Joseph Vögele has launched the SUPER 1800-5 X SprayJet, advancing its specialist spray-paver platform into the dash-5 technology generation. The new model achieves a maximum spray width of 8.25 m—2.25 m wider than the previous design—and combines asphalt paver and spray-paver functionality in a single machine. Powered by a 129 kW engine and delivering a paving capacity of 700 t/h, the machine targets both highway rehabilitation and municipal road networks. Announced from Ludwigshafen on 2 September 2026, the SUPER 1800-5 X SprayJet brings digital control, automation and operator-assistance features drawn from the Wirtgen Group's broader dash-5 family to the spray-paving segment.

Why spray pavers matter: one-pass bitumen emulsion and asphalt in a single operation

Spray pavers apply bitumen emulsion and asphalt wearing course simultaneously, securing layer bonding, reducing project time and cutting material waste. Vögele's new machine operates either as a conventional asphalt paver with up to 9.25 m paving width or, when fitted with the SprayJet module, as a spray paver with up to 8.25 m spray width. This dual-mode flexibility allows contractors to redeploy the asset across conventional resurfacing and specialised tack-coat-plus-surface workflows without changing platforms.

The isolated emulsion tank holds 2,100 litres; an optional supplementary tank lifts total capacity to 7,100 litres, extending autonomy on large-scale projects. To maintain the correct viscosity of small residual emulsion volumes—below 300 litres—at low ambient temperatures, the manufacturer now offers a heated tank version, preventing material waste at the end of each shift.

Eight-and-a-quarter metres of spray coverage and impulse-dosing nozzles

Five spray bars are positioned between, behind and beside the crawler tracks, ensuring uninterrupted emulsion coverage across changing working widths. Two additional extension units push maximum spray width to 8.25 m. Spray nozzles operate in impulse mode at a maximum pressure of 3 bar and are available in 07, 10 and 16 sizes, corresponding to flow rates of 70, 100 and 160 per cent. Optimised calibration delivers precise dosing across the full spray width, including at low application rates—a critical requirement for thin maintenance overlays and surface dressing.

ErgoPlus 5 console and SmartWheel fine control

The dash-5 update brings the ErgoPlus 5 operator interface to the spray-paver segment. Vögele has lowered the console build height to improve leg clearance, integrated smartphone storage, simplified SprayJet-function controls and added a high-resolution display with enhanced contrast for visibility under direct sunlight. The new SmartWheel enables fine steering adjustments; an optional touchscreen panel provides a single interface for current and future digital modules. SprayJet-module functions and status indicators are mirrored on the screed operator's console displays, reducing communication overhead during paving runs.

Paver Access Control (PAC) consolidates start-up sequences into a single control unit, allowing operators to activate all initial systems via push-button rather than sequential manual checks. On night-shift projects, the optional Lichtpaket Plus cuts rig-up time: two fixed LED floodlights integrated into roof and canopy illuminate the paver and screed area across the full working width. A windscreen option is also available for exposed highway environments.

Automation suite: Grade Assist, AutoTrac and cloud-based site intelligence

The SUPER 1800-5 X SprayJet supports Wirtgen Group's automation portfolio. Grade Assist, AutoTrac and Smart Pave control profile placement, steering alignment and working width. These functions reduce reliance on manual levelling inputs and improve consistency over long paving runs—particularly valuable on motorway projects where tight elevation tolerances apply.

Cloud-based Jobsite Intelligence tools, including Wirtgen Group Performance Tracker (WPT) Paving and the new RoadScan module, capture real-time data on paving speed, material temperature, screed settings and emulsion-application rates. Crews can analyse this data in-shift and adjust operating parameters to tighten quality control, reduce rework and document compliance with pavement specifications. The telematics integration also supports post-project audits and continuous-improvement workflows.

Spray paving in the context of road-construction digitalisation

Spray pavers occupy a specialist niche within the broader asphalt-paving equipment market, but their ability to combine tack-coat and wearing-course placement in a single pass aligns with the industry's drive toward lean construction methods. By reducing the number of machine passes and the volume of emulsion required, spray pavers lower the carbon footprint of resurfacing projects—an increasingly important criterion in public-tender evaluation.

The integration of 3D machine control and real-time documentation platforms reflects the wider adoption of BIM-compatible workflows across civil-engineering projects. As public clients in the UK and EU mandate digital twins and as-built data handover, the ability to log paving parameters and geospatial metadata at machine level becomes a competitive differentiator for contractors.

Dual-mode operation extends asset utilisation

Because the SUPER 1800-5 X SprayJet functions as both a standard paver and a spray paver, contractors can redeploy the machine across a wider project portfolio without maintaining two dedicated platforms. In periods when spray-paving work is scarce—for example, during wet winter months when emulsion curing is unreliable—the machine can revert to conventional asphalt placement. This flexibility shortens payback periods and improves fleet efficiency, particularly for mid-sized contractors operating across highway maintenance frameworks and urban renewal schemes.

Market positioning and technology transfer from the dash-5 platform

Vögele is a subsidiary of the Wirtgen Group, which also operates the HAMM, BOMAG and Wirtgen road-construction brands. The dash-5 generation was first introduced across Wirtgen Group's paver and milling families in recent years; the SUPER 1800-5 X SprayJet represents the extension of this control and automation architecture into the spray-paving segment.

Competitors in the spray-paver and wide-paving market include Dynapac, which offers tack-coat application systems, and Caterpillar, whose AP655F paver can be equipped with auxiliary sprayers, though not in an integrated single-pass configuration. The Vögele machine's dual-mode capability and integration of cloud-based documentation tools position it as a digitally advanced option for contractors prioritising automation and data traceability.

Outlook: automation and compliance as standard, not add-ons

The launch of the SUPER 1800-5 X SprayJet signals the continued migration of automation, real-time data capture and operator-assistance technologies from flagship excavator and loader platforms into specialist road-construction equipment. Features that were optional enhancements five years ago—3D control, telematics, one-touch start-up—are becoming baseline expectations, particularly on public-infrastructure projects where quality assurance and sustainability reporting are contractually mandated.

For road contractors evaluating capital investment in 2026 and 2027, the question is no longer whether to adopt digital paving tools, but which ecosystem—Wirtgen Group's WPT Paving, Caterpillar Product Link, Volvo Co-Pilot, or independent platforms such as Topcon or Trimble—offers the best interoperability with existing fleet management, design software and client reporting requirements. Vögele's bet is that contractors will favour integrated solutions from a single-source OEM over multi-vendor patchworks, particularly where warranty, training and software-update support are concerned.

The SUPER 1800-5 X SprayJet is available to order now; delivery schedules and regional pricing are managed through Wirtgen Group's national sales organisations.