The current range of Liebherr Mining hydraulic excavators includes nine machines with operating weights of 100 to 800 t – and three are celebrating great milestones in Colmar this year. The 100 t class mining excavators represent around 60% of the total hydraulic excavator market. For Liebherr-Mining Equipment Colmar SAS, this range is composed of the R 9100 and R 9150. The first R 9100 was launched in 2010 and is one of the most sold excavators of the company. Most of these 565 kW (757 HP) machines, powered by in-house Liebherr V12 diesel engine, are operating on all five continents. As an example, the Cobre Panama Copper mine has eight R 9100 excavators in operation, providing productivity outputs with average cycle times of 22 seconds.

The R 996B celebrates its 18th birthday. The giant 600 t excavator was first launched as R 996 in 1995 and became the R 996B in 2000. It is mostly operating in Australia and Indonesia, but also in Russia, South Africa and Argentina, in the Veladero mine; they operate two R 996 and one R 996 B with an optional High Altitude Kit as the mine is located between 4,000 m (13,000 ft) and 4,850 m (16,000 ft).

The Liebherr R 9350 was first introduced onto the mining market in 2000 and was originally a R 994B before changing its name. Most of the excavators are operating in Australia, Indonesia, South Africa and Russia. For Russia, a majority of the machines are equipped with the optional Liebherr Arctic Kit to work in regions with temperatures down to -50°C/-58°F. “These milestone achievements are the results of many years of hard work and commitment to deliver our customers the best possible equipment for their operating needs.”