XPower proves its worth for German quarry operator

Günter Jung GmbH rely on a Liebherr L580 XPower wheel loader for greywacke extraction

IN Germany’s Sauerland region, in North Rhine-Westphalia, quarrying company Günter Jung GmbH have paired a Liebherr L580 XPower wheel loader with a team of rugged American lorries for bulk material transportation in their greywacke extraction process.

Company owner Günter Jung is very satisfied with the Liebherr machine: ‘We are glad we chose the XPower wheel loader. It delivers loads of power while being efficient and reliable,’ he said.

The L580 XPower is predominantly used in load-and-carry applications and feeds material into crushers and lorries. An eye-catcher in its own right, the wheel loader turns even more heads when it is loading one of the American lorries.

Günter Jung GmbH specialize in the extraction and processing of greywacke. The firm produces bulk material as well as paving slabs, decorative stone and stone blocks.

The L580 XPower wheel loader plays a key role in the extraction and processing of these products in the quarry. It picks up blasted material at the quarry face and transports it to two crusher units. With its power-split driveline, the 28-tonne wheel loader has no difficulty in covering the 100m run, which includes a steep incline of around 15m in length.

Günter Jung said: ‘I am completely amazed by the L580’s XPower driveline. Our quarry area includes a steep ramp which the machine negotiates with ease.’

Since its commissioning in June 2017, the Liebherr L 580XPower has proved to be well suited to load-and-carry applications. Its rugged Z-bar linkage exerts high breakout forces in the lower region of the lift arm, which plays a vital role in picking up the blasted greywacke using the machine’s 6.0 cubic metre rock bucket.

During material transportation, the power-split driveline ensures a smooth ride and a high level of performance by automatically adapting to the current driving situation. As a result, the L580 XPower is helping to boost the quarry’s productivity.

‘The new Liebherr wheel loader allows us to handle 1,500 tonnes of greywacke on a daily basis. At the same time, its average diesel consumption of 12 litres per hour of operation is impressively low and helps us reduce our operating costs,’ explained Mr Jung.

For the Sauerland-based quarrying company, moderate fuel consumption figures coupled with high levels of material-handling performance were the main reasons for purchasing the L580 XPower.

Determined to find the best possible solution, Günter Jung meticulously tested several machine models from various manufacturers. ‘In direct comparison with other makes, it was the Liebherr machine that convinced me the most,’ he said.