The Sweden-based construction and quarrying vehicle manufacturer says that connecting machines is a powerful first step towards lowering their total cost of ownership (TCO). The insights provided by the data enable you to set targets and take actions for improvement in the areas that will have the greatest impact on overall profitability.
Volvo CE says the first warning sign that your machines have not reached their lowest possible TCO is if they are spending a lot of time idling or waiting.
If, for example, a customer has 637 hours of waiting time, divided by 40 hours work per week that equals 16 weeks’ production time. Volvo CE says this time could otherwise be spent producing and earning – let alone the cost of fuel, maintenance and operator wages. It adds that high idling or waiting times mean that the number and capacity of machines at your site are not matched to the target tonnes per hour and cost per tonnes.
The second warning sign is it fuel consumption is very high. Volvo CE says high idling and waiting times are one cause of unnecessary fuel consumption, with another being inefficient operation. Operators who are too heavy on the throttle and use jerky movements will waste a large amount of money on fuel. Training can help operators to develop a feeling for how much power they need while avoiding spinning tyres. Volvo CE says that even experienced operators will benefit from a course, which helps participants to plan their work in the smartest way and make the most of the latest efficiency-enhancing features on new machines.
The final warning sign is if there are a lot of operating behaviour alerts. These alerts can be anything from revving the engine too much or using the wrong work mode to operating the machine irresponsibly. As well as reducing fuel costs, Volvo CE says that operator training can also help to reduce wear and tear or, in the worst case, damage to machines.
