Automatic control of plunge velocity based on depth of cut

Abstract

A system for automatically controlling operation of a milling drum on a cold planer includes an input device, a display device, a memory device configured to store a database of recommended plunge velocities at which a rotating milling drum having particular operational characteristics should be lowered into a pavement surface to break up and remove pavement material for various depths of cut to be achieved by the milling drum, and a processor in communication with the input device, the display device, and the memory device. The processor may be configured to receive, via the input device, a signal indicative of a particular depth of cut desired by an operator of the cold planer, determine from the database at least one plunge velocity at which the rotating milling drum should be lowered into the pavement surface during a milling operation for achieving the particular depth of cut, display the at least one plunge velocity for the particular desired depth of cut on the display device, generate a command control signal indicative of the at least one determined plunge velocity, and communicate the command control signal to an actuator configured to regulate a rate of descent of the milling drum into the pavement surface.