We offer a range of intelligent machine services like Pave Assist.

Dimitrov Krishnan ,
vice president and head of
Volvo CE India
We are proud to be driving advances in the technology of existing road construction machines, like pavers with sensors—the P4370B ABG and P5320ABG.

Volvo CE is widely regarded as one of the leading innovators in the field of construction equipment. “We see a host of opportunities for the road building sector and we remain one of the industry’s key players. We only manufacture pavers with sensors in India because it is important for us to help customers succeed,” says Dimitrov Krishnan, vice president and head of Volvo CE India.

What are the Indian asphalt/road paver market trends in terms of type of technology, type of product, working width, and the area? What is Volvo’s contribution here?
Volvo CE is widely regarded as one of the leading innovators in the field of construction equipment and we are proud to be driving advances in the technology of existing road construction machines, like pavers with sensors—the P4370B ABG and P5320ABG.

The paving quality of any road is defined by the ability of the paver to satisfy three requirements in line with the highway design: mat thickness, level of the mat, and the grade required. Regular pavers without sensors simply follow the undulations of the road base and are therefore unable to give a smooth finish to a paved surface. But sensor pavers have intelligent operating technology that helps the machine deliver on these three requirements.
Both the P4370B ABG and P5320ABG sensor paver models are made at Volvo’s Bangalore plant. Both models deliver maximum paving widths of 7 m, a paving output of 600 tonnes per hour and are powered by an 88 kW engine, which delivers high power with minimal noise and low fuel consumption. The P4370B ABG is a wheeled sensor paver which delivers a basic paving width of 2.5 m, while the P5320B ABG is a tracked sensor paver which delivers a basic paving width of 4.5 m.

The P5320B ABG also boasts innovations such as load-sensing hydraulics, so that hydraulic output is perfectly matched to all components. An automatic hydraulic track tensioner delivers smoother operation while simultaneously reducing wear and downtime. The Volvo Omni V screed provides variable width on the go. The electronically-ignited gas heating system, designed with flame failure protection, quickly and efficiently heats the screed plate, while the LPG blower burner system provides uniform heat for a smooth mat finish, with quality pre-compaction.

What is the growth forecast for pavers by 2020?
In the next five years, the government plans to invest Rs7 lakh crore ($108 billion) to build 83,677 kilometers of roads—a huge boost for India’s infrastructure. The Indian government’s plans to increase road construction from its current level of about 23 km a day to an eventual 40 km a day have made road pavers, particularly sensor pavers, increasingly important for projects around the country. We see a host of opportunities for the road building sector and we remain one of the industry’s key players.

Could you enlighten us on the technology trends in screeds?
Volvo’s range of sensor pavers available in India also includes units built at the company’s German factory. These have widths of 9 m, 10 m, 13 m, and 16 m. The most popular is the P6820C ABG, which offers paving widths of 2.5 m to 10 m. Volvo Variomatic screeds provide customers with hydraulically-extending widths. The machine can also be configured with manual screeds. The P6820C is powered by a 142 kW engine and has a paving output of 700 tonnes per hour. Volvo expects a healthy and consistent demand for the P4370B ABG, the P5320B ABG, the P6820C ABG, and its range of other sensor pavers for the foreseeable future.

If we take precision and efficiency as two of the dominating factors, how the same have been ensured by Volvo in its paver range?
Volvo’s Co-Pilot, for example, offers a range of intelligent machine services – including Dig Assist and Pave Assist – to help operators deliver higher quality outcomes, in less time and with less effort. These examples of automated and assist-functionalities differentiate Volvo’s machines in the market.

In addition, our CareTrack telematics system allows owners to get real-time data on a variety of performance-related features for their fleet. The system generates a wide range of reports, delivering data on aspects such as fuel consumption, operational hours, geographical location and more. The reports are available via a web portal or can be received via SMS or email alerts.

The system can also be used to manage machine servicing and the replacement of parts. This allows fleet managers to reduce fuel costs, optimize machine and operator performance, as well as proactively manage service and maintenance.

As the operator is at the heart of the system, ergonomics, visibility, and comfort have become critical factors in the design of the cab. Please elucidate how you have factored these in your paver range?
All Volvo cab boasts excellent visibility, minimal noise and vibration levels. The comfortable seating position puts the operator safely in complete command of the entire paving operation. Volvo cabs offer excellent visibility to the hopper, material delivery truck, auger area, material flow, screed and final mat. Ergonomically positioned controls on the central control panel slide to both machine sides to offer operators extra comfort. Volvo pavers also feature handrails permit safe movement around machine platforms. In addition, all-weather sunshade with wide open sides provides good operator visibility and reduces fatigue for increased safety and productivity.

Could you enlighten us on the advantages of CareTrack?
Routine maintenance, servicing and operator training are all vital to ensuring contractors gets the best performance from their machines. With CareTrack, a telematics system, equipment owners can access to a wide range of machine monitoring information that can help save time and money. The system generates a wide range of reports with data on aspects such as fuel consumption, operational hours, geographical location and more. These reports are available via a web portal or can be received via SMS or email alerts.

CareTrack can also be used to manage machine servicing and wear parts. This allows fleet managers to reduce fuel costs, optimize machine and operator performance, as well as proactively manage service and maintenance to maximize uptime. Caretrack is offered not as a standard practice but in the form of specialized packages. In case the customer opts for this, there are eight packages that they can choose from – standard to API with varying degrees of technical sophistication.

Customers say they like the insight CareTrack provides, which supports them with maintenance, invoicing, fleet management and operator training. With CareTrack, customers can monitor load efficiency, number of cycles, overload percentages and identify operator training needs. For example, CareTrack can tell owners what time the machine operation starts, takes a break, and ends. What’s more, CareTrack allows owners to tap into a wealth of actionable data including fuel consumption, idle time, machine location, fluid levels and service alerts. With the time and labour savings CareTrack offers, customers say they view it as an investment rather than extra costs.

Give an overview on the existing product portfolio, products in the pipeline, and strategic initiatives taken by Volvo India to be leading player in the paver market?
In India, we offer tracked and wheeled pavers. Product models include the P6820C ABG, P5320B ABG and P4370B ABG.
We only manufacture pavers with sensors in India because it is important for us to help customers succeed. With sensors, it is easier for customers to deliver the three key requirements for highway design—mat thickness, mat level and grade requirements. In addition, we also offer a range of intelligent machine services such as Pave Assist to help operators deliver higher quality outcomes in less time and with less effort.

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