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FOR BOB WAGNER,
president of Blacktop
Service Co., the asphalt
industry runs in the family. Bob’s
dad started his own asphalt
company in his home state of
Iowa after working for another
company in Minnesota. From
a humble start in 1967 to the
multi-asphalt plant and milling
operation today, the Wagner
family is poised for future
generations to follow suit in the
business.
A staple in the business format
is the new cold planer from
Roadtec. Purchased in the
spring of 2010, the RX-500 has
exceeded expectations and taken
the company to the next level.
“We needed to upgrade our
mill and looked to Roadtec,
a company that has a longstanding
reputation for being
dedicated to the asphalt
industry,” said Mr. Wagner. “The
American-built machinery fits
into our company dynamics.”
Getting Down to Milling
Blacktop Service Co. has done
multiple projects, most for
private/commercial jobs in
cities and towns; the company
also completes mainline, major
reconstruction projects.
Roadtec has a solid reputation
for its dedication to the asphalt
industry, and that’s exactly
what Blacktop Service Co. was
looking for when purchasing
new milling equipment.
• Truckstop in Waterloo, Iowa;
the facility had to remain
open while the work was in
progress. It was vital to keep
the 24-hour truckstop open,
especially the pump area.
With the RX-500, Blacktop
Service Co. was able to mill
8 inches (20 cm) off in two
passes and fill with minimal
interruption to customers. The
project took three days and
according to Wagner, it would
not have been possible with
its other competitor’s brand
machine. The RX-500 only
needs a 2-man milling crew.
“The ability to cut down on
project work time allows us
to bid more jobs,” said Mr.
Wagner. “We can now meet tight
turnaround schedules with the
milling speed of the RX-500.”
• In the city of Allison, Iowa,
Blacktop Service Co. worked
on several reclamation
projects, grinding up the
streets, adding oil, and laying
the mix back on the roads.
The crew had three weeks
scheduled for the project, and
with the RX-500, the job took
only one week.
“Cutting the milling time in half
or greater on jobs has made
the purchase of the RX-500 a
worthwhile investment,” said Mr.
Wagner.
Much of the company’s milling
depth is dictated by the job; the
usual depth for mill and fill is 3
inches (8 cm).
Designed to Work
What makes the three-track
RX-500 the equipment choice
for Wagner? Its lower machine
weight on polyurethane bolt-on
replaceable track pads travels at a
low working speed of 1-100 fpm
(30 mpm) and a high working
speed of 1-127 fpm (39 mpm).
The three B3-HD track drives with
12” (305 mm) wide polyurethane
grousers on the front and 14”
(356 mm) wide polyurethane
grouser on the back.
A 630 hp (447 kW) Cummins
engine powers the RX-500. The
machine cuts up to 13” (33 cm)
deep at a width of 6’3” (190 cm),
6’7” (200 cm), or 7’2” (218 cm).
With its exclusive VCS Variable
Cutter System for cutting widths
of 24”, 36”, and 48” (60 cm, 91
cm, and 121 cm) as an option,
the RX-500 is compact enough
for most city work—perfect for
Blacktop Service Co.
Greater Productivity
Wagner kept his old machine
from another manufacturer when
the new RX-500 was purchased.
The goal was to have two
machines to meet the demands
of the growing milling market.
“We did not use the old machine
nearly what we figured we
would,” said Mr. Wagner.
“The new machine simply
outperformed, milling quickly and
leaving the surface clean.”
Continued on next page
The RX-500 cold planer has a sufficient conveyor swing (60° left or right) and turning radius to accommodate today’s demanding urban milling conditions.
The RX-500 is available in either the three-track or four-track version.
HOT-MIX MAGAZINE 17 VOLUME 16 NUMBER 1