Let’s start with something obvious: During echelon or offset paving with a material transfer vehicle (MTV) charging the paver, the C3 conveyor’s end hovers above the hopper insert. This is a given. If the conveyor rests against the hopper insert, you’ll have its weight influencing the down-pressure of the screed plate and the angle of attack. This is physics.
To keep the conveyor from causing the screed to dig and drag, make sure you have it raised properly. If the conveyor is at its maximum height, yet still touches the hopper insert, look at the MTV overall. Look at the tires affecting the machine’s height. Do you have them inflated properly? That seems like such a minor detail that it might be easy to overlook, but having tires inflated at half or 75% of the manufacturer’s recommended pressure is asking for trouble. The PSI should be listed right there on the tire and your mechanic should inflate them to that ideal number.
Then you’re ready to raise the conveyor, feed the hopper properly and pave for quality.
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