Life begins at 40
This year the articulated dumptruck (ADT) concept is celebrates its 40th anniversary, marking four decades of transporting earth, gravel and many other materials over rough, muddy, slippery, steep or otherwise impassable terrain. Not only that, but the company that commercially launched the concept in 1966, Volvo Construction Equipment, recently saw its 50,000th ADT roll of the production line. To celebrate both of these milestone events, the 50,000th machine was not painted in the familiar yellow, but in distinctive ‘Volvo blue’ livery.
It was in 1966 that the articulated hauler concept was born with the launch of the Volvo DR631. Essentially a development of an agricultural tractor (which Volvo then made) and a trailer, which were permanently joined via an articulating hitch, with the front axle of the tractor removed, the DR631 carried a meagre 10-ton payload but set the stage for things to come.
Surprisingly, the DR631’s popularity grew only slowly to start with, with sales in the early years being confined to its home Swedish market. One year after its launch Volvo introduced the DR860, the first articulated hauler with a bogie, meaning that the material in the load body remains level and stable (reducing spillage) while the wheels cope with very uneven road surfaces. The first hauler with a turbocharged engine — the DR860T — arrived in 1970, but by 1979 things had started to speed up with the launch of the 5350.
Capable of 50km/h, the 5350 was able to maintain previously unheard of speeds due to a suspended front axle and an automatic transmission. Traction was further increased with the addition of a six-wheel-drive system.
The Volvo A20 was launched in 1986 with a 200hp engine and a 20-ton payload, while 1987 saw the advent of the 35-ton payload A35, which also featured a retarder built into the transmission to reduce wear on the service brakes.
The Volvo ADT range was given a major overhaul in 1993 with the introduction of the C-Series, which featured a low-emission engine, fully automatic transmission and 100% differential locks. The 40-ton class A40 hauler was launched in the mid-1990s, powered by a 400hp engine and stopped by oil-cooled wet-disc brakes.
Offering more reliable, easier and cost-effective operation, as well as being safer for both the environment and the operator, new D-Class machines covering payload ranges from 24 tons to 37 tons were introduced in 2000 and are still said to be the best-selling haulers in the market. With their award-winning design and comfortable cabin, the operator has a low-fatigue work environment, as do the service engineers, with no daily and only minimal weekly greasing needed. Diagnostic electronics also alert both operator and technician to problems before they become failures, thus increasing uptime.
Recent developments, such as Automatic Traction Control (ATC) — the latest option on the A25D and A30D — have kept Volvo at the forefront of the competitive hauler market. ATC relieves the operator from manually operating differential locks and drive configurations (6x4 or 6x6) as driving conditions change. Multiple sensors constantly check the speed differences within the driveline and select the best drive combination for the conditions, thereby helping to reduce tyre wear, driveline stress and fuel consumption.
Volvo Construction Equipment Ltd, Duxford, Cambridge CB2 4QX; tel: (01223) 836636; fax: (01223) 832799.
It was in 1966 that the articulated hauler concept was born with the launch of the Volvo DR631. Essentially a development of an agricultural tractor (which Volvo then made) and a trailer, which were permanently joined via an articulating hitch, with the front axle of the tractor removed, the DR631 carried a meagre 10-ton payload but set the stage for things to come.
Surprisingly, the DR631’s popularity grew only slowly to start with, with sales in the early years being confined to its home Swedish market. One year after its launch Volvo introduced the DR860, the first articulated hauler with a bogie, meaning that the material in the load body remains level and stable (reducing spillage) while the wheels cope with very uneven road surfaces. The first hauler with a turbocharged engine — the DR860T — arrived in 1970, but by 1979 things had started to speed up with the launch of the 5350.
Capable of 50km/h, the 5350 was able to maintain previously unheard of speeds due to a suspended front axle and an automatic transmission. Traction was further increased with the addition of a six-wheel-drive system.
The Volvo A20 was launched in 1986 with a 200hp engine and a 20-ton payload, while 1987 saw the advent of the 35-ton payload A35, which also featured a retarder built into the transmission to reduce wear on the service brakes.
The Volvo ADT range was given a major overhaul in 1993 with the introduction of the C-Series, which featured a low-emission engine, fully automatic transmission and 100% differential locks. The 40-ton class A40 hauler was launched in the mid-1990s, powered by a 400hp engine and stopped by oil-cooled wet-disc brakes.
Offering more reliable, easier and cost-effective operation, as well as being safer for both the environment and the operator, new D-Class machines covering payload ranges from 24 tons to 37 tons were introduced in 2000 and are still said to be the best-selling haulers in the market. With their award-winning design and comfortable cabin, the operator has a low-fatigue work environment, as do the service engineers, with no daily and only minimal weekly greasing needed. Diagnostic electronics also alert both operator and technician to problems before they become failures, thus increasing uptime.
Recent developments, such as Automatic Traction Control (ATC) — the latest option on the A25D and A30D — have kept Volvo at the forefront of the competitive hauler market. ATC relieves the operator from manually operating differential locks and drive configurations (6x4 or 6x6) as driving conditions change. Multiple sensors constantly check the speed differences within the driveline and select the best drive combination for the conditions, thereby helping to reduce tyre wear, driveline stress and fuel consumption.
Volvo Construction Equipment Ltd, Duxford, Cambridge CB2 4QX; tel: (01223) 836636; fax: (01223) 832799.
