Liebherr’s R 9300 mining excavator in now available

Liebherr’s 250-tonne R 9300, the second Generation 8 excavator in the company’s mining portfolio, is now available.

The R 9300 replaces the R 9250 in Liebherr’s mining excavator portfolio and is equipped with the latest Liebherr Mining technology as standard. This tech provides the machine with improved onsite performance as well as compatibility with Liebherr’s Assistance Systems and future product enhancements such as automation, zero emission technologies and digital services.

As part of the validation phase for the R 9300, Liebherr Mining partnered with its customer Karunia in Indonesia to establish the capabilities of the excavator on site. The machine is being used to load overburden into 100- and 130-tonne trucks at Karunia’s Tabang mine. Since September 2022, the R 9300 has averaged 486 operational hours per month and 94 per cent availability – surpassing Karunia’s KPIs for the machine.

To further demonstrate the capabilities of the R 9300, a production study of the pre-series excavator at Tabang mine was conducted in March 2023. During the study, the R 9300 achieved a 26-second average cycle time, helping the excavator reach instantaneous productivity of 1,371 bank cubic metres (BCM) per hour equaling 3,017 tonnes per hour. The R 9300 also attained a fuel efficiency ratio of 9.22 BCM per litre of fuel burned.

The latest machine uses 15 per cent less fuel and improves fuel efficiency by 25 per cent compared to the R 9250.

Liebherr Power Efficiency (LPE) – a proprietary engine and hydraulics management system helps to decrease the amount of fuel a machine consumes while maintaining optimal productivity and performance – comes as standard in the R 9300.

The R 9300’s engine is available in FCO and EPA Tier 4 and Stage V compliant versions (with SCR after-treatment technology) to adhere to international emissions standards.

As well, an electric-drive version of the R 9300 is in development and will be available soon.

To increase productivity and efficiency, a range of design improvements have been implemented in the R 9300.

The R 9300 has an updated attachment design that is lighter and stronger than the R 9250. The new attachment is paired with high-performance components such as a new stick and boom design and aluminium covers all installed as standard. This lean design has enabled an increase in bucket size in both the backhoe and face shovel configurations.

The standard bucket sizes of 16.5 cubic metresin backhoe configuration and 16 cubic metres in face shovel configuration (at 1.8t/ per cubic metre with the heavy-duty wear package) makes the excavator an effective pass match for trucks with 100-, 130- and 180-tonne payloads.

The mining excavator has also been designed for simplified maintenance and a longer service life. This excavator shares parts commonality with Liebherr’s current excavators to help minimize maintenance costs and streamline onsite inventory.

The lifespan of the R 9300 has been increased by 33 per cent above the R 9250 from 45,000 to 60,000 hours. Extending the service life of the R 9300 helps the machine to better align with the service life of major excavator components.

The new cab includes enhanced ergonomics, larger touch screens, a new control panel design and optimized visibility to help promote operator wellbeing while increasing safety.

The R 9300 enters serial production in 2024, with the backhoe configuration available in the first quarter and the face shovel configuration from the second quarter of the year.