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“There has never been a more challenging time to work in the mining and quarrying industries. Safety and environmental concerns are paramount, and mining operations are having to deal with ore deposits that are both lower grade and harder to extract. In many quarry operations, more than 95% of excavated rock is waste,” says the company.
The Volvo Group invited customers and dealers to Volvo in Mines and Quarries, a week-long event in its home city of Gothenburg, Sweden, where it showcased its “expertise as a total solutions provider in the mining and quarrying segments.”
The programme included presentations from Volvo experts as well as the chance to view and experience a wide range of Volvo Penta, Volvo Trucks and Volvo Construction Equipment products.
These ranged from the new Volvo FMX and FE trucks, which provide an alternative to rigid haulers, to a variety of Volvo construction machines geared toward working in mines and quarries, including excavators, articulated haulers and wheel loaders.
Volvo Group says though its range is extensive, it can't offer every product required for work in mines and quarries, and that's where Volvo Penta's range of industrial engines comes in.
“Designed for simplicity of use and ease of installation, with the ability to work across a number of platforms, Volvo Penta engines are durable, reliable and, with their low fuel consumption and good ventilation rates, can significantly reduce the total cost of ownership of a machine, whether it's a generator or a mobile crusher,” says the company.
"Not only was this a good way for us to show end-users what we do but it also allowed us to get a better idea of their needs," says business development manager Elin Boije af Gennäs, who helped coordinate Volvo Penta's involvement in the event.
“We came away with a lot of ideas for how we can work with our customers to better meet those needs.”
Volvo Penta brought in nine dealers from China, as well as three members of its Shanghai office, to learn more about its products, especially the new range of Tier 4 Final emissions-compliant engines, due to launch in 2014.
"We can read about Volvo Penta's offerings in brochures, but it is far more useful for us to come to Gothenburg to see the products and learn more about the company's strategy for the future in person," says Li Zhenguo, who owns the Volvo Penta dealership Beijing Chongjin Machinery Company.
“We can take what we've learned back into our business, where it will benefit our staff, as well as our customers."
Daniel Boberg, business development manager for industrial power systems in Volvo Penta's emerging markets and Asia Pacific sales region, says: “Because our dealers return armed with new information, this gives Volvo Group a way of spreading the word about our products among all of our customers, not just the big fleet owners who normally get invited to these kinds of events."
Volvo Penta was active at the event with presentations from senior managers and a display in the Kållered Quarry near Gothenburg, where much of the event took place. The display featured Volvo Penta-equipped machines, such as an Atlas Copco QAS 500 generator; a
Anders Jönsson, Sandvik's business line manager for crushing, screening and breaking, said: "For many of our customers, fuel consumption and ventilation rates are the biggest costs of doing business. Sandvik uses Volvo Penta engines because they excel in both areas, not to mention their low emissions levels, which are especially important for customers using our machines near urban areas.”
