Get Financing275-Ton Liebherr R 9300 Mining Excavator To Enter Production In 2024
Liebherr has announced the availability of its new R 9300 Generation 8 mining excavator, which it premiered at Bauma 2022. The new R 9300 replaces Liebherr’s R 9250 in the 275-ton (250-metric-ton) class of operating weight. Available for purchase now, the R 9300 will enter serial production in 2024. A backhoe configuration will be available from Q1 and a face shovel configuration from Q2.
A Leg Up On The R 9250
A standard R 9300 feature is the proprietary Liebherr Power Efficiency engine and hydraulic management system, which improves fuel economy by 25% over the R 9250. The R 9300’s 5% higher productivity rating stems from its lighter yet stronger attachment, greater bucket capacity, optimized distribution of forces, and fast cycle times, according to Liebherr. The new crawler’s cost per ton is 20% less than the R 9250 due in part to said productivity increase, as well as to lower life cycle costs and fuel consumption. Finally, Liebherr says the R 9300 should have a service life of 60,000 hours, 33% longer than the R 9250’s 45,000-hour life span.
Liebherr Mining Technologies
The latest in Liebherr Mining technology comes standard with the R 9300. One aspect is the Truck Loading Assistant with payload weighing, load planning, and overload/underload protection. Another is the Bucket Filling Assistant, which prevents the bucket from stalling in the digging face and semi-automatic, one-handed bucket filling with a consistent fill factor.
Other Liebherr Mining technologies include the Application Severity Assistant, which ascertains the difficulties of operating conditions at a mining site and recommends mitigation techniques, and the Operational Conformance Assistant, which detects misuse of the machine and areas requiring more operator training. The suite of technologies provides owners with machine performance monitoring and optimization, as well as compatibility with Liebherr’s Assistance Systems and future upgrades such as automation, emission-free operation, and digital services.
Testing In Indonesia
Liebherr Mining partnered with mining contractor PT Karunia Armada Indonesia to try out a pre-series R 9300 in at the Tabang mine in Indonesia. Karunia used the new excavator to remove and load overburden into 110- and 143-t (100- and 130-mt) trucks. Starting in September 2022, the R 9300 averaged 486 hours of operation per month. The new Liebherr R 9300 also demonstrated an average availability of 94% during the test.
In March 2023, Liebherr and Karunia began a production study of the pre-series excavator at the same mine, during which it averaged 26 seconds per cycle and produced 1,371 bank cubic meters (BCM) or 3,326 t (3,017 mt) per hour. The R 9300 also achieved a fuel efficiency ratio of 9.22 BCM per 0.26 gallons (1 liter) of diesel.
Stronger & More Durable
A 1,350-horsepower (1,007-kilowatt) diesel engine powers the R 9300 excavator. It uses selective catalytic reduction (SCR) in its exhaust aftertreatment system to comply with Tier 4 Final and EU Stage V emissions standards. The R 9300 has a maximum crowd force of 284,383 pounds-force (1,265 kilonewtons), a top digging force of 182,095 lbf (810 kN), and a max breakout force of 220,313 lbf (980 kN), depending on configuration.
Liebherr updated the R 9300’s attachment design to be lighter and stronger than the R 9250’s, along with a new stick and boom and standard aluminum covers. This lean design and hollow pins enabled an increase in bucket size in both backhoe (21.6 cubic yards/16.5 cubic meters) and face shovel (21 cu y/16 cu m) configurations. Liebherr says the new, larger EVO bucket design provides up to 15% greater productivity and makes the excavator well-suited to trucks with 110-, 143-, and 198-t (180-mt) payload capacities.
The manufacturer also designed the R 9300 for simplified maintenance. It eases inventory concerns by sharing parts in common with other current Liebherr excavator models. Its final drive has double lifetime seals in series; its carrier and track rollers are also sealed for life. Liebherr is currently developing an electric-drive version of the excavator.
Inside The Cab
The R 9300’s new cab includes better ergonomics and larger 10.5- and 15-inch touchscreens with day and night modes. The cabin is pressurized with single or optional double air conditioning. Operator visibility is excellent, even without the optional 360-degree view from the camera system mounted on top of the cab. A folding trainer seat facilitates interpersonal training.
Source: Liebherr