Rugged American lorries for bulk material transport are paired with high-performance Liebherr loading equipment at a German greywacke extraction quarry. Guy Woodford reports.
Based in Germany’s Sauerland region in North Rhine-Westphalia, quarrying company Günter Jung operates a very special fleet of machinery – with a
The L 580 XPower wheeled loader is predominantly used by Günter Jung in load-and-carry applications and feeds material into crushers and one of the firm’s impressive array of durable American lorries.
Günter Jung specialises in the extraction and processing of greywacke - a dark coarse-grained sandstone containing more than 15% clay. At its Drolshagen quarry, the company produces bulk material of various quality grades for use in industries such as special-purpose civil engineering. Its high-quality quarry stones, irregular paving slabs, decorative stones and rectangular stone blocks are used in both construction and landscaping.
Since June 2017, the L 580 XPower has played a key role in the extraction and processing of Günter Jung’s products. It picks up blast material at the quarry face and transports it to the two crusher units. In executing this task, the near-28tonne operating weight machine travels around 100 metres, with the route including a steep ramp of around 15 metres. The model is said to cover this route with ease thanks to its power-split driveline.
The Liebherr L 580 XPower wheeled loader’s rugged Z-bar linkage can exert high breakout forces in the lower region of the lift arm. This plays a vital role in picking up blast greywacke using the 6m³ rock bucket efficiently. During material transportation, the power-split driveline ensures a smooth ride and a high level of performance by automatically adapting to the current driving situation. As a result, the L 580 XPower contributes to boosting the quarry’s productivity.
“The new Liebherr wheeled loader allows us to handle 1,500tonnes of greywacke on a daily basis. At the same time, its average diesel consumption of 12 litres per hour of operation is impressively low and helps us reduce our operating costs,” Jung explains.
For Günter Jung, moderate fuel consumption figures coupled with high levels of material-handling performance were the main reasons for purchasing the L 580 XPower machine. Determined to find the best possible solution, Jung and his management team meticulously tested several machine models from various manufacturers.
“In direct comparison with other makes, it was the L 580 XPower that convinced me the most. The wheeled loader is sturdily built and has a comfortable cab,” explains Jung. Jung says he also values his company’s close cooperation with Dortmund-based Liebherr-Baumaschinen Vertriebs- und Service, which he believes has established itself as a reliable partner that provides invaluable support.
Run by the Jung family since 1988, Günter Jung’s Drolshagen quarry also operates other Liebherr machines including an A 900 wheeled excavator, three R 914, R 924 and R 944 crawler excavators and an additional wheeled loader, an L 576. In addition, one of the fleet’s most popular models is a 1989-built Liebherr A 902 wheeled excavator. The machine is maintained by Günter Jung himself and, thanks to robust engineering, is still said to be a reliable frontline quarrying loader.
