VOLVO ARTICULATEDHAULERS

The concept

The articulated hauler is a modern concept developedby Volvo for transport under difficult conditions. Itsmobility is so good that it can take the shortest distancebetween two points and manoeuver itself into exactlythe right spot to dump its load. All this leads to highefficiency and low cost per ton – which forms thefoundation of successful haulage.

The basis of the articulated hauler is the connectionbetween front and rear frame – the rotating frame joint(hitch) and articulated steering. They make it possiblefor tractor and trailer to move independently of eachother, which drastically reduces the stresses on theframe when driving off-road. It makes it possible totransport heavy loads under difficult conditions.Steering is simple and very effective and all the wheelsare in contact with the ground in off-road operation.

Take the shortest path.Get the lowest cost per tonne

Fast and easy to handle at bothloading and dumping sites

Articulated steering make it easy to get Volvo haulers inthe right loading position. All-wheel drive and 100%diff-lock in all axles eliminate the risk of getting stuckon the loading or dumping site. Being able to dump theload over the edge of a landfill eliminates the need forcrawler dozers, which further reduces hauling costs.

Volvo offers a complete range of haulers with 20–36 tpayload, all with articulated steering, all-wheel drive,100% diff-lock on all axles and an operator-friendlycomfort cab.

Volvo articulated haulers are fast, with an in-houseproduced, well-matched drive train, including a fullyautomatic planetary transmission, that features maxi-mum utilization of the engine power, exceptionalreliability, good fuel economy and long service life.

Articulated haulers can handle any kind of job. Withunsurpassed off-road qualities and high average speedon poor roads, the articulated haulers are profitablehigh-production machines. They can always take theshortest path from loading site to dumping site andback, independent of road and weather conditions.

Without doubt, the most common range of uses is indifferent forms of earth-moving when building roadsand dams, and in other major construction projects.But other applications are increasing more and more.These include work at sand pits and quarries, in wastedisposal, coal mining, tunnel construction, open pitmining, various forms of interchangeable loadingsystems and much more.

Articulated haulers are ideal for rough loading anddumping sites. They can move large volumes of materialwithout access to roads and maintain high averagespeeds on haul roads.

Articulated haulers feature high availability andutilization and low fuel consumption. They can alwaystake the shortest path between two points and don’tneed expensive road maintenance.

All together, this gives you the lowest cost per ton and aguarantee of high productivity throughout the year.

Operator in the centre – literally

The operator is without doubt one of the mostimportant components in an efficient articulated hauler.An ergonomical and comfortable operator’senvironment with high safety makes it simple tooperate the hauler at a high level of efficiency.

The operator sits straight above the front axle, midwaybetween the wheels. This puts him at the midpoint ofthe machine, where the cab’s movements are minimal.Visibility all around is excellent, steering is precise andthe automatic transmission saves more than 150 shiftsevery hour. Engagement and disengagement of the diff-locks and driving wheels is performed logically viaergonomically correct controls.

The rotating frame joint is fundamental to theunbeatable off-road performance of Volvo’sarticulated haulers. Together with thehydromechanical steering system, it makes thehauler easy to steer and permits “duckwalking”which allows you to climb out of deep ruts andkeep moving in the worst of conditions.

Volvo engines

Volvo’s in-line six-cylinder direct-injected four-strokediesel engines with turbocharger and intercooler arethe choice for all models. An excellent basic designproviding high power outputs, high torques, lowemissions and long life.

The torque is high even at low engine speeds for quickacceleration response, which is particularly importantin difficult off-road conditions. Within the engine’snormal working range, the torque increases when theengine speed decreases. This boosts up the tractiveforce when the hauler meets resistance, for exampleon an uphill grade. Maximum rpm is relatively low,which leads to lower fuel consumption, less noise anda longer life.

The articulated steering and rotating frame jointkeeps you moving anywhere you want to go

Diff-locks that engage ordisengage on the move

To get superior mobility under thetoughest conditions, Volvo articulatedhaulers have diff-locks with 100 % lock-up in all driving axles. These can beengaged or disengaged on the move andtogether with the choice between 4- or6 wheel drive, give a very wide selectionof drive combinations to handle anykind of job.

Fully automatic Volvo transmission

Volvo’s automatic transmission and drop box areespecially developed for use in articulated haulers. Thetransmission is electronically controlled and adapts gearshifting mode according to operating conditions.Together with torque converter and lock-up in all gearsthis guarantees excellent acceleration, less power loss,lower fuel consumption, reduced heat generation andless operator fatigue. It also incorporates an efficientvariable hydraulic retarder as standard.

Unique maintenance-free three-pointsuspension

Three-point suspension and Volvo terrain bogie allowindependent wheel movement to maintain good groundcontact at all times and enable the machines to handlehigh-speed haulage over rough terrain or on poor roads.

The bogie balances out irregularities on the surface sothat the body is kept horizontal and distributes the loadequally to all bogie wheels enhancing offroad mobility.

The six-wheel haulers offer five drive combinations:

A. Four-wheel drive without diff-lock is the most economical undergood driving conditions.

B. Six-wheel drive with longitudinal diff-lock increases off-roadaccessibility even more, and the hauler remains easy to steer.

C. Six-wheel drive with longitudinal diff-lock and diff-lock on thefront wheels makes it possible to steer out of deep ruts andmaintain maximum traction.

D. Six-wheel drive with all diff-locks in operation gives maximumaccessibility in rough terrain and the hauler can take itselfpractically anywhere.

E. Four-wheel drive with transverse diff-lock on the front axleincreases accessibility and the hauler will maintain steeringcapability and pull itself forward on slippery and hard ground.

Special use machines withall the advantages of thestandard model

New types of special use machines are introducedevery year. They may be used for forestry, ammu-nition transport, garbage collection or as trailer-towing tractors. The advantages of building on aVolvo articulated hauler instead of custom-building a vehicle are many:

• the articulated hauler is very powerful and able towithstand huge stresses

• its off-road characteristics are better than those ofmost special vehicles

• the articulated hauler’s reliability is documented

• service and parts are available all over the world

• the articulated hauler has the lowest possible haulagecost per tonne.

At ports and cargo terminals specially-equippedarticulated haulers are used for hauling heavy goods andfor container handling.

Volvo A25C equipped with a container which haulsrelatively light garbage. With its low ground pressure,off-road mobility and manoeuverability, it can negotiateon the landfill and dump the garbage at the right place.

In the forestry and steel industries, Volvo’s articulatedhaulers are ideally suited for load handling systems or astractors for train weights of up to 100 tonnes.

High load capacity – low groundpressureThe A25C Timber Hauler offers added flexibility andproductivity between forest and stockpile. The uniquecombination of high load capacity and speed and lowground pressure permits short cycle times and largeloads. The machine’s ability to maintain a high speed interrain also reduces the need for costly road upkeep.

Dark and cramped, with bad air and slopes with agradient of up to 14%. Plus round-the-clock duty andloads of 22,5 tonnes. The three Volvo A25Cs used in theChilean copper mine have a tough job. Despite this,availability has been virtually 100%!

EngineRated output, at

SAE J1349 grossSAE J1349 net

Max. torque, atSAE J1349 grossSAE J1349 net

Max. speedLoad capacity

SAE struckSAE 2:1 heap

PayloadNet weightGross weight

r/s (r/min)kW (hp)kW (hp)

r/s (r/min)NmNm

km/h

m3

m3

t t t

Volvo A20C 6x6Volvo TD 73 KFE40 (2 400)173 (232)170 (228)20 (1 200)92091047,0

9,412,020,016,436,4

Volvo A25C 4x4Volvo TD 73 KCE40 (2 400)190 (255)187 (251)20 (1 200)1 0901 08052,0

10,113,022,515,738,3

Volvo A25C 6x6Volvo TD 73 KCE40 (2 400)190 (255)187 (251)20 (1 200)1 0901 08052,0

10,613,522,517,840,3

EngineRated output, at

SAE J1349 grossSAE J1349 net

Max. torque, atSAE J1349 grossSAE J1349 net

Max. speedLoad capacityPayload ind. superstructureNet weightGross weight

r/s (r/min)kW (hp)kW (hp)

r/s (r/min)NmNm

km/h

t t t

Volvo A25C Terrain Chassis

Volvo TD 73 KCE40 (2 400)190 (255)187 (251)20 (1 200)1 0901 08052,0

2614,340,3

EngineRated output, at

SAE J1349 grossSAE J1349 net

Max. torque, atSAE J1349 grossSAE J1349 net

Max. speedLoad capacity

SAE struckSAE 2:1 heap

PayloadNet weightGross weight

r/s (r/min)kW (hp)kW (hp)

r/s (r/min)NmNm

km/h

m3

m3

t t t

Volvo A30C 6x6

Volvo TD 104 KAE36,7 (2 200)235 (315)232 (311)18,3 (1 100)1 4601 45552,3

12,916,527,021,548,5

Volvo A35C 6x6

Volvo TD 122 KME35 (2 100)267 (358)262 (351)18,3 (1 100)1 5951 58554,4

14,819,032,025,757,7

Volvo A40 6x6Volvo TD 122 KFE35 (2 100)297 (398)295 (395)23 (1 380)1 6751 66552,6

16,322,036,030,166,1

Ref. No. 21 2 669 4097 ... EnglishPrinted in Sweden 1998.10–5 ARTVolvo, Eskilstuna

Under our policy of continuous improvement, we reserve the right to change specifications and design without prior notice.The illustrations do not necessarily show the standard version of the machine.

Technology on Human Terms

by the Volvo name. The safety of the service and partsorganisation. The safety of always having immediateaccess to leading-edge research and technicaldevelopment. A machine from Volvo meets the veryhighest demands in all kinds of jobs, under allconditions. The world over.

The Volvo Construction Equipment Group develops,manufactures and markets Volvo, Pel-Job, Mecalac,Champion and Samsung construction equipment.We are a Volvo company with production facilities onthree continents and a market presence in over100 countries.

For more information please visit our web site:www.volvo.com

Volvo ConstructionEquipment Group

The Volvo Construction Equipment Group is one of theworld’s leading manufacturers of construction machines,with a product range encompassing wheel loaders,excavators, articulated haulers, motor gradersand more.

The tasks they face vary considerably, but they all shareone vital feature: technology which helps Man to per-form better. Safely, efficiently and with care of theenvironment. We refer to it as Technology onHuman Terms.

The sheer width of the product range means it is alwayspossible to choose exactly the right machine andattachment for the job. Each machine also comes withthe quality, continuity and safety which is represented