Plant & Equipment

Wheel loader, excavator add to productivity

The company was formed to construct forestry roads and landings in the early 2000s, which then led to local on-site crushing of rock, which built the foundation of its now growing quarry operations. As part of constant interaction with end users about the advantages of high quality product, Clark McRobbie, the company?s managing director, thought another way to demonstrate a strong commitment to quality was to put quality equipment into the fleet. 
Clark McRobbie?s reasons for opting for Liebherr machines included a greatly reduced fuel burn, noise emissions and operator comfort, as well as the drive for a greener workplace for both the environment and employees.
McRobbie Dowling general manager John Meekin is satisfied with the machines? capacity and economy. ?We are very satisfied with the wheel loader in terms of loaded capacity, allowing better utilisation when operating under pressure at load out time,? he said. ?Our handling cost per tonne has reduced.
?The weight concentration of the reduced tail swing configuration on the excavator means we are not forced to reposition so frequently when working the shot rock pile. This equates to a significant volume increase per hour into the primary crusher.?
Meekin added there had also been noticeable changes in commercial efficiency since McRobbie Dowling began working with Liebherr. ?We are seeing fuel burn reductions, and the service contract agreements allow us to concentrate on production and not spend time planning maintenance requirements.?
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ECONOMY IN QUARRYING
Wheel loaders are mainly employed in the industry for loading and transporting materials. In mines and quarries, large wheel loaders are primarily used with an operating weight of up to 30 tonnes.
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 save up to 25 per cent of fuel compared with 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 with conventionally powered wheel loaders, this leads to a greater 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.
REDUCING WEAR, COSTS 
The hydrostatic drive ensures that costs caused by brake and tyre wear are reduced. While the freely variable tractive power control reduces tyre wear by 25 per cent, the hydraulic braking effect of the drive system reduces wear on the brakes. Companies are spared the cost of repairs, which means lower operating costs and better results. ?
Source: Liebherr Australia

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