Liebherr L 556 User Manual
QUARRYING
Innovative Machines in Operation
Features: Experience in quarrying and loading
Advice: Economy in quarrying
Trends: Protective devices for crawler excavators
Dear
Readers,
The quarrying industry is experiencing a period of rapid growth. At the same time, it is
also experiencing growing pressures. In view of increased pricing pressure, companies
operating in the industry are being forced to work with maximum efficiency and
economy and to do so in an environment that, by its very nature, demands great input
in terms of time and cost.
In our special, we will show you specific examples from quarrying in practice. How do
companies use Liebherr machines in their quarries and mines? In which operations are
they employed? In what kind of environment do the companies work? And how do
these companies manage to achieve maximum efficiency?
The reports show that the machines used are an important criterion for working
efficiency and operating costs. At the end of the day, the decisions about specific
machines and equipment have an effect on the production costs and ultimately on the
company’s revenue.
In addition to our customers’ experience, we wish to use this publication to tell you
more about our concepts for improving efficiency. The chapter “Economy in quarrying”
will give you tips about operating our machines, enabling you to work efficiently and
prolong the service life of your machines.
Do you have any ideas, suggestions or questions about the use of machines in quarrying?
Please send an email to quarrying@ liebherr.com.
2// Quarrying
The Editorial Team
Content
Features
Mineral Baustoff GmbH
Trimming quarries for economy ....................................................... 5
Creaton AG
Hooked on creativity with clay ......................................................... 9
Holemans GmbH
From gravel to sand and on to new lakelands ................................ 12
a & b Ingoldingen
Moraine gravel for asphalt and cement .......................................... 22
Recycling GmbH Lahnau
All quarrying operations under one umbrella .................................. 24
Geocal Mineração
Reliance and partnership for
safe quarrying ............................................................................... 38
J Swap
J Swap Contractors in New Zealand:
Efficiency in heavy operations ........................................................ 40
Lanwehr Naturstein
Third-generation stone quarries ..................................................... 42
Advice
Economy in quarrying
Part 1: Story .................................................................................... 8
Economy in quarrying
Part 2: Wheel loader operating tips ................................................ 27
Quarrying in profile
Carrière des Grands Usages
R 950 SME ................................................................................... 17
Carrière des Grands Caous
R 964 C SME ................................................................................ 28
The Ambazac and
Montebras quarries
Service
............................................................. 32
Undercarriage
10 expert tips for long undercarriage service life ............................ 14
In detail
The Liebherr Z tooth system
The advantages of the Z tooth system ............................................ 31
Trends
Protective devices
for crawler excavators
....................................................... 20
The retarder on the TA 230 Litronic
Braking without compromise ......................................................... 37
Overview
Liebherr machines in quarrying
Hydraulic excavators, wheel loaders, dump trucks and crawlers
for heavy-duty operations ............................................................... 45
Masthead
Publisher
Liebherr-EMtec GmbH
Liebherrstraße 12
88457 Kirchdorf an der Iller (Germany)
info.lhb@ liebherr.com
Responsible for the content
Liebherr-Werk Bischofshofen GmbH
Dr.-Hans- Liebherr-Str. 4
5500 Bischofshofen (Austria)
quarrying@liebherr.com
Editorial team
Conrad Freeling, Maria Graffius, Alexander Katrycz, Bettina Köhler, Catherine Pierrat,
Uwe Richter/Richter B2B, Michel Roche, Barbara Specht, Alban Villaume
Layout/design
For Sale Services GmbH, München
© Liebherr-EMtec GmbH
The content may not be copied or disseminated without permission of the publisher.
Quarrying //3
4// Quarrying
Feature: Mineral Baustoff GmbH
Trimming quarries
for economy
When talking about reducing costs and boosting efficiency, Wolfgang Beckers is in his element. As chief
representative and regional manager of Mineral Baustoff GmbH for the German state of Thuringia,
he has economically optimized five of the company’s quarries to the last detail. One way of achieving his
ambitious goals is by keeping distances short, but another is the efficient use of Liebherr machines.
With around 200 quarries and gravel pits, Mineral Baustoff, part
of the STRABAG SE Group, is one of the largest raw materials
brands in Central, Southeastern and Eastern Europe.
One of the five limestone quarries operated by Wolfgang Beckers
is at Eigenrieden, near Mühlhausen. Here, two areas of 17.3 and
29.6 acres are mined. From the forecourt of the office building,
we have an unhindered view across both areas. We are able to
watch all productions steps, from quarrying at the face through
to loading onto the customer’s trucks. One thing that is
conspicuous is the fact that there are no dumper trucks or long
conveyor belts in use. The entire organization is based on short
distances, which saves machines, personnel and time.
“Economy is the be-all and end-all.
Our operation is completely mobile.”
Wolfgang Beckers, chief representative and regional manager
MineralBaustoff GmbH for the German state of Thuringia
“Economy is the be-all and end-all. Our operation is completely
mobile. We have no stationary systems. We crush the material
where we find it. Then we process it, put it on a pile and sell it.
In between there are practically no distances to be travelled. We
have to be competitive. In sales, every cent per ton makes a
difference,” Beckers says. “We produce a broad range of end
products here; for example, calcium-magnesium fertilizers, which
we sell to the agricultural industry in the area. Then we have
products for road building, gardening and landscaping. That
includes, for example, frost protection layers, gravel base layers
and hydraulically bonded layers.”
Wolfgang Beckers, chief representative and regional manager
Mineral Baustoff GmbH for the German state of Thuringia.
A new Liebherr R 950 SME crawler excavator recently started
operations at the quarry face loading the crusher. Its reach of
42 ft8 i is exactly configured for the conditions on site. The bucket
size has been optimized for the through put capacity of the crusher.
Beckers is proud of his new acquisition. “The excavator has been
in operation now for three weeks, and we already have superb
experience in terms of productivity and diesel consumption. In
addition to the fact that it offers far better performance and a
larger bucket capacity, its fuel consumption is lower than that of
its predecessor.”
Beckers also puts his faith in Liebherr with his wheel loaders.
Three generations are currently working in parallel. The oldest
one was built in 2005, the youngest, anL566 unit of the latest
generation, has only just been delivered to the Themar quarry.
“What convinces me about Liebherr are the service intervals,
service availability, the advice, the quality and the operation,”
Beckers continues. “The machines are extremely durable and
highly economical in operation. In particular, diesel consumption
is, of course, important for us.”
R 950 SME crawler excavator at the quarry in Eigenrieden:
The material is processed on site and sold where it is found.
Before procuring a new machine, economy and durability are
carefully scrutinized and documented. “We have made direct
comparisons between these machines and competitive models
Quarrying //5
Feature: Mineral Baustoff GmbH
Six-chamber blender: Customers order the grade they need when they arrive at the quarry, are given a recipe card and collect their gravel.
in operations,” explains Beckers. “Fuel consumption and material
movement have been recorded and compared. This has enabled
us to obtain figures for fuel consumption per ton of material
quarried. With Liebherr machines, we can save 1.1 to 1.3 up to
sometimes even 1.6 gallons of diesel per hour. At 15,000
operating hours per year that makes several thousand US $.”
“ Liebherr machines allow us to save
1.1to1.3,sometimes even 1.6 gallons
of diesel per hour.”
Wolfgang Beckers, chief representative and regional manager
Mineral Baustoff GmbH for the German state of Thuringia.
6// Quarrying
Fuel consumption is not the only criterion that is taken into
account for procurements. Service also plays an important role
as it has a decisive influence on machine availability. “Machines
that are not running immediately run up immense losses. That’s
something we can’t afford, and that’s why we use Liebherr
machines,” continues Beckers. “With the Nagel Group, we have
a truly competent and reliable service partner. Whenever we have
a technical question, we always get an answer straight away.”
Despite the fact that operations are heavily trimmed towards
efficiency, expense is not spared on the machines themselves.
“Our drivers work on the machines for up to 10 hours and must
be in top form at all times. That means they get the equipment
they need to make work easier. Comfort seats, climate control
and auxiliary heating, for example, are features on all our machines,”
says Beckers. “This makes work easier and, not least of all, it
is a question of safety.”
Feature: Mineral Baustoff GmbH
Loading directly from the pile.
Company profile
Mineral Baustoff GmbH
Sector:
Size of company:
Founded:
Location:
Managing Director:
Website:
Liebherr machines
in operation:
Quarry operator
25 quarries and gravel pits, 122 employees
2008
Germany, Central, Southeastern and
Eastern Europe
Dipl.-Ing. Jörg Henschel, Dipl.-Kfm. Peter Kern
www.mineral.eu.com
L 566,R 950 SME, R 936, etc.
Quarrying //7
Advice – Part 1
Economy in quarrying
Companies working in the quarrying sector are under enormous
pressure to save time and reduce costs. Expenditures for operations
and rising fuel costs are forcing companies to work as efficiently and
economically as possible. Every company, therefore, asks the question:
how can we optimize essential production factors such as equipment,
work and energy in order to achieve a good turnover rate while keeping
operating costs low?
Two extremely important considerations
are improving mining and transportation
processes. This starts with the infrastructure
and organisation locally and asking: What
processes are performed at the site, for
example, at the quarry? How fast can the
machines operate? How much energy is
input to operate the conveyor belts and
how much fuel is needed to operate the
machines? How well trained are the
employees operating these machines? The
list of potential savings continues to
sustainable mining, resources and the
environment. We would like to illustrate
these questions by looking at examples of
machines. These have a decisive effect on
the costs per ton of materials extracted.
Wheel loader: up to 25 % less
fuel due to drive concept
Wheel loaders are mainly employed in the
industry for loading and transporting
materials. In mines and quarries, large
wheel loaders with an operating weight of
up to 33.1 tons are primarily used. Despite
this enormous machine weight and the
tough operating conditions, it is important
for fuel consumption to be kept low.
Liebherr wheel loaders achieve this with a
combination of hydrostatic travel drive and
the Liebherr Power Efficiency (LPE) system.
With this drive concept, all Liebherr wheel
loaders of the latest Tier4i / IIIB generation
save up to 25 % of fuel compared to other
machines of the same size class. While
fuel consumption drops, the hydrostatic
travel drive makes it possible to achieve
greater turnover rates per operating hour.
The hydrostatic travel drive allows a
particular installation position of the
Liebherr diesel engine – transverse or
longitudinal at the rear. Compared to
conventionally powered wheel loaders, this
leads to a higher tipping load with much
lower machine weight and an improved
turnover rate per operating hour. The LPE
system proactively influences engine
management by picking up the electronic
signal from the accelerator pedal and
computing the most efficient way of
carrying out the driver’s wishes.
Hydrostatic drive reduces wear
andcosts
At the same time, the hydrostatic drive
ensures that costs caused by brake and
tire wear are reduced. While the freely
variable tractive power control reduces tire
wear by 25 %, the hydraulic braking effect
of the drive system reduces wear on the
brakes. Companies are spared the cost of
repairs caused by wear, which means
lower operating costs and better results.
How much can the impact on the
environment and on our natural resources
be reduced in mining? 0.3 gal of fuel
produces up to 7 lb of carbon dioxide
(CO2). By saving up to 1.3 gal per operating
hour, up to 33,070 lb less CO
in 1,000 operating hours.
Excavator automatically switches
engine off when idling
The excavator can be equipped with a
function that automatically switches the
engine off after a certain period spent
stationary. In conjunction with the sensorcontrolled automatic idling system, fuel
consumption is reduced even further,
lessening the environmental impact. To
optimally adapt the machine to different
conditions, the excavator driver can
choose between four different work
is produced
2
modes. Mode “E” (for economy) is
recommended for normal working
conditions, reducing the impact on both
the budget and the environment. A simple
touch of a button is all the driver has to do
to change modes. A pre-set engine speed
or hydraulic output is then made available
by the machine.
Driver usage, behavior data
improveseconomy
Not every driver uses a machine the same.
If you analyze exactly how a machine is
driven, you can draw conclusions as to how
it can be used more economically. This is
exactly what LiDAT – the electronic data
transmission and positioning system – does.
The data obtained can be used to make
the machine even more economical.
8// Quarrying
The fuel consumption of the PR 744 Litronic crawler tractor stays low even at full load.
Hooked on creativity with clay
Many forms, many sizes, many colors – from classical to creative. Creaton AG offers a broad range of roof tile
brands. Production runs around the clock, 365 days a year. From the production of the raw materials to sales,
Creaton does everything itself. The entire process is configured for the continuous operation of huge furnaces that
reach a temperature of over 1832°F in their core.
Quarrying //9
Feature: Creaton AG
Creaton AG is one of the leading manufacturers of clay tiles in
Europe. The company was formed from the merger of the two
Bavarian tile works Berchthold and Ott. Berchthold was founded
in 1884 in the town of Wertingen near Augsburg, the present-day
location of Creaton’s head office.
In total, Creaton AG has 9 locations with 15 plants and about
1000 employees. Approximately 100 employees work at the
Bavarian locations of Wertingen and Roggden. Small pan tiles
are produced in Wertingen, while beaver tail tiles are made just
1.2 miles away in Roggden. Both products are manufactured in
a range of different styles and colors, with about 50 different
features such as ventilation or apex tiles. They are delivered to
building material wholesalers and larger roofing companies,
primarily in Germany and other European countries. But there are
also customers in other parts of the world who choose Creaton
products. For example, tiles from Wertingen were used to tile the
roof of the Hofbräuhaus brew pub in Las Vegas. “We even have
companies from Singapore and China on our list of customers,”
explains Ferdinand Kanefzky, factory manager at the Wertingen
and Roggden locations.
“80 % of our raw materials is loess, 20 % highly plastic clay. The
clay decides how easy it is to shape the tiles. Of decisive
importance is the exact composition of the different materials
extracted and their mixture,” Ferdinand Kanefzky continues,
explaining the production of roof tiles in Wertingen. Moisture is
Roland and Ferdinand Kanefzky with the final product.
another critical parameter. “We go to great lengths to make sure
that we start with perfect raw materials. That begins with the
analysis and treatment of the material in the pit and continues
through to the meticulous examinations in our own laboratories,”
Ferdinand Kanefzky adds, describing each production step.
“Dosage is the first step in preparing the raw materials. The
material is then put into a machine, which smashes and mixes
the components. It is then sent through two rollers and pressed
to about the thickness of a fingernail. After that, it is put into a
vacuum chamber where the air is drawn out of the material. Now
the tiles can be finished in a press with plaster molds. At this
point, it still consists of about 19.5 % moisture. After the next step
– drying – the residual moisture is reduced
to 2 %. The final step before the furnace is
to apply a glazing, also called engobing, that
produces colors for the top layer out of
minutely ground clay.
Wheel loaders are used for loading.
10// Quarrying
The tiles are placed in furnace cartridges
and conveyed automatically through the
furnace kiln transporters. The furnace in
Wertingen measures some 394 ft long, 16ft
5i wide and 13ft high. It takes 44 hours to
pass through its 15 furnace chambers.The
maximum furnace temperature is more than
1832 F. The tiles are still at about 176 F when
they leave the furnace. The next step is a
final examination, part automatic and part
manual, before the tiles are sorted into
smaller packages that a roofer can easily
handle.
Every year, many tons of loess and clay are
needed for producing tiles in Wertingen and
Roggden. Roland Kanefzky, head of Machine
Engineering and of the vehicle fleet,
describes the process: “We have to be
flexible according to the weather.
We cannot extract water from the raw material before molding.
That means that the moisture content must not be higher than
20 %, even in the pit. One Liebherr R 954 C crawler excavator is
in operation at the spoil. We have Liebherr wheel loaders, one
L 586 and oneL538, working on quarrying at the face. We also
have anL580 on order. The main reason was that we could get
a certificate of exemption for single journeys for theL580. That
makes it easier to change sites at short notice due to weather.”
To maintain reserves when operations are stopped, piles up to
623 ft 4 in long and 164 ft wide are laid out directly adjacent to
the pits, and these are protected with a fleece. The wheel loaders
at the face load the dumpers, which carry the material to the piles.
Operations at the face are a great stress on the wheel loaders.
The material is highly compressed and very heavy, causing the
equipment to operate at full throttle about 80 % of the time. The
hydrostatic drive is highly beneficial here. “We have performed
direct comparison tests with other machines and have found truly
enormous differences,” Roland Kanefzky says. “For example, the
Liebherr machines are much more economical in terms of diesel
consumption. The Liebherr drive is also easier to meter. After all,
we have often experienced overheating problems with converterpowered wheel loaders.”
Feature: Creaton AG
The highly compressed material means driving at full throttle 80 %
of the time, which the hydrostatic travel drive handles well.
Ferdinand Kanefzky adds, “We have been working with Liebherr
since 1988. Economy, quality and service are what count for us.
Diesel consumption is, of course, important, especially for the
wheel loaders. Apart from that, we need high-performance
machines that can withstand a lot. To date we have very good
experience with Liebherr as a company. If ever we have had a
problem with a machine, a service representative was always
there very fast. The spare parts supply has always worked totally
smoothly as well. Nagel is a competent service center dealer
close by with very good people who really know what they’re
doing with the machines.”
“We have been working with Liebherr
since 1988. Economy, quality and service
are what count for us.”
Ferdinand Kanefzky, plant manager at the Wertingen and Roggden locations
“We attach great importance to working in harmony with nature,”
Ferdinand Kanefzky says, explaining the company’s slogan:
“Natural clay sets the tone.” “Protection of the environment is
important for us. Creaton is one of the first roof tile manufacturers
to be awarded the Bavarian Environmental Medal. We were one
of the first to change over from disposable pallets to Europool
pallets, and we stopped using plastic foil for our packaging a long
time ago. We elaborately recultivate mined areas, for example,
for agricultural use, or we create a biotope. We have even planted
an orchard with 150 fruit trees.”
Company profile
Creaton AG
Sector:
Size of company:
Founded:
Location:
Managing Director:
Website:
Liebherr machines
in operation:
Clay roof tile manufacturing
9 locations, 15 plants, approx. 1000 employees
1884
Head office at Wertingen, Germany
CEO: Stephan Führling
www.creaton.de
L 538,L542,L566,L580 IIIB, R 954 C,
PR 744 LGP
Quarrying //11
Feature: Holemans GmbH
From gravel to sand
and on to new lakelands
Many gravel pit lakes on the lower Rhine are former quarrying fields of the Holemans Group. Here in the region
between the Ruhr and the Netherlands, companies of the Holemans Group have been extracting gravel and sand
before recultivating the areas affected for many decades. For six months, a PR 736 was in use as a practical test
machine for the new crawler generation 6.
specific requirements of the customers. “Today, concrete
manufacturing is a science in itself. As the industry develops, the
requirements on the raw materials are increasing,” says Thomas
Derksen, commenting on trends in the sector.
The Holemans Group performs mining and recultivation
in stages, many of them in parallel. Embankments and paths
are laid, waterside areas fortified and trees planted. Ten Liebherr
machines are used in these operations: eight wheel loaders, two
wheeled excavators and one crawler.
Thomas Derksen, technical manager.
The roots of the Holemans Group go back to the year 1873 , and
the head office is in the town of Rees directly on the Rhine. Its
core business is the quarrying and marketing of gravel and sand,
and 95 % of this is delivered to the construction industry, where
it is used as raw materials in the production of concrete. The
family business is now in its third generation and employs 130
people. It’s not just the customers who benefit from the
company’s activities. Many protected species of animals and
plants find new homes in the gravel pit lakes that are created.
And the people in the region enjoy the watery recreation areas.
The companies of the Holemans Group deliver some 4.4 million
tons of high-quality gravel and sand every year, mainly to
manufacturers of concrete components, concrete transporters
and construction materials traders. “Sand and gravel can be found
everywhere, for example in buildings, footpaths, roads, bridges
and pipes, to name just a few,” says Thomas Derksen, technical
manager of Holemans GmbH. “Solar cells and microchips also
contain sand.”
Sand is made up of grains of between 0.00025 and 0.08 inches
in diameter. Gravel grains are between 0.08 and 1.26 inches in
diameter. “Sand and gravel are also split up into various size
categories. The individual fractions are separated using different
processes and then mixed in precisely defined ratios for the
Holemans has been placing its trust in Liebherr excavators and
wheel loaders for many years. The crawlers employed to date
include a PR 743. From December 2012 until July 2013, a
preproduction machine of the type PR 736 was tested. The tasks
of the crawler included shifting and depositing gravel fields and
top soil and shaping the topography of the terrain. Some 2100
operating hours were accumulated.
“Service over the entire lifetime of the machine
plays a decisive role for us. With Liebherr, we
know that we can rely on a quick response and
good work.”
Thomas Derksen, technical manager of Holemans GmbH
The PR 736 features an unprecedented electronically regulated
travel control with integrated “eco” function and proactive power
adjustment, which offers the choice between high power out
putand maximum efficiency. “The important thing for us is that
we have power for pushing. That makes up 90 percent of our
operation,” explains Thomas Derksen. “And the power available
is really impressive compared to the predecessor model. Despite
this, fuel consumption is on a similar level.”
Other positive aspects for the drivers were the comfort and clarity
of the cab, which has been developed completely from scratch.
All-round vision provides for additional efficiency and safety –
even in the area around the door – thanks to edges that drop
12// Quarrying
Power is needed here. That accounts for 90 % of our operations.
down to all sides and panoramic glazing. The exhaust system is
completely hidden behind the A-pillar, which prevents it from
obstructing the view over the engine cowl.
“Another advantage for ground levelling operations is how quiet
the machine runs,” Thomas Derksen says. Particular attention
was paid to this in the development of the new crawler generation.
The new features also include the undercarriage. A much larger
diameter sprocket wheel and more intermeshing teeth have
noticeably lengthened the service life of the chain and the sprocket
Maintenance has also been optimized. Centralized service points,
wide-opening access hatches and engine compartment doors,
a tilting cab as standard, and an optional radiator that can be
folded out for cleaning all make service work easier.
“Service over the entire lifetime of the machine plays a decisive role
for us. With Liebherr, we know that we can rely on a quick response
and good work,” Thomas Derksen continues. “The reliability of the
preproduction crawler is quite remarkable. Throughout the entire
test phase, there was not one single failure.”
Company profile
Holemans GmbH
Sector:
Size of company:
Founded:
Location:
Managing Director:
Website:
Liebherr machines
in operation:
Quarrying and marketing plus nature and leisure
120 employees
1873
46452 Rees, Germany
Michael Hüging-Holemans
www.holemans.de
8 wheel loaders, 2 wheeled excavators and
acrawler
Quarrying //13
10 expert tips for long
undercarriage service life
Regular servicing and the right way of working have a great influence on the service life of the undercarriage.
On construction machines with chains, wear can occur in the chain bushings, sprockets, chain links, guide wheels,
track rollers, carrier rollers and on the track shoes. There are several different ways to prolong the service
life of the undercarriage and to reduce costs related to the undercarriage.
What is undercarriage wear?
Chain bushings
On an oil-lubricated chain, the bushing
moves relative to the sprocket. This causes
wear at the bushing and the teeth.
Rotating bushing chains roll freely from the
sprocket, reducing wear on the bushing
and the sprocket. Because of their form,
rotating bushing chains are only of limited
suita bility for tough operations where
impact stress occurs.
Tip 1: On oillubricated chains, the bushing
can still be used if it is turned around 180°
in good time (with a wear level of 70 to 80 %). The
actual savings depend on the labor costs incurred.
Sprocket
Once the sprocket has become completely
worn, teeth could break and the chain
could jump. An excessively worn sprocket
also increases wear on the bushings many
times over. For this reason, great attention
should be paid to sprocket wear.
Tip 2: As a rule of thumb, the sprocket seg-
ments must not meet tooth tip to tooth tip. At
least a narrow web must be visible. Details of this can
be found in the operating handbook for the machine.
Chain links
The chain links run over the guide
wheel, carrier rollers and track rollers.
Wear occurs on the contact areas. This
often occurs in the form of wave wear.
Tip 3: If vibrations occur when the machine
is in operation, this might be caused by wave
wear on the chain links.
Guide wheel, track rollers
and carrier rollers
Guide wheels and rollers tension and guide
the chain, also transversely. Wear occurs
on the running surfaces and at the side
walls.
Tip 4: It is especially important for the
under carriage to be cleaned in the winter. This
will prevent the carrier rollers in particular from sticking.
At the same time, cleaning will lengthen the service life.
Track shoes
The webs and the track shoes themselves
wear over the course of time, especially
on hard ground such as rocks.
Tip 5: As an alternative to track shoes of
standard quality, Liebherr also offers special
track shoes that have more wearing material for highwear operations. Examples of such special track shoes
are “ES Extreme Service” or “SESS Super Extreme
Service Shoes.”
14// Quarrying
What influences undercarriage wear?
Service
Ground material
The type of ground material will have the
greatest influence on undercarriage wear.
Abrasive sand, for example, can cause
wear on a chain within a very short space
of time. In less abrasive materials (top soil,
loam, coal), the undercarriage will last
much longer.
Tip 6: In especially high-wear operations in
soft material, rotating bushing chains can
substantially increase the service life of the
undercarriage. Because of their form, these are
only of limited suitability for tough operations in
which impact stress occurs.
Working with the machine
Travel speed
Excessively high speed – especially when
reversing – can lead to increased wear on
all components.
Cornering or working on a slope
Tight corners or frequent unnecessary
changes of direction when changing tracks
can cause increased wear, especially at the
side walls of the guide wheels, carrier rollers,
track rollers and on the chain.
Tip 8: In general, it is advisable to use a
centrally fitted chain guidance system with
crawler undercarriages. Such a chain guidance
system will absorb some of the lateral forces created
when steering or driving across a slope. Alternatively,
the undercarriage can be fitted with a continuous
chain guard that protects the entire undercarriage
against foreign bodies.
Chain tension
Correctly setting the chain tension is a
basic requirement for optimal service life
of the undercarriage. Practical tests have
shown that the right chain tension can lead
to a service life of the bushing up to 75 %
longer than with the chain overtensioned.
The service life of the sprockets is also
lengthened accordingly. If the chains are
too loose, this could cause the teeth to
wear on one side of the sprocket.
On Liebherr crawler tractors under operating
conditions, the chain should hang down by
between 1.2 and 2.4 inches, depending on
the model, between the guide wheels and
Check your speed
If the chains start to slip this will increase
wear on the track shoes. Drivers should
always adapt their travel speed and blade
load according to the operating conditions
in order to prevent the chains from slipping.
In addition, it should be checked whether
the webs on the track shoes are sufficiently
high to allow optimal traction. This will
greatly improve the pushing performance.
Tip 9: Freely variable or hydrostatic drive
systems allow travel speed to by optimally
adapting to all operating conditions and types of
ground. Because the optimal travel speed can also
be set at full engine speed, there is always sufficient
tractive power available. The efficiency of such
drives is constantly high over the entire speed range
and no manual gear shifts are needed. That makes
fuel consumption especially low compared to
conventional construction machines.
the carrier roller or between the carrier roller
and the gear ring. The correct chain tension
can be easily set with a grease gun. Please
refer to the operating handbook of the
construction machine for details. To prevent
injuries, it is important for the safety
instructions to be observed.
Tip 7: The chain tension can easily be
measured with a board or rod positioned
between the guide wheel and the first carrier roller.
Make sure that the machine is measured under
realistic operating conditions as the chain may be
additionally tensioned by the buildup of material
on the undercarriage.
The right machine configuration
A correctly configured undercarriage will
improve the performance capability of the
machine, especially in critical ground
conditions. At the same time, undercarriage
wear can be drastically influenced.
Fundamentally, crawler undercarriages
differ in the undercarriage length, the track
shoe width and the related track width. As
a general rule: a shorter undercarriage will
provide greater manoeuvr ability and higher
ground pressure on hard ground. For
optimum traction on normal hard ground
and the best possible levelling performance,
a long undercarriage with narrow track
shoes should be chosen. An extra-wide
undercarriage is used on less stable (i.e.,
soft) ground.
Tip 10: For operations on hard or stony
ground, a suitably narrow track shoe width
should be selected as the chain could be damaged
by the lateral forces created when wide track shoes
are used.
Quarrying //15
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