Eco-Friendly Technology Equipment: The Changing Face of Heavy Machinery
Friday, June 4, 2021
Section: AGC/VT News




Contractors know that when a piece of machinery or equipment goes down, even for a few hours, that can spell extra cost, lost time, and unexpected delays on a jobsite often working under tight deadlines.
Contractors know that when a piece of machinery or equipment goes down, even for a few hours, that can spell extra cost, lost time, and unexpected delays on a jobsite often working under tight deadlines.

But what if a contractor could know about a mechanical issue well before their equipment breaks down or goes offline? That’s the idea behind ActiveCare Direct (ACD), Volvo Construction Equipment’s telematics monitoring and fleet utilization services, which remotely monitors equipment and machinery. ACD deciphers reams of data and then pushes out alerts and concerns to authorized Volvo dealers, so they can immediately alert their customers to any problems.

“Machines today generate huge amounts of data,” explained Chris Palmer, President of Wood’s CRW, a heavy equipment distributor, specializing in selling, renting, and servicing construction equipment solutions and an authorized Volvo dealer. “The average contractor doesn’t have the time to pull and then interpret it, so Volvo made a strategic decision to develop a group to monitor and decipher the material and then share their findings with distributors so we can help keep our customers up and running.”

This technology, unique to Volvo, has already made a difference. As Palmer shared, the ACD tool helped them identify a problem that a contractor in Rutland had well in advance of the machine going down. “Instead of sending someone down to run a diagnostic test, having to find the right parts, then returning to fix the machine, we knew the parts that were needed, and our technician made just one trip to repair the equipment,” said Palmer.
ACD is but one of the latest innovations in heavy machinery and equipment that has begun changing the construction industry, and it’s not the last. Many heavy machinery and equipment manufacturers like Volvo are evolving their fleet designs to incorporate more innovative technology to increase efficiency, boost productivity, and improve safety.

They are also designing and offering more eco-friendly machines. This trend toward eco-friendly isn’t exactly new. For instance, since 2013, Wood’s CRW has offered its customers in its crane and lifting division, the option to rent dual-fuel, mini-cranes that run off diesel or electric power. “We’ve had a decent take rate, and those are popular machines in the fleet, frequently used in small or tight spaces, typically inside, and for installation of curtain wall, structural steel and a variety of other uses where access is challenge,” explained Palmer.

What is new today, is that more eco-friendly, electric battery powered machinery has expanded into other equipment offerings.
 
To learn more about hoe eco-friendly heavy machinery is changing construction, watch for the next edition of The Build Board, published on June 15.