In India's metropolis, Mumbai, a new metro line is currently under construction. It is aimed to improve traffic and rail congestion of the city. In this giant project, the Robbins Company has been entrusted with parts of the tunnel boring work. To do the job, Robbins relies once again on Liebherr's proven main bearings.
Starting in June 2018, the twin Robbins Crossover TBMs bore in parallel 2.8 km (1.7 mi) long tunnels. The twin 6.65 m (21.8 ft) machines combine features of a hard rock Single Shield TBM and an Earth Pressure Balance Machine and are ideal for application in mixed geology. They are able not only to bore in hard rock, but also operate in soft ground, using a screw conveyor at each machine’s centreline with a bulkhead gate and discharge gate. The mixed grounds in Mumbai consist of basalt, shale, tuff and breccia, as well as possible water pressures of up to 2 bar. Such mixed geology pose particular challenges to both machines and material. This, in turn, places high demands also on the components in the tunnel boring machines.
Liebherr main bearings are specially designed for high continuous loads and reliable, fail-safe drilling. “Liebherr is more than a supplier, Liebherr is a partner we can depend on to supply the most critical components on our machine”, says Mike Kolenich, Director of Supply Chain at Robbins.
The three-row roller bearing with a diameter of 2,640 mm (114 in) ensure an even rotation and a stable load transmission on the cutter shields to achieve the highest bore quality. Also, the ring gear was supplied by Liebherr for the project, measuring the diameter of 1,924 mm (76 in).
“In general, Liebherr has provided an excellent product within the schedule restrictions given by the customer. We visited Liebherr facilities in Germany and remained impressed with the overall organization of the production line, the clean and efficient working environment and the customer service provided,” explains Matias Iovine, Project Manager Mumbai Metro at Robbins.
The most recent breakthroughs for the two Crossover machines were on October 3 and October 22, 2019, when they completed 499 m of tunnelling between Vidhan Bhavan and Churchgate stations. Starting from January 25 and February 15, 2020, correspondently, the machines are now boring their third drive and are expected to break through in May 2020 on a 700 m drive.
The project is expected to be fully operational in December 2021. So there is still a way for Robbins and Liebherr to go.
2026-09-02
Press releases
At steinexpo 2026, Liebherr will be showcasing state-of-the-art assistance systems, digital applications and connected service solutions for the construction, quarrying and mining sectors. From intelligent machine control systems and innovative operating concepts, through to digital services and fleet management solutions: people always remain at the heart of it all. In the Technology Pavilion, visitors can experience these technologies in a hands-on way.
2026-08-04
Press releases
At steinexpo 2026 from 2 to 5 September 2026, Liebherr will be showcasing eight exhibits from its earthmoving, mining and components product ranges. A world first will be unveiled at stand A27, which covers an exhibition space of around 1,000 m². Also on display are a dump truck, two XPower wheel loaders, two Generation 8 crawler dozers, a grid-connected electric mining excavator, a telescopic handler and a mobile energy storage system.
2026-07-29
News
Testing and validation services in a new light
The Basic Development and Technical Testing (GETV) on Liebherr components site in Biberach specialises in innovative testing and validation for components and products. This field of activity becomes increasingly important in modern industry. Given the rising demand for efficiency, effectiveness and safety, realistic product testing on test benches is now indispensable.