August 2013
CONSTRUCTION WORLD
66
equipment
FUEL EFFICIENCY IS A TOP
priority for
construction equipment owners. That is why
hundreds of engineers in Volvo Construc-
tion Equipment’s (Volvo CE’s) Technology
function are busy working on innovations to
make equipment as fuel efficient as possible.
One area of technological development is
machine-to-machine (M2M) andmachine-to-
infrastructure (M2I) communication.
“One of the advanced engineering proj-
ects we are working on is wireless ma-
chine communication technology,” says
PeterWallin, research coordinator atVolvo CE.
“By increasing machine intelligence and
making it possible for machines to ‘talk’ to
each other, we can reduce operational costs
through improved fuel efficiency, while also
increasing safety andmaintaining productiv-
ity. So far we have looked at the quarry and
aggregates segment and road construction
– but this technology can be used in all the
applications Volvo machines work in.”
Fleet optimisation
Volvo CE has conducted tests to calculate the
potential fuel savings M2M communication
could bring to articulated haulers working
in the quarry and aggregates segment. The
project monitored a hauler, loaded with
rocks from an excavator, travelling to the
crushing site. The machine was fitted with
an internal measurement system to verify the
fuel consumption. The hauler was operated
by different drivers, at both constant and
varied speeds, with different amounts of idle
time and both with and without stops along
the way. Tests showed that when the hauler
travelled faster than necessary to the crusher,
and as a result had to wait before unloading,
fuel consumption was up to 30% higher
compared to when the hauler travelled
at a constant speed and arrived at the
optimum moment.
“In conjunction with the tests carried out
in Braås, Sweden, we have visited customer
sites and monitored how the machines are
used,” says Wallin. “Today sites are not
optimised and usually there is not a structure
stating when the haulers should arrive at
the crusher. Often the machines are driven
at maximum speed but when you look at
the amount of idle time it is clear that this
is not always necessary. When the machines
are stationary, waiting to unload, they are
wasting time andmoney. By usingM2Mcom-
munication the operator would knowexactly
when to arrive at the crusher andwhat speed
to travel at to get there. Through reducing
machine speed and idle timewe are reducing
fuel consumption and wear and tear on the
machine as well as facilitating an efficient
flow of equipment.”
Looking to the future
“The next stage of the project will be to
provide the operator with information – such
as target speed and arrival time – inside the
cab,”Wallin continues. “This live information
will support and guide operators to the
most fuel efficient operation and could be
presented in future concepts like heads-up
displays and other innovative approaches.
If all the equipment on a job site was fitted
with this technology the machines could be
Technology unlocks fuel efficiency
Engineers atVolvoConstruction Equipment are developing Intelligent
Transport Systems (ITS) which could reduce fuel consumption by
up to 30% in certain applications and increase safety.
linked to a central control point – such as a
tablet device used by the site manager to
optimise the efficiency of the fleet.The results
from this project will determine if, when and
how this technology will reach the market.”
Active safety
“An undoubted advantage of increased
machine intelligence is the ability to intro-
duce active safety,” he concludes. “Volvo has
set itself the target of reducing accidents
relating to its equipment to zero – and future
technology like M2M communication will
play a major part in achieving this ambition.
For example, if we combined M2M
communication technology with an auto-
matic braking system it would prevent the
possibility of a collision between two Volvo
machines – and by equipping site workers
with a wireless beamer or a transmitter,
machines could also detect and avoid
humans in the vicinity.”
●
Babcock International
Group
As the exclusive distributor for Volvo
Construction Equipment in South
Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia,
Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Swaziland
and Lesotho, Babcock International
Group offers a full aftermarket support
capabilityincludingmaintenance,repair
and overhaul utilising comprehensively
equipped workshops. Babcock backs
the Volvo brand with experienced
staff to support customers quickly and
efficiently – wherever they are. The
Group’s market-leading reputation
is based on one key fact: Babcock is a
partner that can be trusted to deliver.
