Author: Opinion Writers

The author works in the marketing department of a leading off-highway component supplier.

Looking at the Fenix system – Volvo’s futuristic answer to road laying – I cannot help thinking that while the system is quite novel, the name certainly is not. One does not have to look too far into the road-paving business (particularly if you are heading west in the British Isles) to come across an extremely long established company that manufactures a wide range of road laying equipment (and incidentally chipping spreaders) going by the name of ‘Phoenix’ (both pronounced the same way).

The author works in the marketing department of a leading off-highway component supplier

I often wonder in the future whether we as a race will ever actually develop any really new machinery. OK, so we may improve on what we have and as technology (hopefully) develops many aspects of the structure of the vehicles may improve to varying degrees through better use of material and processes and embracing new methodology or machining.

David Duncan, president of IDWS, believes an emphasis on design is a way to safely navigate through current economic difficulties.