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.

Earlier 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 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,

FH16: Volvo’s FH16 truck has massive pulling power FMX: The FMX truck is ideal for tough conditions common in mining operations

12-inch, high-resolution instrument display with a user-friendly interface, which allows the driver to immediately see relevant information and select up to four different screen views, depending on the driving situation. The instrument display comes ready for future updates and connected services.

The FMX also comes equipped with a new traction control panel that helps the driver easily and quickly handle potentially dangerous situations, both on and off the road. The driver can gain more traction by engaging the differential locks in an easy way, by turning a knob, viewing the traction status on the instrument display at the same time.

The driven front drive axle is positioned to give the truck a better approach angle. It’s designed to be strong and streamlined. The parallel rod behind the axle beam is integrated, making the sturdy axle casing the lowest point of the vehicle and significantly improving ground clearance when fully loaded.

Low-speed manoeuvring is one of the most challenging aspects of the job. Thanks to I-Shift with crawler gears, operators can drive at speeds as low as 0.5-2 km/h – ideal for work on mining sites. It also adds to the versatility of the truck, whereby the same truck can be used for a host of different driving conditions and assignments.

Safety features that help avoid accidents

“Safety is in the Volvo DNA and the safety features of our new truck range reflect our commitment to increasing safety for all road users,” states Hörberg.

The new Volvo range comes with the option of Adaptive Cruise Control that now works at all speeds down to 0 km/h. Further safety-enhancing features include Downhill Cruise Control, which sets a maximum speed to help prevent unwanted acceleration when travelling downhill.

The electronically controlled brake system, which is a prerequisite for safety features such as forward collision warning with emergency brake and electronic stability control, is now standard on the new truck. Volvo Dynamic Steering, with the safety systems lane-keeping assist and stability assist, is also available as an option.

www.volvotrucks.co.za Watch the Volvo FMX test drive: https://youtu.be/don59edC4iY

VOLVO TRUCKS IDEAL FOR MINING OR QUARRYING OPERATIONS

Volvo FMX: Built for tough terrain

Key product information

• Power outputs: 330-520 hp • Safe and comfortable cabs in six sizes • Optimised for high capacity in demanding conditions • Flexible chassis for body-building

Key features

• I-Shift with ultra-low crawler gears • Tandem axle lift • 5-axle vehicles

Volvo FH16: Massive pulling power

Key product information

• Power outputs: 550-610 hp • Roomy and comfortable cabs in five sizes • Optimised for heavy combinations • Flexible chassis for body-building

Key features

• I-Shift with ultra-low crawler gears • Tandem axle lift • 5-axle vehicles • Heavy-duty bumper