Sweden’s Volvo CE advances innovation
Majority owner of Shandong machinery exporter also has tech center in Jinan
As the chief of a leading Swedish construction machinery maker with strong links to China, Volvo Construction Equipment President Martin Weissburg said continuous investments in innovation were continuing to pave the way for a sustainable construction industry.
Weissburg added that innovation was not new for Volvo CE.
“It started more than 100
Briefly
years ago,” he said. “It has helped to reduce climate change and reduce emissions.”
The company showcased a range of futuristic concepts and innovations at its “Xploration Forum” held in late September in Eskilstuna, in western Sweden. They ranged from electromobility — the electric-powered drivetrains designed to shift vehicle design away from the use of fossil fuels — to total site solutions.
A hybrid wheel loader, which claims to have the potential to improve fuel effi- ciency by up to 50 percent, was showcased at the forum with an autonomous and batteryelectric load carrier.
A demonstration of a prototype autonomous wheel loader and an articulated hauler, working together, impressed the crowds. Their loading and dumping performance reached the equivalent of an estimated 70 percent of the productivity levels of a skilled operator.
An electric site project by Volvo CE also aims to transform the quarry and aggregates industry, by reducing carbon emissions by up to 95 percent.
Volvo CE has teamed up with its customer Skanska Sweden, the Swedish Energy Agency and two Swedish universities — Linköping University and Malardalen University — to collaborate on the project costing 203 million Swedish kronor ($23.4 million).
Weissburg said his company was investing billions of Swedish kronor in research and development to drive the evolution of new innovations.
“We organize such events as the ‘Xploration Forum’ because we want to share our projects and concepts with the world,” he said.
“Although this technology may be years away from — or may never enter — production, it will undoubtedly influence our future offerings and has the potential to transform the construction industry as we know it,” Weissburg said
“The progress our engineers are making is exciting. Our future products and services will play an important part in building a sustainable society.”
Jenny Elfsberg, director of the emerging technologies department at VCE, said all of the innovations shown at the forum were ongoing research projects that weren’t commercially availa- ble at this stage.
“A lot more work needs to be done to satisfy the needs of the market in terms of safety and efficiency,” she said.
Volvo CE in 2007 acquired 70 percent of Shandong Lingong Construction Machinery Co Ltd, one of the three major Chinese machinery exporters.
Its dual brand strategy aims to support SDLG in its global markets’ sales network and to enrich its product portfolio. The strategy involves Volvo CE and SDLG providing what it calls a total solution to customers in China and others in global markets.
Volvo CE also has a technology center in Jinan, Shandong province, which aims to be more localized to the Chinese market. It provides support to both Volvo CE and SDLG, and plays an important role in Volvo’s global R&D efforts, especially for the emerging markets.
With its heavy investments in the Chinese mainland, Weissburg said he considered Volvo CE a Chinese company.
“Volvo CE is at the forefront of technological development,” Weissburg added.
“Our future products and services will play an important part in building a sustainable society.”
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