They are developing the haulers and wheel loaders of the future

When Volvo Construction Equipment (CE) in Braås, just outside Växjö, unveiled its new series of haulers earlier this year, Joel Cramsky and Manoranjan Kumar had good reason to stand a little taller. As industrial doctoral students, they had been involved in the development of the three-and-a-half-metre-tall machines, capable of carrying loads of up to 55 tonnes.

– I calculated the service life of the hauler’s front frame early in the development process, based on varying customer loading practices. This has helped reduce the weight of the machine and increase its strength, Joel explains.

Manoranjan has worked with virtual sensors as a way of monitoring the health of the machines, with a particular focus on the engines. The sensors are designed to optimise hauler servicing and gather data on how customers use the machines.

From India to Braås

Joel holds a master of science in engineering physics and has worked with product development for many years. He has been with Volvo CE since 2012. Manoranjan completed a master degree in mechanical design in India, started working for Volvo in India 2008, and moved to Braås five years later.

Ten years ago, they started discussing big data, artificial intelligence and machine learning at management level at Volvo CE. For Manoranjan and Joel, this fitted well with what they wanted to work with as computational engineers. After a while, the company contacted Linnaeus University, and the result was that they became what are known as industrial doctoral students.

– We are employed by Volvo CE and enrolled as doctoral students at the university, combining development work here at the company with doctoral studies and receiving support from a supervisor and a group of researchers there, Manoranjan explains.

– Obviously, we want to know what the customers are doing, what they need, and when, so that we can optimise their experience.

– A major advantage of being an industrial doctoral student is that you solve practical problems and can see the applications of your research in a concrete way, say Manoranjan Kumar and Joel Cramsky.

Joel’s and Manoranjan’s work and research revolve around the concept of digital twins – digital replicas of physical objects used to run simulations and gain insights into real-world behaviour. This can involve anything from a single component to the entire haulers or wheel loaders, depending on the problem they want to solve.

– If an issue arises in the gearbox, it could relate to the gear connections. But if the problem concerns how the machine moves, you need a full representation of the entire hauler and how it operates in rough terrain, Joel says.

– Naturally, we want to understand what our customers are doing, what they need, and when they need it, so that we can optimize their experience. Equipment failures shouldn't come as a surprise; ideally, we should be able to predict them. That’s the vision, says Manoranjan.

– So, a digital twin can be used for both monitoring and forecasting. It can also be about product development, creating digital prototypes to enable virtual testing. But not everything is digital, Joel points out.

– It’s also partly down to gut feeling. You can have all the maths in the world, but when you look at the results, you have to feel something as well. It comes down to experience and engineering judgment.

Per-Olof Danielsson is head of Virtual Product Development, a team of 15 people that includes Manoranjan Kumar and Joel Cramsky.

Access to experts

Being an industrial doctoral student has many advantages, say Manoranjan and Joel. The most important one is that you solve practical problems and see directly how it applies to a machine. The atmosphere of knowledge at the university is inspiring, and its network is valuable. Manoranjan and Joel also appreciate having access to researchers who are experts in data analysis, mechanical systems, vibrations, and more.

– Being able to just go to a professor of mechanical engineering and ask, ‘I've got this gearbox, what should I do with it?’ ‘Well, let’s have a look at the technical drawing’, he says, and then he can explain what’s going on. It’s absolutely fantastic! says Joel.

Broader and deeper expertise

Per-Olof Danielsson is head of the virtual product development team that Joel and Manoranjan are part of. The team focuses on three areas. One area is building digital prototypes of machines to simulate their behaviour. The second focuses on strength analysis of welded and cast components, and the third centers on analysing collected data.

– Five years ago, we realised that if we combined these three areas, we would have a digital twin. Being able to predict component conditions and plan maintenance offers significant value.

Pursuing a doctorate means delving deeper into theory through various courses as well as encountering a different environment. Having industrial doctoral students brings new perspectives, inspiration, and broader and deeper expertise, something Per-Olof sees as valuable – so much so that he has recently decided to complete a doctorate building on his licentiate degree from 2004.

– In our work, we face many challenges. To tackle them effectively, we need to deepen our knowledge, and having a partner in the form of Linnaeus University is a good solution.

– We see great value in this. We have made the best haulers in the world, but the competition is getting tougher, for example from China. We need to take the next step forward, and having industrial doctoral students plays a key role in that progress. It helps Manoranjan and Joel develop as individuals, strengthens my team, and benefits the entire company.