equipment
December 2013
CONSTRUCTION WORLD
8
AT ITS INAUGURAL INNOVATION
Forum
held in Eskilstuna, Sweden, at the end of
August, Volvo Construction Equipment
(Volvo CE) detailed its culture of creativity
and inventiveness – this permeates every
phase of product development, from design
through production – as well as its bright
vision for the future.
The event looked at the role innovation
plays in drivelines, emerging market engi-
neering, design, the company’s core values
of quality, safety and environmental care,Tier
4 Final/Stage IV compliant (this being far too
advanced for the South African contingent)
engines and future technology.
The international media was also given
a tour of Volvo’s Eskilstuna production cam-
pus to learn more about how operational
excellence contributes to innovation within
the company.
“Innovation is in our blood at Volvo CE,”
says Anders Larsson, executive vice president
of Technology at Volvo CE. “It is infused into
every part of our design, development and
sales and marketing processes.
“We also wanted to change the way
people see Volvo by demonstrating that
innovation does not always have to mean
more complex new products – it can be a
relatively simple change that makes ma-
chine maintenance easier for customers, for
example.”
A culture of innovation
The Innovation Forum, a new event forVolvo
CE, builds upon a similar event that took place
in 2011. Now set to be held on a regular basis,
the forum presents Volvo CE as a dynamic
company whose culture of innovation sets
it apart from competitors. Volvo’s innovation
model is intertwinedwith a company culture
of working with energy, passion and respect
for individuals – known as the Volvo Way.
Volvo innovation focuses on customers’needs
while nurturing and developing the innova-
tive abilities of every employee through a
bottom-up approach: no matter their roles,
everyone’s input and ideas are valuable.
Thedaylong forum includedwork stations
detailing six areas of Volvo CE innovation, as
well as a factory tour and a manufacturing
innovation session.
Innovation is everywhere at
Volvo CE
The Innovation Forum showcased the com-
pany’s inventiveness. Sixwork stations looked
at the role innovation plays in drivelines,
emergingmarket engineering, design, Volvo
CE’s core values of quality, safety and environ-
mental care, Tier 4 Final/Stage IV compliant
engines and the technology of the future.
Journalists also had the opportunity to tour
the Eskilstuna factory and learn more about
innovation in production.
Drivelines and optishift
WhenVolvo begins the development process
for a newmachine, it looks at it as a complete
system – not just as individual components.
Customer needs are always at the forefront
of engineers’ minds, as are factors like
reduced fuel consumption, return on invest-
ment for customers, durability, operability
and reliability. The drivelines and Optishift
work station, led by global director of drive-
line systems Gunnar Stein, focused on the
fuel-saving innovations Volvo CE is currently
working on as well as long-term projects.
This included a look at concepts that could
help wheel loaders of the future move 50%
morematerial using the same amount of fuel.
Emerging market engineering
Despite its Swedishheritage,VolvoCE is today
a global company – and it is only going to
become increasingly more so in the future.
One of only a few truly worldwide players in
the construction equipmentmarket,VolvoCE
makes products for all customers, regardless
of their location. Tommy Streipel, director
of wheel loader platforms, talked about
the wheel loader product line and how it is
tailored to different markets. The new L105
wheel loader, geared specifically towards
customers inChina, is a prime example of this.
Innovation in design
Innovation is not just about the technical
elements of a machine. For Volvo CE, good
Innovation: form, function
and usefulness
Volvo Construction Equipment
brought together dozens of
members of the international
press to attend its first
ever Innovation Forum,
an event designed to
underscore Volvo’s inherent
culture of creativity, invention
and advancement.
Tommy Streipel, director of wheel loader platforms.
Jenny Elfsberg, director of emerging technologies.
