“We know that it is critical for our customers that the delivery does not drag on, as their own transport tasks can stand or fall according to the access they have to this particular truck. Therefore it feels especially good to contribute to the efficiency of this process,” says Peter Hardin, Product Manager, Volvo FM and Volvo FMX.
The more complex the bodywork is, the longer the lead time usually is before the customer has access to the truck. One way to speed up the process is by building the bodywork in parallel to the production of the truck. Yet in order to determine the exact height and space needed for certain components and thus get the application to match the chassis, the bodybuilder needs access to detailed information on chassis dimensions. With this in mind, Volvo Trucks has now developed advanced three-dimensional (3D) drawings, which are now available for bodybuilders via an internet-based database.
“The major advantage of 3D drawings is that they allow for a parallel workflow in which the chassis and the bodywork can be produced simultaneously, instead of consecutively. Put simply, the bodybuilder doesn’t need to wait for the truck to be finished to find out crucial information about the chassis,” says Tor Hesselgren, Body Builder Development at Volvo Trucks.
The availability of chassis unique 3D material allows the bodybuilder to see exactly how the finished chassis will look before it is constructed, as everything – from the rear axle position to the height of the propeller shaft and wiring – is included in the drawings. It is possible to do everything from zooming in on specific details, to spinning the truck model around and looking at it from above, from below and from the side. The detailed advance information allows the lead-time for the customer to be shortened, while at the same time maintaining high quality.
In total, the bodybuilders’ access to 3D drawings, together with Volvo Trucks’ new and more flexible chassis platform (which means that the chassis to a greater extent can be prepared for bodybuilding during assembly at the Volvo Trucks factory), means that the customer lead time can be shortened by 7-14 days.
Facts about 3D drawings and new flexible chassis:
- The main purpose of 3D drawings is to give bodybuilders a reliable basis so that they can produce their bodywork parallel to the assembly of the chassis, thus shortening the delivery time to customers.
- 3D drawings are available via a common web-based database (Volvo Bodybuilder Instructions) that is available to bodybuilders within EMEA and APAC. 3D drawings are available for Volvo FM, Volvo FMX, Volvo FH and Volvo FL/FE (Eu6)
- All drawings that are generated, both in 2D and 3D format, are geometrically secured and chassis unique. The only elements that are excluded for competitive reasons are the engine and engine installations. The battery box is in place so that bodybuilders can include it in their calculations.
- Volvo FH, Volvo FM and Volvo FMX are all equipped with the new flexible chassis.
- 3D drawings toghether with the new flexible chassis can, in some cases, shorten the lead time to the customer by about 7-14 days.
The improved bodybuilding process (YouTube-link)
