Technic 2015 Discussion and Speculation

[aminnich]

Which one would you like the crawler crane to look like

[Saberwing40k]

42042 is actually based on a crawler crane that is smaller than any of the ones shown. I personally think it is based upon the Liebherr 843 crane:

42042 has the same fixed gantry, which looks a little bit out of proportion on that set, and the lattice boom is rather primitive, but it does look like the crane shown above. I am of the opinion that in some respects, this set is a step backwards over 8288, which had a moving gantry, more boom options, and better counterweight. Sadly, 42042 will probably not include any weight bricks, seeing as it has the PF battery box.

By the by, when does the next toy fair start?

[madjelly]

Which one would you like the crawler crane to look like

Crane inception .

[davidmull]

Boring cranes :( anyway back to the Merc the star of the show ;)

[Ondra]

Boring cranes :( anyway back to the Merc the star of the show ;)

Please dont tell to people what to discuss

[Maaboo the Witch]

The B model could be a tower crane...

Like with 8288?

[davidmull]

Please dont tell to people what to discuss

Ok sirr

[Corvette3]

Crane inception .

yeah it kinda hurts the eyes, took me a full minute of staring to figure out they were lifting each other.

[andythenorth]

Please dont tell to people what to discuss

Eh, he was being funny, he included smilies. This thread is one of the few places on EB where there is genuine humour, rather than the whining of disappointed over-privileged AFOLs. I'd say let it pass.

</backseat moderation>

Edited January 25, 2015 by andythenorth

[thomol]

Cool way of solving the problem of shelf scarcity when displaying your models. You could have the largest one hanging from the ceiling.

[Ondra]

Eh, he was being funny, he included smilies. This thread is one of the few places on EB where there is genuine humour, rather than the whining of disappointed over-privileged AFOLs. I'd say let it pass.

</backseat moderation>

Aha, if this smile isnt yellow i kinda miss it on eurobricks. .But cranes are fun, mercedes is star but this crane is king of non wheeled cranes. Edited January 25, 2015 by Ondra

[aminnich]

Why does the star of the show need to have wheels?!?

[Freekysch]

I must admit that I am looking foreword to see/buy the crane first, because I think crawler cranes are cool and new to the Lego Technic world.

[KLF]

I think crawler cranes are cool and new to the Lego Technic world.

http://brickset.com/sets/8288-1/Crawler-Crane

[aminnich]

Totally agree

[Freekysch]

Well, yea, but beside 8288 there are not any other crawler cranes, as for trucks which are a lot of them (8258, 8285, 9397. 8810, etc).

[Brickthus]

Perhaps the crawler crane will become a regular model type in the Technic range as the 8-wheel truck is becoming.

I will remain mildly skeptical about the pneumatics in 42043 until I see the pictures for two reasons:

1) Preliminary boxes can have images different from the final product. This has been borne out previously with the PF motors for the Crawler 9398. Toy fairs often have preliminary toys, not polished final versions.

2) The cost of pneumatic components and their development is high. We have had 1/5.5 and 2/7 cylinders for many years and whilst it would be logical to add a 2/11 to the range, it would cost more to change the original cylinders. a 1/5.5 is OK for a grab and 2/7s have done OK as lift and elbow actuators for cranes. The only missing function is an arm extension.

Contrary to that is the idea that a new subcontract partner for this type of actuator could make a comprehensive range offering. Certainly there are some improvements that could be made to the existing cylinders:

- Better seals, especially at the top; I sorted my 2/7 cylinders into groups with good, mediocre and bad seals.

- A metal shaft for the 1-wide cylinder. This would facilitate longer 1-wides such as 1/11.

- Integerisation of the length and extension measurements. The 1/5.5 extends by just less than 2M - awkward if you want to make a steam engine because cranks don't come in "just less than 1M" sizes, so 1/6 with a full 2M extension like the Unimog compressor is overdue. I had wondered whether TLG were testing the 1/6 concept on the Unimog compressor (lower production volume than cylinders) with a view to extending the 1/5.5 to 1/6.

- Improvement in the L/d ratio - more extension per unit length. The 1/5.5 extends by just less than 2M so its L/d is about 0.35. The 2/7 extends by 3.5M, so its L/d is about 0.5. A pair of 2/7s with brackets begins as a 2/15 and extends by 7M so the L/d is about 0.47. It would be good to have L/d of 0.67 or more in a single (non-telescopic) cylinder design without having to go wider to mount the cylinder in brackets with pivots half way up.

- A wider pump cylinder or compressor, to get more per revolution of the compressor shaft; previous compressors in set models have been slow with just one 1/5.5 (8868) or 1/6 (Unimog) compressor.

- Some people would like a colour other than yellow. I'm happy enough with yellow as it's good for construction equipment and models of other colours get to show off their actuators by the contrast. I'm not sure silver would be a good idea because it's a more difficult plastic colour to work with; grey would be OK. There is another possibility though - silver could indicate actual metal, which would mean stronger actuators, though that would make it more expensive so it is unlikely.

Of course if there are really 3 types of new cylinder and a new compressor then it will be well into 2016 before they would be available separately - if they come up on the TLG parts site in January 2016 then they will sell out instantly to people who would not want to build with them but would sell them on (knowing when to buy is a key skill in the marketplace). Therefore I hope TLG make a good stock before selling them individually. I guess the prices may be higher. The 1/5.5 was quite good value at £2.23 compared to its price as a spare part in the 1999 leaflet. I got a few for doing railway signals as I use the 2/7s for points but the signals would not need a lot of muscle.

Pneumatics have a clear advantage on truck loading cranes because of the difficulty of getting several shafts into a rotating domain for the LA alternative. Two shafts have been taken through a turntable for an excavator but it is a large mechanism. This difficulty and insistence on using LAs has resulted in some poor cranes with some LA functions and other manual hand controls on the cranes in some recent sets, including 9397's grab and 42038's arm extension. A 1/5.5 or 1/6 pneumatic cylinder is also easier to mount in a small space or on the end of something because the mini-LA is wider. Since there are pneumatics in 42043, I wonder what would be a worthy B-model. A refuse truck with looping pneumatic system is 24 years overdue since 8868; this time, with Technic panels from the tipper body of 42043 allowing a body structure to be made, the loop could be employed for the refuse crushing function.

Of course pneumatics are not just end-to-end devices if you are prepared to add some complexity. This makes even more sense for adding versatility to the operation of a longer cylinder. In some cases this makes their operation capable of emulating LAs. I still suspect LAs would be used for tipping 42043's body though. The same LAs could tip an alternative body for a refuse truck. It might also be tyhat the B-model uses the same chassis with another industrial function. Whilst a skip hook has been suggested earlier, any body shape could be done, even a cement mixer with a pneumatic loop driving the rotation!

Mark

[Jockos]

No. Like this:

https://www.google.hu/search?q=tower+crane&biw=1536&bih=739&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=UirFVNTxNsHpaI-OgeAM&ved=0CB4QsAQ

[andythenorth]

@Mark

2) The cost of pneumatic components and their development is high....[snip...]it would cost more to change the original cylinders.

Possible-but-I-have-really-no-idea: what if the current cylinder moulds are life-expired?

[Jockos]

No. Like this:

https://www.google.h...AM&ved=0CB4QsAQ

This might be the b modell what Maaboo35 asked.

[arik]

Mark, thanks for sharing your insight of pneumatic parts, interesting read!

- Integerisation of the length and extension measurements. The 1/5.5 extends by just less than 2M - awkward if you want to make a steam engine because cranks don't come in "just less than 1M" sizes, so 1/6 with a full 2M extension like the Unimog compressor is overdue. I had wondered whether TLG were testing the 1/6 concept on the Unimog compressor (lower production volume than cylinders) with a view to extending the 1/5.5 to 1/6.

I didn't realize the small pneumatic cylinder extends less than 2M, but it seems you are right! Good to know, I always supposed it was 2M, although it makes sense it's not, because the pump has that range of movement and is longer... But the retracted length is exactly 5M, not 5.5.

I'm looking forward to hearing more about the pneumatics 3.0 (I actually still have a couple of red 1.0 ones :-). Well, I guess a couple of days still at least.

[Wiseman_2]

Since there are pneumatics in 42043, I wonder what would be a worthy B-model. A refuse truck with looping pneumatic system is 24 years overdue since 8868; this time, with Technic panels from the tipper body of 42043 allowing a body structure to be made, the loop could be employed for the refuse crushing function.

According to Huw on Brickset, the B-Model is a Flatbed Truck. I hope it's along the level of 8109, a bit of a gem that set.

Also, thinking about the A-Model, I'm guessing the gearbox will probably be pretty similar to the Unimog's. First selects between pneumatic compressor and geared functions, and the second selects between two geared functions (in this case, crane rotation and stabilizer extension). I would guess then that three of the four valves will control the crane, with the last tipping the bed. Mostly baseless speculation of course but it's what I'm expecting

And I am quite looking forward to seeing images of the Crawler Crane too. Interesting subject matter. Would I be right in thinking that at 1,401 pieces it is the largest non-flagship Technic set Lego have done? Because that could make for an interesting model.

[Saberwing40k]

And I am quite looking forward to seeing images of the Crawler Crane too. Interesting subject matter. Would I be right in thinking that at 1,401 pieces it is the largest non-flagship Technic set Lego have done? Because that could make for an interesting model.

You're right, it is larger than virtually any other flagship set, and even larger than some flagships. I just hope they fix the boom...

[aminnich]

Only 2 more days until we finally see the sets we have all been waiting for.... but then a little more than 6 months until we can buy them

[davidmull]

Only 2 more days until we finally see the sets we have all been waiting for.... but then a little more than 6 months until we can buy them

Yep can't wait :)