Behind the scenes with Bomag

Photo: Bomag

Road construction equipment manufacturer has a long history of innovation going back to 1957, both in its home market of Germany and overseas operations.

Some of the latest examples of these innovations were on show at the 9th Bomag Innovation Days event at its headquarters in Boppard, Germany.

KHL was invited to attend the event, which saw more than 1,500 customers descend on its HQ over the course of the week.

The event offered a window not only into the newest launches from the company, but also insight into its future and production processes. Below are some of the highlights.

Looking to the future

Before we set off for the factory tour, we are given an introduction into the dynamics and history of Bomag and Fayat Group, which has owned Bomag since 2004.

It’s here that Jorg Unger, president of Fayat Group’s road equipment division, maps out the respective companies goals for the future, he reveals a long-term plan that will ensure the future of Bomag; “To make sure that this Group stays as it is, with its values, we founded a foundation some years ago that will, step by step, become the owner.

“So, it will never happen that the Fayat Group will belong to one of the big players or private equity company. With Bomag, as part of the Fayat Group, you will have a partner long-term on your side, who is present and guarantees you that the values of continue.”

He says that it is an example of its commitment to remain a local company looking forward, while another example of its forward-looking stance is revealed by Dr Ingo Ettischer, who replaced Ralf Junker as president in June this year.

He says, “From the 1st of October you’ll have 4 business units. Our whole product range will be divided into the four units, and we will have one person responsible for this whole entrepreneurship of developing and producing and selling these machines.”

Tim Eisfeld, director of global marketing, will lead its light equipment segment. Marco Faulhaber will lead the light and heavy tandem rollers and asphalt division, which have now been combined, while recycler and stabilisers will be led by Philipp Röhrle.

Its biggest unit, soil and compaction, is in the process of being set up, said Ettischer, and will be fully operational soon.

Moving on to how the company aims to improve efficiency in the road building sector, Jonathan Stringham, executive vice president, predicts that the next step won’t necessarily be linked just to the machine, but also to the digital infrastructure supporting it.

He said, “The next biggest step in efficiency on your job site on understanding the total costs and allowing you to control these processes better is not going to come from us building a better machine. I think the next step in moving forward is going to come from digitalisation.

“What I mean with this is connecting the machines, getting an analysis of the entire job site and understand what’s happening.”

Latest tech

With that, the company has developed what Stringham describes as a technology package, aimed at enabling customers to support customers and “create transparency in processes in real time.”

Jonathan Stringham, executive vice president, Bomag. Photo: Bomag

An example of this is its Asphalt Pro, which can work in conjunction with its Bomap to offering “give customers an entire view of the site from start to finish.”

Launched at Bauma 2022, Asphalt Pro is a cloud manufacturer independent solution enables companies to plan, optimise and digitally document the entire paving process in real time.

What’s more, it can be used for reporting and analysis on site, improving productivity and enabling users to reduce the planning involved in projects.

The process itself is fairly simple. The software calculates the mix requirement, communicates with the mixing plant, shows the fastest transport routes to the asphalt construction site, and passes process changes on to the mixing plant and lorry drivers.

It collects all parameters and can be used to alert tge site manager as to how much material has been paved, how much mix is in transit or when the next delivery is due.

Should there be any disruptions in the process which causes the prevention of paver downtime, all parties involved are informed directly about any changes to the plan or disruptions in the paving process, whether it’s the site manager, the mixing plant or the truck driver. paving results.

Meanwhile, the company is also investing heavily in new tech to improve project management and planning for its customers, such is the case for its Bomap platform which launched in 2019.

The software, available for free on Google Play Store, can be used to document work results on site in real time and is designed to simplify document control for soil and asphalt compaction.

We are also given the chance to sit in the cab of a tandem roller while the operator demonstrates the Braking Assist System. The system, now available globally, is designed to help operators avoid dangerous situations on the construction site and optimise the interaction between human and machine plays.

The emergency braking system prevents collisions during operation while protecting the hot asphalt surface from damage, the company tells KHL, and continuously scans the machine’s surroundings, allowing it to recognise potential hazards early and automatically initiate an appropriate driving response.

Through the use of multi-level lidar technology, the machine can accurately assess its surroundings and project its travel path based on speed and steering angle. Other operational parameters are also automatically factored in, such as whether the roller is in crab steering mode.

All this enables the reliable detection of people and objects in the machine’s path, while Emergency Brake Assist can also identify both stationary and moving obstacles, allowing the localisation of objects and persons that are potentially at risk when the machine is in motion.

In the event of a potential collision, the emergency brake assistant automatically comes into play, applying different braking strategies. If the driving situation allows, the roller’s working speed is only reduced – for example, if a person is already moving out of the vehicle’s path and thus away from the potential danger zone.

The assist system is displayed and operated via the touchscreen, which is fitted as standard on pivot-steered Bomag tandem rollers.

The solution, which won the Intermat Innovation Award in April, is available to order now, its head of communications tells IRN.

Production process

The great thing about events like this is that you don’t just get to see the equipment, you get to see the whole process of production before units enter circulation.

The company’s portfolio currently stands at around 250 products ranging from tandem rollers, pavers and feeders in the 55Kg up to 50 tonne range.

Moving forward, the company has plans to convert its HQ into a ‘hydrogen hub,’ which will have access to hydrogen and an energy source for heating and production facilities.

Going further, it intends to utilise hydrogen for on-site logistics across a variety of its machines, including forklifts and industrial trucks. This, coupled with the use of hydrogen as an energy source, will enable the company to operate a more sustainable production process.

There are of course areas we can’t visit. Just yards away from us is the prototype area, where the company is currently testing machines. Watch this space.

After our tour of the factory, we are taken to an outside arena, where several of the company’s machines are lined up.

“The test arena”, as one member of the Bomag team describes it, is designed to show off the capabilities of its equipment across its entire portfolio, from recyclers and tandem rollers to reversible plates and single drum rollers.

The arena serves as a platform for the company to showcase some of older machines, such as the BF200 paver with narrow 44in (1,118mm) track width and paving widths ranging from 3.6ft (1.1m) to 6.6ft (2m), or its BW 177 BVO-5 PL single drum roller that launched this year.

Described as powerful and versatile, the BW 177 BVO-5 PL is said to be ideal for a wide range of soil compaction applications on small and medium-sized construction sites.

It comes with three adjustable compaction modes – oscillation, low amplitude and high amplitude and is equipped for a wide range of construction site requirements.

While the high amplitude mode allows for impressive deep compaction and handles layer thicknesses of up to 50cm on gravel and sand and 40cm on mixed soils, the oscillation mode is said to ensure gentle but effective compaction on sensitive areas.

In terms of operation, Bomag says it has been designed to be particularly user-friendly. A rotary switch allows the machine operator to switch between compaction modes and adapt the machine’s performance to the respective site conditions.

The company was showing its entire portfolio of equipment. Photo: Bomag

This intuitive operation that enables quick and efficient work without the driver having to make complex settings is coupled with an ergonomically designed cab for improved operator comfort.

Of course, given that the company is investing in tech, it’s no surprise that the machine features tech elements such as ECOMODE technology, providing smart speed control that reduces fuel consumption by up to 30% while significantly reducing noise emissions.

In addition, BOMAG offers the optional ECOSTOP system, which it says further minimises fuel consumption and wear.

In terms of performance, Bomag says it can achieve gradeability of up to 60%, both forwards and backwards, thanks to its double pump technology.

For easier service and maintenance, it comes with no lubrication points and components, such as the dipstick, filter and filling points, are easily accessible from the ground.

New direction

Members of the press were invited to attend the HQ for a second time, both to get a closer look at some of the machines and to spend some time with senior management over breakfast.

Before that, Stringham, talks about the direction the company is going in. 2024 will be the second year it has reached 1 billion in sales, although growth has become more challenging following the bounce back from the pandemic.

At breakfast, Ettischer quickly outlines his plans for the company, one of which is to make it a company that generates between 1.5 to 2 billion in revenues; “We believe that by 2032 we can be a €1.5 billion company. We think that is realistic.”

He says there are many ways the company can achieve this. In particular, he highlights new and developing markets such as India, where the company operates one facility in Pune and several dealers scattered around the country.

The factory in Pune is small, he says, and at the time of writing manufactures one machine (the single drum roller) for export, but the volume of machines it is pushing out is increasing and it is targeting an extension of its product portfolio there as well as moving into the domestic market.

Dr Ingo Ettischer speaking at Bomag Innovation Days. Photo: Bomag

Given time he expects further machines such as tandem rollers to be made there, which will mean the factory will expand in size. “We want to be where you are”, he says.

Bomag also has a paver factory in the US as well as a factory in China in Changzhou.

The factory there is small, he says, and at the time of writing manufactures one machine (the single drum roller), but the volume of machines it is pushing out is increasing.”

Key to expanding overseas, he says, is the relationship with its owner Fayat Group, with the company given autonomy in that regard.

Second, he says, is market share. “We have a good market share in Europe, but we also want to increase our market share in the US, for example. So, we will attack our competition.”

The third centres around its services and solutions

Dealing with the energy transition

The topic of sustainability unsurprisingly comes up several times during our visit.

“Electrification is part of our strategy,” says Ettischer. “In the light equipment, it’s available today to move on to the larger products will enlarge our product range that will be available with Electric drive systems. 

“Autonomous driving, many of you know that in 2019, we already presented ROBOMAN So we move forward with full automation.”

This, alongside its focus on providing sustainable solutions, will be a key driver moving forward for Bomag, Ettischer says.

And, having seen the operations of Bomag first-hand, one can only be impressed by the direction the company is going in.