Hamm''s 4.2tonne HD14 compactor is completely new and has been designed to meet a growing demand, according to head of marketing Gottfried Beer.

The machine is designed to meet the needs of contractors using new asphalt types, such as the low noise variant.

Beer explained that conventional large rollers are not suitable for such applications as they are heavier and can easily over-compact the material, while smaller rollers are not sufficiently productive for larger jobs and can allow the material to cool.

The HD14''s drums measure 900mm in diameter by 1.4m wide and he said: "They"re big drums on a medium sized machine."

He predicts steady sales for this unit, which has few direct competitors at present. "In the future this class of machine will play a much bigger role. For rental, this could be a good machine."

Power comes from the latest Hatz turbocharged diesel, a four cylinder unit that offers good torque properties and meets noise and emission standards.

As with the recently introduced compact rollers, the HD14 is said to feature good visibility. Beer said: "From the driver''s seat you can see both sides of the drum."

The machine will be available in the third quarter of this year, with production now starting for the smaller HD10.