Clever construction coming up
Clever construction coming up
The construction industry is experiencing an era of rapid innovation. Technological predictions have become reality, observes JACO DE KLERK, and even a Lego playset has inspired a futuristic prototype that could be branded as “the intelligent future of construction”.
At the beginning of 2019 Stephen Roy, president of sales for the Americas at Volvo Construction Equipment (CE), made some accurate predictions* that are coming to fruition. “In many ways, construction equipment manufacturers are starting to mirror Silicon Valley tech firms – advancing in telematics, autonomous machinery and electromobility.”
The predictions focused on connected machines, predictive telematics and brick-and-mortar dealerships that will make way for virtual versions.
“The most imminent changes are coming with uptime,” Roy wrote. “Connected machines are sending tonnes of information that can be used for actionable predictions. For example, knowing a machine will break down enables companies to take them offline for maintenance before a jobsite is unexpectedly thrown to a halt. The big change is that some OEMs are receiving all of this data and filtering it for dealers and customers, sending them only actionable alerts. Manufacturers also send along advanced reporting, created by a team of experts.”
He added that dealers are taking cues from other industries, such as Amazon and Walmart, by having a stronger online presence. “Dealers will become ‘uptime managers’ as they use augmented reality for consultation and repairs, and parts and services are going online with digital records, for example. Software updates on machines will be pushed/received automatically from the cloud.”
Fast forward to 2021 and connected solutions in the construction industry are getting smarter by the day. Some of the most recent innovations contributing to increased safety, uptime and fuel efficiency include virtual real-time tech support and reduced transport emissions with efficient loading.
To diagnose and resolve potential machine issues even faster, Volvo CE is enabling dealer field technicians to connect directly to their back-office product specialists, as well as Volvo product experts and engineers, through live augmented-reality video feeds.
Via a real-time tech support app on their mobile phone, field technicians can initiate an interactive video call with their dealer back-office staff and invite a Volvo product expert and engineer, if required, to provide more expertise in diagnosing and resolving an issue. This prevents downtime for customers, and avoids multiple visits to the jobsite for field technicians. It also speeds up fault-tracing, minimises travel and gets the machine back on the job much sooner.
Another digital service, called Efficient Load Out, enables trucks and excavators to communicate more effectively with each other on the jobsite, increasing the efficiency of their workflow and therefore reducing transport emissions.
After successful field tests with the Swedish construction company NCC, a first for this type of service, Efficient Load Out was able to secure between 96% and 100% of load utilisation for each transport, compared to the typical 87%. Data shows that more than 300 000 tonnes have been excavated and transported in 11 000 trips during the pilot run. The connected process helped reduce the number of trips by 1 600 – and it’s expected to save around 8 000 transports.
When both excavator operators and truck drivers are logged in to the system, a notification alerts the excavator operator when there is a truck available for loading nearby. During the loading process, the excavator measures the weight of the load to the most accurate degree and only once the goal weight is reached is the truck driver told to drive to its specific destination.
There is also significant value in being able to access all load data through the cloud-based portal – allowing for convenient monitoring to ensure the project delivers on time. And without the need for administrators to manage this process, it allows for a significant cost saving.
But the innovation isn’t stopping there. The Volvo LX03 has made its debut – this fully autonomous, battery-electric prototype by Volvo CE is the first real-world example of a self-learning concept wheel loader, with the brains to make decisions, perform tasks, and interact with humans.
It is also the first time that a Lego Technic model has been turned into a real machine. While not commercially available, engineers expect that valuable insights from the LX03 will feed into applications for today and tomorrow. (Lego Technic is a line of Lego interconnecting plastic rods and parts. This series creates more advanced models with more complex technical functions, compared to the simpler brick-building properties of normal Lego.)
Melker Jernberg, president of Volvo CE, says: “We need to transform the construction industry with smart and more sustainable solutions that will have an impact on a global scale. The unveiling of the LX03 prototype represents just that – and is testament to the incredible expertise of our engineers and our united commitment towards positive change. Together with the Lego Group, we are pushing the boundaries of both technology and imagination and the result is beyond anything the world has seen before.”
Lars Stenqvist, chief technology officer of Volvo Group, adds: “As transport and infrastructure leaders, we have a vital role to play in taking action on climate change and stepping up the pace of innovation needed to deliver on emissions targets. We believe in working with driven and creative partners who, like us, are focused on making innovation real, moving beyond just words.”
What started out as an exciting project between designers and engineers at the two companies evolved with the help of a team of smart children into the successful launch of the Lego Technic Concept Wheel Loader ZEUX.
The Lego Group’s head of product for Lego Technic, Niels Henrik Horsted, says: “Our two companies have enjoyed an extremely successful partnership over the years in which we have collaborated on several Lego Technic models. But this is the first time we are making a real machine based on a model and not the other way around – and that is what makes this a unique project.”
The prototype LX03 has been built by a dedicated team of engineers, programmers and workshop technicians from Volvo CE sites in Eskilstuna, Sweden and Konz, Germany, in collaboration with the design team in Gothenburg, Sweden. It is a five-tonne wheel loader that has been developed as a modular concept, with the capability of being made larger or smaller with just one or two changes to the manufacturing process. It also shares its driveline with the L25 Electric, making it a zero-emission, low-noise machine with a runtime of up to eight hours depending on its application.
* Roy noted his predictions for The Scoop – a Volvo Construction Equipment blog – in the piece “Six Innovations Impacting the Future of Construction Equipment”.
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