Tag Archives: Volvo Construction Equipment

Volvo to develop zero-emissions fleet for trials at CEMEX European site

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CEMEX SAB de CV is to work together with Volvo Construction Equipment and Volvo Trucks to develop a zero-emissions fleet with electromobility solutions that aligns with CEMEX´s climate action program, “Future in Action”, it says.

The companies have reached a memorandum of understanding to closely collaborate to improve productivity and CO2 footprint through the global implementation of electromobility solutions on mobile construction equipment and trucks, productivity solutions and uptime services. Initial developments and trials of technologies are planned for a European site.

Volvo CE, earlier this year, confirmed it was building the world’s first test and demonstration area for electric, autonomous transport solutions at its Customer Center in Eskilstuna, Sweden. Chief among the innovations on display will be the TARA autonomous transport solution from Volvo Autonomous Solutions for defined sites, such as quarries or mines.

Rodrigo Konda, Key Account Manager at Volvo Construction Equipment, said: “CEMEX is a great example of how a company can truly commit to becoming carbon neutral in an energy-intensive industry such as construction materials. We are eager to partner with them and work together with an ambition to create the first CO2-neutral fleet in the construction space with our best-in-class productivity services as well as electromobility solutions.”

Vicente Saiso, Head of Global Sustainability of CEMEX, said: “Working together with a leading global company in electromobility construction equipment and trucks such as Volvo will strengthen our efforts to address climate change and reduce our carbon footprint to reach net-zero by 2050. We are excited to collaborate and develop a plan roadmap to introduce electric trucks and equipment throughout our operations.”

Under its Future in Action program, CEMEX recently announced a leading industry climate action target of below 475 kg/t of CO2 of cementitious materials, an approximate more than 40% reduction in CO2 emissions, by 2030. This new goal aligns with the “Well Below Two Degree” scenario of the Science-Based Target initiative. The company also reaffirmed its 2050 goal of being net-zero carbon in concrete.

Electric, autonomous transport to be demoed at Volvo CE’s Eskilstuna

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Volvo Construction Equipment says it is building the world’s first test and demonstration area for electric, autonomous transport solutions at its Customer Center in Eskilstuna, Sweden.

Construction has already begun on the brand-new area, which will be dedicated to testing and demonstrating the latest innovations in sustainable power, connectivity and autonomous solutions.

This 66,000 m² innovation zone will include a secure track for full-electric, automated and teleoperated machines with charging infrastructure and 5G connectivity, a control and training room building, a spectator stand and training area for the Volvo Co-Pilot assist functions.

Chief among the innovations on display will be the TARA autonomous transport solution from Volvo Autonomous Solutions for defined sites, such as quarries or mines.

At the heart of TARA is the TA15 battery electric and autonomous hauler, the next commercialisation step in the concept that began with the Electric Site project and the bidirectional, cabless, battery electric and autonomous HX02 hauler.

Calle Skillsäter, Technical Specialist in connected machines at Volvo Autonomous Solutions, said: “We are excited to demonstrate our complete TARA solution to customers, including how to set up and run the site, how to charge and store the TA15 electric autonomous haulers, and how we manage the control room and surveillance operations – everything in a brand-new state-of-the-art facility.”

The secure track will also showcase remote-controlled machines, which can also be used in quarries or mines using two tele-operation rigs installed in one of the control rooms. Another of the control rooms, meanwhile, will demonstrate in real time how Volvo CE’s uptime and productivity services can reduce customers’ total cost of ownership and operation, the company said.

Back in July, Volvo Autonomous Solutions President, Nils Jaeger, told IM that the test track already had six TA15 haulers running, and an R&D team was working on the development of future automation functionality/capability as well as operating the current test fleet.

He also confirmed Harsco Environmental and Volvo Autonomous Solutions had a joint project at Harsco’s location at the Ovako Steelworks in Hofors, Sweden, where adapted TA15 haulers were being used as slag carriers during a year-long pilot.

Carl Slotte, Head of Sales Region Europe & International at Volvo CE, added: “This is an important strategic investment, not just for Volvo CE and Volvo Autonomous Solutions but the entire Volvo Group, and is proof of our commitment to drive sustainability through innovation. We are looking forward to welcoming visitors to this world-class facility and allowing them to experience exactly how we are building tomorrow.”

The innovation area is expected to open later this year.

Volvo CE R100E rigid haul truck set for Q4 North America launch

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Volvo Construction Equipment says it is readying a launch of its 95 t R100E rigid haul truck into the North America market, more than 18 months after customers and dealers at the company’s Motherwell facility in Scotland got a first glance of the machine.

With a size and capacity that make it the largest hauler in the company’s line-up, the R100E rigid hauler promises to drive down operating costs for customers by boosting productivity, uptime and operator comfort, the company said.

It is powered by a 783 kW Tier 4 Final engine, with a combined drivetrain to provide high torque capabilities, “unparalleled pulling performance” and class-leading rimpull for optimum travel times, according to Volvo CE.

Drivetrain control and machine movement are supplied by the new Volvo Dynamic Shift Control, which automatically tailors the transmission shift-points depending on the worksite and operational inputs.

Customers can expect to spend less per haul with the R100E, featuring a 60.4 m3 capacity V-shaped body for optimum load retention and minimal material carry-back.

It said: “The load profile policy enables the operator to meet a consistent average target payload, while the body-tipping system ensures fast cycle times for an all-round efficient performance.”

The Tier 4 Final R100E includes a manually-activated ECO mode for long distance hauls and high-speed applications, meanwhile.

It comes equipped with intelligent monitoring systems such as an On-Board Weighing (OBW) option to ensure the machine moves the maximum safe payload to further optimise production and minimise operational costs. “It does this by using exterior-mounted pressure sensors to monitor and relay machine statistics to the operator’s on-board display,” the company said.

It is also configured with the Volvo CareTrack telematics system to monitor operational data including fuel consumption, machine utilisation and excessive idling reports.

Customers interested in increasing the productivity of existing and future projects have access to Volvo Site Simulation with the help of their local Volvo dealer.

“Site Simulation recommends the most profitable fleet of equipment and project results based on customer needs,” the company says. “By using the simulation, customers and dealers can work together to put an equipment plan in place before a project begins.”

It also has a truck body manufactured from high impact and high abrasion-resistant 400-HBW-hard steel and a ROPS/FOPS-certified operator cab for greater operator productivity and safety. The cab is also fitted onto viscous-type isolation mounts for greater ride quality.

From the operator seat, the operator can observe the job site and surrounding areas through the large glass area and a low rake windscreen. Good visibility is complemented by a 360° surround view system provided by Volvo Smart View. This uses multiple ultra-wide angle exterior-mounted cameras to produce a bird’s-eye-view of the vehicle and surrounding work area via the on-board display.

In addition, the transmission retarder and neutral coast inhibitor secure safe machine control in downhill conditions, while the engine overspeed protection automatically slows the machine down to safe operating limits.

The R100E makes accessing daily service checks and routine maintenance quick and easy with anti-slip steps and secure walkways. All service points are strategically grouped and located within reach from the ground and service platform, while the direct rim-mounted wheel design promotes safe and quick installation and removal, the company said.

The machine features a high degree of filtration for better performance and to prolong component life. “Each functional system on the hydraulics has magnetic suction filters, as well as a pressure filtration on the steering, brake actuation pump and rear brake cooling units,” the company said. “The engine-mounted primary and secondary fuel filters combine with the advanced two stage oil filtration to remove harmful contaminates.”

Volvo will display a Tier 2 version of the R100E at CONEXPO-CON/AGG on March 10-14, with the Tier 4 Final model commercially available in North America in the December quarter of 2020.

Bridgestone to display world’s largest mining truck tyre at Bauma

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Bridgestone says it will present a selection of its premium and innovative range of tyres, industrial products and targeted solutions developed specially for the mining and construction industries at the upcoming Bauma fair in Munich, Germany.

The company is renowned for producing premium quality tyres for everything from bicycles to aircraft, including the world’s largest mining trucks. One of these 4-m-tall tyres, the largest in the world, will be on display at the Bridgestone stand on April 8-14. It will be joined by a number of other tyres, including brand-new products:

  • VSDL Loader tyre 33/65R29 – the first wheeled-loader tyre to combine the benefits of the super-wide-base 65 series with the deep Bridgestone VSDL tread pattern. “It delivers a new level of dynamic stability and low ground pressure, while retaining the resistance to cuts and damage,” Bridgestone said, and;
  • VLTS ADT tyre – Only recently launched, this tyre was specifically developed for the 60 t ADT from Volvo Construction Equipment. “The tread is even deeper than the VLT E3 tyre, delivering truly incredible traction as well as the strength and reliability Bridgestone is famous for,” the company said.

Other tyres to be displayed will represent the highly varied range of tyres Bridgestone provides for construction machinery and construction vehicles, building-material machines, mining machines, and other construction equipment, Bridgestone said.

Bridgestone’s stand will present rubber tracks, pads, hydraulic hose, cabin and engine mounts, in addition to having technology on show that falls under the Firestone brand.

This included:

  • Firestone Airmount – This air spring is adjustable. This allows users to meet the demands of loads that range in weight by hundreds or thousands of kilos, and to maintain a level surface even as loads shift. They offer excellent vibration isolation;
  • Firestone Marsh Mellow – Marsh Mellow fabric-reinforced rubber cylinders are virtually indestructible, according to the company, do not need to be inflated with air and still protect systems from the effects of structurally transmitted vibrations. They are perfectly suited for use on equipment such as vibrating screens, acting as passive isolators at a standard beyond that of steel springs.

Bridgestone has also developed digital solutions that maximise the potential of these products, making the most of the digital technology that is being increasingly integrated into vehicles and machinery to increase productivity, decrease downtime, maximise operational potential and minimise the risks to personal safety. Part of the Total Tyre Care approach, two specific solutions will be presented at BAUMA:

  • Tirematics TPMS – The first tyre pressure monitoring system to focus primarily on fleet pressure measurements for individual machines. It stops vehicles from running on under-inflated tyres, a trend that almost all fleets are guilty of. Automated pressure checks identify what work is needed without the interruptions and downtime that result from physical checks or damage to under-inflated tyres;
  • FleetPulse – A mobile and web application designed to help fleet customers maximise the health and performance of vehicles, while improving uptime and reducing total cost of ownership and digitising operations. At the same time, FleetPulse helps in reaching the high compliance and safety standards required in the industrial world.

FleetPulse consists of vehicle checklists that the driver performs, tyre-pressure measurements performed by Tirematics technology and scheduling to resolve defects, as arranged by the Fleet or Maintenance Manager.

The data FleetPulse gathers is consolidated to offer insights into the operation of a fleet, ranging from validation of maintenance/repairs to data extraction to ensure compliance.

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The Electric Mine conference shifts gear

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With just under four months to go, The Electric Mine conference is charging up to full capacity.

IM has been able to assemble a world-class speaker line-up covering the entire mine electrification process – from R&D and power infrastructure, to battery charging and electrified equipment.

The conference, to take place on April 4-5, 2019, in Toronto, Canada, will host the great and the good in this fast-evolving sector and hear case studies from real mine trials or applications.

This includes a presentation from Kirkland Lake Gold, which is currently running one of the largest in-production underground battery-electric fleets in the industry at its Macassa gold mine in Canada.

Just last month, IM heard that some 33 units were active underground at the deep and high-grade mine in Ontario and Andrew Schinkel, Senior Electrical Engineer of the Macassa Mine Complex, will most likely be able to add to that number, as well as comment on the fleet’s productivity, come conference time.

The soon-to-be-in-production Borden gold project, also in Ontario, will be under the spotlight at the event, with the involved OEMs and mining company collaborating on stage as they have during mine development.

Maarten van Koppen (pictured, left), Senior Project Engineer at Goldcorp Porcupine Mines, Jeff Anderson, Senior Mechanical Designer, MacLean Engineering, and a Sandvik Mining co-speaker (to be confirmed), will present: ‘The Borden Gold Project – lessons learned from the ‘mine of the future’ and the crucial role of partnerships in building an all-electric underground mine’.

The major mining representation does not end there.

Samantha Espley, Director of the Technology & Innovation Centre for Mining and Mineral Processing, Vale Base Metals Operations, will chart the mining company’s roadmap to underground electrification in Sudbury during her talk; expect the OEMs in the room to ask questions about the future fleet for the Creighton deep zone!

Caterpillar’s Product Manager for Underground Technology Solutions, Jay Armburger, is also set to take to the stage at the Radisson Admiral. The focus of his talk will be on heat generation, comparing battery and diesel LHDs underground. A few passing references to the proof of concept R1300G LHD trials it ran not all that long ago at an underground mine in Sudbury, Canada (pictured, right), are likely.

We’ll also hear about developments above ground.

A joint presentation from Karl Trudeau (Nouveau Monde Graphite), Michel Serres (ABB Canada) and David Lyon (MEDATECH) will shed some light on what it will take to create an all-electric open-pit mine able to produce 100,000 t of graphite concentrate at NMG’s Matawinie project in Quebec, Canada.

Those three speakers could be in the front row for Per-Erik Lindström’s talk on The Electric Site project in Sweden.

Lindström, Vice President Global Key Account Management for Volvo Construction Equipment, has seen first hand how battery-electric equipment can move the needle in terms of cost and emissions at the Skanska Vikan Cross quarry, just outside of Gothenburg, and there are more than a few miners interested in the prototype machines (pictured, left) the OEM has manufactured for this purpose.

These presentations will be complemented by a talk from Heather Ednie, Managing Director, Global Mining Guidelines Group, on the second edition of the group’s Battery Electric Vehicle guideline; an opening keynote from Ali G. Madiseh, Canada Research Chair in Advanced Mine Energy Systems, Norman B. Keevil Institute of Mining Engineering, University of British Columbia, titled: ‘The Electric Mine: a new norm in mine energy systems’; Erik Isokangas, Program Director, Mining3, discussing the value proposition for autonomous electric haulage; and Doug Morrison, President and CEO, Centre for Excellence in Mining Innovation (CEMI), looking at electrification to maximise productive capacity.

Meanwhile, Justin Bain, Chief Executive Officer, Energetique (Energy/Mobility), will fly in from Australia to pronounce the death of diesel Down Under – his firm has recently been involved in the conversion of diesel utility vehicles to battery-electric drive.

Along similar lines, Paul Miller, of Miller Technology, will talk about what goes into developing an innovative fully-electric light utility automobile, designed for continuous underground operation.

IM then has two behemoths in the mine power sector, Siemens and Schneider Electric, looking at the all-important infrastructure that goes into electrification.

Dr Bappa Banerjee, General Manager, Mining Equipment, GE Transportation, will look at the electric future for load and haul in his keynote, Mathieu Bouffard, Project Manager, Adria Manufacture, will cover battery charging and power management of battery-electric vehicles, and Don Duval, CEO of NORCAT, will showcase some of the new technologies that have come out of the organisation’s Underground Centre in Sudbury.

This speaker line-up is only set to improve as we move into the New Year, with IM in advanced discussions with more OEMs and miners looking to present.

The first global event on mine electrification continues to charge ahead…

If you’d like to hear more about The Electric Mine conference – including presenting and sponsorship opportunities – please feel free to get in contact with Editorial Director Paul Moore ([email protected]) or Editor Dan Gleeson ([email protected]).

To view the full speaker line-up, venue details and to take advantage of the soon-to-expire Early Bird attendance rate, please visit the event homepage here.

Babcock’s Volvo fleet ticking the boxes at ZAC coal operation in South Africa

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South Africa headquartered Babcock Equipment is helping Menar improve productivity and lower costs at its Zululand Anthracite Colliery (ZAC) in KzaZulu-Natal.

Earlier this year, ZAC celebrated an average of 5,000 machine hours worked in the space of just 12 months, with no downtime while running 24-hour shifts.

ZAC’s fleet of Babcock-supplied and maintained machinery consists of three Volvo A30G articulated haulers, two Volvo crawler excavators and two Volvo wheel loaders. The machinery was purchased to manage the reprocessing of a discard dump, and has worked up to 5,800 hours per individual machine since July 2017.

ZAC is South Africa’s sole producer and exporter of prime anthracite coal. It has a 100 t/h capacity and is expected to wash 3 Mt of discard in the next five years.

The reclamation of the long-standing discard dump will decrease the rehabilitation footprint of the colliery and produce 1 Mt of saleable product to be made available for both inland and export markets, according to Babcock.

The Volvo Construction Equipment operating at ZAC is being used to mine the surface dump and transport it to a newly built processing plant (pictured), as well as clean slurry dams at the mine.

Bradley Hammond, COO of Menar, said Babcock was able to offer something different from its equipment dealer competitors when it came to service.

“In addition to providing us with a highly competitive price, Babcock was the only company able to fulfil our extended service warranty requirements. This cost-effective, tailored package was the ideal solution for ZAC. Babcock also provided spot-on advice as to which machinery would be the most effective and efficient, and we are currently running at full utilisation with no wastage,” he said.

The CAP10C warranty and attractive maintenance plan offered by Babcock made the package highly cost-effective in the long term, he added.

This extended warranty covers 10,000 hours, and Babcock’s Richard Bay branch maintains the Volvo machinery through Caretrack. Caretrack allows for early detection and resolution of problems and Volvo-trained Babcock technicians are sent to site when necessary, Babcock said.

Hammond said the Volvo fleet had been a “great investment” with a fuel burn 20% less than competitors and equipment that is “perfect for our needs”.

The equipment has performed so well over the past year that Menar is considering expanding its Babcock-supplied construction equipment for other mining operations within its fold, according to Babcock.

Although being used for ‘soft’ mining, Hammond said the conditions have nevertheless tested the machinery’s capacity and endurance. “The Volvo Construction Equipment has shown excellent performance in wet conditions, with the crawler excavators doing especially well,” he said.

ZAC has reduced its monthly operating expenses and Hammond attributes much of this to Babcock’s maintenance plan.

Babcock Equipment distributes and supports international brands and construction equipment.

Volvo CE goes all-electric at Skanska Vikan Cross quarry

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Volvo Construction Equipment has started a 10-week trial of its ‘Electric Site’ concept at Skanska’s Vikan Kross operation, near Gothenburg, Sweden, as the two companies look to create the world’s first emission-free quarry.

The project, which incorporates electric and autonomous Volvo machines, will run in a real production environment aiming to achieve the same output as Skanska’s usual equipment, and is expected to deliver an anticipated 95% reduction in carbon emissions and 25% reduction in total cost of operations during the 10 weeks.

Drawing on the electromobility and automation expertise of the Volvo Group, the research project, dubbed Electric Site, aims to electrify each transport stage in a quarry – from excavation to primary crushing, and transport to secondary crushing – with only a negligible amount of diesel power being used.

Gunnar Hagman, CEO of Skanska Sweden, said: “This is the first time that anything like this has been attempted in the quarrying industry and, if successful, Electric Site could serve as a blueprint for transforming the efficiency, safety and environmental impact of quarries around the world.”

Its success will no doubt have ramifications for the mining industry, too.

Melker Jernberg, president of Volvo CE, said: “We have had to completely rethink the way we work and how we look upon machine efficiency – pushing the boundaries of our competence. The total site solution we developed together with our customer Skanska is not a commercial solution for sale today, and we will evaluate the outcome of the tests, but we have learnt so much already, elements of which will be fed into our future product development.”

The project has involved developing new concept machines, work methods and site management systems which, together, form a complete site solution. New technology encompasses machine and fleet control systems and logistic solutions for electric machines in quarries.

Three rigid haulers, for example, have been replaced by eight smaller prototype HX2 autonomous, battery-electric load carriers to transport the material from the primary mobile crusher up to the secondary static crusher.

This protoype has advanced significantly since the HX1 was first shown to customers and members of the international press at the Volvo Exploration Forum in September 2016, according to Uwe Müller, chief project manager for Electric Site at Volvo CE.

“The HX1 was our proof of concept,” he said. “Once we knew it was feasible, we updated the design requirements for the HX2 to incorporate shared technologies and components from the Volvo Group, such as electric motors, batteries and power electronics. Integrating a completely new drivetrain was crucial to take full advantage of the groundbreaking electromobility developments that are happening inside the Volvo Group.”

Another new feature is the addition of a vision system, which allows the machine to detect humans and obstacles in its vicinity, he added.

The primary crusher on the Skanska site is loaded by the 70 t dual-powered, cable-connected EX1 excavator prototype, which had not previously been seen by customers and press. The base machine for the EX1 is a Volvo EC750 model upgraded to incorporate an electric motor in addition to diesel engine.

“To fit the new components in the machine without increasing its size required a significant amount of repackaging work,” Müller said. “However, in terms of the operator interface and controls, nothing has changed – it’s operated in exactly the same way as a conventional Volvo excavator. If the cable is connected, the machine will automatically start in electric mode. If it’s not, it will start in diesel mode.”

Because the machine will be relatively static – only moving a few meters once or twice a day as the excavator works its way through the blasted rock – it is ideally suited as a fully electric machine on a cable, he added.

The stockpiles of material on site are organised by the LX1, Volvo CE’s prototype electric hybrid wheel loader. The machine can deliver up to a 50% improvement in fuel efficiency, as well as significant reductions in emissions and noise pollution compared to conventional counterparts.

The LX1 is a ‘series hybrid’ incorporating a driveline that consists of electric drive motors mounted at the wheels, electric-driven hydraulics, an energy storage system, a significantly smaller diesel engine and new machine architecture, including a new design of the lifting unit.

“It is this combination that enables the substantial gain in fuel efficiency,” Volvo CE says.

The prototype – which has 98% new parts and a fundamentally new machine design – can do the work of a wheel loader that is one size larger, according to the company.

Volvo CE teamed up with its customer Skanska Sweden, the Swedish Energy Agency and two Swedish universities – Linköping University and Mälardalen University – in October 2015 to collaborate on the SEK203 million ($22 million) Electric Site project.

Volvo CE is coordinating the project and is in charge of developing the machines and systems. Skanska Sweden is providing logistical solutions, application relevance and job site knowledge. The Swedish Energy Agency is helping to fund the project and the universities are carrying out research. Two PhD students are looking at battery ageing and energy management for electric vehicles, as well as functional safety.