12.11.2021

Liebherr ships new 400t crawler

Liebherr has shipped the first unit of its new 400 tonne LR 1400 SX crawler crane, the largest capacity model built at the manufacturer’s Nenzing plant in Austria .

Based on the current LR 1300.1 SX, the new model has been designed for easy transport and rigging. The complete superstructure, including jacking frame and slew ring - but without hoist and boom butt section - weighs 46 tonnes and forms a transport load with overall dimensions of just under 12.7 metres long by three metres wide and 3.44 metres high, for relatively simple transport between jobs.
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Once on site the machine is able to completely self-assemble with all pins on the crane hydraulically installed and locked. The tracks extend from an overall width of 4.8 to 8.4 metres, or 8.7 metres depending on track pads. The tracks are driven by four motors, with two on each track. As with the LR 1300 SX, the LR 1400 SX has a choice of jibs and extensions including fixed and luffing jibs up to 113 metres with a maximum combination of 178 metres.

The first units of the new model have shipped to Mountain Crane Service of Salt Lake City, Utah, in the USA and Depenbrock in Germany,
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The new crane will eventually replace the current 350 tonne LR 1350 and 400 tonne LR 1400, built in Ehingen, with Nenzing likely to take over production of lattice crawlers up to 400 tonnes, while Ehingen focuses on 500 tonnes and above. The full specification/brochure and data sheet is available by clicking here.

Gerhard Frainer, managing director for sales at Nenzing, said: “This is a big step for our location. And satisfies requests from the market for a larger SX crane. With the new LR 1400 SX, Liebherr Werk Nenzing extends its range of crawler cranes to include lifting capacities of up to 400 tonnes.”

Paul Belcher, owner of Mountain Crane Service, added: “You can operate the whole crane with the remote control. This allows for a better overview and increases safety on site.”

The first German customer, Depenbrock, said: “For barge operation, the available barge load charts for any configuration and any possible counterweight combination are crucial. The modular counterweight system is very good. If a smaller counterweight is sufficient, the unit can also be used on a correspondingly smaller barge.”

The new crane has a number of innovative features including the Gradient Travel Aid, which helps the operator to negotiate slopes and inclines by displaying the crane’s centre of gravity on the in cab screen, warning the operator, should the crane approach a dangerous position.
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Additionally, the Ground Pressure Visualisation system calculates the current ground pressure of the crane in real time and compares it with the specified safety limits of the relevant position. The ground pressure is displayed in the operator's cab and the operator is permanently aware of whether the machine is situated in, or is approaching, a critical area. The ground pressure can also be reduced using the ground pressure reduction plates.

For more details, check out the animated video below: