Capital Equipment News May 2016

COVER STORY

Volvo’s comfortable industry-leading driver's cab is without question the optimum environment for maximum productivity all day long. The easy to replace pre-filter separates coarser dust and particles before air passes through the main filter and enters the cab. Volvo’s design allows 90% of the cab air to be circulated through the main filter for continuous dust removal. The complete set of services Volvo has as part of its solutions package includes the CareTrack system, which is a telematics system that gives access to a wide range of machine monitoring information designed to save money and time. CareTrack generates a range of reports, including fuel consumption, operational hours and geographical location via web portals as well as sending sms/e- mail alerts. This is one way of staying con- nected to the machine and having new levels of control. From its early years, the company has had a name for being the first in the industry with pioneering innovations. The development of the lifting boom system and automatic transmission can be mentioned in relation to wheel loaders. The Volvo BM 4 300 was the start of the new loader generation with its articulated, four-wheel-drive configuration, construction of which contained many genu-

ine Volvo components e.g., transmission, ax- les and a new parallel arm lifting boom. The Torque Parallel linkage is still in evidence to- day in the new range, delivering high break- out torque and excellent parallel movement throughout the entire lifting range. Following the success of the brand is Volvo’s exclusive dealer network which is always on hand to support customers. Based on local knowledge, global experience, telematics machine monitoring and superb parts avail- ability, Volvo offers a number of services through its dealers, all of which optimise pro- ductivity while minimising operational costs. The Volvo Construction Equipment range has been well represented in South Africa by the Babcock International Group, a leading dis- tributor for many years. Since being appoint- ed sole distributor for Volvo CE in Southern Africa in June 2000, the company has shown consolidated growth and has consistently in- creased its market share across all product ranges. It currently rates as one of the larg- est equipment suppliers in South Africa. “With Volvo CE we have a world class, comprehensive range of products with a great history, but the best years are still ahead of us when you consider the number of new Volvo CE products that continuously land on

our doorstep, giving us tremendous potential for future growth,” says Dave Vaughan, Babcock Sales Director, Equipment. “The rollout of the new range of H-Series wheel loaders in South Africa is exciting news for us as it will open up a few more doors and enable us to increase our penetration into the heavy-duty loader market where we already have in excess of 500 units operating successfully. Some of these loaders have already completed in excess of 30 000 hours without any major problems,” added Vaughan. Babcock’s customer-focused approach and commitment to the market have been the cornerstone of the success of Volvo CE prod- ucts in the Southern Africa markets. b

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CAPITAL EQUIPMENT NEWS MAY 2016