Gear technology and automation systems

Evotion 2024 | Customer Magazine

Synergies for the whole of South America

Liebherr Brasil Ltda is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2024. Excavators, cranes, truck mixers and slewing bearings are just some of the products manufactured for the South American market at the site in Guaratinguetá, Brazil. The sales and service activities of the group are also gathered together here. Liebherr-Verzahntechnik GmbH also has 15 employees at the site.

PHS 10000 Pro automates production of large parts at machine manufacturer GROB-WERKE GmbH & Co. KG

Standard, yet individual

With the PHS 10000 Pro pallet handling system from Liebherr-Verzahntechnik GmbH, the machine tool manufacturer GROB in Mindelheim has automated its in-house production of machine components on two 4-axis machining centers and thus increased productivity by around 45%. The challenge here was not only to manage large parts weighing tons, but also a series of additional constraints that required highly individual solutions, as well as project planning where not a single day‘s work could be delayed.

The revised Liebherr gear shaping machine with new features

Robust and even more versatile: the LS 500 E

Gear shaping is a robust and universal process for manufacturing gears – due to the geometries of some gears, no other machining methods are capable of producing the teeth. In order to offer even more versatility in this area, Liebherr-Verzahntechnik GmbH has fundamentally revised and developed its LS 500 E gear shaping machine. A shaping head featuring an electronic helical guide and an interface for an optional chamfering device are now included as standard.

Learning and networking platform for the gearing industry

Liebherr gear seminars worldwide

Liebherr has been offering specialist seminars for the gearing industry all over the world for over 20 years. The gear seminars are designed as a learning and networking platform for users, where Liebherr experts and speakers from universities and from the industry discuss practical topics and specific issues relating to gear technology. At the same time, they offer participants the opportunity to share their experiences.

Successful conversion of production at Halewood

Ford produces electric drive units using Liebherr gantry systems

E-mobility is taking hold around the world – and the automotive industry is changing. Many manufacturers are shifting from internal combustion engines to electric powertrains. The Ford Motor Company – a long-term partner of Liebherr-Verzahntechnik GmbH – will be making most of the electric drive units for its European production at its UK transmission plant at Halewood near Liverpool. As before, Ford will be using Liebherr gantry technology, but for electric drive units rather than transmissions for internal combustion engines.

Detecting micro-deviations on gear geometries at an early stage to eliminate increased noise emissions

Inline process monitoring with LHProcessMonitoring

In electric vehicles, the meshing of the gears can cause disruptive gearbox noise excitations. It is therefore becoming increasingly important for automotive manufacturers and suppliers of electric motors to identify and eliminate the causes of unwanted noise at an early stage. With the LHProcessMonitoring software, Liebherr-Verzahntechnik GmbH has developed a tool that detects deviations during gear production. This saves costs and reduces rejects – and is therefore also of interest to manufacturers of conventional gearboxes.

Two Liebherr trainees on assignment abroad in China

“It was such a great experience!”

Julia Stachel and Laura Scheiber completed their training as industrial mechanics at Liebherr-Verzahntechnik GmbH at the beginning of 2024. During their training period, they spent four weeks at the Liebherr plant in Yongchuan, China in August 2023. Here they explain what made them choose China, their experience there and what it is like to suddenly have lots of people wanting to take a photo with you!

PHS 1500 Allround increases productivity at Linde Hydraulics by 30%

Modern pallet handling in historic halls

For the manufacturing of valves and valve kits, Linde Hydraulics GmbH & Co. KG invested in a production plant at the Ballenstedt site with five 5-axis machining centers from Grob, which are interlinked via the PHS 1500 Allround pallet handling system from Liebherr-Verzahntechnik GmbH. This enabled the company to increase the output of this manufacturing line by 30%. The planning was quite a challenge: due to the high demand, not only did additional machines have to be integrated, but an alternative location for the plant in the historic production halls also had to be found during the project.

Avoid unplanned downtime and reduce maintenance costs

Condition monitoring with a "digital fingerprint"

Liebherr-Verzahntechnik GmbH now provides its customers with the most important drive and actuator data from a machine – its "digital fingerprint” – as a service to simplify and accelerate machine diagnostics. This makes condition monitoring easier and reduces maintenance costs.