Volvo Load Assist provides real-time information to operator

Volvo Construction Equipment, Gothenburg, Sweden, introduces its Volvo Load Assist, available on new Volvo wheel loaders ranging from L110H to L250H. The Load Assist provides both real-time intelligence to the operator and documentation of work orders for the owner and their customers and is managed through Volvo Co-Pilot.

Through the 10-inch, high-resolution touchscreen Co-Pilot interface, the operator is able to set up projects by selecting customer name, work order number, target tonnage and material type. These settings can be stored for future work orders. Once the work order parameters are set, the Co-Pilot screen allows the operator to track progress of the job as it’s underway—displaying tonnage currently in the bucket, tonnage already delivered to the truck (or other delivery location) and tonnage left to be delivered in order to complete the job. The tonnage measurements are proven to be accurate to within plus or minus 2 percent. The display also allows for setting allowable limits on both the tonnage in the truck and the weight in the bucket. If the current weight in the bucket is overloaded, or if that weight will overload the truck, the operator is alerted.

In addition to real-time payload information, the Co-Pilot interface displays bucket angle and machine angle in real-time, helping the operator more efficiently and safely load and dump materials. The Co-Pilot display also automatically engages the rear-view camera when the loader is put in reverse.

The data logged through Load Assist can be captured in several ways—it can be uploaded to the cloud to be accessed via an online portal, loaded to a flash drive or printed on a small printer connected to the Co-Pilot interface via USB. The logged information includes work order number, customer name, truck loaded, load tonnage and time and date of delivery.

Because Co-Pilot and Load Assist are integrated into the wheel loader’s electrical architecture, the system also feeds productivity data to CareTrack, Volvo’s telematics system. This data includes tons per gallon of fuel, gallons of fuel per ton, total number of cycles and percentage of cycles that were overloaded. This intelligence allows the owner to identify potential training opportunities for operators, as well as easily compare operating costs to production by machine and by operator.

Built upon an Android operating system, Volvo Co-Pilot is designed in a way that makes it easily scalable as future software updates, additional functionality and new applications are developed. The system is 3G-compatible when equipped with a SIM Card, allowing for the system to automatically and wirelessly receive software updates without any required action from the owner or operator. In addition to Load Assist, Co-Pilot also serves as the interface for Compact Assist—Volvo’s Intelligent Compaction system with Density Direct.