Liebherr breaks ground on hydraulic cylinder production facility

Preparations for the construction of a new building at the Liebherr-Components site in Oberopfingen are in full swing. (Photo: LIebherr)

Liebherr-Components Kirchdorf GmbH held a ground-breaking ceremony on December 13 to commemorate the start of construction for a new plant in Oberopfingen, Germany. The facility, scheduled for completion in 2024, will have a ground area of approximately 46,000 sq. meters and will house the mechanical production of hydraulic cylinders, which are currently produced in Kirchdorf an der Iller. Production-related administrative areas will also move to the site.

The new facility will consolidate the entire hydraulic cylinder production into one location. The main plant for the production of hydraulic cylinders and other hydraulic components as well as administration, assembly, painting and logistics have been located at Oberopfingen since 2018.

“We will not only join forces again as one team in one place, but also exploit potentials for the future, as an attractive employer and a reliable partner,’’ said Christian Zenner, managing director, Liebherr-Components Kirchdorf GmbH. “The construction project is an essential step towards fulfilling our customers’ needs, as well as towards positioning ourselves as one of the leading hydraulic cylinder manufacturers worldwide.”

Liebherr-Components Kirchdorf GmbH held a ground-breaking ceremony to commemorate the start of construction. (Photo: Liebherr)

A total of three new halls will be built. One hall will house a logistics area, including a high-bay warehouse, quality control, customer service and a modern production for fibre composite components. The other two halls will house modernized mechanical production. Two adjoining administrative buildings will complement the halls.

The facility will enable  optimization of the local bundling of production, internal processes and production sequences while creating opportunities to improve and fully redesign production conditions, Liebherr noted.

“For example, we are expanding the capacity of fibre composite production and investing in new machinery and equipment. In order to implement the overall processes in the best way possible in the future, areas from the older plant in Oberopfingen will also be moved into the new building,” explained Thomas Angielsky, project manager, Liebherr-Components Kirchdorf GmbH.

Construction on the new Oberopfingen plant is expected to span 1.5 years, with overall completion including all relocation work anticipated by spring 2025.