| The Volvo Buses Production Principles provide a model for VPS, the Volvo Group’s new production system. The 19 principles are described in a booklet entitled ‘Towards World Class’ that has been issued to all employees as a guide. |
| The Innovatum Technology Park in Trollhättan, where much of Volvo Aero’s development work is carried on, is to be home to a manufacturing research centre. |
| Volvo Aero is leading the EU VERDI project, which deals with virtual manufacturing, and should yield both shorter development times and less expensive components. |
| A distribution truck driver stops and leaves his vehicle 80 times a day. In future, however, the driver will not even have to think of operating the parking brake – operation will be automatic. |
| Flight 157, the first European Ariane 5 ECA launcher, exploded shortly after liftoff in December 2002. The disaster gave rise to a programme of intensive development work at Volvo Aero to produce a new nozzle extension for the Vulcain 2 engine. |
| The use of simulation techniques (CFD) by the Volvo Group has increased significantly in recent times and involves aspects other than pure aerodynamics. |
| Volvo Aero has developed an industrial simulation technique for welding. The new method is now to be applied to other manufacturing processes also. |
| The Volvo Group is currently implementing tough measures to halve its production energy demand by 2008. Several outstanding examples are described. |
| The use of in-coloured plastic instead of painted plastic or sheet metal in a truck cab is an excellent example of cutting costs and protecting the environment at one and the same time. |
| Two engineers from Volvo Technology Corporation are the main project leaders of AIDE, a highly integrated EU Sixth Framework Programme project. |