How Liebherr’s new Colmar test bench enhances crawler excavator performance

In early 2026, Liebherr France SAS commissioned a new test rig for crawler excavators at its development and production site in Colmar, France. The investment of nearly 2.5 million euros (CAD $4.034 million) is part of an ongoing improvement process aimed at optimizing the performance of crawler excavators.

This system makes it possible to identify potential structural weaknesses at an early stage to reduce the response time between the identification of a problem and the implementation of the solution. The test bench is located at the development site, ensuring fast and efficient improvement cycles.

Liebherr tests its machines under accelerated environments

The system makes it possible to simulate accelerated ageing of excavator structures. With a coefficient of 17, one hour of testing corresponds to 17 hours of actual work on the building site. The machines undergo a series of intensive tests designed to accurately replicate the working conditions on a construction site: vibrations, torsional forces, impacts, and bending.

The system has been designed to ensure optimal reproducibility of test procedures, based on data gathered during real-world operations at various sites and collected across a wide range of applications. 

The real-world testing scenario makes it possible to optimize structural development phases. They are then supplemented by field tests to validate the components. The test bench consists of a test track and a trench within an enclosed hall. A concrete wall with six-metre-high noise barriers ensures compliance with the applicable noise protection standards in the industrial estate where Liebherr-France SAS is based.

Advancing Liebherr's future in autonomous machinery 

As the tests can be carried out as often as required, the machines used on the test bench are equipped to operate autonomously. The facility serves as a practical test bench for advancing the autonomy of Liebherr machines. The test bench operates without staff being physically present. The test procedures are controlled and monitored remotely from an external control room, with a camera system providing the technicians with continuous visual monitoring.

The safety of the system is based on a combination of complementary protective devices: physical protective devices (secured area, gate system), electrical and electronic systems (sensors, door contacts, laser sensors), and IT systems and solutions — in particular, GPS tracking of the machines, which prevents the autonomous machines from leaving the system without authorization. 

The project was initiated by the technical line and led by the testing department. The construction of the test bench required nine months of planning, followed by seven months of construction. The majority of the mechanical steel assemblies used in the construction were manufactured in-house, drawing on the expertise of the production teams at the Colmar site.