Press releases | 24/01/2020

Liebherr wheel loader at Samoter: Innovation Award and enhanced functionality for active personnel detection

A total of four Liebherr wheel loaders at the Samoter stand of the Liebherr Group
Samoter Innovation Award in the wheel loader category for active personnel detection, an assistance system for Liebherr wheel loaders
Supportive braking function for active personnel detection available from the end of 2020

Liebherr will be presenting a total of four wheel loaders at Samoter. This includes the 32,600 kg L 586 XPower®, the largest wheel loader in the group. A winner of the Samoter Innovation Award in the wheel loader category is installed at the rear of this exhibit: the active personnel detection from Liebherr. This assistance system increases safety during wheel loader operation by automatically warning on the display and using acoustic signals of dangers in the rear area. A special feature of this system is that it independently differentiates between people and objects. At the end of 2020, Liebherr is expanding the active personnel detection to include a brake assistant with supportive braking function. In addition to the warning signals in the cab, it also helps the machine operator to prevent collisions or accidents.

After the Samoter, the L 586 XPower®, equipped with active personnel detection, will enter service in Ravenna in Emilia-Romagna in the North Terminal of the Sapir Group, founded in 1957. The Sapir Group, with its three terminals, manages a total area of over 800,000 m2 in the port and handles goods of all types (bulk, special materials, liquids, Ro-Ro, containers).

The Sapir Group's modern fleet includes numerous Liebherr machines, including thirteen large wheel loaders, two crawler excavators and several port cranes. This fleet of machines provides the Sapir Group with unrivalled handling capacity for exceptional parts on the Adriatic Sea.

The new purchase is already the fourth L 586 XPower® wheel loader. The long-standing Liebherr customer is looking forward to the new machine: "In our material handling operations, Liebherr's large wheel loaders demonstrate a remarkable combination of power and traction combined with low fuel consumption. Because safety in the harbour is a top priority for us, we decided to install the active personnel detection system on our latest L 586 XPower® wheel loader," says Sapir Group management.

Awarded assistance system: Samoter Innovation Award for active personnel detection

Active personnel detection at the rear is one of several intelligent assistance systems that Liebherr can offer for selected wheel loaders. With these systems, the company group is able to offer integrated solutions for optimising safety and comfort in day-to-day work with wheel loaders. All systems have been developed by Liebherr and are therefore fully integrated in the machine control.

This also applies to active personnel detection. With the aid of sensors, it automatically distinguishes between people and objects. The active personnel detection warns of people in the hazard zone at a greater distance than for stationary objects such as walls or columns. The machine operator therefore receives a more precise warning if there is a danger of personal injury. The active personnel detection avoids unnecessary warning signals which in turn reduces the burden on the machine operator.

With the new brake assistant, which is available for the XPower® large wheel loaders from the end of the year, Liebherr is expanding the functionality of the active personnel detection. This supportive braking function is an aid for the machine operator. It will help to further reduce the risk of serious accidents and to further increase safety.

The Samoter Innovation Award 2020 is the second prestigious award for the new assistance system. As part of Bauma 2019, the German Trade Association of the Construction Industry (BG Bau) awarded Liebherr’s active personnel detection the EuroTest prize 2019. BG Bau uses the EuroTest prize to recognise outstanding services in the fields of technical protection and product safety.

Four Liebherr wheel loaders in three size classes at Samoter 2020

In addition to the L 586 XPower®, the L 566 XPower®, another wheel loader with power-split travel drive, can be found on the stand. Liebherr installs this drive as standard for its XPower® large wheel loaders. This combines the hydrostatic drive, perfect for short loading cycles, with the mechanical drive, whose advantages are clearly apparent over long distances and during ascents. In this way, the XPower® travel drive ensures high performance and huge fuel savings for all requirements.

In addition, Liebherr is exhibiting the L 514 Stereo, a smaller wheel loader that is particularly suitable for municipal services, road construction and as a reliable aid for a wide range of applications. The heart of the machine is the proven stereo steering. It is a combination of articulated steering and steered rear axle and ensures that the machine has a high level of manoeuvrability. For applications involving longer distances, Liebherr offers the L 514 Stereo as an optional “Speeder”. This model reaches a maximum speed of 40 km/h. This means operators can move their stereoloaders efficiently from one site to the next.

The fourth wheel loader on the stand is the L 546. It represents the series of medium Liebherr wheel loaders, well known in the market as high-performance and reliable all-rounders.