relative stiffness of the mat 30 times per second.
If the system detects a sudden increase in mat stiffness-indicating a cooler, stiffer mix approaching the screed-it automatically adjusts the screed's hydraulic tamper frequency and pressure. Instead of a fixed vibration, the system spikes the tamper amplitude by 15% to fluidize the stiffer asphalt, ensuring aggregate interlock matches the adjacent hot zone. Simultaneously, an infrared thermal sensor array maps the temperature profile across the screed width. The ECU adjusts the screed's electric heating elements to maintain a strict 140°C surface temperature, preventing the asphalt from sticking to the screed and tearing the mat. This closed-loop acoustic and thermal profiling increases longitudinal joint density compliance by 25% and eliminates the thermal segregation that previously required costly infrared reheating remediation.
