Cut Operating Costs with WIDRIVE: Intelligent Wirtgen Machine Control System Revolutionizes Milling

The innovative WIDRIVE machine control system is a successful new development that focuses on customer requirements. In the new W150 large milling machine, the performance scope that WIDRIVE offers has been fully implemented for the first time. For customers, the WIDRIVE system is an asset because it lowers diesel consumption and improves daily production. Useful automated functions implemented in the WIDRIVE system ensure a favourable overall environmental balance.

WIDRIVE – an entirely coherent machine control system

WIDRIVE links and centrally controls all major machine functions–diesel engine, travel drive, milling drum drive, conveyor drive, water system, 4-fold full floating height adjustment system, as well as the LEVEL PRO levelling system. Generally, around fifty percent of the manual operator interventions that were previously necessary to control the machine and coordinate the individual work steps during milling are now no longer required.


Following field trials, requirements from experienced milling machine operators have been incorporated in the development of the system. The result: a control tool in line with practical requirements that offers a unique degree of user-friendliness for all working situations in day-to-day site operation. The engineering tasks right from the start was to support the machine operator in his everyday work while achieving maximum performance at the same time.

Benefit the environment, save fuel

Significantly reduced fuel consumption rates relative to the quantities of asphalt milled at an improved overall milling performance is just one of numerous verifiable results.

As soon as the machine driver operates the drive lever, WIDRIVE is activated and automatically controls both the diesel engine speed and travel drive. When commencing milling and lowering the milling drum, WIDRIVE increases the engine speed to maximum automatically without the need for manual execution of the command by the machine operator. At the end of the milled cut, WIDRIVE reduces the engine speed again independently. Yet another result of the automated system is a significant reduction of the noise levels, so that WIDRIVE also permits convenient, automated driving of the milling machine in transport mode. In addition, WIDRIVE engages the load limit control of the machine control system automatically during milling to always keep the engine speed within a favourable range.

Continuous adjustment of the engine speed to the given working situation is beneficial to the environment and saves resources, while reducing fuel consumption at the same time.

WIDRIVE also governs the milling drum drive entirely independently: When engaging the milling drum, the control system briefly reduces the engine speed, engages the clutch and then increases the engine speed again in order to commence the milling operation at full power. The WIDRIVE control system autonomously links the processes involved which previously needed to be initiated via the relevant switches by the machine operator to ensure a smooth sequence of the various work steps.

Reduced water consumption

In order to improve logistics on site and save costs at the same time, an economically efficient water management is a “must” today in all cold milling projects. When in milling mode, the water system is automatically switched on by the WIDRIVE system, and is also switched off again automatically as soon as milling stops. Water consumption is reduced by around 30 to 40%.

Useful automation prevents material losses

Switching off the conveyor drive automatically during reverse travel of the milling machine in transport mode is an exceptionally useful feature in particular when moving from one milled cut to the next. The operator reverses the machine, and the conveyor drive is stopped immediately. WIDRIVE governs this function fully automatically. In that way, the cold milling machine will not spill any milled material that would need to be removed from the milled cut later.

Fully balanced thanks to 4-fold full-floating system

The new W150 is supplied with an innovation as a standard feature – the 4-fold full-floating and height adjustment system. The height adjustment system makes sure automatically that the machine always aligns parallel to the road surface both during the milling operation and in transport mode. The effect in practical application is that levelling of the machine no longer needs to be initiated manually by the machine driver. The WIDRIVE system registers independently that an adjustment of, for instance, the rear track units is necessary to align the machine parallel to the road surface. This feature makes operation of the machine even more convenient.

A matchless combination: LEVEL PRO and WIDRIVE

The innovative, proprietary LEVEL PRO levelling system from Wirtgen offers numerous advantages: sensors which can be selected individually during the milling operation, convenient memory functions, two control loops, as well as a rugged and clearly structured display that indicates up to three different sensor values. The machine can be fitted with up to three LEVEL PRO control panels at the same time.

Combined use of the WIDRIVE machine control system and automatic levelling system from Wirtgen significantly boosts the advantages offered by the LEVEL PRO system: If the operator sets the LEVEL PRO system to automatic mode when lowering the milling drum, communication with the central WIDRIVE machine control system is established, and the relevant processes for milling are initiated without the operator having to regulate additional functions, for instance, the diesel engine speed or water system.