Hans Dömkes continue to use Liebherr equipment
German recycling firm heaps praise on impressive wheel loaders including a L 576 XPower model
FOR more than a decade, Hans Dömkes GmbH have been using three Liebherr wheel loaders – the L 538, and L 566 XPower and X 576 XPower units with high lift arms – for the handling of more than 160,000 tonnes of waste materials a year.
The proven machines – chosen for their reliability, productivity and fuel efficiency – are feeding construction waste to crushing and screening plants at the company’s Duisburg recycling facility, as well as moving sorted materials to several storage areas of the site.
The L 576 XPower loader, with its high lift arms, is loading trucks with recycled products for reuse in road construction, landscaping, and concrete projects.
Udo Dömkes, managing director of Hans Dömkes, explained the company’s preferred choice of Liebherr as a partner and the OEM’s wheel loaders for its waste-recycling and handling operations.
‘Back then, as now, we were impressed by the much lower fuel consumption, yet higher performance compared to other wheel loaders in the same class size,’ he said. ‘Our XPower wheel loaders currently consume an average of eleven-and-a-half to 12 litres of fuel per hour when heaping, reloading, and when feeding the screening and crushing plants.’
With their power-split travel drive, which combines hydrostatic and mechanical propulsion, the Liebherr wheel loaders are said to achieve class-leading fuel efficiency, with fuel savings of up to 30% compared with conventional driven loading shovels.
Markus Schepers, a wheel loader operator at Dömkes, commented: ‘The XPower drive system not only ensures low fuel consumption, but also a very comfortable ride. When heaping material, the wheel loader automatically and smoothly shifts between travel ranges, depending on how much force is required. This makes work easier for the operator.
‘In addition, numerous systems provide day-to-day assistance and ensure a safe working environment. An example of this is the active personnel detection with brake assistant, which reacts as soon as anyone comes close to the rear of the wheel loader. An alarm sounds and the brake assist system automatically reduces the speed of the wheel loader.’
The intelligent installation of the machine’s components and easy access to the engine compartment ensures safe and efficient maintenance/servicing work on the Liebherr wheel loaders.
Mr Dömkes said: ‘The quality of the Liebherr machines speaks for itself. Very rarely do we need a Liebherr service technician on site and when we do, help is guaranteed within 24 hours. This means that downtime is minimized.’
