Quick change

01 February, 2001

"Longwood Quarries in Lincolnshire have taken delivery of the UK's first Liebherr R964B Litronic excavator with quick-change capabilities for the extraction of oolitic limestone.

The hydraulic quick-change adaptor allows Longwood to rip out the stone using a V69 tooth, then swap over to a 3.3m3 bucket for materials handling. Changing the attachments takes around 15s, without the operator having to leave the cab.

According to Longwood's manager, Laurence Carmichael, 'the extraction rate has significantly increased and wear and tear on the bucket has been reduced due to the use of the ripper tooth.'

Operating in the 65-tonne class, the R964B Litronic is powered by a Liebherr type D 9406 TI-E turbocharged diesel engine which develops 258kW at 1,800 rev/min. Longwood's machine is fitted with a 7.0m gooseneck boom and a 2.6m dipper."