Liebherr autonomous fleet performs onsite validation

Liebherr’s Mining Technology Development Centre announced deployment of a fleet of four T 264 trucks at a mine site in Western Australia to support validation of its Autonomous Haulage Solution (AHS). The deployment, which commenced in Q3 2023, follows completion of comprehensive internal validation of the solution in the U.S.

Onsite validation marks a new stage in Liebherr’s strategy to accelerate development of a new autonomy product for the mining industry. (Photo: Liebherr)

Liebherr first announced the unveiling of its AHS in late 2017. It’s next-generation AHS was later showcased at MINExpo 2021, incorporating updates in onboard intelligence with reduced dependency on site infrastructure and centralized supervisory systems; vehicle-to-vehicle technologies; onboard obstacle avoidance and load area path planning capabilities; an eight-layer safety concept, and more.

Onsite validation marks the next stage in Liebherr’s strategy to accelerate development of a new autonomy product for the mining industry, the company said. According to Scott Bellamy, divisional general manager, Product Management, Liebherr Mining, “This deployment not only represents Liebherr Mining’s market introduction of the AHS, but also highlights Liebherr’s continued expansion as a technology solution provider for the mining industry.”

The solution has been deployed on the 240-tonne size class Liebherr T 264 haul truck, which is rated 2,700 gross hp (2,013 gross kW) whether equipped with a Cummins QSK 60, Liebherr D9812 or MTU 16V4000 diesel engine. The engine is matched with a Liebherr Litronic Plus AC drive system with IGBT technology and electric wheel motors (4,425 hp) to enable max speeds up to 34 mph (55 km/h).

In addition to the initial onsite deployment of its autonomy solution, Liebherr has expanded its autonomy project team to include onsite support for the duration of the validation program, Bellamy said, adding that the “focus is to ensure the organization can support in the future not only this exciting project, but also future AHS deployments across multiple customers and regions.”