ABSTRACT Date: Level: Institution: Authors: Title: Tutor: Keywords: machine 08-06-2020 Bachelor thesis in Business Administration, 15 crSchool of Business, Society and Engineering, Mälardalen University Tim Axelsson Tim Ekstrand (97/06/22) (97/05/21) CSR – marketing within the heavy machinery industry Aswo SafariCSR, marketing, Construction, Machine, effectivity, construction Research question: How do companies in the construction machinery industry use CSR in their marketing effectively? Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate and thus gain a deeper insight into how CSR is used in marketing in the most efficient way possible in the construction machine industry. The hope is to be able to clarify the uncertainties surrounding CSR in marketing and to be able to provide companies of the construction machinery industry with in-depth knowledge of the subject and to assist with a model for other companies in the industry to use to review the effectiveness of their CSR -marketing. Method: A qualitative case study that examines Volvo Construction Equipment in more detail. The study approach is based on an abductive approach where the study creators have drawn a conclusion based on the collected theory and results. The empirical data consists of 3 interviews with senior employees at Volvo Construction Equipment. Conclusion: The study found that VCE's approach to creating effective marketing is broadly similar to the previous research produced by the authors. However, VCE uses a couple of methods that were not identified in theory.

Construction machines, also referred to as engineering vehicles or earth movers, are used in a variety of tasks related to infrastructure development and material handling. While modern construction machines represent a high level of sophistication in several areas, their suspension systems are generally rudimentary or even nonexistent. This leads to unacceptably high vibration levels for the operator, particularly when considering front loaders and dump trucks, which regularly traverse longer distances at reasonably high velocities. To meet future demands on operator comfort and high speed capacity, more refined wheel suspensions will have to be developed. The aim of this thesis is therefore to investigate which factors need to be considered in the fundamental design of suspension systems for wheeled construction machines. The ride dynamics of wheeled construction machines are affected by a number of particular properties specific to this type of vehicle. The pitch inertia is typically high in relation to the mass and wheelbase, which leads to pronounced pitching. The axle loads differ considerably between the loaded and the unloaded condition, necessitating ride height control, and hence the suspension properties may be altered as the vehicle is loaded. Furthermore, the low vertical stiffness of off-road tyres means that changes in the tyre properties will have a large impact on the dynamics of the suspended mass. The impact of these factors has been investigated using analytical models and parameters for a typical wheel loader. Multibody dynamic simulations have also been used to study the effects of suspended axles on the vehicle ride vibrations in more detail. The simulation model has also been compared to measurements performed on a prototype wheel loader with suspended axles. For reasons of manoeuvrability and robustness, many construction machines use articulated frame steering. The dynamic behaviour of articulated vehicles has therefore been examined here, focusing on lateral instabilities in the form of “snaking” and “folding”. A multibody dynamics model has been used to investigate how suspended axles influence the snaking stability of an articulated wheel loader. A remote-controlled, articulated test vehicle in model-scale has also been developed to enable safe and inexpensive practical experiments. The test vehicle is used to study the influence of several vehicle parameters on snaking stability, including suspension, drive configuration and mass distribution. Comparisons are also made with predictions using a simplified linear model. Off-road tyres represent a further complication of construction machine dynamics, since the tyres’ behaviour is typically highly nonlinear and difficult to evaluate in testing due to the size of the tyres. A rolling test rig for large tyres has here been evaluated, showing that the test rig is capable of producing useful data for validating tyre simulation models of varying complexity. The theoretical and experimental studies presented in this thesis contribute to the deeper understanding of a number of aspects of the dynamic behaviour of construction machines. This work therefore provides a basis for the continued development of wheel suspensions for such vehicles. / QC 20110531