Liebherr is introducing several new features to its XPower wheel loaders to increase safety as well as reduce the burden on operators.
The new features include the Skyview 360° camera system, active rear person recognition, front area monitoring and a new weighing device.
All new assistance systems have been developed by Liebherr and are fully integrated into the machine’s controls. This also applies to the new joystick steering for models from the L 526 to the L 586 XPower. The intuitive operation of the joystick enables the operator to steer accurately and without fatigue, as its position corresponds to the wheel loader’s current articulation angle.
Front area monitoring for XPower loaders
In industrial applications, Liebherr wheel loaders often work with large attachments, like high-dump buckets for example. As large buckets inevitably obstruct the operator’s field of vision, Liebherr created a roof camera for front area monitoring, available on the L 526 to L 586 XPower wheel loaders.
The roof camera provides a view of the bucket in front of the machine from a significantly elevated perspective and transmits the image on a separate display in the operator’s cab.
Front area monitoring is therefore used for seeing people or objects hidden by the attachment, which increases safety when accelerating, driving forward and loading with large buckets.
Skyview 360°
The Skyview 360° camera system is another intelligent assistance system that enables the machine operator to recognize potential hazards.
As four additional cameras capture the XPower machine’s entire surroundings, it provides a 360 degree view of the wheel loader’s immediate surroundings at all times. The system merges the individual images into a virtual bird’s-eye view and displays the image on a separate screen in the operator’s cab. With this perspective, the operator can effortlessly see blind spots and danger zones, such as the wheel loader’s articulation area, and avoid possible collisions.
Active rear person recognition
Active rear person recognition is designed to help prevent collisions that result in personal injury.
Liebherr’s new assistance systems enable machine operators to concentrate more on operating their Liebherr wheel loader by removing additional distractions.
For example, the active rear person recognition automatically provides a warning on the machine display and delivers audio signals if there is danger in the wheel loader’s rear area. A special feature of the system is that it uses sensors to automatically differentiate between people and objects with the aid of sensors.
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If a person moves in the area behind the XPower machine, the system alerts the machine operator.
The active rear person recognition is activated at a greater distance than warning systems for inanimate objects such as walls or columns. The operator therefore receives a more precise warning if there is a risk of personal injury. This allows the active rear person recognition to avoid an overload of warning signals, which in turn reduces the burden on the machine operator.
The new weighing device
The range of intelligent assistance systems also includes the new weighing device for large XPower wheel loaders. The solution is a control scale that works automatically and provides the machine operator with information on the loading operation.
It helps the operator to accurately load trucks or dumpers with the right amount of material and avoid overloading.
The advantage is that, depending on the application, the ideal weighing range is set automatically and the weighing takes place during the regular loading cycle. This means that the operator does not have to reach a specific lifting height to correctly weigh the bucket contents.
A special feature of the weighing device is Truck Payload Assist. The system supports material handling with a wheel loader in a number of ways. For example, the operator can enter a target loading weight on the display.
Using this information, the Truck Payload Assist calculates the optimal target weight to be loaded per bucket and the required number of loading cycles. The result is higher productivity through consistent, accurate and machine-friendly loading. The machine operator can view all weighing data and the Truck Payload Assist recommendations on the display and in real time. A colour concept helps the operator increase the user-friendliness of the weighing device.
