Metering technology / AMAKOS®

The Hofmann Dosiertechnik / AMAKOS® is a dosing technology system for road marking machines covering five application material types: cold paint, 2K cold plastic, spray 2K cold plastic, thermoplastic, and spray thermoplastic. The AMAKOS® name — established in 1980 — stands for Applikation von MArkierungsstoffen mit Automatischer KOnstanthaltung der Schichtdicke, meaning Application of Marking Materials with Automatic Constant Maintenance of Layer Thickness. The system delivers speed-proportional material application — the pump output automatically adjusts to the machine’s travel speed in real time to maintain a constant film thickness regardless of speed variations during the marking pass. Pump output is consistent and independent of RPM, pressure, and material viscosity. No pulsation damper is required because there are no pulsations in the output. No progressive wear occurs that would cause output volumes to drop over time and necessitate regular recalibration or readjustment. Multi-gun line combinations of up to three guns are supported without issues for single-component materials — when a second or third gun opens, the pump automatically switches to deliver the corresponding increased material volume.

The system operates in three distinct modes. In AMAKOS® mode, the operator can freely vary machine travel speed across a wide range and the layer thickness remains constant automatically — quality is no longer dependent on operator speed discipline. In Non-AMAKOS® mode, the pump delivers a constant volume output independent of pressure and viscosity — still requiring speed monitoring but removing the need to monitor pressure or material viscosity fluctuations. The conventional mode — pressure-controlled pumps — ties layer thickness directly to pressure, viscosity, and travel speed simultaneously, creating high operator workload. For Airless spray systems, the usable speed variation range is up to 1.5 times the minimum speed; with the line-width constant-keeper attachment, this range extends to a factor of 3. Airspray (atomizer air) systems offer a wider usable speed range.

The Hofmann Dosiertechnik / AMAKOS® is installed on self-propelled road marking machines for motorway, highway, airport, and urban road marking programs where consistent film thickness across all marking passes — regardless of operator speed variation, traffic conditions, or incline changes — is a contractual quality requirement, particularly on regulated public infrastructure contracts requiring ZTV-M compliant layer thickness verification.

Leader Infra supplies this speed-proportional automatic layer thickness control dosing technology for road marking contractors — delivering AMAKOS® constant layer thickness maintenance across cold paint, thermoplastic, and cold plastic application techniques with zero pulsation, no progressive calibration drift, and full compatibility with multi-gun line configurations.

FAQ — What is the practical difference between AMAKOS® and Non-AMAKOS® operating modes in daily marking operations? In AMAKOS® mode, the system automatically adjusts pump output to match any speed the operator chooses — the operator simply drives and marks without monitoring speed. In Non-AMAKOS® mode, pump output is fixed at a set volume per unit time regardless of pressure or viscosity fluctuations, but the layer thickness will still vary if the operator changes speed — requiring the operator to maintain a consistent driving speed throughout the marking pass to keep film thickness within specification.