Two rollers in one . . . and all while on the run.
Among the Sakai compaction equipmentintroductions this year is a 58-inch-wide double-drum oscillating roller that doubles as a double-drum vibratory roller. As compared to other oscillating compactors, the Sakai SW652ND asphalt roller oscillates or vibrates on both drums simultaneously.
“The 652ND is unique in that it is the only such roller on the market that enables the operator to switch back and forth from conventional vibration to oscillation on both drums,” says Shane Sirmons, Sakai marketing manager. “This is a great multi-tasking tool for contractors rolling streets and highways where bridge decks are involved.”
The new model can be used both as a breakdown roller in the high-frequency vibration mode and as a finish roller usingoscillation. This could, theoretically, allow paving contractors to reduce the number of rollers needed on a jobsite.
The vibration mode of the SW652ND is typical of that on other Sakai compactors, offering a high frequency of 4,020 vibrations per minute. The more gentle oscillation mode offers a new drum motion designed to neither over-compact the mat nor fracture the aggregate, which is especially useful while compacting thin lifts and in gaining density at the joints and during finish passes.
With each drum controlled independently, the SW652ND achieves the required compaction faster on both thin and thick lift asphalt applications.
“Rather than trucking another roller out to the site or rolling static,” says Todd Mansell, Sakai technical marketing manager, “the operator can simply switch to oscillation and still maintain vibration without damage to the structure underneath. This double-drum is also excellent for thin lift work, where a vibratory might fracture the aggregate and a static or pneumatic would just be too slow. The ability to vibrate both drums in either mode gives the operator great flexibility and compaction options on the run.”
As on other Sakai double-drum rollers, the SW652ND's independent double-drum drive system is driven hydrostatically at speeds up to 7.5 miles per hour in either direction. Speed is controlled by the forward-reverse directional lever accessible from the operator's seat, and the new roller model uses the three-way braking system featured on other Sakai models. The drums are cross-mounted — the drive motors are on opposite sides of the machine — to facilitate straight rolling even at slow speeds.
A 78-horsepower Hino diesel engine powers the SW652ND's traction, steering and compaction systems independently, and a vibration-isolation system reduces the amount of drum vibration reaching both the operator and key machine components. The use of dual, rustproof spray bars at each drum — enhanced by a triple filtration system — helps keep the drum surfaces wet and thus prevent asphalt pick-up.
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