British contractors were famously slow to recognise the productivity and safety benefits of the automatic quick cooler. Yet, even as some demolition and construction firms are still feeling their way, one of the most popular systems is celebrating its silver anniversary. The fully automatic Solidlink quick coupling system from Liebherr was unveiled to the world in 2001 to enable hydraulic and electric attachments to be changed directly from the operator's cab.
With Solidlink, hydraulic and electrical connections are automatically connected and disconnected during attachment changes. The changeover takes place in a matter of seconds at the touch of a button from the operator's cab. This reduces set-up times, increases machine utilisation and boosts productivity on the construction site. The system offers significant advantages in terms of efficiency and cost-effectiveness, particularly in applications involving frequent attachment changes, such as demolition.
As attachment changes are carried out entirely from within the operator's cab, there is no need for anyone to be in the hazard zone whilst the coupling operation is taking place. Electronic sensors monitor the position of the locking pins, ensure that the attachment is correctly positioned and inform the machine operator of the locking status via visual and acoustic warning signals.
Over the past 25 years, Solidlink has been continuously developed and adapted to meet new requirements. What was originally designed for hydraulic excavators is now used in a wide range of machines and applications. Solidlink sizes 33, 48, 66 and 77 are available for wheeled and crawler excavators, as well as material handlers. The current range also includes the latest models, the Solidlink 33-9 and Solidlink 48-10, which enable additional hydraulic, lubrication and signal connections, supporting the use of even more complex attachments.
Today, Solidlink enables fully automatic attachment change not only on hydraulic and demolition excavators, but also on wheel loaders. For the latter, the system is available for a wide range of models, including the L 504 to L 508 compact loaders, the L 507 and L 509 stereoloaders, the L 526 to L 546 mid-sized wheel loaders, and the L 550 XPower® to L 580 XPower® wheel loaders. A second Solidlink coupling block is available as an option for the Compact and stereoloaders. This allows an additional hydraulic circuit to be connected for operating attachments such as a vibrating plate and a snow plough.
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