More than mining: Liebherr’s special application machines

Liebherr’s mining excavators are impressive for a number of reasons. They’re reliable, fast, efficient and can withstand some of the toughest conditions imaginable: scorching heat, bitter cold and soaring altitudes. But thanks to Liebherr’s Special Applications projects, these incredible machines can also be used in projects outside of the pit.

Transforming one of Liebherr’s excavators into a special application machine is a highly collaborative process that requires input from Liebherr, the customer and – sometimes – a third-party specialist. The first thing that needs to happen is that Special Applications has to be told exactly why the customer needs a specialised machine: what type of work it will be doing and which capabilities it needs to have. Once Special Applications has this information, they will know if Liebherr Mining is able to supply the entire machine on its own or whether a trusted third-party supplier needs to be brought in.

‘We do a lot of things well as an OEM [original equipment manufacturer], but in order to give our customers the best possible solutions, sometimes we need to look outside the box and involve external expertise,’ explains Zack Sims. ‘For example, if a customer needed an excavator with a reach of more than 25 metres with the weight of a mining-sized machine, we would work with a third-party supplier that specialises in these kinds of attachments.’

Zack Sims is a national account manager for Liebherr USA, Co. (Liebherr USA) focused on large machine specialty markets. Sims worked in heavy equipment sales for a decade before joining the Liebherr USA team in 2019. His previous experience, coupled with his expanding knowledge of Liebherr’s product range, allowed Sims to see how Liebherr’s mining excavators could be used to meet a variety of customer needs. Because Liebherr’s special application machines can be so highly customised, they can be used in a wide range of job sites, allowing Liebherr Mining to provide more solutions to more customers.