Volvo Buses- Pioneers of quality and sustainability:

An Internship Report

Author: Aaditya Wahi

Mentor: Dr. V Nagaraj

Semester: 3

Date: 5th August 2016

Word count: 2500

Certificate of appreciation:

This is to show that Aaditya Wahi of Queen’s University Belfast has

completed a term of internship from Volvo India Pvt Ltd-Buses

Division.

This internship was completed under the Guidance of Dr V Nagaraj

with the assistance of Mr Prabhakar N.

____________ ____________ _____________

Prabhakar N Dr. V Nagaraj Steve Mathias

UD Bus Division UD Bus Division Human resources

Acknowledgement:

Firstly, I would like to Acknowledge Mr Akash Passey, Senior Vice President,

Business region International, Volvo Buses, for recommendation of work in this

branch. I would like to mention and thank Dr. V Nagaraj of UD Buses to guide

me during the process of the internship. A special mention to Mr Prabhakar N

for giving immense insight on the working of the machinery and the

significance of industrial ethics. I would also be obliged to acknowledge Mr

Steve Mathias for helping me out with certain formalities. I would like to

acknowledge Mr Mahendran for helping me by giving a lot of information on

the working of the engines in the buses. Another acknowledgement I would like

to make are Mr Arif and Mr Hari Babu for helping me understand how the

buses are used, the functionality of its parts and how the drivers of Volvo buses

are trained.

Introduction:

For a relatively moderate-sized company, Volvo has made substantial progress

in design and manufacturing technology. In some areas, it is at par with some

Japanese companies and ahead of some European and American rivals.

Established in Sweden in 1927, Volvo has today become a truly global

company, with operations in over 20 countries, and nearly 90 per cent of its

revenue coming from international operations. Volvo India Private Limited was

established in 1998 as a fully-owned subsidiary of Volvo, Sweden. The

assembly and body manufacturing plant is located at Hoskote near Bangalore.

The first bus model launched was B7R in 2001. The unit has come leaps and

bounds ahead as they launched a new model called B7R low entry in 2009

which is a great success.

Volvo is well aware of the fact that design is a process just like typical

manufacturing processes. Like manufacturing processes, the design processes

must be studied, rearranged, analysed for their pacing operations and required

information, and redesigned for greater efficiency and higher quality output.

About the buses:

The buses are available in four different models which are B7R, B7RLE, B9R

and B11R. The models B7R, B9R and B11R are made for intercity travel

whereas the B7RLE is mainly used for city travel. These buses are economical,

environment friendly and have various other features. The buses comes with a

strong body frame and anti-corrosion treatment to withstand tough operational

conditions and offer higher durability. Its unique true bus chassis design makes

long distance travel much more comfortable. The all new driver controls

environment makes it driver-friendly for stress-free, long journeys. They come

with ergonomic seats that provide good comfort.

Volvo buses are fitted with an air suspension with two air bellows in the front

and four air-bellows in the rear. The system efficiently irons out irregularities of

the road and offers a high degree of ride comfort. Powerful headlights and high-

set brake lamps further reduce the risk of accidents.

The Volvo buses meet the EU’s Bus and Coach Directive, and the

Indian Superstructure Strength Directive requirements, which means the vehicle

has to withstand a rollover without the roof collapsing. The interior is soft and

free from protruding parts or sharp edges.

The Volvo buses are designed to be maintenance-friendly. Long oil change

intervals and maintenance-free prop shaft joints, half-shafts and rear wheel

bearings make for short and less frequent workshop visits. In addition, Volvo’s

multiplex electronics system functions as a preventive maintenance tool via the

diagnostic system. The electronics control engine speed and power as required .

Volvo buses are not only the industry’s most reliable chassis but also one of the

market’s most fuel-efficient drivelines. This is the foundation for efficient,

economical transport as both operating costs and emissions are low. This is

what is meant when the phrase green efficiency is used. With Volvo the

customer can be green and efficient at the same time.

The Hoskote Plant:

The production plant can be classified into 3 major manufacturing lines and 20

different work centres. They are as follows:

1) Component line which includes the Integrated chassis,

2) Chassis assembly which includes Panelling and finishing, Interior and

exterior assembly, Final assembly

3) Finishing line including paint shop, Wheel alignment, PDI- Pre Delivery

Inspection, Audit Bay, Shower testing, Quality Assurance (Green OK). A

storage unit and a protoshop is also available to test newer and more

advanced models of buses.

Component Line:

Materials such as sheet metal and tubes made of galvanised iron are used. They

are received from the supplier in different dimensions and stored.

Manufacturing processes are then performed on these metals to get the desired

shape and size of the component.

The manufacturing processes are as follows:

Tube buffing: The removal of rust from the GI tubes. Tool used is Dynabrade.

Tube cutting: Cutting at different angles laterally. Tool used is Behringer

GMBH.

Tube bending: This involves the bending of the tubes by applying pressure on

the tube either in a two dimensional form or three dimensional form. Tools used

are 2-d: CNC profile bending machine; and

3-d: Fly press.

Sheet shearing: The process of cutting sheets along the vertical axis. Tools used

is the sheet shearing machine (Hindustan Hydraulics).

Drilling: The drill is used to bore holes into the tubes of standard depth. The

diameter of the holes can be changed. The tool used is a horizontal industrial

drill.

Note that the above processes are manually operated.

Sheet bending: In this process sheet metal is bent about the thickness axis to

whichever required angle. This process is computerised.

Integrated Chassis:

The processed tubes and sheets are further work on to produce parts of the

chassis. The main process used to do so is MIG Welding. Metallic Inert Gas

welding (or MIG welding) is a process of welding using a mixture of Argon

gas, phosphorus and Carbon Dioxide in the ratio of 3:1:16. A coil of soft iron

wire which is coated with copper is burnt and recast to form the welding film

material. Note that other forms of welding are not used as this process is

performed using inexpensive coil and is relatively easy to learn and operate.

The rear fitment and front fitment of the buses are welded together using sheet

metal and the tubes. The left side and right side structures of the buses are

welded using the tubes to form a jointed structure.

Chassis Assembly:

This part of the plant comprises of work centres numbered from 1 to 5. This

covers the following processes:

Brackets attachment

Valves attachment

Tank assembly

Compressor pipe assembly

Pneumatic routing

Front axle assembly

Front tyre fitment

Rear axle assembly

Rear tyre fitment

Engine docking

Radiator assembly

Cabin floor prep and welding

Cross member alignment

Rear protection beam welding

Engine service lamp bracket welding

Earthing bolt welding

Chassis cross member trimming by plasma cutting

A/C Compressor Bracket Assembly and Welding

Passenger foot step

Gap filling by sealant

Absorber bracket and front impact tube welding assembly

Sealant application

Side wall assembly by welding

Structure Painting:

Pneumatic dust cleaning

Oil cleaning

Sanding

Buffing

Cleaning

Luggage area- Silver

Front and rear- Black

Panelling and fitment:

Roof panel preparation and primer application

Roof Left and Right hand side panel assembly

Roof central panel assembly

Roof panel transfer

Masking and sealant finishing of centre panel

Side roof panel clamping and riveting

Fuel tank installation and connection

Electrical and pneumatic connection

Left hand side panel assembly

Right hand side panel assembly

Mineral wool fitment

Thermocol fitment

Air intake hose fitment

Roll forming

Engine start

Inverter cable laying and termination fuse harness

Pneumatic system leak test

Coolant oil fill

Hooter wiring harness routing

Interior and exterior assembly:

WC- 8 and 9

Fuse harness and main harness laying

Front FRP (Fibre reinforced plastic) bonding and clamping

Rear and front FRP setting and trimming

Plywood setting

Front bumper preparation

Bumper fitment

Rear bumper protection

Aluminium finisher bonding

Butyl tape application

Driver cabin plywood fitment

Partition wall plywood fitment

Footstep, luggage area, tool box, saloon, gangway and rear bench

plywood fitment

Rear engine hatch door fitment

WC- 10:

Bottom seat rail fitment

Fuel tank covers fitment

Primer application for Bitutex

Bitutex application of one coat

Engine mesh fitment

Step beading in luggage

Roof harness laying

Rear view mirror wire harness laying and connections with hole making

Wiper assembly installation

Middle TV cable rooting

WC-11:

Mobile charger wiring

Dash board preparation and fitment

Flap door lock fitment and setting

Flap door alignment with rubber setting

Bitutex application of two coats

Glass fitting of left hand side and right hand side

Roof hatch cut out and A/C cut outs

Flap doors cable drilling

Flap doors cable routing

Engine service light and rear buzzer

WC-12, 13 and 14:

Roof hatch fitment

Document box door

DVD player fixing and termination

Door pneumatic installation

Temperature sensor connection

Electric horn fitment

Door top finisher fitment

Inside sealant finishing

Spare wheel bracket fitment

Battery box bus bar and door fuse fitment

Fog lamp harness rework

Telematics control box unit fitment, GPS antenna wire routing and

telematics harness preparation

Rear view mirror cable connection

Emergency door micro switch fitment and connection

Amplifier fitment

Door switch fitment

Centre TV fitment

Rear view camera and monitor fitment

Box type speakers

Final Assembly:

WC- 15, 16 and 17

Hand brake plate fitment

Curtain holder fitment

Rear glass curtain rail

ECB tray fitment

VIN plate fitment

Saloon mirror

Driver seat belt fitment

All LED board fitments

First aid kit fitment

Fire extinguishers fitment

Microphone fitment

Rear gangway seat fitment

A/C duct pad fitment

Handle for 2nd and 3rd seat

Sun visor fitment

Middle and front camera fitment

Rear 5 seats fitment

Paint shop:

WC 18 and 19:

The following is the process used here:

Solvent wipe: Dupont 3608S

Sanding with P180/220

Solvent wipe: Dupont 3608S

Masking and cleaning

Putty 779R application, 1-3% with 762R hardener

Drying 20-30 minutes

Sanding with P80/180/320 on putty area

Cleaning with 3920S

Application of two coats with flash of 8-10 minutes P7 primer. Mix ratio

is 3:1:3.5. Total primer film thickness 40-60 microns

Flash off 15-20 minutes

Apply one dry coat, Imron 9100 topcoat mix 5:1:15%:5%. Film thickness

is 15 to 20 microns

Flash off 5 minutes

Apply one medium wet coat, Imron 9100 topcoat mix 5:1:15%:5%. Film

thickness is 30 to 40 microns

Air dry for 8 hours or bake at 60 degrees for 30 minutes

Finishing line:

WC-20:

Hooter fitment

Flap door lock and cover finisher

Mud flap rubber fitment

Front bumper reflector

Number plate fitment

Hatrack guard rail

Rear dickey handle

Tail lamps fitment

Spare wheel mounting

Electrical inspection

Driver door bottle holder

Wheel alignment:

Wheel alignment is a process that is done for each bus or individual chassis

after the vehicle has been completed in the finishing line. It ensures that certain

parameters for the wheels of the vehicle remain within the specified range for

optimal performance of the bus.

Wheel alignment is done to protect tires and suspension components from

wearing out unevenly or prematurely. In addition it also helps improving the

efficiency of the bus during operation.

In addition to fuel efficiency, braking distance and ride quality are also affected

by wheel alignment.

Green OK:

In this part of the plant an inspection takes place where the bus is taken under

observation for errors that could be made while assembling the bus. If any part

of the bus is below the set standard, it is replaced or fixed. This is an essential

procedure undertaken to provide excellent quality of products to the customers.

Shower Testing:

In this part of the plant the buses are tested if they are leakage proof. Liquids are

sprayed at the buses and if there is a leakage it is sent back to the line to get it

fixed.

Storage Unit:

There are areas that have been suitably designed to store the parts used in the

assembly of the Volvo buses. A primary storage unit is installed in the between

the finishing line and the chassis assembly.

The 5S methodology:

5S is the name of a workplace organisation method that uses a list of five

Japanese words: Seiri, Seiton, Seiso, Seiketsu and Shitsuke. The list describes

how to organise a workplace for efficiency and effectiveness by identifying and

storing the items used, maintaining the area and items and sustaining the new

order. The decision making process usually comes from a dialogue about

standardisation, which builds understanding among employees on how they

should do the work. This methodology was used throughout the assembly plant.

Bus working tutorial:

I undertook a short term tutorial course in the working of buses. I was taught

about electronic architecture in buses.

Electronic architecture:

EECU- Engine Electronic Control unit

TECU- Transmission Electronic Control unit

EBS- Electronic brake system

IECU- Instrument Electronic Control unit

VECU- Vehicle Electronic Control unit

ECS- Electronic controlled suspension

LCM- Light control module

RECU- Retarder Electronic Control unit

BBM- Body builder module

GECU- Gear Electronic Control unit

Transfer Links:

J1989- Fast line and control link

J1708- Slow link, information link and diagnostic link

Learning:

There were many areas where I was exposed to new technology and machines

that were used at the plant. I used theoretical knowledge in a very practical

form. Also a lot of new concepts were learnt such as 5S methodology and The

Kaizen methodology. Getting first-hand knowledge and experience in the

industry gave me immense exposure to the professional workings of a company.

Conclusion:

If a customer chooses a Volvo, then they’ve got themselves a secure deal. Not

just because the bus itself meets high standards concerning quality and

availability, but because the customer also gains access to a comprehensive

network of service workshops, an efficient system for parts supply, round-the

clock assistance, financing, driver training and much more. Volvo Buses offers

not just vehicles but also a range of facilities within servicing and financing that

allow the customer to tailor a transport solution that is perfectly suited to their

operation. The aim is to give the customer higher vehicle uptime, putting the

customer in full control of their total costs and generate greater security in their

operation. The range of services offered may vary between different markets.