Rental delivers the perfect combination

A 70t excavator supplied by Liebherr Rental is helping to keep production on target at a quarry operated by the leading name in the UK limestone industry.

Brassington Moor Quarry in Derbyshire’s Peak District is operated by Longcliffe Quarries Ltd and produces some of the UK’s most sought-after calcium carbonate powders and aggregates. Traditionally, the operation was carried out using a single large excavator and a wheeled loader but the company changed its approach, replacing the loader with a second excavator to boost production.

Last year the company entered negotiations with several suppliers for a three-year lease on a 70t machine and it was an R 972 from Liebherr Rental that was seen as the best option to deliver the perfect combination of production and fuel economy.

One of the latest generation models, the R 972 replaced an R 966 and arrived on site in Liebherr’s “mining white” paint and sitting on an HD undercarriage with 600mm track pads. Engine is a 16-litre V8 Liebherr diesel developing 449hp at 1800rpm and, fitted with the manufacturer’s Power Efficiency engine management control, achieves peak torque at a more leisurely engine speed of 1100rpm, equating to reduced noise and fuel consumption up to 10% over its predecessor.

At the front 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.

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 Longcliffe’s operator Kevin Beacham: ‘It’s a nice, comfortable cab. It’s very quiet and the seat and seating position are excellent,’ he said. ‘All in all, the machine is a big step up from the older machine. It’s smoother, quieter and a lot better balanced too.’

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.’