Premiere at the Steinexpo 2014: Liebherr crawler excavator R 970 SME

At the Steinexpo 2014, Liebherr is presenting the new crawler excavator R 970 SME in a live presentation with other large equipment from Liebherr for quarrying operations. The machine is configured with a wear-protected 4.5m³ bottom-dump bucket. This bottom-dump bucket is equipped with the new Liebherr Z-type tooth system, which features self-sharpening teeth to offer the best penetration over a long period of time.

As well as the standard rear view camera, the newly-developed crawler excavator offers various means of protection for use in quarries. Among these, for example, are the stone impact guard (FOPS and FGPS), piston rod guard for the cylinders and also rock protection for the lubrication pipes and swing gear. In this way, the machine is adapted optimally for wrecking ball operation.

The R 970 SME features a newly designed driver's cab and offers the machine operator a spacious workplace with ergonomic layout of the switches and control elements as well as a driver seat with air suspension and heating that comes as a standard. The cab is the largest in this machine category.

The unique Liebherr touchscreen display enables intuitive operation of the control functions, such as the work modes or numerous driver convenience functions. The cab has impact-resistant glass in the windscreen and skylight, which offers a much safer environment in which to work during quarrying.

With an operating weight of almost 80 tonnes, the shovel excavator R 970 SME lies between the standard crawler excavators R 966 and R 976. The R 970 SME returns break-out forces of up to 370Kn and penetration forces of up to 500Kn. The parallel layout for the attachments maintains uniform shovel movement; the bottom-dump bucket is of optimised design for smooth, effective penetration and high bucket filling levels. Generally, the shovel excavators are very well suited for direct excavation. By deploying the machine right in front of the wall, the driver has an optimal overview of the material in front of him/her, which can be sorted out immediately after excavation if required.

The use of undercarriage elements from the larger R 976 and the increased ballast weight increase the stability of the R 970 SME. In this way, the excavator can be operated with bucket sizes of up to 5.00 m³. The Liebherr 8-cylinder V-engine from the R 970 SME returns 330kW / 449HP of power and complies with stage IIIB / Tier 4i exhaust emission limits.