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Liebherr branded
box. |
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Panel details
are highlighted. Metal handrails. |
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Textured
grilles on the side. |
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Detailed
tracks. |
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Excellent
details on top. |
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LV 20 vibrator
is permanently fixed to the sledge. |
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In transport
mode. |
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Poses well with the included sheet piles. |
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The Liebherr
LRB 18 is a piling and drilling rig. It can be
configured to handle different types of piles and
techniques. The model is equipped with an LV 20
slim vibrator.
It has an operating weight of around 51 tonnes.
Packaging
The model comes in a Liebherr branded box.
Inside the model is wrapped in soft paper and rests in a polystyrene tray
with the plastic base for the model held in the top tray.
There were no missing parts or defects on the review
model.
There is some intricate assembly to do to fit rope and
hose details. These would have been much better
done in the factory. An instruction sheet
describes most of the assembly and features.
Detail
There is no particular detail underneath the model.
The tracks are metal and are made up of delicate
links with bolt head detailing. The track frames
have good detail and include pinned rollers which did
not rotate on the review model. The drive sprockets are
also good containing the name 'Liebherr'.
Detailing on the body includes an operator's cab with a
textured access platform and a windscreen wiper. The
roof has a metal cab guard and there are lights. Inside
the cab, detail is also good with shaped joysticks and
pedals visible. Moving behind the cab the body panels
are finely detailed with door handles and grilles.
At the rear of the body the Liebherr name is formed by
sharp graphics on the counterweight.
At roof level the detailing is excellent. There is a
very good exhaust system and nice textured surfaces.
The fan structure is visible on the inside, and the
hydraulics have tiny highlighted coloured details.
Metal handrails surround the body.
The leader and support structures are modelled well.
Nearly all the components are metal. The leader
has detailing in the casting and the hydraulics are
complex. The hoses look good other than they are too
stiff to hang naturally. The pulleys in the leader
top appear to be metal and the auxiliary hoist is finely
detailed.
The vibrator is a slim design LV 20. It has nice
hydraulics and the pile clamps are good too.
However, it is modelled as one piece together with the
sledge and this reduces the flexibility of the model.
A plastic base comes with the model. It has grooves for
inserting the model metal sheet piles so an effective
display can be produced.
Features
The tracks work well although are a little stiff. They
are mounted on extendible frames so the tracks can be
pulled out in operating mode and can be pushed in to
narrow the width for transport purposes.
The model rotates but was jerky on the review model.
At the top of the leader is a working auxiliary winch
which has a small hook attached. It can be telescoped
out by removing a pin, and also rotated.
The mechanisms for raising and lowering the leader work
well and any pose can be held. The leader can be
locked at a vertical height by tightening a screw.
The leader can also be rotated so the machine can get to
the correct angle to the piles being driven.
The vibrator is mounted on the universal slide and it
can be positioned up and down and locked at a height
with a screw.
The model can be displayed in working or transport
configuration. However, for transport the cab platform
and metal handrails on the roof cannot be removed or
lowered. It is a pity that the vibrator cannot be
detached for transport, or for other piling and drilling
tools to be fitted.
Quality
This is a high quality model with a very good finish.
The metal content is high and the paint and graphics are
also very good.
Price
The model is reasonable value.
Overall
It is good to see another foundation engineering model
from Liebherr. It is nicely implemented by NZG although
there is a surprising amount of adding of detail to do
out of the box, and the flexibility of the model could
have been better.
Footnotes
The model appeared at the Bauma Exhibition April 2019.
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Profile view. |
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Parts and
instruction sheet. |
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Complex
geometry to support the leader. |
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Detail
underneath. |
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Smart cab.
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Nice leader detailing. |
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Impressive load
for a truck. |
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On the road. |
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