The Wirtgen Group, a subsidiary of the Deere Corporation, positions itself as a complete provider for road construction with four specialized brands under one roof. The portfolio ranges from cold milling machines to pavers and compaction machines and recycling systems. While Wirtgen itself produces milling machines and recyclers, Joseph Vögele supplies pavers, and HAMM and BOMAG complete the process chain with rollers and compaction technology.
Wirtgen Milling Machines: From Compact to Large Milling Machine
In its core business of road milling machines, Wirtgen covers three weight classes. The compact class with models such as the W 50 Ri (up to 500 mm working width) is aimed at municipal utilities and utility construction. The mid-range class, represented by the W 100 and W 120 series, achieves working widths of up to 1,200 mm and milling capacities of 200 to 400 tons per hour. The W 250 i with 2,500 mm working width, ECO-Power drive and integrated Level Pro Plus machine control is considered the flagship – designed for highway-grade surface rehabilitation with milling depths of up to 330 mm. All current models operate with Stage V diesel engines and optionally with 3D machine control for automatic depth guidance.
Vögele Pavers: Asphalt and Slip Form Pavers
The Vögele brand focuses on asphalt pavers with paving widths from 1.0 to 18.0 meters. The Super series includes tracked pavers from 1.5 to 14 m width, while the Vision series stands out with automated approach assistance and leveling control. For municipal applications, Vögele offers the Compact class with the Super 800, which at 2,000 mm basic width can be extended to up to 4,000 mm. In the large paver segment, the Super 3000-3 positions itself with up to 18 m width and 1,100 tons paving capacity per hour. In parallel, Vögele develops slip form pavers for concrete pavements, which are primarily used in motorway construction.
HAMM and BOMAG: Rollers and Compaction
The two roller brands in the group divide segments: HAMM focuses on tandem and combination rollers for motorway construction and medium-sized road projects, while BOMAG also covers earthwork, landfill and waste compaction. Core models at HAMM are the HD+ series with tandem rollers from 3 to 15 tons operating weight and the DV+ combination rollers with tire and smooth drum sides. BOMAG complements this with the BW 200 series large-format rubber-tired and tandem rollers as well as single-impact stabilizers. Both brands rely on oscillation and asphalt manager systems that enable real-time compaction measurement – a key factor for compaction quality control according to ZTV specifications.
Recyclers and Stabilizers for Cold Recycling
A unique selling point of the Wirtgen Group is the road recyclers, which perform milling, mixing and placement in a single operation. Models such as the WR 250 achieve working widths of 2,550 mm and mixing depths of up to 500 mm. The technology enables cold recycling with bitumen emulsion or cement directly on the construction site without material transport. The portfolio is complemented by soil stabilizers from the WS series, which produce base layers for road and airport foundations. These systems reduce costs and CO₂ emissions compared to conventional removal and new installation.
Market Position and Technology Focus
The Wirtgen Group holds an estimated 25 to 30 percent market share in the global road construction segment for milling machines and pavers. Main competitors are Caterpillar, Volvo CE and Lintec in the paver sector. Technologically, the company is focusing on electrification: BOMAG has already announced the prototype of an electric large paver, while Wirtgen is testing hybrid drives for milling machines. In parallel, all machines are equipped with telematics systems such as WPT (Wirtgen Performance Tracker), which monitor operating hours, fuel consumption and maintenance intervals. In the field of machine control, the group cooperates with Trimble and Leica for GPS machine control, which has become the standard in motorway construction.
Product Announcements and Development Trends
Current developments focus on emission reduction and automation. BOMAG recently unveiled the BW 226 DI-6, a 22-ton class tandem roller with Stage V engine, which aims to reduce fuel consumption by up to 15 percent through an adaptive compaction system. Vögele is working on semi-automated paving processes that control board inclination and material distribution without driver intervention. Wirtgen is expanding the recycler range to include smaller models for municipal applications with working widths under 2 meters. All new machines have been standard on HVO100 fuel since 2023, enabling CO₂ reduction of up to 90 percent without technical modification.
