Liebherr TA 230 Litronic - Manual (Page 7)

12 // Quarrying Quarrying // 13
The roots of the Holemans Group go back to the year 1873 , and
the head office is in the town of Rees (Germany) directly on the
Rhine. Its core business is the quarrying and marketing of gravel
and sand, and 95 % of this is delivered to the construction industry,
where it is used as raw materials in the production of concrete.
The family business is now in its third generation and employs
130 people. It is not just the customers who benefit from the
company’s activities. Many protected species of animals and
plants find new homes in the gravel pit lakes that are created,
and the people in the region enjoy the watery recreation areas.
The companies of the Holemans Group deliver some 4.4 million
tonnes of high-quality gravel and sand every year, mainly to
manufacturers of concrete components, concrete transporters
and construction materials traders. “Sand and gravel can be found
everywhere, for example in buildings, footpaths, roads, bridges
and pipes, to name just a few,” says Thomas Derksen, technical
manager of Holemans GmbH. “Solar cells and microchips also
contain sand.”
Sand is made up of grains of between 0.0063 and 2 millimetres
in diameter. Gravel grains are between 2 and 32 millimetres in
diameter. “Sand and gravel are also split up into various size
categories. The individual fractions are separated using different
processes and then mixed in precisely defined ratios for the
to all sides and panoramic glazing. The exhaust system is
completely hidden behind the A-pillar, which prevents it from
obstructing the view over the engine cowl.
“Another advantage for ground levelling operations is how quiet
the machine runs,” Thomas Derksen says. Particular attention
was paid to this in the development of the new crawler generation.
The new features also include the undercarriage. A much larger
diameter sprocket wheel and more intermeshing teeth have
noticeably lengthened the service life of the chain and the sprocket.
Maintenance has also been optimised. Centralised service points,
wide-opening access hatches and engine compartment doors,
a tilting cab as standard, and an optional radiator that can be
folded out for cleaning all make service work easier.
“Service over the entire lifetime of the machine plays a decisive role
for us. With Liebherr, we know that we can rely on a quick response
and good work,” Thomas Derksen continues. “The reliability of the
preproduction crawler is quite remarkable. Throughout the entire
test phase, there was not one single failure.”
specific requirements of the customers. “Today, concrete
manufacturing is a science in itself. As the industry develops, the
requirements on the raw materials are increasing,” says Thomas
Derksen, commenting on trends in the sector.
The Holemans Group performs mining and recultivation
in stages, many of them in parallel. Embankments and paths
are laid, waterside areas fortified and trees planted. Eleven
Liebherr machines are used in these operations: eight wheel
loaders, two wheeled excavators and one crawler.
Holemans has been placing its trust in Liebherr excavators and
wheel loaders for many years. The crawlers employed to date
include a PR 734. From December 2012 until July 2013, a pre-
production machine of the type PR 736 was tested. The tasks
of the crawler included shifting and depositing gravel fields and
top soil and shaping the topography of the terrain. Some 2,100
operating hours were accumulated.
The PR 736 features an unprecedented electronically regulated
travel control with integrated “eco” function and proactive power
adjustment, which offers the choice between high power output
and maximum efficiency. “The important thing for us is that we
have power for pushing. That makes up 90 % of our operation,”
explains Thomas Derksen. “And the power available is really
impressive compared to the previous model. Despite this, fuel
consumption is on a similar level.”
Other positive aspects for the drivers are the comfort and clarity
of the cab, which has been developed completely from scratch.
All-round vision provides for additional efficiency and safety –
even in the area around the door, thanks to edges that drop down
“Service over the entire lifetime of the machine
plays a decisive role for us. With Liebherr, we
know that we can rely on a quick response and
good work.”
Thomas Derksen, technical manager of Holemans GmbH
Thomas Derksen, technical manager.
From gravel to sand
and on to new lakelands
Many gravel pit lakes on the lower Rhine are former quarrying fields of the Holemans Group. Here in the region
between the Ruhr and the Netherlands, companies of the Holemans Group have been extracting gravel and sand
before recultivating the areas affected for many decades. For six months, a PR 736 was in use as a practical test
machine for the new crawler generation 6.
Feature: Holemans GmbH
Power is needed here. That accounts for 90 % of our operations.
Sector:
Size of company:
Founded:
Location:
Managing Director:
Website:
Liebherr machines
in operation:
Company profile
Holemans GmbH
Quarrying and marketing plus nature and leisure
120 employees
1873
Rees / Germany
Michael Hüging-Holemans
www.holemans.de
8 wheel loaders, 2 wheeled excavators and a crawler