In early 2026, Liebherr France SAS commissioned a new test rig for crawler excavators at its development and production site in Colmar, France. The investment of nearly 2.5 million euros is part of an ongoing improvement process aimed at optimising the performance and robustness of the crawler excavators for customers.
This system makes it possible to identify potential structural weaknesses at an early stage and to reduce the response time between the identification of a problem and the implementation of solutions. The test bench is located right at the development site, thereby ensuring faster and more efficient improvement cycles.
An important tool for optimising structural development
The system makes it possible to simulate accelerated ageing of excavator structures. With a coefficient of 17, one hour of testing corresponds to 17 hours of actual work on the building site. The machines undergo a series of intensive tests designed to accurately replicate the working conditions on a construction site: Vibrations, torsional forces, impacts and bending.
The system has been designed to ensure optimal reproducibility of test procedures, based on data gathered during real-world operations at various customer sites and collected across a wide range of applications. This makes it possible to optimise structural development phases. They are then supplemented by field tests to validate the components. The test bench consists of a test track and a trench within an enclosed hall. A concrete wall with six-metre-high noise barriers ensures compliance with the applicable noise protection standards in the industrial estate where Liebherr-France SAS is based.
A driving force behind the development of autonomous machines
As the tests can be carried out as often as required, the machines used on the test bench are equipped to operate autonomously. The facility thus serves as a practical test bench for advancing the autonomy of Liebherr machines. The test bench operates without staff being physically present. The test procedures are controlled and monitored remotely from an external control room, with a camera system providing the technicians with continuous visual monitoring.
The safety of the system is based on a combination of complementary protective devices: physical protective devices (secured area, gate system), electrical and electronic systems (sensors, door contacts, laser sensors) and IT systems and solutions – in particular, GPS tracking of the machines, which prevents the autonomous machines from leaving the system without authorisation.
A project that was largely carried out on site
The project was initiated by the technical line and led by the testing department. The construction of the test bench required nine months of planning, followed by seven months of building work. The majority of the mechanical steel assemblies used in the construction were manufactured in-house, drawing on the expertise of the production teams at the Colmar site.
