Centre of Excellence for Wheel Loaders: Liebherr-Werk Bischofshofen GmbH
HUB-4 recently went along on a dedicated press visit to the Liebherr Bischofshofen site to take a look at the high-tech production facility for Liebherr’s extensive range of wheeled loaders. The site set amongst the beautiful Austrian countryside in Bischofshofen near Salzburg has over 1,100 employees, covers an area of 170,000m2 and was Liebherr’s first Austrian facility founded in 1960.
The site is specialised in the development, production and international marketing and sales of Liebherr wheel loaders. The company is also responsible for the marketing and service of all Liebherr construction machinery in Austria.
Powerful product range with four wheel loader categories
Liebherr stands out among international competition thanks to its innovative and ever more sophisticated product range. Liebherr-Werk Bischofshofen GmbH currently offers wheel loaders in four different categories: Compact loaders, Stereoloaders, mid-size wheel loaders and large wheel loaders of the XPower® generation.
The XPower® concept developed at the site for the Liebherr large wheel loaders L 550 XPower® to L 586 XPower® sets standards when it comes to fuel efficiency, performance, durability and comfort. The heart of the XPower® wheel loader is its power-split driveline, which Liebherr installs as standard in these machines. This combines the hydrostatic drive, perfect for short loading cycles, with the mechanical drive, whose advantages are clearly apparent over long distances and during ascents. The combination of both drive types in one wheel loader ensures maximum efficiency and therefore enormous fuel savings, no matter what the requirements.
The current series of mid-size wheel loaders comprises three machines: the L 526, L 538 and L 546 models. They remain true to the reputation of this class as a powerful yet reliable all-rounder. The high-quality steel construction and robust axles ensure the utmost reliability for these wheel loaders. The modern cab is tailored to the machine operator’s needs. Its logical design not only feels ample and spacious, it also provides good all-round visibility thanks to large window areas.
The manoeuvrability of the four Stereoloaders L 507, L 509, L 514 and L 518 is truly impressive. This is due to stereo steering, a perfectly balanced combination of articulated steering and rear axle steering. The unique steering system combines the advantages of conventional articulated steering with those of all-wheel steering. The result is a minimal turning circle which is particularly practical in cramped conditions.
The compact loaders L 506 and L 508 represent powerful yet reliable machinery for diverse applications involving road building, civil engineering, horticulture and landscaping. With bucket sizes from 0.8 to 1.0 m³, these complement the range of small Liebherr wheel loaders.
Continuous development of Liebherr-Werk Bischofshofen GmbH
Liebherr-Werk Bischofshofen GmbH started with manufacturing fast-erecting cranes and crawler cranes. Since 1985, Liebherr-Werk Bischofshofen GmbH has been tasked with production of the entire wheel loader range. The plant then specialised in the development, production and marketing of wheel loaders in 1997. Since then, the wheel loader experts from the federal state of Salzburg have continually been setting new milestones when it comes to technology and design.
The same holds true for Liebherr’s appearance at Bauma 2019 in Munich, the world’s leading trade fair for the construction industry. Liebherr-Werk Bischofshofen GmbH presented an extensive range of intelligent assistance systems for select wheel loaders of the company group here. These included the innovative active personnel detection and the new weighing device. With these and other assistance systems, the Centre of Excellence for Wheel Loaders is able to offer integrated solutions for optimising safety and comfort in day-to-day work with wheel loaders, while making the machine operator’s job easier.
Integrated effectively in the international Liebherr group of companies, Liebherr-Werk Bischofshofen GmbH cooperates closely with other Liebherr plants. It enjoys strong ties with the mixed Liebherr production companies in Dalian (China) and Guaratinguetà (Brazil). This collaboration has given rise to a special wheel loader range for emerging markets outside Europe and North America. Liebherr-Werk Bischofshofen GmbH is responsible for the product line here. This expansion clearly demonstrates the site’s international importance within the Liebherr group of companies.
Facts and figures about Liebherr-Werk Bischofshofen GmbH
Location: Bischofshofen, federal state of Salzburg (Austria)
Founded: 1960
Plant area: 170,000 m²
Employees: approx. 1,100