Comunicados à imprensa | 02/09/2015 Efficient earthmoving: Liebherr R 926 Compact crawler excavator deployment at Christian Pontiggia

At the start of 2015, the company, Christian Pontiggia Tief – und Straßenbau GmbH & Co. KG, procured an R 926 Compact crawler excavator from Liebherr. Thanks to its flexibility and efficiency, the compact crawler excavator is perfectly adapted to construction site conditions in public spaces. This makes the new model particularly well suited to cope with the demands of Christian Pontiggia. 90% of the time, the machine is used by the deep excavation company to build sewage ducts. Thanks to the versatility of attachments and options, however, it can also be configured for other operations, especially general earth moving tasks.

Mr Christian Pontiggia, the current business manager and son of the company founder of the same name, highlights that the R 926 Compact crawler excavator scores points with its low fuel consumption. “On average, this model uses 11 litres per hour”, he explains. This is mainly attributable to the frugal Liebherr diesel engine, which is especially adapted to Liebherr's integrated excavator system technology. This top technology is based on Positive Control hydraulics, an intelligent system that analyses sensors at strategic points of the excavator. Each command from the operator is processed in the control unit, which in turn optimises the performance of the engine and hydraulics. In this way, rapid and fluid movements are possible with high precision. Depending on the requirements, circuits are engaged separately or together, contributing towards optimal energy management.

The actual fuel consumption each day can be compared online with the average consumption of machines of a similar design. The “Efficiency +” tool is available as a mobile and desktop app. Christian Pontiggia has also put this to the test: The Efficiency+ processor from Liebherr makes it possible for his individually-configured R 926 Compact to consume less than average fuel.

The Liebherr R 926 Compact crawler excavator

With its operating weight of approx. 26 tonnes and an engine output of 120 kW / 163 HP, the Liebherr R 926 Compact crawler excavator is developed and produced in Colmar, France. It was introduced in 2014 as a successor to the R 924 Compact and complies with emission standard IIIB. The R 926 Compact was distinguished in April with the Red Dot Award in the “Product Design 2015” category.

Whilst being the ideal machine for tight working conditions, it combines the performance and versatility of a standard excavator with compact dimensions and is particularly well suited for inner city construction sites. For maintenance tasks, the wide folding wing doors facilitate access to the standard automatic central lubrication point and to all other service points within a matter of seconds, which is unique in its class.

The ROPS-certified cab of the R 926 Compact is not just extremely comfortable and spacious. It also offers an outstanding view of the work environment. Moreover, it is equipped with state-of-the-art technology that provides the operator with the complete performance spectrum of the excavator in an appealing work environment. The particularly spacious cab (67 dB inside) is also equipped with a user-friendly 7” touchscreen colour display as well as a standard rearview camera, and enables numerous adjustment, control and monitoring options for the air conditioning system, machine parameters and attachment tools.

A winning trio: Michael Welte Baumaschinen, Christian Pontiggia and Liebherr

For 16 years, Christian Pontiggia Tief- und Straßenbau GmbH & Co. KG has put its trust in Liebherr for a large percentage of its machine park. Of the approximately forty construction machines, 22 are made by Liebherr, five of which are crawler excavators, seven are wheeled excavators and ten are wheel loaders.

The Tief- und Straßenbau company is supported by Liebherr dealer Michael Welte. The partnership between the construction machine dealer, Michael Welte Baumaschinen GmbH, and Liebherr spans many years. The close-knit network of sales and customer service is one of the significant strengths of Liebherr in this regard. It allows technicians to reach site quickly and efficiently within an hour.

The application-orientated configuration of the work equipment of the R 926 Compact, too, is evidence of the good relations between customer, dealer and manufacturer, and is also evidence of the precision work at the Liebherr factory in Colmar. “Engineers from the development department in Colmar came to us to carefully analyse our requirements. The machines were then adapted to our needs”, Mr Christian Pontiggia explains.

Christian Pontiggia Tief-und Straßenbau GmbH & Co. KG

Christian Pontiggia Tief- und Straßenbau GmbH & Co. KG was founded in 1971 in Waldkirch (Black Forest). It has a workforce of approx. 100 and specialises in deep excavation tasks.

About 15 teams work at various sites each day, which are co-ordinated by the company. Most of these construction sites are public building projects in the areas of road and asphalt construction as well as canalisation.