Loading hot slag is challenging work, exposing the machine to constant, very high temperatures. The R 980 SME crawler excavator produced by Liebherr for the Saarland firm Backes Transport und Schlackenaufbereitung (Backes) was specially designed to fulfil such demands. Its dump bucket can handle large volumes of slag. The machine is equipped with special safety devices, such as a fire-fighting system for slag-loading work. Exposed lines and hoses are covered with heat shielding. This crawler excavator features a wide walkway on the operator's side, accessed via a retractable ladder. Both features ensure safe access to the elevated operator's cab and the machine's engine compartment.
The Liebherr Application Center developed the R 980 SME for Backes, set up in 2020 at the Liebherr-France site in Colmar. Specific requirements and customers' special requests are analysed there, and the analysis is used for building tailor-made machines. A team of specialists systematically analyses customer requests received through the sales network with a thorough understanding of our products and their potential application areas. This allows them to develop the best solution for the customer's requirements. This diverse, multidisciplinary team can respond to customer requests quickly enough to allow them to be perfectly integrated into Liebherr-France SAS production processes. The steel used to build the crawler excavator is supplied by Stahl-Holding-Saar GmbH & Co. KGaA in Dillingen. Liebherr-France orders about 7,000 tonnes of steel from this firm annually, about 70% of our total requirement.
Slag specialist Backes anticipates that the R 980 SME crawler excavator's characteristics will facilitate efficient working and thus increase productivity. Despite its 100-tonne-plus weight, the machine stands out for its manoeuvrability, simple and intuitive operation, and comfortable, ergonomically designed operator's cab. In addition, our customer reports that the R 980 SME consumes five to six litres less fuel than the previous model, which the Saarland firm also uses for transport and slag handling. The firm loads slag from steel production into dump trucks. The dump trucks take the slag away for processing, starting after it cooled. Backes currently uses two R 980 SMEs and two older-model Liebherr R 984 C crawler excavators for these operations.
