The Liviero Group choose Liebherr
Two Liebherr R 976 crawler excavators at the heart of production in South African coal mine
WITH an existing fleet of more than 130 machines, the Liviero Group recently purchased two Liebherr R 976 crawler excavators, and other machines, for use at the Keaton Energy coal mine in Middleburg, South Africa.
Built by Liebherr-France SAS in Colmar, France, each machine has an operating weight of 90 tonnes and is equipped with a 7.2m boom, a 2.9m stick and a 5.2 cubic metre heavy-duty bucket. Power is provided by a 400kW (544hp) Liebherr diesel engine that complies with Stage IIIA/Tier 3 emission standards.
The excavators are used specifically for overburden removal, loading 40-tonne dumptrucks in four passes. With an average fuel consumption of 48 litres/h, the R 976s achieve an output of 280 cubic metres per hour working a 20-hour day.
Despite the very hostile working environment, after more than 2,000 operating hours to date, the machines are said to have proved their efficiency, cost-effectiveness and reliability in operation.
The Liviero Group – a major player in South Africa’s construction sector – have more than 15 Liebherr machines in their fleet, including: one L 580 wheel loader; three PR 764 crawler tractors and 13 crawler excavators, including an R 9100, an R 9150, an R 970 SME, eight R 976s and two R 980 SMEs.
The company says its partnership with Liebherr is the result of a mutual trust that has been established thanks, in particular, to the reliability and cost-effectiveness of the machines that Liebherr provide.
