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The 2024 Liebherr Customer Days at their Ehingen plant has become a globally recognized industry event for mobile and crawler cranes, and recently took place for the seventh time from June 11 to 13, 2024. A total of 3,000 guests were invited to see the latest innovations from this global market leader, with this year’s event held for the first time at the new Liebherr repair center in Ehingen-Berg. A key highlight was the unveiling of the new LTM 1400-6.1, a 6-axle crane that boasted impressive lifting capacity and simple set-up processes. This event also featured live demonstrations of various technologies in the Innovation Park and offered visitors the chance to test the superstructure operation of machines equipped with the latest LICCON3 control system, drive mobile cranes via wireless remote control, and experience the LTC 1050-3.1E with electric drive. Additionally, the Customer Days included crane demonstrations, factory visits, and a diverse supporting program.
The LTM 1400-6.1 was the world’s most powerful 6-axle crane, with a 70-meter telescopic boom and clever, straightforward set-up processes. As the successor to the LTM 1350-6.1, it became the smallest crane with Y-guying, making it a perfect introduction to this boom technology, significantly enhancing lifting capacity. This versatile and economical all-rounder featured a wide range of equipment, a highly functional modular boom kit, and the renowned Liebherr technologies, marking it as an industry leader.
In line with EU Regulation 2019/2144, Liebherr's new cranes featured driver assistance systems to enhance road safety. These systems provided crucial information to help crane drivers navigate areas with limited visibility, such as the passenger side, behind, and directly in front of the vehicle. This was particularly vital for protecting vulnerable road users like pedestrians and cyclists. The LTM 1300-6.4 and LTM 1400-6.1 cranes came standard with these systems, which were set to be available for all other mobile crane models in Liebherr's portfolio by mid-2026. Notably, the Blind Spot Information System used a camera to monitor the crane's entire side area, alerting the driver both visually and acoustically to any obstacles or people in the lateral danger zone. Additionally, the Moving Off Information System provided visual and acoustic warnings when someone was in front of the crane, which was crucial given the restricted driver's view due to the crane's design. This system was particularly important for protecting children, who were less visible from the driver’s seat due to their height.
Following the positive reception of the RemoteDrive wireless remote control on the Liebherr LTC 1050-3.1 compact crane, this feature was also made available for the LTM 1100-5.3 and LTM 1110-5.2 mobile cranes by the end of 2024. The RemoteDrive system allowed crane operators to control the superstructure and drive the crane completely remotely, which was particularly advantageous in confined working conditions, enabling the operator to position themselves at the narrowest point with a clear view of any obstructions.
Liebherr also presented a new version of the Crane Finder, an intuitive tool designed to help users find the right crane and optimal configuration for specific load cases. This updated version included new integrated features and was made available as an app for smartphones and tablets, enhancing user-friendliness and flexibility. The mobile application allowed for greater ease of use, ensuring that finding the perfect crane was more accessible than ever before.
(Crane Hot Line’s Brian Ethridge was on the scene at the 2024 Customer Days. He will have an in-depth write-up of the event in our July issue.)
