Four new Liebherr machines for Feickert

The four new earthmoving machines, two wheeled excavators and two crawler excavators, have been demonstrating their skills in Feickert Bauunternehmen since spring 2021. They are initially being used on construction sites in road construction and civil engineering or canal and water pipeline construction. For the diverse requirements in this area Feickert used a comprehensive portfolio of tool attachments and quick coupler systems from Liebherr.

In the day-to-day construction site operation the company also relies on the products and services from Liebherr which are optimally adapted to the machines. For example, the company uses high-quality and environmentally friendly Liebherr hydraulic oils for its entire fleet. Using the data transmission and positioning system LiDAT, Feickert manages its fleet comprehensively and efficiently.

Four new Liebherr earthmoving machines complement fleet

The fleet now includes two more A 918 Compact Litronic wheeled excavators, an R 914 Compact Litronic crawler excavator, as well as an R 930 Litronic crawler excavator. The A 918 Compact short-tail wheeled excavator, which was developed and produced at Liebherr-Hydraulikbagger GmbH, is the ideal high-performance machine for confined spaces with its high lift capacities and digging forces with a short tail swing of 1.85 metres. The wheeled excavator sets new standards especially with regard to fuel efficiency, driving performance and safety. The Liebherr R 914 Compact crawler excavator also impresses with diverse application possibilities thanks to its compact design and the tight tail swing of 1.55 metres. The small dimensions allow the machine to be easily moved from one construction site to the next. The Liebherr R 930 Litronic crawler excavator is part of the new Generation 8, which includes a total of seven models from 22 to 45 tonnes. The machine has been designed to provide better comfort and safety, as well as optimum ergonomics and performance. Both crawler excavators are developed and produced at Liebherr-France SAS in Colmar.

Apart from the decade-long and trusting partnership with Liebherr, for Ragnar, Hauke and Senior Rudolf Feickert, Managing Directors of Feickert Bauunternehmen, it was primarily the proven product quality, the superb performance, as well as the sophisticated technical level of the machines that made them decide once again in favour of Liebherr products. But for Ragnar Feickert the focus was also on the high level of efficiency: "We have over 60 years of experience with Liebherr machines. They combine maximum productivity with excellent efficiency, a complete investment."

Tool attachments and quick coupler systems from Liebherr allow more applications and higher machine utilisation

The requirements at Feickert of the Liebherr machines are high, the applications are diverse. Apart from the comprehensive fleet, the company owns around 350 mechanical and hydraulic tool attachments, the majority of which are from Liebherr: "We use backhoe buckets, ditch-cleaning buckets and swivel buckets," adds Hauke Feickert. Classic grab and loading tasks are carried out with the Liebherr backhoe buckets. Whereas for trench and trough construction, the Liebherr ditch-cleaning buckets are used for creating embankments and verges, as well as levelling. Liebherr swivel buckets are genuine all-rounders: They are characterised by the 2x50° tilt range, and can be used for both excavating and for working on embankments and slopes.

For more productivity, efficiency and safety on the construction site, Feickert relies on the fully hydraulic quick coupler system LIKUFIX® from Liebherr. The combination of a hydraulic Liebherr quick coupler with the LIKUFIX coupling block permits fast, safe changing of mechanical and hydraulic tool attachments from the cab. "Thanks to LIKUFIX® we are expanding the applications of our hydraulic excavators and wheel loaders considerably and in doing so can significantly increase the utilisation per machine. The fully hydraulic quick coupler system also offers us the necessary flexibility that we need for executing special construction projects", highlights Hauke Feickert. If site work requires a special tool attachment such as an attachment compactor, for example, the construction company is happy to rely on the comprehensive service offer of Liebherr Rental Services. With LIKUFIX® the tool attachment can be changed quickly and simply. Today in the Feickert fleet every hydraulic excavator as well as the wheel loaders in the mid-size series from Liebherr are equipped with LIKUFIX®. "We are very satisfied with the system. It is extremely robust, safe and reliable", says Axel Schupp, Head of Machine Technology at Feickert Bauunternehmen.

Use of high-quality and environmentally friendly Liebherr hydraulic oils

Liebherr machines are designed so that they can withstand high stress. Regular maintenance with high-quality lubricants and operating fluids is essential to ensure lasting efficiency. Therefore, in 2019 the construction company decided to convert its entire 220 machine fleet to the biodegradable hydraulic oil "Liebherr Hydraulic Plus". "The oil is specially developed and tested for Liebherr machines, meets the high Liebherr standards and has a long life", states Thomas Lange, responsible sales representative of Liebherr-Baumaschinen Vertriebs- und Service GmbH in the Frankfurt am Main branch.

Liebherr Hydraulic Plus is an ash-free, biodegradable high-performance hydraulic fluid for use in environmentally sensitive areas. Excellent properties such as very good sealing compatibility, low foaming tendency, optimal ageing stability and good corrosion protection protect the hydraulic components. Fully synthetic polyalphaolefins are the basis of the environmentally friendly hydraulic oil. They have excellent smooth running properties, which has a positive influence on fuel consumption. With appropriate oil care and monitoring, the change intervals can also be extended and operating times of up to 10,000 operating hours are achievable. Senior Managing Director Rudolf Feickert highlights: "At Feickert we don't just talk about environmental awareness, we are environmentally conscious. The changeover of oils took several years, 70,000 litres of oil were required. Countless workshop hours and shipments were needed. Now all our machines can also be used everywhere, also in water protection areas. We work for occupational safety and environment protection. We are proud of this."

Comprehensive fleet management with the data transmission and positioning system LiDAT

Feickert Bauunternehmen offer their services at locations in Germany and Luxembourg. Every year the company looks after up to 240 construction sites. For efficient maintenance, optimised operational planning and monitoring of all machines remotely, for several years now Feickert has been successfully using the data transmission and positioning system LiDAT from Liebherr. Almost every machine in the Feickert fleet is now equipped with LiDAT. The LiDAT telematics system provides information on the pinpointing and operation of the machines. "With LiDAT we can view and manage our entire fleet at any time from our head office in Weilburg" says Axel Schupp. "As a result, we know where the machines are and receive comprehensive information on operating and usage times, fuel consumption, as well as service intervals."

Feickert Bauunternehmen

Feickert Bauunternehmen was founded in 1947 by Walter Feickert in Weilburg-Gaudernbach (Hesse). In the beginning the focus was on building and railroad construction, from the 1970s pipeline and canal construction. Today the family-run company concentrates on civil engineering, particularly the difficult canal and water pipeline constructions, as well as road construction and earthmoving. Other fields of application include metal working and engineering and special civil engineering. Today around 370 people work at Feickert at a total of four locations in Hesse, Thuringia, Saxony-Anhalt and Luxembourg.