Liebherr has developed a tilt unit that can extend the swing angle of various excavator attachments. With this new LiTiU tilt unit, fixed attachments are now able to reach swing angles of up to 2 x 75°. In addition, hydraulic attachments such as sorter grabs, swivel-mounted ditch cleaning buckets and tilt buckets can be combined with the LiTiU unit for an even bigger swing angle.
The new LiTiU unit is available in different versions and sizes, and is also compatible with attachments from other manufacturers, said Liebherr.
The LiTiU attachment is designed for applications where the swing angle represents an extension of the working area. It expands the applications of wheeled and crawler excavators. Apart from classic excavation works, the machines can be used for levelling and modelling banks, levelling and ditch cleaning, as well as demolition and recycling, without the need to reposition the machine or change the attachment.
Liebherr has equipped the LiTiU attachment with a protected swivel motor. The unit is available as a direct mounting or sandwich attachment in two different sizes. As a direct mounting, LiTiU 12 or LiTiU 18 is mounted directly to the stick end of the wheeled or crawler excavator. The connection between the bottom of the LiTiU unit and the attachment is realised either with the Liebherr SWA 33 / SWA 48 quick coupling system or the fully automatic Liebherr SWA 33 Likufix / SWA 48 Likufix quick coupling system. Depending on the quick coupling system, swing angles of up to 2 x 75° can be achieved in this version.
With the optional extended hydraulic circuit, the LiTiU 18 unit can also be activated directly. As a result, the high-pressure and medium-pressure circuits are available for the functions of the attachments. There is no need to change over to the joystick control elements and productivity can be increased, said Liebherr.
As a sandwich attachment, both the connection between stick end and LiTiU and the bottom of the LiTiU and attachment is performed for LiTiU 33 or LiTiU 48 via the fully automatic Liebherr SWA 33 Likufix / SWA 48 Likufix quick coupling system. Here, swing angles of up to 2 x 50° are possible. One advantage of this attachment version is the externally routed hydraulic piping, ensuring a uniform and constant oil flow.
The LiTiU 33 and LiTiU 48 units are therefore an excellent complement for attachments with their own slewing drive, such as sorter grabs or vibrating plates. However, this attachment version is also useful for attachments like hammers, milling machines and mulchers that do not have their own slewing drive but still require high oil quantities with low-pressure losses.
According to Liebherr, there are more benefits when the new LiTiU unit is combined with the fully automatic Likufix quick coupling system (the latter is a hydraulic quick coupler with an automatic hydraulic coupling system). Both mechanical and hydraulic attachments on the bottom of the LiTiU can be safely exchanged from the operator's cab in a short time. Apart from quick and safe attachment changeover, the LiTiU 33 or LiTiU 48 unit can also be set down fully and the machine can be combined with another attachment.
More applications for excavators
Fixed buckets are mainly used for traditional earthmoving work, for example excavation and transport of various materials. A certain swing angle is beneficial for levelling and modelling banks or levelling and ditch cleaning work, as well as demolition or recycling. With the new LiTiU unit, each fixed attachment becomes a swivel-mounted unit with increased versatility.
Hydraulic attachments can also be combined with the LiTiU unit for an even bigger swing angle, as can attachments from other manufacturers such as vibrating plates or mulchers. Productivity can be increased in the instance where the swing angle provides better access to difficult-to-reach areas without the need to reposition the machine.
