Productive in the quarry: Liebherr R 960 SME crawler excavator in operation at Cemlapis Warstein GmbH & Co. KG

Cemlapis Warstein GmbH & Co. KG operates the Sanssouci quarry which is located at Balve, Germany. At the quarry, the Liebherr R 960 SME crawler excavator is used to load limestone in to 50t dump trucks. These supply the primary crusher with limestone to be processed in the downstream steps to form crushed sand, mineral aggregates, split and other special products. The new R960 SME excavator in the 60-tonne class works at the Sanssouci quarry with a 3.5m³ backhoe bucket and handles on average 350 tonnes per hour. The R 960 SME, developed in Colmar, France has reach the 1,000 operating hours mark and continues to impress with its robust design, reliability and low fuel consumption.

SME crawler excavator for tough operating conditions

Liebherr SME crawler excavators are custom-engineered to withstand the harsh conditions of quarrying operations. Four models are available with operating weights of 44t to 102t. Each SME series excavator is equipped with heavier components typically used in the next size up in its class, featuring more robust undercarriages and larger suspension components. For example, the R 960 SME features components from the 70-tonne standard model R 966.

Liebherr SME crawler excavators also feature ballast weights of the larger standard machine, increasing the stability of the machine and allowing for larger backhoe buckets to be used. Custom hydraulic cylinders provide outstanding ripping and breakout power. All-in-all, these measures ensure excellent efficiency and economy of the crawler excavator.

On average, the R 960 SME crawler excavator operated by Cemlapis consumes between 41 and 46 litres of fuel per hours, depending on the operating mode. Like all Liebherr crawler excavators, operators are able to select any of four different operating modes. For instance, the engine and hydraulic power can be adjusted according to the conditions of use – for maximum performance under challenging working conditions or for fuel economy.

Cemlapis Warstein GmbH & Co. KG puts its faith in Liebherr’s customized solution

Aside from the long-term partnership with Liebherr, Cemlapis Warstein GmbH & Co. KG relied on Liebherr’s expertise and experience in developing industry specific solutions. "Close cooperation with Liebherr-Baumaschinen Vertriebs- und Service GmbH in Dortmund have enabled us to find the right solution," explains Martin Wollschläger, managing director.

"Due to the available options and configurations, Liebherr was able to offer us a machine configured specifically to our requirements and applications," Wollschläger adds. The company is also completely satisfied with the maintenance and servicing work performed by the Liebherr subsidiary in Dortmund. Maximum reliability and machine availability are particularly important in the mining industry.

Cemlapis Warstein GmbH & Co. KG and Heidelberg Cement AG

The company Cemlapis Warstein GmbH & Co. KG is a subsidiary of the HeidelbergCement AG international group of companies. In 2014, Cemlapis Warstein GmbH & Co. took over the Sanssouci quarry and today employs ten people.

The Heidelberg Cement Group was founded in 1873 and is one of the world's largest building materials companies. Today, the Group employs around 45,000 people at some 2,380 sites in 40 countries.