New first three L 566 XPower® wheel loaders delivered to RBS Kiesgewinnung GmbH & Co. KG in Hamburg

RBS Kiesgewinnung GmbH & Co. KG’s sand and gravel plant in Hamburg operates under wet conditions. A suction dredge extracts the sand and gravel mixture from the lake and wheel loaders then transport it to heaps for interim storage. This task will now be taken over by the new L 566 XPower®. During these activities, each Liebherr wheel loader deployed by this long-established Hamburg-based company turns over up to 3000 tonnes of sand and gravel per day.

Pre-purchase: XPower® prototype impresses during over 5500 hours of testing

During the intense development phase of the new XPower® large wheel loaders, RBS Kiesgewinnung GmbH & Co. KG was already testing a prototype of the L 576 XPower®, which the company’s experienced owner and managing director Andreas Buhk describes as “A very efficient and reliable wheel loader”. “During more than 5500 hours of testing, we did not experience a single failure", he adds, expressing his satisfaction with the new XPower® concept. The essential main components, such as the power-split driveline and the larger axles, have proved to be particularly robust. For Andreas Buhk, the positive test phase was a deciding factor in the purchase of the three new L 566 XPower® wheel loaders. Furthermore, he appreciates the direct contact with Liebherr: “This makes it possible to have the machines adapted to meet our precise requirements and preferences", he explains.

Liebherr XPower® driveline: maximum efficiency in sand and gravel plants

At the RBS Kiesgewinnung GmbH & Co. KG plant, the wheel loaders cover long driving distances. This is where the advantages of the emission Stage IV / Tier 4f compliant power-split Liebherr XPower® driveline come into effect. The power-split driveline combines a hydrostatic drive, which is ideal for short loading cycles, with a mechanical drive, which comes into its own on long routes and uphill. The combination of the two types of drive in a wheel loader ensures maximum efficiency whatever the operating requirements and offers exceptional fuel savings. “Even under the tough conditions in our sand and gravel plant, our new XPower® wheel loaders use up to 30 per cent less fuel per operating hour at full capacity than the previous model", says Andreas Buhk.

Reinforced lift arm and optimised buckets increase productivity

With an annual output of 1.2 million tonnes of material, productivity is a top priority for RBS Kiesgewinnung GmbH & Co. KG. The wheel loaders are in operation for 240 days per year, 12 hours per day. As the Liebherr wheel loaders turn over wet and very dense bulk material, the reinforced Z-bar linkage of the L 566 XPower® makes it ideal for use at RBS Kiesgewinnung GmbH & Co. KG.

Liebherr has reinforced the Z-bar linkage and optimised the lever ratio to further increase productivity during operation. As a result, the revised Z-bar linkage delivers up to 20 per cent more break-out force compared to the previous generation. Alongside the lift arm improvements, Liebherr has also revised the bucket design. The optimised buckets improve material penetration and allow for faster and more efficient loading.

The high loading capacity of the L 566 XPower® is also enhanced by the positioning of the components. Liebherr installs heavy components, such as the motor, at the very rear of the machine. This means that the centre of gravity is moved to the back of the wheel loader and the use of additional counterweights becomes unnecessary. This ideal weight distribution results in high tipping loads and an increased handling capacity per operating hour.

30 years of partnership between the two family-run companies

RBS Kiesgewinnung GmbH & Co. KG owner and managing director Andreas Buhk has been trusting in Liebherr products for over 30 years. Just like the Liebherr group of companies, RBS Kiesgewinnung GmbH & Co. KG is a traditional family-run company. Established in 1912, and now in its fourth generation, the company operates across five sites in the greater Hamburg area providing specialist materials and services. Drawing on its own know-how, RBS Kiesgewinnung GmbH & Co. KG focuses on a high level of in-house production. This strategy also connects the two companies as Liebherr has always developed and built components itself or in cooperation with premium manufacturers. The components used in the XPower® wheel loaders are no exception with Liebherr ensuring the consistently high quality standard of the components used in these machines.