Committed to innovation and development

Volvo CE outline why their articulated hauler range continues to be a cut above the rest

SINCE developing the first series-manufactured articulated hauler more than 55 years ago, Volvo Construction Equipment say their haulers have continued to dominate the field, delivering optimum performance at the lowest cost per tonne.

And with an ongoing commitment to innovation and development, the company is continuing to evolve its range of articulated haulers, making them even smarter, more efficient, and easier to operate. Uptime is being maximized too, whilst maintenance costs are being kept to a minimum, reducing total cost of ownership.

New work-enhancing tools and straightforward servicing are highlighted as just a couple of contributors towards more profitable, and sustainable, operations.

The Haul Assist suite of tools, for example, is said to be a game-changing solution designed to get the most out of the Volvo articulated hauler. Powered by a 10in Volvo Co-Pilot monitor, it provides valuable insight to help customers optimize the efficiency of their haul cycles and boost profitability.

A new addition to Haul Assist, the Tyre Pressure Monitoring System, allows monitoring of tyre pressures and temperatures from the comfort of the cab. With inflation pressure having a marked impact on tyre wear, proactive monitoring is a valuable tool in optimizing tyre life as well as fuel efficiency, machine performance, and operator comfort.

Meanwhile, Map provides a real-time overview of on-site traffic to help divers navigate around a site more effectively. The whereabouts of every machine and vehicle – irrespective of the type or brand – as well as visitors on site is now visible, as long as they are connected to the map application.

As well as haul roads, Map also shows load and dump zones, and flags single-lane sections, restricted zones, and speed-restricted areas, helping to anticipate operating decisions and reduce unnecessary stops.

Another part of Haul Assist is On-Board Weighing, a proven tool that allows payload information to be viewed in real time, helping to eliminate carryback and overloading. As well as boosting productivity, this system also helps reduce excessive fuel consumption and machine wear and tear.

Volvo CE say operator comfort has always been at the heart of their design, from the centrally positioned operator seat with its superior visibility, through to user-friendly controls, with a range of automated functions that now offer even more support to enhance ease of operation and performance.

Terrain Memory, for example, is a useful feature of the intelligent Volvo drivetrain that identifies and remembers slippery road segments to ensure optimized traction control and off-road mobility.

In addition, OptiShift allows fast and smooth directional changes, whilst Downhill Speed Control automatically maintains a constant speed when operating on downward gradients; both these and the cruise control function have been fitted as standard since 2019 and are available for retrofit on older haulers.

As well as being easy to operate and highly efficient, Volvo say their articulated haulers are designed to be easy to service. Daily or even weekly greasing has now been superseded by lubrication every 250 hours – said to be the longest time interval in the industry.

Added to this is the long engine service interval – up to 1,000 hours on Stage V and Tier 4 Final models – and a fluid volume requirement that is less than half of most hauler counterparts when measured over the lifetime of the machine. The result, say Volvo CE, is reduced service requirements and consumables, helping to keep the machine at work whilst lowering maintenance costs and environmental impact.