3 minutes - magazine 01 | 2026
Quality at the press of a button
Networked processes, smart tools and intelligent automation – production at Liebherr in Ehingen is on its way to becoming a smart factory.
Liebherr is setting new standards in finishing with its in-house developed Quality Management Tool (QMT): automated inspection processes ensure safety, efficiency and the highest quality standards.
In the cab, Tomislav Kuruc, equipment tester in the Cab Assembly Department, connects the plug connections of the QMT to the crane’s bus system.
Where crane components were tested manually just a few years ago, electricians now have an intelligent system at their fingertips to complete this task in the shortest possible time: the software controls the wiring and function of electrical and hydraulic components fully automatically. That saves time, minimises sources of errors and allows quality assurance based on data. In addition, automated tests guarantee consistent standards. “Our customers benefit from reliable products whose quality we ensure in the long term,” explains Axel Baier, Head of Final Assembly Department.
More than a test bench
The QMT is designed as a modular system and comprehensively tests electrical and, in some cases, hydraulic components after each assembly step. With LICCON3 cabs, for example, it checks 320 pins within ten minutes. Each test is automatically documented and stored in the quality management system. “Our aim was to recognise errors at an early stage before they have cost-intensive consequences,” explains Andreas Hartmann, Head of Technology and Innovation. “The QMT is our answer to the increased demands on process reliability.”
Software engineers Timo Romer (left) and Daniel Joos (right) played a key role in developing the QMT
The idea for this was born over ten years ago in crane development on the initiative of the production department. “Initially, we started with individual concepts. The breakthrough came four years ago with modular architecture: test carts that can be flexibly adapted to different components form the basis for the roll-out of the system.
Scalability and continuous further development
A total of 30 LICCON2 and eight LICCON3 crane types can currently be tested with the QMT. “Today, we not only test the end product, but also intermediate steps in the assembly process,” adds software engineer Timo Romer. The system grows continuously in line with requirements and is expanded, especially where the wiring is particularly complex. The flexibility and performance of the QMT increases with each new test module.
Constant further development – at a glance
- Broad application: from the driver’s cab to the entire crane
- Automated analysis: the functional test is softwaresupported and replaces manual control steps
- Quality based on data: each test process is documented and statistically analysed – the basis for traceability processes and continuous improvement
This article was published in the UpLoad magazine 01 | 2026.
