Pure gold

Experience, the right equipment, expertise and stamina are what are required gold prospecting. A good set of basic equipment also helps. Successful gold prospectors have an enormous amount of expertise and are generally also very familiar with history. They can read landscapes, rivers, waterways and sand formations as others read books. They can distinguish types of rock by just looking at them. They are experts in geology and prospect using their own time-tested techniques.

So what has gold got to do with Liebherr? We believe there is a comparison to be made between the enormous quantities of sand and rock on our Earth and the massive opportunities which extreme technical progress and digital change have brought over the last few years. What we need to do now is sift them for gold nuggets. We can then use those nuggets to create masterpieces to make the next generation of cranes even easier to operate, even safer and more comfortable.

That is our aim and the driving force behind us continuing to build top quality products. So now you can look forward with us – to LICCON3!

Electronics is the greatest masterpiece for the new generation of cranes. The LICCON3 control system is a dazzling array of new software, a dizzyingly fast data bus, new programming language, significantly more storage space and high computer performance as well as improved safety tools. And as you will already realise, these are factors which run in the background initially. Factors which are primarily dealt with by Liebherr engineers. “The progress made in microelectronics has been immense. We want to keep up with it, which means we also have to continue to develop our cranes,” explains Nikolaus Münch, Manager of the Control Systems Department at Liebherr in Ehingen. The electronics professional explains that complex applications such as VarioBase®, which require high performance data, will undergo ever more frequent development in the future – and that means that the current LICCON2 control system will be unable to keep up with them. “We can’t forecast today when and what type of applications will arrive. But one thing we do know is that they will definitely arrive. And when they do, the infrastructure must be ready for them”, says Münch.

At the Bauma in 2019, we unveiled a prototype of the new operator’s cab for LICCON3 cranes. “The newly designed operator’s cab actually has nothing whatsoever to do with the new control system. However, as a result of the very high synergy effects involved, we decided to design the operator’s cab at the same time as launching LICCON3,” continues Nikolaus Münch. In addition to modern design, the operator’s cab also features some additional improvements for the crane operator. These include the new multifunction steering wheel, improved fittings and modules as well as new displays. In the superstructure cab, a display with touchscreen functions delivers significantly greater convenience and ergonomics. The way in which the displays show information has also been revised and has also been simplified.

With the modern, anthracite-coloured background, our control screens match the design of other devices in the Liebherr world. However, Nikolaus Münch and his display development team attach a great deal of importance to one particular point: “We pay very close attention to ensuring that a person who has never operated a Liebherr crane before can continue seamlessly with the new crane after very brief induction training.” The new system is extremely similar to the old control system. “You can quickly get to work with the new display”, adds Münch. “The touchscreen function and the large display mean that the system is even easier and more convenient to use.” The installation of identical modules in the undercarriage and superstructure also ensures almost 100 percent availability. If one module fails, the crane always has its own “spare part” available as the modules are interchangeable.

In addition to the new visualisation system, the completely new heating controls in the driver’s and operator’s cabs deliver outstanding comfort. Both the cabs feature a modern automatic heating and air conditioning system. A sun sensor detects strong sunshine and automatically adjusts the heating settings. In addition to the standard radio with hands-free facility, a double DIN DAB+ radio is available as an option. Images from the rear-view camera can also be shown on its colour display.

Nikolaus Münch believes that the revised lighting system is another highlight: “LED technology is a real plus as a result of its long service life. It will last for many more hours of service and also provides better lighting.” The lighting packages for the crane cabs, the superstructure, the rear of the vehicle, the front headlights and the telescopic boom as well as jibs have been improved and now feature LEDs.

In addition, LICCON3 cranes are also prepared for telemetry and fleet management systems as standard. Crane contractors can view and monitor all the relevant data using the MyLiebherr customer portal. We will notify you as soon as all these nuggets are available for you. However, we are already looking forward to unveiling our first LICCON3 machine, scheduled for autumn 2021 – the LTM 1110-5.2. Gold!

This article was published in the UpLoad magazine 02 | 2021.