Liebherr’s LRS 545 Reachstacker Adds Productivity for Katoen Natie – Industry News

The recent delivery of a Liebherr reachstacker LRS 545 to the international logistic provider and port operator Katoen Natie underlines the strong business relationship between the two family-owned companies.

The Liebherr reachstacker LRS 545 is the latest machine from Liebherr Maritime Cranes. The reachstacker is the new strong link in the logistic chain of ports and terminals and perfectly complements Liebherr’s maritime portfolio. The family owned company Katoen Natie opted for the new Liebherr reachstacker to boost the container throughput at their intermodal terminal in Antwerp, Belgium.

Sophie Van Kerckhove, purchase director Katoen Natie says, “Thanks to our new LRS 545 we are very optimistic to increase our container handling capacity at the terminal. This state-of-the-art machine in combination with our long-term experience in safe and efficient cargo handling will support our daily business,”

During the last years Liebherr has already delivered quite a number of mobile harbour cranes to Katoen Natie. Due to this investment in two LHM 600s in 2015, Katoen Natie can offer high-capacity tandem lifts to its customers. Thanks to the installation of Sycratronic, one crane operator can safely handle heavy loads of up to 416t in tandem operation. In this regard, innovative technology from Liebherr plays a major role. This is where the LRS 545 steps in. The complete design of the new reachstacker series is based on the latest technology in order to maximise driver’s comfort, performance and eco-friendliness.

The LRS 545 is equipped with a 4 cylinder, 230kW Liebherr diesel engine. This downsized engine protects the environment by low fuel consumption and reduced emissions. To fulfil stage IV and tier 4 final legislative requirements, Liebherr relies entirely on an innovative SCR (selective catalytic reduction) system. The inhouse- developed system reduces exhaust emissions effectively without a sacrifice in performance. The machine stacks five containers high in the first row and four containers high in the third row. Moreover, it is capable of handling 45t in the first row and 21t in the third row.

The distinctive feature of the newly designed Liebherr cabin is a large glass panel that unites the front window with the side windows. The exclusion of the A-pillar combined with the curved window design allows an outstanding panoramic view for the driver. Optimally placed wide angle mirrors and a rear view camera ensure a complete view behind the machine. This guarantees maximum safety of the workers, the machine and the load, while increasing productivity at the same time. Versatile ergonomic adjustments of the driver seat ensure high comfort and thereby reduce fatigue.

Antwerp has been an important market for Liebherr mobile harbour cranes for more than 20 years. In 1990, the first unit was delivered to Westerlund Corporation in Antwerp. Over the years, the population of Liebherr mobile harbour cranes has substantially grown in the Belgian port. In 2009 Liebherr Maritime Cranes proudly opened a new office in Antwerp. Today there are eight service engineers based in Antwerp, to ensure quick response times and excellent service. Due to a notable market growth in recent years, Liebherr is optimistic that the demand for state-of-the-art mobile harbour cranes and reachstacker will further increase in Antwerp.