Volvo CE to Expand Driveline Components and Introduce New
Loader Concept at bauma


Volvo CE let its designers imagine the wheel loader of the future, and the Gryphin, shown here, is the result. The
machine will employ an electric hybrid power source and will be almost emissions-free, according to the company.
Over the next three years, Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) said it will invest nearly SEK1.1 billion ($157.4 million) in its Component Division at Eskilstuna, Sweden. The funding will be spent on extending the factory, new machine equipment, and developing a production and assembly concept and cross-functional working methods.
The current area of 53,000 m2 will be extended to 63,000 m2 and the entire layout of the factory will be adapted to floworientated production methods similar to those in the automotive industry. Money will also be invested in a second furnace in the new hardening plant. The Component Division factory, according to Volvo, will be a model installation in the industry.
The Component Division develops and manufactures power trains for Volvo construction equipment. According to the company, the Eskilstuna factory has reached full capacity and is unable to meet future growth targets despite operating with five daily shifts.
“Nowadays it’s a question of such large volumes that we are forced to change from work-cell based assembly to line assembly,” said Jörgen Svenningsson, president of the division. The investment will make it possible in the long run to downsize to three shifts on the processing line and two shifts on the assembly line.
The production capacity of the Component Division has almost doubled since 2002. The investment will mean a further doubling of that capacity in stages, without requiring additional employees to be recruited. Volvo has a total of 2,300 employees in Eskilstuna, of which 1,800 work with Volvo Construction Equipment. In 2006, Volvo CE invested a total of SEK 500 million in the plants in Eskilstuna, Braås, Hallsberg and Arvika.
In a related story, Volve CE reported that it plans to exhibit the wheel loader of the future at bauma 2007. The machine, named Gryphin, is an extreme concept wheel loader intended to portray wheel loaders of the 2020s. However, according to Volvo, much of the technology exhibited on the loader is in development or is currently being tested.
Using an electric hybrid power source, Volvo claims Gryphin will emit almost no emissions. Instead of heavy transmissions, drivelines and axles, Gryphin uses electrical motors inside each wheel, producing much higher underbody ground clearance and a super quiet machine.
Gryphin will also be equipped with a solid, yet light, center boom that will improve lifting performance and reduce torsional stresses, in addition to providing a much better view of the work area than traditional front boom linkages. The lack of a traditional driveline and axles allows the adoption of intelligent independent suspension that will provide a more comfortable ride for the operator, with fewer vibrations entering the cab, but also allows for variable ride height. The frame can be lowered for high speed haul cycles, reducing the center of gravity and making much higher speeds than is currently possible with no lost of comfort or stability. The frame can also be raised; increasing ground clearance over rough ground and offering greater dump heights while maintaining stability.