Capital Equipment News October 2020

COVER STORY

The first PR 776 to arrive in South Africa was handed over to Liviero Mining in 2016. Pictured with the machine (from left) are Louis du Plessis (Liviero), Tendayi Kudumba (Liebherr-Africa), Richard Edwards (Liebherr-Africa) and Nehan Deysel (Liviero).

Key advantages offered by the PR 776.

According to the Parkerbay Data Statistics, the PR 776 has acquired a 10% market share average over the above mentioned countries since 2016.

Optimal performance Like all other Liebherr crawler dozers, the PR 776 also comes with the ECO function as standard, which allows the operator to choose between high performance and maximum efficiency for a particular task, providing greater fuel savings. An additional fuel saving feature is the proactive power control system, fitted standard on all Liebherr’s 6 th Generation crawler tractors. Internal engine and external machine parameters are recorded, such as the current deflection of the joystick. If needed, the engine power is automatically increased for a brief moment based on the current requirement. In addition to responding more rapidly, this is said to offer the machine a significant increase in performance potential and pulling power, as

features aimed at operator comfort. This minimises operator stress and strain, translating into better productivity. “Traditionally dozers are infamous for being one of the most difficult, if not tedious, earthmoving machines to master. But, the introduction of the hydrostatic drive concept has turned what was previously a bucking mule of a machine into a smooth operator,” he says. One of the focal design points of this machine is simple and safe operation. The single multifunction joystick has all operating and steering functions at the palm of the operator’s hand, with only one electronic input element. This operating concept was rigorously tested by Liebherr- Werk Telfs and is a notable innovation for the 70 t size class, especially in mining

well as a higher reverse speed. The Liebherr engine management

system, Liebherr Power Efficiency System and the hydrostatic driveline, work in union to allow for mastering and optimisation of all equipment systems and processes to maintain constant engine speed, increase overall machine efficiency and significantly reduce fuel consumption. Operator in mind In the past, dozers had a reputation for being one of the more difficult earthmoving machines to master. However, today with the right technology, the dozer has become one of the easiest machines to steer around. A case in point is the new Liebherr PR 776, which Kudumba notes comes with a host of

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CAPITAL EQUIPMENT NEWS OCTOBER 2020