Liebherr Slewing Drive to Magni

Magni Telescopic Handlers (Magni) – an Italy-based manufacturer of rotary telescopic handlers has chosen for its machines a three-stage slewing drive from Liebherr Components.

Magni’s machines are capable of handling loads up to 46 m in height. The company founder and CEO, Riccardo Magni, said: “Our machines are sometimes competing with cranes weighing 40 to 50 tons – in contrast, however, they are much smaller, more versatile, nimbler and  less expensive. Yet they perform all the required tasks and even combine the three functions of a crane, forklift and work platform.”

These rotary telehandlers utilize Liebherr drive units since 2017 and currently nearly all models in the Magni range are equipped with these units. The component consists of a type DAT 200 backlash-free gearbox, a high-pressure, high-speed hydraulic motor and special brakes. According to the two companies, the entire slewing drive increases the machines’ precision and stability, and allows safe working at greater heights.

Liebherr said that, compared to single-stage solutions, these three-stage drives enable smoother movement of the boom. The design principle ensures uniform load balancing across the individual stages, resulting in a high power density.

All Liebherr sun gears and planet gears are optimized to minimize circumferential backlash and have minimum play. The inner gears are made of tempered steel, which is also used for the planet carriers.

Enrico Menozzi, head of Sales Europe Drive Technology at Liebherr Components, explained that Liebherr has a longstanding experience with these components: “We also supply drives for turntable ladders and fire engines. The largest of these can reach a height of 64 meters with people on them – high-precision positioning and smooth control being thereby a vital precondition.”

Magni’s rotary telehandlers have been exhibited at bauma show 2019. “We entered the market at the right time, which certainly helped our success. Flexible solutions are in high demand,” said Magni. “We are now the number 2 provider worldwide.” It seems that the audience has been quite impressed by the configuration: “Many of our customers have now tested the new models with the Liebherr drives – and many want us to swap out their existing units. So at the moment we are planning a replacement kit with Liebherr,” commented Magni.

Magni Telescopic Handlers has an history of only five years, but in such a short time its production figures have reported to reach more than 700 machines per year – with annual growth rates of 30 – 40%.