The Liebherr PR 766 Litronic is a new addition to the Newcastle business. Image: Liebherr
Newcastle Quarry Products recently took ownership of the Liebherr PR 766 Litronic.
The company’s quarry manager, Matt Frost, spoke with Quarry about the early benefits.
When it comes to equipment for Quarry Products Newcastle, build quality and fuel efficiency are two key factors in their buying process.
When the Newcastle team travelled to Liebherr’s Sydney facility to inspect the PR 766 dozer, Generation 8, they immediately realised they had found the right machine for their operation.
“This is the first piece of Liebherr machinery that we have purchased,” Quarry Products Newcastle quarry manager Matt Frost said.
“We were tossing up between costs and productivity, and the Liebherr was where we landed; upon seeing the dozer we immediately realised it would meet our requirements.
“The design and functionality look well-manufactured and have high quality across the machine.”
The Newcastle business has operated out of Allandale Quarry since the late 1970s and has forged a reputation as a reliable aggregate producer. It has supplied roadbase and aggregate across the Newcastle area and construction market for nearly five decades.
Liebherr’s earthmoving and material handling team took the Newcastle operators to a nearby Sydney site so they could see the PR 766 Litronic in action.
Liebherr told Frost and the Quarry Products Newcastle team that the fuel efficiency would deliver significant cost savings. After two months of use, the Newcastle business is already seeing the results with the Liebherr PR 766 Litronic around 10 litres an hour better than the previous machinery.
Frost estimated the machine would be used for around 1500 hours a year, equating to $30,000 of savings with the current fuel price.
Liebherr built the PR 766 G8 dozer to be able to handle a variety of heavy industry uses, from precision grading to heavy dozing. Liebherr has used advanced engine design, a proactive power adjustment feature and economy mode to help operators achieve improved fuel efficiency.
The hydrostatic drive enables the operator to maintain a constant output from the diesel engine. Avoiding speed fluctuations helps ease fuel consumption as the hydrostatic travel drive adjusts the working speed to load conditions.
According to Scott McClement, major account manager of Liebherr Australia’s earthmoving division, the constant, low engine speed, combined with common-rail fuel injection, enables optimised cylinder management and very efficient fuel combustion.
Operators can also activate different modes on the PR 766 Litronic when they need maximum output or fuel-saving.
“Fuel efficiency is really important now with the cost of fuel, along with running costs and reliability; it is one of the major things,” Frost said.
“(For us) it has been running around 40 litres an hour, which is probably 10 litres an hour better than our old one.
“Over the life of the machine, it will make a difference.”
Liebherr built the PR 766 G8 dozer with a redesigned cabin to ensure operators had a working environment that prioritised comfort.
The Newcastle company has been impressed with Liebherr. Image: Liebherr
A fundamental feature is the insulated cabin. The pressurised cabin keeps out dust while the hydro-elastic bearing mounts absorb noise. Liebherr’s low-speed engine and on-demand cooling fan were also designed to emit lower noise emissions compared to a conventional crawler.
Frost said the cabin comfort and quietness were things his operators had noticed since getting the PR 766 Litronic.
“They’ve definitely noticed the comfort of it; it is a lot quieter than what we had, which was an older machine,” he said.
“It is quite comfortable for them to operate, so we’ve been happy with that.”
Before the Liebherr PR 766 G8 dozer arrived at Newcastle Quarry Products’ Allandale Quarry, Frost had mainly known the Liebherr brand through its work in heavy-duty mining.
However, since purchasing the Liebherr machine, Frost said he would be quick to engage the international original equipment manufacturer for their next machine.
“This is our introduction to Liebherr equipment, and so far, so good; we’re looking forward to seeing how it performs and holds up long-term,” he said.
“It is pretty important to have a quick turnaround on service and parts if there is a breakdown and you need it replaced, but we haven’t had that issue yet.
“Scott and Liebherr have been very easy to deal with, and the whole process has been pretty easy.”
For more information, see liebherr.com.
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