International construction machinery manufacturer Liebherr marked a world first with the delivery of its first hydraulic excavator with a factory-fitted Leica Geosystems machine control system.

A Liebherr R 934 G8 crawler excavator with the machine control system was handed over to Brad-Pave, a customer in the UK. The company purchased the excavator fitted with a Leica Geosystems semi-automatic 3D machine control system featuring an inclination/rotation function.

Liebherr and Leica Geosystems, part of Hexagon, have been partners in the machine control systems area since March 2020. This partnership allows Liebherr customers to purchase generation 6 and 8 crawler and wheeled excavators with a factory-fitted 2D and 3D machine control system as an option. The generation 8 R 934 crawler excavator comes with the Leica 3D passive system and will be soon updated with a semi-automatic system featuring an automatic inclination/rotation function. According to Brad-Pave’s director Paul Bradshaw, the machine control system is the key to accurate and effective work. Factory installation has the advantage of ensuring high system reliability thanks to the expertise of the staff doing the installation work, in addition to reducing downtime on site. The company expects to increase its productivity with the help of this new built-in system.

It was the quality and expertise of Liebherr that persuaded Bradshaw to opt for a Liebherr machine. Other factors tipping the balance in Liebherr’s favour were excellent service and several possible adaptation with the machine.

On its first construction site job, the R 934 was mainly used to dig a large drainage trench across a field. The machine’s power and responsiveness were entirely to the operator’s satisfaction, says a spokesman for Liebherr.

“The 7.1-tonne counterweight and 800 mm pads ensure good stability in all conditions. The machine has run up 350 hours on the clock since delivery,” he says.

The R 934 crawler excavator is the first Liebherr machine with a factory-fitted Leica Geosystems control system.

Leica Geosystems creates complete measurement and survey solutions for professionals in a diverse industries, such as aerospace and defence, safety and security, construction, and manufacturing.

The Liebherr Group is a family-owned engineering company offering a highly diverse range of products. The company is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of construction machinery and also offers high-quality, value-added products and services in many other areas.