Digital process optimization solutions significantly increase quality and efficiency in road construction, but are frequently also complex; this is why for some years, road paver manufacturer Vögele has been offering a three-tier modular system with different functional scopes. The three practical tools are designed precisely for the requirements of different construction projects and users and some of them can be combined or expanded: the RoadScan non-contacting measuring system enables users to monitor paving temperature across the whole paved area; the Witos Paving Docu documentation tool records and analyses both machine and process data; and the Witos Paving Plus tools enables all paving processes to be planned and then optimized in real time.
Vögele is expanding these three solutions by adding new features to improve their ease of use and accuracy, to suit the requirements of planners, construction managers and paving crews. New features include monitoring paving temperatures in real time on a smartphone and automatically generating paving and logistics concepts.
The Jobsite Temp app gives paving crews a comprehensive real-time overview of all temperature data. Users of Witos Paving Docu and Witos Paving Plus who also use the RoadScan temperature measuring system can connect to the paver via a QR code and activate the application. The Jobsite Temp app gives others working on the job site, such as paving supervisors and roller operators, in addition to paver operators, access to all the relevant information. Apart from viewing paving temperatures in real time, the foreman, for example, can see other data such as current pave speed, screed width and paver position. In order to work out where a particular truck is unloading, he can also show positions of trucks including the associated delivery note information. Roller operators likewise have the facility to view their own position and distance from the paver and to define exclusion zones.
The app and the paver are networked via WiFi, with the result that information can be exchanged between the RoadScan temperature measuring system and the smartphone even where there is no mobile phone connection. To achieve this, the paver sets up a WiFi network with a radius of around 50 to 80 m and acts as a server.
Roller operators can use the Jobsite Temp app, for example, to have the distance from the paver displayed and to define exclusion zones.
Vögele has also continued improving the temperature measuring system itself. RoadScan’s infrared camera measures paving temperatures across the whole area behind the screed in a width up to 10 m. In order to avoid faults in the thermal image due to moving objects, Vögele has developed automatic correction: the RoadScan system compares up to four images for a position, enabling it to detect moving obstacles such as those caused by scanning moving rollers, for example. These faulty measurements are removed from the thermal image at once, giving construction managers and paving supervisors a true-to-life overview of paving temperatures.
Vögele has furthermore optimized odometer calibration: RoadScan’s GPS receiver and the odometer are calibrated automatically every 2m. This prevents errors and enables operators and paving supervisors to concentrate better on the paving process itself.
The Witos Paving Docu documentation tool has new practical features which users can exploit to monitor paving data and progress better: paving crews have the option of entering target project values such as target tonnages, paving sections or areas directly in the Jobsite app and of tracking progress. They can also have displayed in the relevant truck history delivery notes from trucks which have already unloaded.
Vögele has expanded the Witos Paving Plus process optimization solution and thus made it easier for planners and construction managers to issue calls to tender: once the relevant planning data has been entered in the control module, they can create a template for a paving and logistics concept and have it output in the form of a document which can be edited. This saves time and effort and yet still gives the individual responsible the option of adding his or her own information or comments.