Volvo at CONEXPO: 24-Hour Parts Guarantee, ActiveCare Direct, Dig Assist
Volvo had a lot to discuss at CONEXPO in Las Vegas, but what stood out most were the service-oriented upgrades. Here’s the info on the three big initiatives in that area. There’s even a special deal for one of them right now — but you’ll have to read to find it.
24-Hour Parts Guarantee
Carekit
The Volvo 24-Hour Parts Guarantee is a new program to help ensure when customers need parts most — Volvo delivers. If a machine should go down, Volvo guarantees delivery of parts within 24 hours of order placement. The Parts Guarantee follows the opening of a third U.S. distribution facility — a $70 million Central Parts Distribution Center near Memphis, Tennessee. With additional investments in systems, inventory and people, Volvo is continuing its commitment to customer support and expansion in North America.
ActiveCare Direct
Available on a wide range of Volvo Construction Equipment models, ActiveCare Direct is a unique, manufacturer-provided remote machine monitoring and reporting service, overseen by a team of data analysts at the company’s new Uptime Center in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania.
The process is simple: Volvo monitors customers’ machines, capturing thousands of machine data points through its CareTrack telematics system. Those data points are analyzed by the Volvo proprietary system in real time, keeping track of machine health and performance. Each month, Volvo generates a comprehensive telematics report for the customer, highlighting areas of opportunity to increase productivity and reduce operating costs.
Each month, Volvo generates consolidated fleet reports for the customer, focused on trends in machine utilization and operator behavior. Volvo dealers then work closely with their customers to identify opportunities for improvement.
The monthly report includes fleet utilization data that allows customers to view percentage work time versus idle time by individual machine, by machine type, and by month for historic reference and benchmarking. Reports also compare groups of machines as measured by average hours, average gallons used per hour, and average work and idle percentages. Instances of potential machine abuse are logged in order to identify needs for operator training. These instances include high shift speeds, hot turbo shutdowns, excessive speeds and more. Data is also captured for each individual machine in the fleet — including average gallons used per hour, work and idle percentages, gallons burned in idle, and hours until the next service.
Special CONEXPO deal: To help customers become more familiar with the program and realize the benefits it provides, customers who purchase a Volvo machine at CONEXPO-CON/AGG — or within six months following the show — will receive two years of ActiveCare Direct free. Customers who open a Smart Commercial Account to finance their day-to-day parts and service purchases and large machine repairs will receive a $500 credit toward their account.
Dig Assist
Dig assist machine control system Co-pilot
Volvo Dig Assist unlocks the full potential of an excavator’s productivity. Utilizing Volvo Co-Pilot — the award-winning in-cab interface with a 10-inch high-resolution touch screen — Dig Assist allows operators to easily input job specifications and track progress along the way to ensure the job is done right the first time, every time.
Getting started with Dig Assist is easy. The operator begins by opening the application and setting a reference point using a tooth on the bucket to tell the system where the earth begins. The operator then inputs the target depth and grade before beginning work. From there, the operator can visualize the bucket and the machine’s position in real time, alongside indicator guide lines that provide a “follow the line” reference point for trenching. Additionally, an on-screen light bar display notifies the operator when target grade has been reached. With Volvo Smart View, the operator can toggle to a 360-degree bird’s-eye view of the machine and its surroundings — further improving jobsite safety.
Do the job more quickly and accurately, every time with the Dig Assist system. Volvo’s intuitive system gives the operator a real-time, 3D view of the machine’s movements, providing total synchronization between bucket and high resolution display. The intelligent system eliminates the need to check digging depths and improves productivity results by up to 100%.
With the optional In-Field Design functionality, operators can use the Co-Pilot touch screen to draw custom digging profiles directly from the cab, without the need for an engineer or surveyor. The In-Field Design function also enables the operator to place 3D profiles directly into the interface, which saves the hassle of cross-referencing office-generated terrain models. Dig Assist also comes standard with Quick Measure functionality, empowering the operator to easily measure distances and determine angles between points, such as along trenches, across foundations or down slopes. Using the standard Material Layers function, the operator can more easily backfill the trench by pre-setting depth layers for backfill materials, and viewing progress in real time.
Dig Assist allows operators to work more independently, requiring less staff on site for manual depth and grade checks, and less on-site assistance from surveyors or engineers. The project manager can have peace of mind knowing the information displayed via Dig Assist, when properly calibrated, is accurate to within ¾ inch (2 cm). With multiple views of the machine — up to four views simultaneously — including side, front, top and 3D views, plus Volvo Smart View, the operator is acutely aware of the machine’s position in relation to the job at all times — ensuring excellent work quality and safety.
