The new loading model’s claimed incorporation of revolutionary technology is said to mark an important milestone not only for LiuGong, but for the Chinese construction equipment industry as a whole.
The key innovations of the VL70A are its vertical lift loader arms on an articulating frame, and the mechanical self-levelling Z-bar bucket linkage on a vertical lift loader – both claimed industry firsts.
The model’s vertical lift was developed, says LiuGong, as an innovative way to increase customer value when purchasing a loader. Vertical lift is said to accentuate the wheeled loader’s primary function: lifting and carrying a load, by providing a claimed heavier tipping load and a higher lift height than conventional wheeled loaders of the same power and weight. Fuel costs are said to be greatly reduced as the reduced operating weight of the vertical lift machine allows more tonnes of material to be moved per kilowatt than with a conventional radial lift machine. This is said to allow customers to move more tonnes/hour for lower initial investment, while also the lower owning and operating costs than would be required with conventional wheeled loader models.
Since the vertical lift wheeled loader shares its basic technology with all other LiuGong wheeled loaders, the reliability and durability of the vertical lift machines are said to equal what customers have come to associate with other LiuGong wheeled loaders.
“This technology will create a new class for these machines. Our ‘truly new’ LiuGong vertical lift loader will be the first ever for an articulating frame loader. We are proud to say that we were the first to develop and will be the first to market the vertical lift articulating frame wheeled loader,” said Edward Wagner, LiuGong Director of Test & New Technology, and the inventor and lead engineer on the VL70A project.
“This technology is universally applicable and it is especially advantageous for stockpiling and truck loading applications with advantages in efficiency and performance” added Wagner.
The idea of vertical lift loader technology was first generated in 2010 and then started and further developed in 2011. After four years of development, LiuGong expanded the team and went into final development stage in 2015. The new VL70A loader will be ready for mass production in 2017.
