Calling it a “significant milestone,” Liebherr says it will use a power-split transmission as standard throughout its entire new XPower large wheel loader lineup, a decision it says will help give the machines up to a 30 percent fuel efficiency boost compared to conventional drive loaders. The loaders will debut at the bauma trade show in Germany next April, and appear in the United States by mid 2016.
The power-split drivetrain on the L 550 through L 586 models combines a hydrostatic drive and a mechanical drive, and uses a continuously variable transmission gearbox to automatically adjust between the two drives, matching the drive to the job at hand. The hydrostatic transmission, for example, excels at short loading cycles going into a pile, while the mechanical transmission shines in long distances and driving uphill.
“We believe the power-split transmission is the future because it has the advantages of both types,” says Martin Gschwend, sales director, Liebherr-Werk Bischofshofen. Another plus of this transmission: there’s less internal stress, which increases component life.
Leibherr emphasizes the power-split is standard, without additional cost. In fact, Gschwend says the XPower loaders will only have a 1 percent inflation-related price increase when they start production.
In addition, each XPower model will now use the axle previously used in the next-size-up previous machine (for example, the new L 556 XPower will feature the former L 566 axles). “We’re committed to increasing the lifespan of the loaders,” Gschwend says, “and customers expect more service.”
To date, Liebherr says it has put more than 65,000 hours on prototype XPower loaders, testing them at a various customer sites, including quarries, sawmills and recycling companies. “There has not been a single main component failure,” Gschwend says, and the power-split transmission and larger axles “have proved to be particularly durable.”
Liebherr Power Efficiency drive system continues
The company is using its Liebherr Power Efficiency drive system, introduced on its previous loader lineup, to manage the Tier 4 Final Liebherr engine, transmission and hydraulics. The engines, mounted on the back of the loaders and thus eliminating the need for a counterweight, use SCR emissions reduction technology and operate at 1,100 to 1,800 rpms. The L 550 and L 556 use a 4-cylinder and the L 566 to the L586 use a 6-cylinder engine.
