mdemerchant

Well presumably it will at least partly be up to Liebherr what boom setup is included. But I certainly wouldn't count on getting it. On the other hand the power boom may actually make it less fragile which would help meet TLG's standards of not falling to pieces when you play with it so you never know. I'll be interested to see how they do the slewing bearing. This is frequently a weak point on crane models and will be tough to make solid if they try and stick to scale at all instead of just using the big gear rings. If the new rings are only 11L wide it's going to be wobbly for a 1.5m boom unless they have a clever design. Maybe this is a place where they could come up with a useful new part like a larger turn table.

I'll indulge in some pointless speculation Assuming they do direct drive of all functions and don't use a gearbox, 4 motors will not be enough for a crawler crane. At a minimum you need five functions: two crawlers, slewing, boom raise/lower, hook. If it's really a LR13000 they don't operate without a derrick I think so that's a minimum of 6 even if they don't put in a luffing jib. So you're talking about two hubs or a Mindstorms hub or whatever it's called, which seems highly unlikely. I would expect two hubs the same as in 42100, one in the base driving the crawlers and slewing and one in the superstructure running the winches for all other functions, however many there may be. Of course they could have two crawlers directly driven and everything else with a gearbox but I doubt it due to the complexity of getting enough functions through the turn table. Anyway, I'm with you, it seems like a lot of money. And 1.5m isn't actually a particularly big crane although it's probably at the limit of what Lego may ever release. Still, I really like cranes so I'll be eager to see what they make but unlikely to buy it. I am curious to see what boom configuration they come up with. Erecting a largish crane with a derrick and luffiing jib isn't actually that simple, it would be interesting to see how they explain that in the instructions. It's also quite easy to have a disastrous accident when playing with it if you are not careful, I speak from much experience

You've definitely picked a tough challenge. Forgetting all the other complexity, the booms on concrete pumps are so slender they are going to be extremely difficult to do in Lego and make them functional. It certainly looks good so far though, it will be great to see what you can achieve.

@nerdsforprez It's very nice building work even unfinished but now that I see a large section in place in the middle I think the door trim is going to detract from the overall look a bit. What you've built so far looks amazing but imagine how much more amazing it would look if the trim was gone around the display closet and the Lego extended right to the edge of the opening. Removing it would be a big hassle though. Keep up the updates, I'm eager to see how it turns out in the end.

In scale is definitely nicer if possible but if it's going to cause a lot of other problems I don't think it's very noticeable that it's too wide as is.

That's going to look great when it's done. Your test sections already look really good. How are you going to attach it to the wall? Once it gets high enough it will have to be anchored somehow won't it?

It's not that hard to get patents granted for surprisingly general ideas like this. The IP lawyers at my company always encourage our patent applications to be as broad as possible. You can always narrow the scope if your initial application is rejected because it's considered overly broad. The thing to remember is the patent office are not experts in all subjects and they may allow people to patent all sorts of things that will not ultimately stand up in court. One of the key defenses you can try in an infringement case is to claim the patent is overly broad and should be invalidated on that basis. Basically you argue the patent office made a mistake in granting the patent and if a judge agrees the patent effectively disappears. The catch of course is that getting to that point will cost you legal fees running into the millions if you are fighting a determined large corporation. You need deep pockets and you have to be pretty sure you're going to win to take it that far. I completely agree with the comments that the patent is irrelevant to MOCers. Real companies like Lego only exercise their IP weapons against big targets where they believe they have something significant to gain. Patent trolls are less discriminating but even they will not go after individuals, there's no money in that.

Thanks for all the input, especially to @astyanax for linking the other thread. I don't use Stud.io as my tool of choice so I wouldn't have noticed it if you hadn't pointed it out. It's very interesting to hear everyone's processes and I'm glad to see I haven't missed some obvious way to make things easier. I think my takeaway from the discussion and my own experience is that the easiest way to get an accurate digital model is probably to build the entire thing digitally first, with test builds as needed. It may not be the most enjoyable way for me personally but I can see that it would be the least overall effort.

I'm not sure it's a very fair comparison. Sheo's model looks amazing but no technic set is ever going to look like that because that's not the style they are going for. There are other reasons as well but they just aren't aiming for that. In terms of functionality I don't think there is a huge difference. Sheo's has a proper ripper, this has blade tilt. His is more compact but pretty sure he didn't have to fit a large scale V12 in it, or a large battery box. Personally I think the CAT could certainly be improved but it's not a bad model, setting aside price for a moment. Nobody asks what the price of MOCs are after all. I'm eagerly waiting to see what the final @efferman version will look like.

Yes, after I finished updating the LDR I thought a different color scheme might look good as well. Mediaco yellow, white and black might be pretty nice. Those also happen to be the only parts I bought for my build. The only reason I did was because they are pretty cheap and I thought they had excellent reuse potential as mountain pieces for my kids. Your version of Jeroen's 11200 was great and I actually looked at your photos quite a bit while building this. It would be great to see what you can improve on this one. Those extras definitely make it much more interesting to me. A crane with a luffing jib is just much more fun to play with that one without and the y guys work amazingly well at strengthening the boom, even in Lego. Size is all relative but I guess it qualifies as big. Big is easy though, just keep adding more parts Anyway I had no choice with the tires, I don't own any of the large truck tires and I wasn't going to drop $200+ to get 18 of them plus hubs. Plus at that larger scale I would have run out of panels and beams. My technic collection is not actually very big. I only own a few sets, although mostly large sets. Thanks for all the great comments.

I'm curious what other people's processes are for building their digital models. Do you build all digital first, build in bricks first and capture later, work in parallel or something else? I like using the digital tools but I like building with real parts a lot more so usually I tend to just build and making a digital model comes at the end only if I have made something I'd like to be able to build again someday, which isn't that often really. But if I'm going to build something fairly complicated I usually make a rough digital model first to come up with a basic layout of mechanical parts, motors, battery box, etc. because it's way faster than building and rebuilding (and rebuilding...) with real parts. Once I have the basics worked out I build it for real, working out the remaining details as I go. However I find that it's then quite a lot of work to go back and bring the digital model up to date. I was recently doing this with my mobile crane which is a big model and basically ended up practically rebuilding the digital model from scratch as I disassembled the real thing, otherwise it was hard to be sure if I had old parts left in it that didn't exist in the final model. Does anyone have a more clever approach? I guess this question could be more broadly applicable but I am specifically thinking about technic models, which is why I posted the question here.

I used LDCad to build it. It tells me there are 6329 parts in the model. That includes 4 strings which LDCad seems to count as one part each but likely import into other programs as a big list of parts for all the little sections. I tried importing the LDR directly into Rebrickable and I ended up with 6281 parts and a fairly short list of parts it couldn't match, less than 10 part/color combinations I'd say. One was 100x 4-4CYLI in black which are all the string bits, some looked like internal pieces of linear actuators which got exploded when I was adjusting their length. So I think you will get a decent parts list with only a few items to resolve. You can PM me and I'll try to help you figure out what the other missing ones are. The big thing is that the file contains sub-models for all the various boom attachments you might want but the main model only shows one configuration. So you're only going to get the parts for that one configuration. You'll miss the 3rd winch and the luffing jib and you'll only get one truss section. I'd suggest inserting copies of the winch3 and jib assembly plus however many copies of truss section you want into the main model and then doing the parts list. The only thing that would be missing after that is either some long beams or 16L links for the rigging for the luffing jib and the number you need really depends on how big you build the jib.

This is really impressive. Getting such a complicated gear train running so smoothly while moving some fairly large parts is a real achievement but it looks fantastic as well. Best of luck with you Ideas submission.

Apologies for bumping the topic, but I've finished cleaning up the LDraw model and posted the final one to the BrickSafe page today. Actually the carrier needed considerably more than just cleaning up in the end so anyone who downloaded the first ldr should definitely grab the new version. Note that I still haven't validated I don't have part colors that don't exist in the model. Now I can show a render of what it might look like if I actually ordered some parts to build in a consistent color scheme.

@nerdsforprez or anyone else that's interested, I've uploaded the LDR file to my bricksafe page, link in the first post. It still needs more work but the only thing not complete at this point is the carrier. The front is all done up to the first two axles but the rest of it is roughed in. But it has all the mechanical bits in it and in the right places, the structural details just need to be finished/cleaned up and it needs to be recolored. Superstructure, boom, outriggers and all boom attachments are complete. I've colored in Mammoet colors but I haven't checked if I have any parts with colors that don't exist. Might be a few. Also, you will note a few pins and connectors in lime green in the boom sections. These indicate the attachment points for the extension and retraction strings for the 3rd section. I'll try to finish the file updates for the carrier and will post an update when it's done. I suppose I can even manage a render at the same time so people can see how it would look if built with proper colors.

That is a really nice looking crane. I don't see any signs of a gear rack so I guess the boom lift and extension is all being done with string? You must have a pretty solid mechanism to pull in the string lifting the boom, that will take quite a bit of force. It seems to work really well in the video so great job and it definitely makes a very clean looking model. I will experiment with that idea next time I want a large actuator. Trying to balance the weight to get smooth slewing is always a problem. Lego simply can't do what can be done with metal bearings on a real machine, even using the large bearing solution like on 42082. At least not when working at any normal scale. I think my next crane will be some kind of crawler with variable counterweight positioning, that's one sure way to solve the problem.

I remember playing with that toy when I was young although I didn't remember the name. Excellent recreation, immediately recognizable to me.

Thanks. So it is kind of like I imagined but it works much better than I imagined. I guess the angle of the actuator doesn't really change all that much when you extend it. I should rebuild my 42100 into this sometime, my kids would love it.

I remember playing with that buggy. Building the minifig is genius. In my opinion building something like this is much more challenging and interesting than just cloning an old technic set. Looking forward to seeing the finished product.

Thanks for all the kind feedback from everyone. Much appreciated. @nerdsforprez Your Groove is a really nice model. Not sure I would take it apart to build this but I'll take that as a huge compliment. I think fitting the functions and motors here is easier actually than in your crane because of the difference in crane designs. You've got to fit outriggers that practically cut the carrier in half where the X style ones sit entirely on the outer edges of the carrier, leaving a clear central portion to place motors and run drive lines. Also the GMK6400 carrier deck surface is low, I have more height to work with. The superstructure is more dense but really placing the giant C+ hubs was the only real problem here. To your questions: I used the regular large 60 tooth turntable but I placed it 2L below the surface of the carrier. The superstructure has four wheels in the bottom made of pairs of 4185 wedge belt wheels to make the bearing that just runs on top of the carrier structure built up around the turntable. Same idea as the Liebherr shovel 42100. I haven't tried making instructions before and I imagine a build of this size is probably not the best to attempt to teach myself so I doubt I will ever make any. But I do have a CAD model which is probably 75% accurate at the moment and I plan on fixing it up once I take it apart just in case I ever have the urge to rebuild it myself. I'll be happy to share that once it's done if anyone is interested.

You're right, real cranes and practically any real lattice box construction always have diagonal bracing on all four sides. Otherwise they are relatively weak in bending about one axis and more prone to buckling. Tricky to build in lego so usually most people don't bother (including me) but from my own past experiments it does make a difference in lifting capacity. However for this crane where there are twin booms that are not super long I don't think it will make a huge difference. Lateral stability isn't likely to be a big problem. Aleh, it's definitely a really nice build of an interesting and less frequently seen type of crane. When you are ready to tear it down you should try a real load test. I'm sure it should be able to go way higher than 1.5kg with enough counter-weight You may want to slightly change how you connect the guy to the jib though. The way it's connected now you are bending the jib, especially those 4 15L liftarms in the section where the guy is attached. It will be a lot stronger if you add diagonal bracing to that section the same as all the others and move the guy attachment right to the tip to the jib or as close as you can get.

Wow, that's a spectacular build. Very interesting subject matter and beautifully executed. An excellent use of time stuck at home.

Update: free instructions have been created by @seregiz https://rebrickable.com/mocs/MOC-169020/mdemerchant/liebherr-ltm-11200-mobile-crane/ https://bricksafe.com/pages/mdemerchant/ltm11200 I thought I'd share a project I was working on recently, a Liebherr LTM11200 inspired mobile crane. I know the subject matter has been done several times before and my version certainly doesn't compare to some others I've seen but I enjoyed building it. Please excuse the photo quality, I know I should use a white or plain background but I didn't have anything big enough. I was super inspired by Jeroen Ottens' mechanical masterpiece but I lacked too many important parts to attempt building it so I thought it would be fun to try building my own from scratch instead. I worked at a smaller scale, using the 49.5 tires since I happened to have 18 of them. I just wanted to build a functional crane based on the general layout of the LTM11200 and I think I achieved that with the major functions included. It's definitely not a scale model, notably the width is way out of proportion compared to the other dimensions, the steering and drive is not replicating the real thing and of course the boom only has 3 sections instead of 4 (or 8). But I think it looks ok and recognizable. Except of course for the colors I built with parts I had since I don't intend to keep it together for display. I was built modular so the superstructure, boom and out-riggers are easily detached. Powered functions Middle three axles are driven using one C+ XL motor. These axles are not steered. 3 Front and 3 rear axles are steered, driven by one C+ L motor. Fake V8 connected to driven axles. First stage out-rigger movement (the X shape) by one C+ L motor Boom luffing using one C+ L motor 3 section boom, extension using one C+ L motor Winch 1 using one C+ XL motor Secondary winch using one C+ XL motor. Either winch 2 (built-in) or winch 3 (detachable luffing jib winch) can be operated with a manual selector Manual functions/features Out-rigger extension and jacking. Outriggers are largely cosmetic, they definitely won't lift the carrier. But I was surprised to discover during an accidental test that they can actually keep the crane from topping sideways. Crane slewing. Making this manual is a poor choice for an RC crane but I have small children and the first thing they do upon seeing a crane with the boom raised is grab it and try to turn it. I didn't want to be constantly taking it apart to repair a broken slewing drive train. Articulated and tilting operator's cab Working Y-guy assembly with raising/lowering, spreading of the arms and lockable winches on each arm. The whole assembly can be easily removed/attached. Detachable winch 3 assembly for the luffing jib Folding guard rails, stairs and step platforms on the super structure Detachable ballast plate (no winches to lift it, just pinned on with four axles) Attachment points on boom to add truss adapter for modular jibs Various modular jib sections: Simple truss, Y-guy attachment truss, Hydraulically adjustable section, Luffing jib assembly Size is just under 1m long in road going configuration with the boom mounted. It's 17L wide which is way more than it should be to scale but it was driven by the width of the boom plus the actuators to lift it. Maybe I could have come up with a workable narrower actuator design but there's a lot of force there so I used what I knew would work. The boom extends to about 1.5m so total height is around 1.65m with no jib attached. It can get considerably taller depending what sort of jib is added. The photo below shows a luffing jib configuration that easily reaches the 2.7m ceiling of the room it's in. Overall the functions work pretty well with two exceptions. The drivetrain I used for the outrigger deployment is kind of flimsy in one spot. They open into the X fine but I often get skipping gears at a certain point while retracting. I thought I had a clever solution using the third 12T bevel gear to take power off center to the back of the carrier although I knew it wasn't going to be strong. I underestimated how much force was needed though. Easy enough to make something more robust, my previous iteration was actually better but I don't feel like doing the necessary surgery on the carrier to fix it now. If I get around to completing my LDCad file I'll put the other solution in. The second function that's a bit disappointing is the boom extension mechanism. I based it on the GMK6400 boom mechanism but doubled up the worm and 8T gears. Actually it works perfectly fine for extending and retracting the boom itself or even with a decent sized fixed jib. However, it's pretty much useless with the luffing jib attached. The moment being applied to the end of the boom results in the 8T gears slipping on the 2nd section gear rack. You can work around it if you put the jib near vertical to reduce the moment but this creates a big risk of flipping the jib backwards and collapsing the boom. My next mobile crane will need a better solution. More photos available at my Bricksafe page if anyone is interested. https://bricksafe.com/pages/mdemerchant/ltm11200_new Hope you enjoy.

Definitely a nice build. I saw it on Rebrickable a while ago, it seems pretty popular. One thing I have not been able to figure out since the first time I saw it. How are you driving the two small LAs holding up the head? The only thing I can think of is a 20T bevel gear that's just pressed up against the angled 12T gears on the LAs but that doesn't seem like it would keep good enough contact when you start moving them.

Looks like a good effort so far. Looking forward to see the finished product. Are you trying to model a particular machine or just a general excavator? Is the bucket you're using 3D printed? I don't recall any Lego buckets that big that have the proper shape like that one. Although I do think it's a bit small compared to the scale of the machine.