COVER STORY
NEW VOLVO TRUCKS: Made for Mines
Mining requires specialised transport solutions. Steep gradients, sheer drops, sharp turns, and confined spaces, with a truck loaded to the brim – it all demands maximum skill and the best equipment for the job at hand. Even when conditions are challenging, operators need to keep the production flow going.
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arlier this year, Volvo Trucks South Africa introduced four new truck ranges to the local market, with a strong focus on driver environment, safety and productivity. The launch of these four newgeneration extra-heavy commercial trucks – the Volvo FH, FH16, FM and FMX – is the biggest in the company’s history. “We know that a fleet’s uptime is now more critical than ever, and our new range is purpose-built for these demanding times,” says Marcus Hörberg, vice-president of Volvo Group Southern Africa. The Volvo FMX, for example, is Volvo Trucks’ most robust truck to date, and it will make the toughest assignments easier – whether on- or off-road. It has an entirely new cab, increased payloads, and innovative safety features. With increased front axle loads of up to 20 t and a 38 t bogie, the new Volvo FMX is built for the toughest conditions and most demanding assignments like mining operations. “In mining, you’ll need a chassis that’s built to handle a lot of action on a daily basis. You probably have a superstructure purpose-built for your operations. We tailor your truck’s chassis to support your success – using components and systems guaranteed to work reliably for many years to come,” says Eric Parry, product manager, Volvo Trucks South Africa. The Volvo chassis offers the flexibility to build a truck for any kind of superstructure used in any kind of transport assignment. The new Volvo FMX features the heaviest addition to Volvo’s chassis range – a 38 t bogie that allows for a gross combination weight of up to 150 t. In addition, the front air suspension option has been updated, allowing for front axle loads of up to 10 t, or 20 t for double front axles. For trucks with a steered tag or pusher axle, the steering angles have been increased, resulting in better
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manoeuvrability and reduced tyre wear. All these improvements add up to greater productivity and cost efficiencies for mining transportation tasks. Whether an operator needs a truck built for tough terrain, excellent comfort or massive pulling power, the new Volvo Truck range is made to deliver time after time. New cab, tough exterior Volvo’s new FMX is built on an entirely new cab platform, based on Volvo’s long and successful experience of delivering robust and functional mining trucks. “The new Volvo FMX is designed to give a superior combination of agility and durability,” explains Parry. “The completely new cab includes a front section with easily replaceable sturdy parts, headlamp protectors and new V-shaped LED headlamps. To make it easy for drivers to enter or exit, we’ve designed new anti-slip footsteps.” For particularly rough applications, the Volvo FMX comes with an optional steel roof hatch with an emergency exit handle that removes the entire hatch. Added driver focus The Volvo FMX comes with increased space in the day cab and storage of up to 800 litres. Where the FMX operates, visibility is of utmost importance. For this reason, Volvo Trucks designed the FMX so that drivers have improved visibility thanks to a lowered door line and new rear-view mirrors. The visibility is further improved by adding a camera on the passenger side, which provides a complementary view of the side of the truck. The interior is characterised by a new robust and dust-resistant dashboard with more storage space, new colours, and a modern cluster. It includes a dynamic,
