Streets ahead

Back in 1869, Jakob Ammann set up his own workshop in Switzerland, and the pioneering spirit motivated him to keep on expanding his customer base as well as his range of products. This innovative strength has been sustained right down to modern times: today, the Ammann Group is constantly re-aligning itself to the global markets, continuously adapting the image that it projects whilst at the same time remaining true to its guiding principles of a customer-oriented approach, quality awareness, innovative ability and credibility. Ammann is the right partner for long-term cooperation.

Ammann Construction Equipment is a lean and flexible organization, and its 2650 employees are organised across three business areas. In the Systems business, more than 3000 asphalt-mixing plants have now proven their excellence under demanding operating conditions. Durable technology guarantees their reliability, while ultramodern control technology ensures a top quality, reproducible product. The Machines business is equally dynamic. From rammers to heavy single-drum rollers, Ammann’s range of machines covers every application in the soil compaction sector. Ammann also cooperates with Yanmar to produce a complete range of mini-excavators. Finally, Ammann’s Basis products comprise mechanical and electrical/electronic core components for processing and asphalt plants, as well as complete concrete plants and components.

Investments to conserve resources
Ammann is mounting a huge expansion of its marketing activities, with investments in ecologically safer products that will generate fewer emissions. In the asphalt-mixing sector, new products centre around advanced developments for the utilisation of large proportions of reclaimed asphalt. The trend toward rental machines is also continuing. Ammann is launching a family of compaction products on the market that will exactly meet hirers’ requirements.

Growth is the keynote for this internationally successful independent manufacturer of asphalt processing plants, compaction machinery and compact machines. Sales by the family-owned Swiss company will break through the billion-euro barrier for the first time in 2008. At its factories in St Dizier in France, Nove Mesto nad Metuji in the Czech Republic, Alfeld in Germany and Verona in Italy – as well as its Swiss-based headquarters in Langenthal – the company is adapting production capacities to cope with the large order volumes and to satisfy demand from road builders with the high quality and punctuality they have come to expect.

Penetration into the most significant markets will be expanded. Particular focus will be placed on Eastern Europe, the Far East and, more intensely, the American market. The successful family-run business will also open subsidiaries in Russia, the Ukraine, Romania and Spain.

Intelligent compaction
The Ammann Compaction Expert (ACE) is the most efficient automatic compaction measuring and control system in the global market. Introduced in the European, North American and Asia Pacific markets, ACE offers maximum efficiency and quality control for compaction jobs on soil and asphalt materials.

The ACE measurement system indicates the material stiffness that correlates with the achieved compaction quality during the compacting process. This value is then used to automatically regulate and adjust the compaction parameters (amplitude and frequency) to ensure the most efficient and exact achievement of the targeted compaction result.

Avoiding excessive compaction also prevents the over-compaction or destruction of the material.

Combined with a GPS application, the complete compaction process and results are visualised to the operator in real-time using Continuous Compaction Control (CCC). This gives a high level of process quality, self-control and operator guidance that generates time savings of up to 40 percent compared to conventional compaction equipment.

For asphalt compaction machines, ACE is also taking the temperature developments of the asphalt material into consideration when adjusting to the optimum compaction settings. With ACE just one of numerous innovative technologies engineered by the company, Ammann underlines its ambition to be one of the leading suppliers for compaction equipment and asphalt technologies

Boxout:
Alexander Greschner, Director of marketing and Sales, Business Area Machines has been with the Ammann Group since 1997. Before taking up his current role, Greschner was active in the Strategic Marketing and Developments of Ammann and responsible for the start-up of Ammann in the US.