Fuel efficiency is a top priority for construction equipment owners. That is why hundreds of engineers in Volvo CE?s technology function are busy working on clever innovations to make equipment as fuel efficient as possible. One area of technological development is machine-to-machine (M2M) and machine-to-infrastructure communication.
?One of the advanced engineering projects we?re working on is wireless machine communication technology,? said Peter Wallin, a research co-ordinator at Volvo CE.
?By increasing machine intelligence and making it possible for machines to ?talk? to each other, we can reduce operational costs through improved fuel efficiency, while also increasing safety and maintaining productivity. So far, we?ve looked at the quarry and aggregates segment and road construction but this technology can be used in all the applications Volvo machines work in.?
FLEET OPTIMISATION
Volvo CE has conducted tests to calculate the potential fuel savings M2M communication could bring to articulated haulers working in the quarry and aggregates segment. The project monitored a hauler, loaded with rocks from an excavator, travelling to the crushing site. The machine was fitted with an internal measurement system to verify fuel consumption.
?In conjunction with the tests carried out in Bra?s, Sweden, we?ve visited customer sites and monitored how the machines are used,? Wallin said.
?Today, sites aren?t optimised and usually there isn?t a structure stating when the haulers should arrive at the crusher. Often the machines are driven at maximum speed but when you look at the amount of idle time it?s clear this isn?t always necessary.
?When the machines are stationary, waiting to unload, they?re wasting time and money. By using M2M communication, the operator would know exactly when to arrive at the crusher and what speed to travel at to get there. Through reducing machine speed and idle time we are reducing fuel consumption and wear and tear on the machine as well as facilitating an efficient flow of equipment.?
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
?The next stage of the project will be to provide the operator with information ? such as target speed and arrival time ? inside the cab,? Wallin explained.
?This live information will support and guide operators to the most fuel efficient operation and could be presented in future concepts such as head-up displays and other innovative approaches. If all the equipment on a job site was fitted with this technology the machines could be linked to a central control point, such as a tablet device used by the site manager, to optimise the efficiency of the fleet. The results from this project will determine if, when and how this technology will reach the market.?
ACTIVE SAFETY
?An undoubted advantage of increased machine intelligence is the ability to introduce active safety,? said Wallin. ?Volvo has set itself the target of reducing accidents relating to its equipment to zero ? and future technology such as M2M communication will play a major part in achieving this ambition. For example, if we combined M2M communication technology with an automatic braking system, it would prevent the possibility of a collision between two Volvo machines ? and by equipping site workers with a wireless beamer or a transmitter, machines could also detect and avoid humans in the vicinity.?
In Australia, Volvo CE is distributed by CJD Equipment. ?
Source: Volvo Construction Equipment