• More than ten Liebherr machines and numerous technologies as part of a static exhibition, on the demo site and in the Liebherr pavilion
• Robust TA 230 Litronic articulated dump truck for tough use in the mining industry and overburden transport
• Improved crawler excavators R 992 and R 978 SME of the new 70 to 100 t machines and the mining excavator R 9150 for particularly demanding projects in the mining industry
• L 546 and L 586 XPower® wheel loaders as well as dozers PR 756 and PR 726with assistance systems for more power and safety

Liebherr will be represented at steinexpo 2023 from 23 to 26 August 2023 with over ten machines from its earthmoving and mining product segments. In addition to the products on static display and presented in live shows, the main focus of Liebherr’s presence will also be on alternative drives and the latest developments in the field of digitalisation. Several crawler excavators, an articulated dump truck, the largest Liebherr wheel loader as well as other wheel loader models, dozers and a mining excavator will be on display on Liebherr’s main booth, which covers around 1,200 m2

Biberach a. d. Riss (Germany), 14 July 2023 – For Liebherr, steinexpo has been an important trade exhibition in the earthmoving and quarrying sector for many years. This year, too, the Group will give around 50,000 visitors in Homberg in central Germany an insight into the product highlights and solutions for quarries and mines. For example, the earthmoving and mining product segments will present a highlight, the TA 230 articulated dump truck, as well as other machines for earthmoving in the extraction industry and a 100-tonne mining excavator. In Europe’s largest basalt quarry, many of these machines can be demonstrated to the public in a real working environment during daily live shows.

In the field of new technologies, at the exhibition Liebherr will put one focus on alternative drives. As part of its technology-neutral approach, the Group will provide an insight and outlook on various drive concepts at the exhibition: from the conventional combustion engine to hydrogen-based drives and electric drives. In addition, digitalisation in the field of earthmoving and mining machines, for example through digital assistance systems or virtual product simulations, will also play a major role.

Alternative drive technologies for the extraction industry

At the exhibition, the Group will present, among other things, its work on electric and hydrogen-based drives specifically for the use of machines in the extraction industry. In heavy-duty applications in particular, promising opportunities are opening up with hydrogen-based drives that offer representative ranges with high overall performance. The use of low-emission alternative fuels, such as HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil), which can already be already used in the majority of Liebherr machines, will also play a role at the exhibition.

One exhibition highlight awaiting visitors to steinexpo is Liebherr’s first hydrogen combustion engine. The H966 was developed by the Components product segment for demonstration and field trials and is based on port fuel injection technology (also known as PFI). The results achieved using this technology show the great future potential of hydrogen-based drives and speak in favour of using such drives, especially for off-road applications. The engine was first demonstrated at Bauma 2022 in the R 9XX H2, a hydrogen excavator prototype. In addition, Liebherr will be presenting an innovative solution for the mobile refuelling of construction machinery with gaseous hydrogen together with Maximator Hydrogen GmbH.

Powerful and all-terrain dump truck

The TA 230 Litronic articulated dump truck will be on display at steinexpo in both the static exhibition and the live show. The robust and durable dump truck is specially designed for demanding use in the quarrying industry and for overburden transport. In addition, the machine offers a wide range of optional equipment especially for the tough and wear-intensive use in quarries, as well as assistance systems.

Modern assistance systems make work easier: efficient dozers for extraction

In practical use, the PR 756 Generation 8 dozer shows in the live demo the advantages and possibilities offered by modern assistance systems. They make the driver’s work easier and at the same time enable safe and economical use of the machine. In addition to the Liebherr Silent Design, which enables particularly quiet operation, the revised electronically controlled hydrostatic drive with EcoMode allows for even greater fuel efficiency. The hydrostatic drive concept, which is standard in the new Generation 8 dozers, also enables significant cost savings for the customer thanks to the efficiency improvements.

Lower fuel consumption: improved crawler excavators in the 70 to 100 t class

The new R 992 crawler excavator will also be on show. Like the entire product range of 70 to 100 t excavators, it is characterised by optimised performance data, increased driving comfort, new assistance functions and low fuel consumption after numerous improvements. The new and patented Liebherr Power Efficiency (PE) – Engine Control system contributes to the latter in particular. Particularly suitable for use in mining or quarrying is, among other things, the crawler excavator R 978 SME, equipped with a new frame and further optional services, which will be demonstrated in the demo shows. An R 992 Generation 8 complements the crawler excavator range at the exhibition in the static exhibit area.

Efficient and safe: Powerful wheel loaders with various assistance systems

With the mid-sized L 546 at the booth and the large L 586 XPower® in the live demonstration, two particularly powerful Liebherr wheel loaders will be presented. Both machines feature efficient and powerful drive technologies and are available with innovative assistance systems. The L 586 XPower®, for example, is equipped with a weighing system developed by Liebherr that provides the driver with numerous information and enables the weighing data to be evaluated via Liebherr’s LiDAT fleet management portal, which, among other things, provides an overview with relevant machine and application data. The L 546 exhibited at steinexpo is equipped with the active person detection and thus significantly increases safety in the quarry.

Powerful 100 t mining excavator for quarry and mining applications

The exhibition will feature the Liebherr R 9150 100 t mining excavator designed for quarrying and mining. In addition to this most powerful excavator at the show, the Mining product segment will also exhibit the 18.7 m3 capacity bucket of an R 9350. The latest technologies, products and solutions for modern mining can be explored in a virtual mine: With the aid of virtual reality goggles, visitors can test the various assistance systems from Liebherr Mining in a virtual R 9600, which is one of the largest Liebherr mining excavators with an operating weight of 600 tonnes.

About the Liebherr Group

The Liebherr Group is a family-run technology company with a highly diversified product portfolio. The company is one of the largest construction equipment manufacturers in the world. It also provides high-quality and user-oriented products and services in a wide range of other areas. The Liebherr Group includes over 140 companies across all continents. In 2022, it employed more than 50,000 staff and achieved combined revenues of over 12.5 billion euros. Liebherr was founded in Kirchdorf an der Iller in Southern Germany in 1949. Since then, the employees have been pursuing the goal of achieving continuous technological innovation, and bringing industry-leading solutions to its customers.

The 100 t R 9150 mining excavator designed for quarrying and mining will be the highlight of Liebherr’s Mining product segment at steinexpo 2023.

Contact

Larissa Lunitz
Public Relations
Phone: +49 (7351) 41 4384
E-Mail: larissa.lunitz@liebherr.com

Published by

Liebherr-International Deutschland GmbH
Hans-Liebherr-Straße 45
88400 Biberach an der Riß / Deutschland
www.liebherr.com

For the first day of CES, John Deere, a leader in the farming and heavy machinery industries, announced two new technologies and detailed innovations it released earlier in 2022.

John Deere CEO John May delivered a keynote speech touching on a series of real-world situations John Deere’s technology hopes to address. In the speech, May mentioned that a growing population, decreased amounts of arable land, and increased greenhouse gas emissions are all considered when John Deere releases new farming and construction technologies.

First, he received awards for inventing the Foufoumix, which brings relief from hours spent pounding foufou. Then, Minsob Logou invented a mini-tractor, tailor-made for local conditions. Now, he wants to sell it across the region.

Seeing imported agricultural machinery – often paid for by government or donors – lying discarded due to the unavailability of local servicing or parts was enough for Minsob Logou to invest his time, money and energy into a local solution for farmers. The result: the Logoutrac mini-tractor. It’s a step out of the kitchen and into the field for this Togolese inventor.

Better known in Togo and the region as the “father of Foufoumix”, Logou requires little introduction to those who keep an eye on the world of African invention. As early as 2002, Logou was honoured for his work by the World Intellectual Property Organisation and in 2014, he placed second at the African Innovation Awards. His desire to invent is deep-seated.

“The story started from a passion that I had from an early age for all things related to technology. Since the benches of the school, I had this thing in me for all that is technological. I have to try to see how they were designed, how we arrive at what we design can respond to a given functionality. This is what gave me all this knowledge today, which far exceeds what I learned on the benches,” Logou explained.

Born into a large family, his position as an engineer at Togo Telecom, though coveted, was not enough to stop the inventor from resigning to devote himself to finding solutions full time. His first big win came with an invention that allows cooks at home and in restaurants to replace hours of strenuous work – the Foufoumix. The industrial-looking kitchen unit has been a hit in West Africa to such an extent that knock-offs are now produced in China. Logou tries to provide local solutions to local problems.

“The basis of my research to be able to create a product is the observation of my community. When I see that they are in need of something, I can create machinery to make it easier for them to obtain a result in order to improve performance and make their lives better,” he said.

That was the thinking behind his latest invention, launched recently at his small factory located on the outskirts of the Togolese capital, Lomé. Logou describes his mini-tractor – which sports the Logoutrac brand – as a “made-in-Togo mini-tractor, a versatile, powerful and resilient machine”.

The prototype for the tractor was built using salvaged parts, with the idea that doing so would help buyers easily access spare parts. But due to high initial demand, the young Togolese engineer quickly took the next step.

When farmers have a good year, allied industries benefit by spending the financial gains or from the produce of the farming businesses.

Agricultural machinery is one such industry that benefited from farmers’ spending in 2020 and 2021.

The farmers, specifically grain and oilseed producers, expanded their area planted in these past two years.

Weather conditions were favourable, resulting in a large harvest for two consecutive seasons.

This was also when commodity prices remained elevated, supported by global events such as dryness in South America, and rising demand for grains and oilseeds in China.

Had it not been for higher global agricultural prices, the local grain and oilseed prices would have softened due to large harvests.

The financial gains of these years went to improvement in agricultural equipment, among other activities in the farms.

For example, SA’s tractor sales for 2021 amounted to 7,680 units, up by 26% from the previous year.

Combine harvester sales amounted to 268 units in the same period, up by 46% from 2020.

Notably, 2020 was also an excellent year in SA’s agricultural machinery sales, so surpassing it means 2021 was indeed an exceptional year.

In 2020, tractor sales were up by 9% from 2019. Combine harvester sales increased by 29% from 2019.

In some people’s minds, the question is whether this “party” could go on in 2022?

The data recently released by the SA Agricultural Machinery Association presents a promise.

It showed that, in January 2022, tractors sales were up by 20% year-on-year, with 559 units sold.

But I think this is likely the tail end of the robust sales period and the coming months could show moderation.

Combine harvester sales have already moderated, having declined by 20% year-on-year, with four units sold in January 2022.

I know one should always avoid reading too much into one month’s data point, but the 2021/2022 production season for agriculture did not start as positively as other seasons.

Excessive rains in much of the country have compromised yields in some areas to an extent.

Farmers planted 4,21-million hectares of summer grains and oilseeds, which is up by 0,4% from the 2020/2021 season; however, production could be somewhat lower.

This summer crop production comprises maize, sunflower seed, soybeans, sorghum, groundnuts and dry beans.

If it materialises, a decline in volumes, even if agricultural commodity prices remain at these currently elevated levels, means farmers’ profitability will be under pressure.

Notably, this is also a season where the input costs surged at the start of the season and have remained elevated for even the areas that required replanting following flood damage.

For example, KAN/LAN (28), urea (46), and potassium chloride prices were up by 127% year-on-year (y/y), 182% y/y, and 114% y/y in January 2022, selling at about R13,933, R19,876 and R13,816 a tonne respectively.

Herbicides, which are also critical in an environment with spreading locusts in parts of the Eastern and Northern Cape, show a similar price trend.

For example, glyphosate, acetochlor and atrazine prices were up by 211% y/y, 139% y/y and 143% y/y in December 2021 respectively.

Regarding insecticides, imidacloprid, lambda-cyhalothrin and acetamiprid prices were, respectively, up by 124% y/y, 45% y/y and 121% y/y in December 2021.

There are many factors behind these sharp input cost increases, such as the supply constraints in critical fertiliser-producing countries, mainly China, India, the US, Russia and Canada.

Rising shipping costs, and oil and gas prices, are also contributing factors to the price increases, along with firmer global demand from the growing global agriculture.

All these factors mean farmers will likely not have as much financial muscle as in 2020 and 2021 to boost their equipment sales.

We don’t yet know what the actual 2021/2022 summer grain and oilseed harvests will be, and we look to the first production estimate due at the end of February by the Crop Estimates Committee for guidance.

Still, the consensus from various farmer surveys is that it will be less than the previous season where the maize harvest was the second-largest on record, at 16,3 million tonnes, and the soybean harvest was at a record 1,9 million tonnes.

When thinking about agricultural machinery sales, we also have to consider that the replacement rate of old equipment would ordinarily be lower after two years of solid sales.

These are dynamics that stakeholders in the agricultural machinery industry need to face this year, as their clients, farmers, face a myriad of rising costs, specifically inputs and potentially lower harvests.

Hence, I believe the strong tractors sales performance in January 2022 is primarily the tail end of the 2020 and 2021 “party” phase, and could soon moderate as the year progresses.

John Deere Financial is excited to announce that we have extended our portfolio to include John Deere Forestry Equipment. The John Deere Financial objective is to support you and your business to benefit from tailor-made asset finance, which saves you money in the process. To deliver the best possible service and solution to our clients, John Deere Financial is built on four key pillars, namely: Convenience, Commitment, Competitiveness and Insightfulness.

CONVENIENCE

Time is a valuable asset, which is why John Deere Financial works hard to make it as quick and easy as possible to receive financing when you purchase John Deere products. The company has dedicated representatives in most areas who can help clients through the entire financing process. John Deere Financial has a team that is ready and waiting to visit its clients, assess and understand their unique needs, and recommend the most fitting financial solution. With the necessary permission, it is even possible for the John Deere Financial representative to assist in gathering the documents from the accountant or auditor. In this way, both parties can do what they enjoy, and the client can focus on what he does best.

COMMITMENT

Our clients invest in John Deere with the purchase of new John Deere equipment. In return, John Deere Financial wants to contribute to the success of our clients and their business. Unpredictable circumstances can easily disrupt the plans of our clients. During these times, John Deere Financial can provide the necessary support by presenting flexible solutions to their clients. John Deere Financial also recognises that business cycles may differ from year to year, which is why the payment date can easily be extended by a month or two, working with the client’s cash flow cycle.

COMPETITIVENESS

The first thing people consider when it comes to financing solutions is good interest rates. The financial package structure, along with considerations of the term and deposit, means that our clients can expect very competitive interest rates which means smaller installments. Competitiveness does not end with interest rates. However, the speed of these services, the type of financial solutions available to our clients, and their convenience all add weight. By positioning John Deere Financial as the market leader in the financing of John Deere equipment, the company challenges competitors to continuously improve their service and price, all to the benefit of our clients.

INSIGHTFULNESS

John Deere Financial continues to grow with the business of our clients. Through this, the company ensures that its service and solutions remain relevant and sufficient to meet the growing needs of our clients. In the forestry environment, John Deere provides custom-designed financial solutions and support with fast approvals. John Deere Financial invites customers interested in purchasing new forestry equipment, to contact their nearest John Deere Dealership or directly on reach out to John Deere at africa@johndeere.com.