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With the launch of the FM Volvo has completed its heavy truck range renewal package. A bold new dawn has arrived for the Swedish truck builder, which has developed one common product platform to serve all its markets worldwide. We find out how this massive project was put together
T. ruck makers all over the world are constantly working at improving the quality of their products while reducing the production costs. Volvo is no exception in this search for the Holy Grail of truck building. In a bid to step closer to optimising both of these factors Volvo developed a strategy in the late '80s to clean up the range and go for one global platform, says Hans Folkesson, Volvo senior vice-president: global product development and purchasing.
HEW HEAVY TRUCK
In 1987 a pre-study was made to develop a new heavy truck range and at the same time the plans for a medium-duty truck based on the same platform were sketched out, though these plans were dropped at a very early phase of the process. From the initial sketches clay
models of the vehicles were built and a great deal of time was spent talking to groups of customers to ensure the designs were going in the right direction.
'We carried out a lot of indepth interviews with customers, says Lars Terling. The focus groups were challenged to look at particular features such as the floor height, the bed, cab interior layout, the low engine hump and we found what priorities they put on the different aspects.'
By 1989 the targets for the new family were assimilated, though during the turbulent times of '93/94 when Volvo was experiencing a few problems in the United States market the targets were updated. 'Originally the FM should have hit the market in .94/95; Terling says. 'Although the product you see today is much better than that originally planned.'
Folkesson says: 'The first priority for us was the replacement of the F Series. Second came the need to clear up the US range and finally came the replacement for the FL.'
RIGHTLY PROUD
This regeneration of the range is something of which Volvo is rightly proud. The cab project, for example, has been much more than just changing the floor pan of the FH cab.
'There has been a lot of detailed work gone into the design.' Terling says. 'On the instep, for example, we have worked very hard. You need to be able to see both steps when you exit the cab and that has been achieved.
the door is kept slim and the steps arranged so that it is possible to slide into the cab.'
Volvo has sold more than 100,000 FHs since its launch back in 1993 and the company has used that experience to refine, develop and redesign the truck for the new generation. There have been more than 1000 engineering changes to the original FH platform and as with the engines (see page 4 and 5) the evolutionary recipe appears to have been successful. 'We also recognised that you cannot always fully open the door when you get in and out, so