Wirtgen Group rolls out its new SP 33 slipform paver

“Versatile, maneuverable and efficient” is how the Wirtgen Group describes the features of the SP 33 slipform paver.

The new slipform paver made its world premiere at World of Concrete in Las Vegas in late January.

Wirtgen presented the SP 33 concrete paver in two configurations, which, thanks to the fully modular construction concept, enables the paving of monolithic concrete profiles such as curbs and berms, rectangular profiles and concrete safety barriers up to a height of 1.3 metres, and drainage and gutter profiles.

In the offset paving configuration, it can pave concrete slabs with a width of up to 2.2 metres, and in combination with a Trimmer up to 2.4 metres wide.

The Crosspave version can pave slabs up to a width of 3 metres transversely to the direction of travel of the machine.

Both solutions can be controlled by the innovative operating concept with an event-driven graphic display. Eco mode detects every working situation without the need for manual intervention by the operator and ensures automatic, load-optimized regulation of engine output for optimum engine efficiency, maximum fuel economy and low noise emissions.

The operator is also assisted by the AutoPilot 2.0 control system. The two crawler units with parallelogram swing legs at the front and a laterally adjustable crawler unit at the rear enable zero-clearance installation and maximum flexibility.

This makes it the ideal choice for use on construction sites that demand a high degree of maneuverability and the paving of tight radii.

With its concrete paving train orchestration, Wirtgen offers coordinated machine technologies and practice-oriented equipment variants. They help users to fulfill quality requirements for evenness of the paved concrete surface. The production system comprising a placer/spreader WPS 102i, an inset slipform paver SP 124i, and a texture curing machine TCM 180i were also on display at World of Concrete.

Stringless paving

Conventional concrete paving methods rely on a physical stringline for controlling the paving process. As an alternative to this, Wirtgen offers its field-proven AutoPilot 2.0 control system, which is available for all offset pavers and placer/spreaders.

The need for a physical stringline is eliminated, which results in considerable savings in terms of time and effort and increases the safety of the paving crew.

At the same time, the system precisely controls both the height adjustment and steering of the machine. A GNSS signal and various local sensors – such as an ultrasonic sensor on the machine – serve as a reference. It also enables fast and precise paving of tight radii and complex geometries.