Volvo Construction Equipment is expanding its existing oil analysis programme to include lubricants, diesel fuels, diesel exhaust fluid and coolants. With up to 75 per cent of repair costs and downtime related to contaminated lubricants and fuels and about two-thirds of all bearing failures due to lubrication issues, Volvo CE says its new fluid analysis programme will allow customers to take preventative action against contamination and wear.

“The importance of fluid analysis cannot be overstated, given that early identification of these subtle patterns and anomalies can prevent costly equipment failures, minimise downtime and extend the machine’s lifespan,” said Edward Goodchild, head of repair and maintenance at Volvo CE.

The programme marks Volvo CE’s first artificial intelligence (AI) platform-driven analysis to identify wear metals and contaminants or changes in fluid conditions, the company says. The new process uses data analysis to provide highly visual, easy-to-understand reports, freeing up lab technicians for more critical tasks such as analysing abnormal samples.

In partnership with its testing provider, Volvo CE offers 20 global testing labs, four of which are in North America.