Innovative Products

Liebherr Introduces Performance Increase To L 550 And L 556 XPOWER® Wheel Loaders

In the five years since their debut, Liebherr’s XPower® large wheel loaders have established themselves as forerunners in terms of fuel efficiency and stability.

The L 556 XPower® wheel loader with z-bar kinematics and earth bucket engaged in conventional mining operations.

Liebherr is now updating two models in the series – the L 550 XPower® and L 556 XPower®. To further boost performance, Liebherr has reinforced the lift arms and overhauled the working hydraulics. Innovations also include increased tip load, breakout force and engine power. The two performance-optimised models are now available to order from all Liebherr sales partners.

The Liebherr L 550 XPower® and L 556 XPower® wheel loaders are used primarily in industrial operations such as in waste disposal. Paper handling, bulky metal scrap and refuse slag pose a particular challenge to a machine fleet. “We remain in close contact with our customers and understand the tough conditions at landfill sites and recycling centres. With this in mind, we have purposefully invested in the performance and versatility of our two wheel loaders as part of our model updates”, explains Mark Walcher, product manager at Liebherr-Werk Bischofshofen GmbH.

FEATURES

  • Heavy-duty industrial operations a key competence of both wheel loaders
  • Increased engine, working hydraulics and equipment performance
  • Four lift arm versions available – z-bar kinematics standard and high lift as well as industrial kinematics standard and high lift
  • Quick coupler with optimised visibility and LIKUFIX now available

INCREASED PERFORMANCE – A MORE POWERFUL ENGINE AND IMPROVED WORKING HYDRAULICS
Both the L 550 XPower® and L 556 XPower® wheel loaders are equipped with the powersplit travel drive, installed as standard in all Liebherr XPower® wheel loaders. By increasing the engine power on both models, the travel drive is even more powerful with consistently low consumption, such as when accelerating or penetrating material – and it’s no different when the wheel loaders are equipped with heavy protective devices or solid rubber tyres for industrial operations.

An increase in performance in the working hydraulics has enabled dynamic lift and tip functions, irrespective of the size or weight of the working tool. Structural modifications to the lift arms have paved the way for higher breakout, holding and retrieval forces than before. As a result, operators are now able to efficiently manipulate challenging materials such as scrap metal, paper, compost, and logs, particularly in the upper lifting range.

FOUR LIFT ARM VERSIONS AVAILABLE ACCORDING TO OPERATIONS
For the L 550 and L 556 XPower® wheel loaders, Liebherr offers four lift arm versions in the form of z-bar kinematics and industrial kinematics both in standard and high lift configurations. Customers can choose which of the four versions best meets their requirements at the time of ordering. Liebherr has overhauled all four versions of the lift arms as part of the model update, as well as reinforcing the steel construction.

The modified z-bar kinematics on the L 550 and L 556 wheel loaders offers strength in the lower lifting range and higher breakout forces than before. The maximum force is produced when, for example, the bucket or attachment is working close to the ground and breaks material out of a pile. This is an important feature when picking up and loading rocks, gravel, or construction debris.

Liebherr has also overhauled the industrial kinematics of both wheel loaders. The industrial kinematics is tailored to industrial operations that frequently require operators to work with heavy working tools such as light material buckets, high dump buckets and log grapplers. In addition, the industrial kinematics offers parallel guidance, which is ideal for operating forklifts.

The high lift version (one for both z-bar and industrial kinematics) has extended lift arms for increased reach and more productive loading at a great height.

VERSATILITY THANKS TO INCREASED TIP LOAD AND RANGE OF EQUIPMENT OPTIONS
The overhaul of the lift arms has increased the tip load, which means that operators of the new L 550 XPower® and L 556 XPower® can work with larger buckets than before, and move more material in each loading process. Liebherr has taken this as an opportunity to reconfigure the design of the buckets on both models. Consequently, customers can now more accurately tailor the individual modules and wear parts of the buckets to their needs at the time of ordering.

The fully automatic LIKUFIX quick coupler system, historically a feature of Liebherr hydraulic excavators, is being made available for the L 550 XPower® and L 556 XPower® wheel loaders for the first time which will revolutionise operations involving multiple attachments or tools. The LIKUFIX quick coupler system allows operators to safely and conveniently switch mechanical and hydraulic attachments and tools from inside the cab at the press of a button.

PERFORMANCE DATA OF STANDARD VERSION WHEEL

loaders L 550 XPower®L 556 XPower®
Tip load:12,500 kg13,750 kg
Bucket capacity:3.4 m³3.7 m³
Operating mass:18,550 kg19,600 kg
Engine power:163 kW / 222 HP183 kW / 249 HP

Additional equipment allows both XPower® wheel loaders to be prepared for customerspecific requirements. In addition, a hydraulic quick coupler with optimised visibility is also available when requested by the customer, as well as a range of assistance systems. The latter includes active personnel detection at the rear with a new braking assistant, designed to increase safety in day-to-day operations.

ABOUT LIEBHERR-WERK BISCHOFSHOFEN GMBH
Liebherr-Werk Bischofshofen GmbH (Austria) develops, produces and sells wheel loaders of the Liebherr Group. The plant in the state of Salzburg has grown steadily over the decades thanks to sustainable innovations, creative solutions and high-quality standards. The wheel loader range is constantly being expanded and includes different models in four different product groups: Compact loaders, stereo loaders, all-round wheel loaders of the mid-range series and large wheel loaders, which convince with their innovative drive concepts.

ABOUT THE LIEBHERR GROUP
The Liebherr Group is a family-run technology company with a highly diversified product portfolio. The company is not only one of the largest construction equipment manufacturers in the world, but also provides high-quality and useroriented products and services in a wide range of other areas. The Liebherr Group includes over 140 companies across all continents, employs more than 48,000 staff and in 2019 achieved combined revenues of over 11.7 billion euros. Since its foundation in 1949 in Kirchdorf an der Iller in Southern Germany, Liebherr has been pursuing the goal of achieving continuous technological innovation and bringing industry-leading solutions to its customers.

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