Page 53 - HUB-4 Magazine Issue 84

Quarrying News
At the business end is a 7m boom and 2.6m stick that gives the best combination of break-out force and reach, finished off with a Liebherr 5m3 rock bucket with half-delta cutting edge carrying five Z90CR teeth. Cylinder protection has been added to the boom and stick cylinders and there’s additional protection to the base of the stick.
The undercarriage has additional baseplate protection fitted along with a three-piece chain guide on either side. Additional protection to the final drives has also been fitted to prevent damage from larger rocks.
On the inside, the cab is similar to the outgoing model but with an upgraded touch-screen colour monitor, one of the features that got the thumbs-up from regular Longcliffe operator Kevin Beacham. He added: ‘It’s a nice, comfortable cab. It’s very quiet and the seat and seating position are excellent.’
He also had kind words for the newcomer’s controls compared to those in the 966. ‘All in all, the machine is a big step up from the older machine. It’s smoother, quieter and a lot better balanced too.’
Outside, the cab has a top FOPS guard and a tiltable guard to the front screen, a premium LED lighting package and ‘follow me home’ illumination.
Longcliffe Group MD Paul Boustead adds: ‘As well as proving to be operationally excellent, the Liebherr 972 is delivering in a number of other company priority areas including safety and sustainability.’
Liebherr Rental
The R 972 excavator is the latest addition to the Liebherr Rental fleet which covers the manufacturer’s entire earthmoving and material handling ranges. ‘We are not a traditional plant hire company offering standard kit,’ explained Gareth Blythin, national rental sales manager. ‘We offer clients a fleet of bespoke, high-specification machinery aimed at particular material handling applications. All machines on the earthmoving side are fully compliant with current quarrying regulations with a specification that includes blue strobes, travel alarms, 360° camera systems and hi-viz handrails meaning they are ready to go to work immediately.’
www.hub-4.com Jan/Feb - Issue 84
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