Liebherr-Holding GmbH hopes build on the outstanding success it had achieved at bauma '98 with its impressive range of up-to-date construction machinery, two immense machines from the mining range and attractive visitor pavilions.

"Many of the more than 70 exhibits - tower cranes, hydraulic excavators, haul trucks, rope excavators, wheeled loaders, concrete mixing plant, truck mixers and truck and mobile cranes - are being shown for the first time," says a spokesman for the company which is exhibiting under the theme, "Experience the progress".

Tower cranes

In the tower crane product area, he says, various important innovations to the SE fast-erecting crane will attract a new clientele. Liebherr will also present improved models of the other fast-erecting crane series at bauma, which have enhanced operating flexibility.

The MK 80 mobile construction crane introduced at the 2000 Intermat will make its German debut at bauma.

"This is a new type of machine that combines the mobility of an all-terrain mobile crane with the functions of an 80-tonne tower crane and is notable for its quick, easy one-person assembly procedure," he says.

It travels on an eight-wheeler front-wheel-drive chassis powered by a 270 kW Liebherr diesel engine.

The successful EC-H series of top-slewing cranes is being extended at the upper end, with additional model types. The series now covers all sizes from 112 EC-H 8 to 630 EC-H 50.

The Litronic crane model series introduced at the 1998 bauma has also been extended at the top end above the 280 EC-H 16 model. When equipped with the patented Litronic system, the crane can be operated at either of two load moment curves. The Litronic cranes' available load moment can be increased by up to 20 per cent simply by pressing a button, the spokesman explains.

"The previous EC and LC crane systems will shortly be incorporated into the new EL line. Customers will then be able to combine the most up-to-date, efficient crane technology with existing towers from the EC, LC and HC series," he says.

Mobile cranes

From its wide range of truck and mobile cranes, Liebherr will be displaying 10 all-terrain cranes with load capacities of 35 to 500 tonnes. These include the new, three-axle 55-tonne LTM 1055/1 with its compact, weight-optimised design offering excellent manoeuvrability and the 150 tonne LTM 1150/1 all-terrain crane which has been developed from the well-established 10-wheeler LTM 1120/1, the spokesman says.

The 10-wheeler LTM 1200/1 will also be launched at bauma. This new all-terrain crane with a nominal load capacity of 200 tonnes is equipped with a 60-m telescopic boom. The latest design concepts have yielded an average 5 per cent increase in load capacities for this truck crane compared with its predecessor, the LTM 1160/2. With a maximum lifting height of 100 m and 84 m reach, the working range has been increased by 15 per cent, he says.

''With the new LR 1600/1, Liebherr will present the world's first heavy-duty crane at bauma, which can be used both with a mobile crawler-tracked chassis as well as on a static pedestal with swing-out supports. The static version provides up to 267 per cent higher load capacity than the mobile one,'' the spokesman points out.

Another new machine at bauma is the LR 1160 crawler-tracked crane, which is equipped with a new type of self-loading and self-erecting system and is rated for maximum load capacities of 160 tonnes. Compared with its predecessors, this crane has a higher overall boom and jib length, the maximum combination being 55.1 + 69.8 m.

Excavators

No less than nine of Liebherr's 20 different model sizes of wheeled excavators will be on show at bauma, including two models for civil engineering and two for material handling which will make their debut. The new models are in the 14- to 16-tonne wheeled excavator category with Liebherr Litronic (see Excavators, page 126).

The Liebherr hydraulic rope excavator line has been extended to include the HS 895 HD, with a maximum load capacity of 200 tonnes. This also marks Liebherr's introduction of a new generation of hydraulic rope excavators.

''The machine is based on a fundamentally new structural steelwork concept and is equipped with new control and drive technology,'' says the spokesman. ''The 35-tonne winch with gravity lowering makes the HS 895 HD one of the best performers in its class. The new hydraulic rope excavator can also be fitted with a pipe-laying machine for boring diameters of up to 3,300 mm.

Pile drivers

For specialised civil engineering construction, Liebherr will display the new combined pile driver and auger - the LRB 155. This multi-purpose machine in the 60-tonne category can be equipped and operated with diverse attachments such as a vibrator, hydraulic hammer, Kelly drilling equipment, continuous-flight auger attachment or twin-head drilling equipment.

Truck mixers

Liebherr truck mixers on display incorporate many modifications, including the quality of steel used for the frame. QSTE 500 steel has become the standard grade for vehicle frames due to its exceptional resistance to mechanical loads and wear, the spokesman points out.

In addition, the concrete discharge elements have been redesigned to reduce deposits of concrete on the truck mixers when in use. They now have only straight and smooth surfaces so that residual concrete has scarcely any opportunity to build up.

The Liebherr DW 4.5 double-shafted mixer will make its debut at bauma. With a nominal capacity of 6,000 litres, this mixer system is designed for large-scale concrete and mixing plants with very high discharge outputs.

Another machine is the Betomix B-R horizontal mixing plant with belt loader and a theoretical concrete discharge rate of 100 cu m/h. This unit, fitted with a Liebherr DW 2.25 double-shaft mixer, complements the existing versions with elevator loading. The drive components of the belt loader, which was developed and manufactured by Liebherr itself, match the length and width of the belt and are easily accessible for maintenance and servicing.

Crawlers

Liebherr is showing its extended product range from its crawler-tracked line, including four bulldozers, two crawler-tracked loaders and a new pipe layer. The new RL 52 pipe layer with a lifting capacity of 80 tonnes and an operating weight of 52.3 tonnes will be shown for the first time at bauma.

All 2-series crawler-track machines are now available with a choice of control systems. The standard option is the successful Liebherr single-lever control.

On the bulldozers, this can now optionally be combined with an inching brake pedal and on the crawler-tracked loaders with pedal-operated steering.

The L 524 (80 kW/110 hp; 7,005 kg tipping load) and L 534 (100 kW; 8,625 kg tipping load), complete Liebherr's 4-series wheeled loaders family, first presented at bauma 1998. As well as the two new vehicles, seven other stereo loaders, mid-size wheeled loaders and the large models will be on display.