The A40F articulated hauler from Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) is taking the industry by storm. The machine has picked up yet another award – this time in the esteemed iF product design awards. The A40F beat thousands of international products and wowed a panel of design experts to win the internationally recognized quality label – and there might still be more success to come. At the awards ceremony in February, the jury will honor the very best designs with an iF gold award. Earlier this year, the A40F won another one of the world’s most sought-after seals of design quality – the ‘red dot: best of the best’ product design award.
The iF product design awards have been honoring outstanding design for 60 years. Only the very best innovative works, from 16 categories, managed to convince the jury – and this year more than 3,000 products were entered by designers and companies worldwide. The jury thoroughly examined each entry – the evaluation criteria included design quality, degree of innovation, environmental impact and functionality. Volvo CE’s A40F was awarded the prestigious prize in category 15: special vehicles, construction and agriculture.
Double success for the A40F
“We are extremely proud to win another globally-recognized mark of industrial design quality for the A40F articulated hauler,” says Anders P. Larsson, executive vice president of Volvo CE’s Technology function. “This award is a tribute to the hard work of the many dedicated and skilled Volvo CE employees who helped to create Volvo’s market-leading and innovative range of F-Series haulers by pushing the boundaries of technology and design. The A40F sets new standards in the market that Volvo created in 1966 when it invented the world’s first articulated hauler – ‘Gravel Charlie’. This award proves that we are still the undisputed market leader.”
Volvo CE’s A40F articulated hauler maneuvers, travels and dumps its load in the most efficient and safest way and is more fuel efficient than the previous E-Series model which, until now, was the class leader for low fuel consumption. The machine features improvements in design, functionality and maintenance.
Design identity
“It is a tremendous honor for Volvo to receive yet another prestigious and highly respected accolade for the innovative design of the A40F,” says Stina Nilimaa Wickström, design director at Volvo CE. “At Volvo we are proud of the outstanding performance delivered by this machine. The A40F’s imposing appearance is a direct reflection of its productivity, strength and durability. When we started designing this generation of machines we evaluated the strongest elements from the previous series, those which most reflected the company’s core values of quality, safety and environmental care. We incorporated the strengths and implemented an updated design identity across the Volvo range which utilizes our heritage and further strengthens the Volvo brand.”
Showcasing award-winning design
Around 2,000 guests from the world of international design, media, business and politics are expected to celebrate the iF award winners on February 22nd in Munich, Germany. Together with the other prize-winning products, the Volvo A40F articulated hauler will then be presented as part of the iF design exhibitions in Hannover and Hamburg as well as in the iF product design online exhibition.
