Machines from the new range of Liebherr telescopic handlers, which features eight models in a total of 26 different versions, were on show to the public for the first time at Intermat Paris this week (April 23-28), including the winner of a prestigious German design award.
“Since they are all based on the same principal design any one of our new model variants could have won the award, but we decided to put forward the 4.6 metric ton, T46-7 (S), with its 7m boom,” Alexander Katrycz, product specialist with Liebherr, told iVT. “Initially we won a Red Dot Product Design Award. In the industry if you have a clever product a Red Dot is great, but not a big sensation. What made us proud was The German Design Council naming this telescopic handler as the winner of the renowned German Design Award in the transportation category.”
The jury was impressed by T46-7 (S)’s performance, efficiency, safety and overall dynamic appearance. Visibility was a big issue. When sat in the cab the driver can now see the tool as well as the front and rear tires.
“The machine’s new design guarantees ideal visibility of the load to the front for high machine productivity, as well as to the side and to the rear for optimum safety,” says Katrycz. “This is achieved by the very low linkage point of the telescopic boom and by the edges, which slope outwards, and therefore the engine bonnet which follows the line of sight. Visibility is a passive safety feature since what you can see you can avoid. Another feature that impressed the jury was the aeronomics, in other words serviceability.”
The S-line signifies Liebherr’s premium variant, a new concept. When the company came to redesign their telehandlers they recognized two customer groups; the so-called value sector, and a premium segment. The value products are made for the simpler jobs such as loading, carrying, reaching and stacking, whilst models designed for more demanding jobs such as recycling, where cycle times and output count, are classed as S.
“The S-line certainly includes a more powerful engine – 74Kw on standard, 100Kw on the S – but it goes well beyond that,” says Katrycz. “For example the S models are equipped with high-performance hydraulics. In addition the multifunctional joystick integrated into the S models enables all essential operating functions to be carried out using single-arm operation so that the driver’s left hand remains safely on the steering wheel at all times.”
The 26 variants are a mixture of S-line, value-product, stage IV emission regulations and 3a for lower-regulated nations. Quick couplers compatible with machine hitches from manufacturers Claas, Manitou, Kramer, JCB and Volvo are offered on all models.
By Saul Wordsworth
