Capital Equipment News September 2021

Volvo Construction Equipment (CE) presents the EcoOperator training programme for operators around the globe, an advanced course for experienced operators. The programme helps operators work more productively while reducing fuel consumption, machine improvement, and a site visit to gather information and complete the assessment phase which also includes machine inspections and an assessment of the client’s operating practices and site conditions.” He says Volvo CE can also monitor and follow up on these operators’ improvements once they return to work after their training, “as long as their equipment is connected to our CareTrack telematics system”. This system is, however, not available in Africa due to “regulatory challenges” in some countries. Gebremeskel notes that it is costly to remove operators from production for up to two weeks of training, which is why some clients choose to invest in Volvo CE’s training simulators. These simulators, which can either be used at dealerships or be installed in air-conditioned shipping containers on clients’ work sites, provide a realistic experience of sitting in the real machine and is a “great way to train operators”, he says. Productivity Besides the efficiency of the loader, operator and the load receiver, productivity is also dictated by on-site conditions. “You need the right site layout in terms of the location of the ‘face’ and of the length of the transport strait. Distance also dictates whether you use the wheel loader or a hauler to transport the material from face to the first processing station. “Changing the site layout is costly and must be done correctly the first time. Volvo site simulation calculates the effect of adding a truck or changing the size of a wheel loader on site on parameters such as production targets, fuel consumption and maintenance.” He says the simulation is “ideal” for calculating the optimum number, type and capacity of machines to reach production and efficiency targets. Volvo uses drone measurements and photos to create more accurate 3D models of customers’ sites before they invest in real-world changes. “We cooperate with the client to gather data from their site. Jobsite-specific wear and unplanned downtime. “We conduct an initial machine data analysis to identify areas for

Volvo CE’s L150H wheel loader.

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Loading efficiency depends heavily on matching the required production, which relates to sizing the wheel loader correctly for the payload, to the amount of material to be moved

The operator can work 30% less efficiently than what the machine is capable of

At the Uptime Centre in Eskilstuna, Sweden, Volvo CE specialists monitor key parameters of clients’ equipment remotely

Simulation is ideal for calculating the optimum number, type and capacity of machines to reach production and efficiency targets

consumption among these operators. The disparity was even greater in terms of productivity.” The take-away from the survey was that operator skill can have a greater impact on efficiency than the technology featured on the machine. “If we develop a new technology such as a hybrid driveline or a fully electric machine, we spend many years and millions of rand to produce a 30 or 40% more efficient machine, but the operator can work 30% less efficiently than what the machine is capable of. So, training operators is as important as investing in new technology.”

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CAPITAL EQUIPMENT NEWS SEPTEMBER 2021