At the beginning of 2026, Liebherr France SAS commissioned a new test stand for crawler excavators at its Colmar site in France. The investment of approximately 2.5 million euros is part of a continuous improvement process aimed at optimizing the performance and robustness of crawler excavators. The facility allows construction site loads to be simulated in accelerated form – and simultaneously serves as a test field for the development of autonomous machines. With a time-lapse coefficient of 17, one test hour on the test stand corresponds to 17 hours of actual construction site use.

How does the test stand work?

The Liebherr test stand enables accelerated aging of excavator structures. The machines are subjected to a series of intensive tests that precisely replicate working conditions on the construction site: vibrations, torsions, impacts and bending. The facility is based on data collected under real-world use from various customers and gathered across numerous applications. Structural development phases can thus be optimized before being subsequently supplemented and validated through field tests.

The test stand consists of a track and a trench within an enclosed hall. A concrete wall with six-meter-high sound barriers ensures that applicable noise protection standards in the industrial area are met. Control and monitoring of test procedures is performed remotely from an external control room, and a camera system provides technicians with continuous visual control.

Strategic advantage: shortening development cycles

The direct proximity of the test stand to the engineering teams at the development and production site in Colmar allows structural weaknesses to be identified early. This shortens the response time between problem identification and solution implementation. The facility enables ideal reproducibility of test procedures – an important aspect when it comes to validating designs for different operating conditions in road construction, civil engineering or earthmoving.

The shortened time-to-market is a decisive factor especially in competition with Asian manufacturers. Liebherr positions itself as a manufacturer that closely integrates development and production – an advantage that other European OEMs such as Volvo CE are increasingly highlighting.

Autonomous machines in continuous operation

Since tests can be repeated as often as desired, the machines used on the test stand are equipped to operate autonomously. The facility runs without direct presence of personnel. In this way, the test stand serves as a concrete test field for promoting the autonomy of Liebherr machines – a development area that is increasingly gaining importance for autonomous construction equipment manufacturers.

The safety of the facility is based on a combination of complementary measures: physical protective devices such as a secured area and a gate system, electrical and electronic systems such as sensors, opening detectors and laser sensors, as well as IT solutions, in particular GPS positioning of machines. The latter prevents unauthorized departure of autonomous machines from the site.

What distinguishes autonomous test stands from classical testing methods?

Classical field tests require machine operators, logistics and often months of observation under changing conditions. An autonomous test stand, on the other hand, allows reproducible, round-the-clock tests under controlled conditions. The time-lapse factor of 17 means that one year of construction site operation can be simulated in approximately three weeks. This not only accelerates the validation of design changes, but also makes it possible to systematically analyze wear patterns.

For the development of autonomous functions, the test stand is particularly valuable: machines can perform thousands of cycles without endangering personnel, while sensors, control software and safety systems are continuously monitored. This is an advantage over pure field operations, where autonomous functions may only be tested under strict conditions.

Internal manufacturing and site expertise

The project was initiated by technical management and led by the testing department. The design of the test stand required nine months of planning work, followed by seven months of construction. A large part of the mechanical steel structures used in the construction were manufactured in-house, utilizing the expertise of the production teams at the Colmar site.

This internal implementation shows that Liebherr is expanding the Colmar site not only as a production facility, but as an integrated development and manufacturing location. This should also be strategically relevant in light of skilled worker retention – Liebherr regularly awards scholarships to technical graduates to retain qualified engineers and technicians in the long term.

Classification: What comes next?

The investment in a test stand with integrated autonomous testing capability is a clear signal that Liebherr is advancing the development of autonomous hydraulic excavators. While self-driving articulated dump trucks are already in series production in open-pit mining, excavators and wheel loaders are still lagging behind in autonomous development. The test stand in Colmar could be a building block in closing this gap.

It remains unclear when Liebherr will announce its first production-ready autonomous crawler excavators for construction site use. The press release does not mention specific product names or market launch dates. However, one thing is clear: the test stand is not just a tool for classical structural testing, but an integral part of the development chain for future generations of autonomous construction equipment.

In parallel, Liebherr is also investing in other innovation areas: The first R 9600 was delivered to Northern Star Resources in July 2026, a large excavator used in the Australian Super Pit open-pit mine. Autonomy is likely to play a role there in the medium term as well – the test stand in Colmar could significantly accelerate the validation of such systems.

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