Liebherr’s special take on the grabber machine

Anyone who has ever been to an arcade will recognize them: grabber machines filled with colorful cuddly toys. At the Liebherr-Verzahntechnik GmbH training center, the team created a unique variation: instead of picking up cuddly toys, the challenge is to put colored metal balls in the correct positions as quickly as possible using a magnetic gripper.

Behind this playful concept lies a collaborative training project involving multiple disciplines. The objective was to create an interactive attraction for events and training fairs while enabling apprentices from different training years to work together on a hands on project.

It took only a few months to go from the initial idea to the finished product. “The machine was originally planned for the Kempten city festival in July 2025. At some point, we began to wonder whether we could have it ready in time for the training fair in March. And we did – assembly and test-ing continued right up to Friday morning. By 12:45 p.m., the machine was complete, and at 1:00 p.m. it was loaded for transport. Perfect timing,” recalls instructor Michael Wölfle.

Apprentices from the first to third years in technical product design, industrial mechanics, and electronics for industrial engineering worked together on the project. Different teams handled design, assemblies, installation, and electrical wiring.

Most components were manufactured and assembled in-house at the training center or within the company. Only a small number of parts had to be sourced externally. The apprentices carried out the wiring themselves, along with much of the assembly and adjustment work. Programming was developed in collaboration with Michael Wölfle.

One of the key challenges was the gripper mechanism. The cable had to wind and unwind reliably despite the specific drive technology – something that was only achieved after several rounds of testing. The overall design also required careful consideration: the machine needed to be easy to transport and quick to dismantle for trade fairs and events.

“Our grabber machine brought together a wide range of tasks – from design and mechanics to electrical wiring and programming. Projects like this clearly show apprentices how important collaboration between disciplines is,” says Matthias Fendt, head of training.

For the apprentices, the project was a valuable learning experience. “We were able to develop our own ideas, solve problems independently, and work together to find practical technical solutions. The direct exchange with instructors from both mechanical and electrical disciplines was especially valuable,” says Jonah Müller, apprentice technical product designer. His colleague Noel Sciuto adds: “The project allowed us to gain lots of experience – from planning and design to implementation. It was especially exciting to see how individual ideas came together to form a fully functioning machine.”