42055 - Bucket Wheel Excavator - MODs and Improvements

[Imanol BB]

Well, so now we have seen some reviews of the new LEGO models, and modifications and improvements of the other ones, and i think its time for the 42055, so lets start:

My first modifications would be improve the force of the bucket, because as far i could see, the bucket is driven by the chains of the conveyor belt, so even an small object is able to stop it (like Sariel showed in his review), i would put an axle going from the gearbox directly to the bucket, or even a motor behind it, so there would not be too much power loss.

Another modification i would like to do is in the tracks, i would like to put an small gearbox in the lower frame (i think there is enough space there), to select between some driving types, maybe something like a subtractor gearbox.

And for the last, i would improve the turning system of the lower conveyor belt, as we can see in the review of Sariel, there is an small backlash in the system when the excavator changes the turning direction.

So post any more idea or suggestion you have for this huge and impressive set.

[Ngoc Nguyen]

I'd separate the digging function from the slewing function.

[nerdsforprez]

My first modification and improvement would be to have the set released on July 27, 6:16 am Central Time (US) - so I could actually have a set to begin improving :laugh:

[Imanol BB]

:laugh: Well, if you do that "mod", please post some pics, i might want to make a similar mod.

It would be cool if someone could recreate the 42055 in LDD, so we all could mod it with no problem.

[nerdsforprez]

:laugh: Well, if you do that "mod", please post some pics, i might want to make a similar mod.

It would be cool if someone could recreate the 42055 in LDD, so we all could mod it with no problem.

Will do

and yes.... I second the LDD request..... and I would not be surprised if someone weren't working on that right now.....

[suffocation]

Self-quote from the 42055 thread:

I've been working on a gearbox to replace the official one (I know, it's kind of silly to be modding a set before it even comes out) and was wondering whether the configuration I came up with makes any sense. I'd like to keep the single XL motor and have six switches:

1 - activate bucket wheel and conveyor belts

2 - slew superstructure

3 - raise/lower bucket wheel arm

4 - drive backward/forward

5 - steer left/right

6 - adjust second conveyor belt (left/right)

With the obvious exception of the first one, the switches - rather than the battery box - would be used to activate the various functions in either direction, like on the 42042 crane.

Edited July 27, 2016 by suffocation

[JGW3000]

Its going to be hard to build in LDD, as coming up with a replacement for the large 1/4-circle gear racks will be challenging. Probably need to replace them symbolically with flex-axles or hinge plates. I don't have time now to work on something like this, maybe later this summer...

[Imanol BB]

I think that the conveyor belt and the bucket system should be driven individually, or at least the belt should be driven by the bucket, and not the opposite; but all the mods that suffocation mentioned would be nice to see in the model.

[allanp]

I think that the conveyor belt and the bucket system should be driven individually, or at least the belt should be driven by the bucket, and not the opposite; but all the mods that suffocation mentioned would be nice to see in the model.

I suspected that the wheel was driven by the belt, which isn't really ideal. However I don't think having the wheel driven by a long spindly plastic axle under the torque of an XL motor would offer much of an improvement. I think it would be better to use an L motor and move all of the gearing down for the wheel to inside the wheel, so it would be driven by a much faster spinning axle under less torque. Or you could have a second motor inside the wheel to drive it.

[LucyCol]

I think it would make sense to put the motor driving the wheel within the wheel, I don't have one yet but from the pictures I have seen it definitely looks possible, and then to drive the belt from the wheel.

Edited July 28, 2016 by LucyCol

[Imanol BB]

I think it would make sense to put the motor driving the wheel within the wheel, I don't have one yet put from the pictures I have seen it definitely looks possible, and then to drive the belt from the wheel.

This would be a very good idea, judging from this pic: http://www.technicfa...055-Buckets.jpg and i think an L-motor will fit inside the bucket perfectly.

Edited August 1, 2016 by ImanolBB

[Imanol BB]

Look what i have found:

[JGW3000]

That was quick. Even the mining truck gets RC'd

[Imanol BB]

That was quick. Even the mining truck gets RC'd

I thought the same, first i thought like "No way, it might be pulled by a nylon string or something", and then i saw the IR receiver and the motors and i was like "Oh god, even that small truck is motorized", and talking about the truck, for me it seems like the official truck is a bit small, because when i compare the BWE cab with the truck cab, it seems that the BWE is far bigger, so i dont know if this is because the truck itself is not one of those huge trucks like a cat 797 and is just a medium sized one with a really small cab, what do you think?

[carver0510]

Hi Guys,

I'm just working to get the motors on the 42055. It is possible to build a L-motor direct to the bucket. Attached you find some pictures and videos :)

Full RC 42055 by Sebastian Sedlmeier, auf Flickr

[Imanol BB]

Hi Carver, welcome to Eurobricks, thank you for making those pictures and videos, is good to know that there is space for the L-motor, also, those other mods are really amazing, the chassis and the LA´s mods are great too, nice work.

BTW, i found some videos of the 42055 and its building, so i will see if i can make it in LDD, excluding the non-available parts in LDD.

Edited August 1, 2016 by ImanolBB

[technicbear]

Hi Guys,

I'm just working to get the motors on the 42055. It is possible to build a L-motor direct to the bucket. Attached you find some pictures and videos :)

Full RC 42055 by Sebastian Sedlmeier, auf Flickr

Hello, do happen to have instructions and needed parts for these modifications? I'd really like to make them.

[carver0510]

I'm thinking about it, but I'm not finished yet. I'm working on the motorized rotation of the conveyor belt - therefore I need some extra parts, but they are already ordered :) Maybe there will be made a LDD model, which i can modify ;)

[Imanol BB]

FINALLY, The Rock has come back to... no, wait a second, that´s not it, oh this is it, FINALLY, i have Finished the digital model of the BWE; it was a long and hard process, but now i see it was worth, and here it is:

(Sorry for this big picture, but is to let you see all the details, i understand if the moderators want me to resize it, and i will do it if you want it)

More images at my Bricksafe: http://bricksafe.com/pages/imanol/bwe

LDD file: http://bricksafe.com...l/bwe/42055.lxf

These are the missing parts:

- 4 yellow curved panels that should be placed in the rear part of the superstructure (behind the battery box (i found them )

- 14 yellow curved gear racks

- 8 yellow small buckets

There might be some wrongly placed pieces (mostly pins), because there were parts of the building of the video that weren't very clear, but if you see a too big mistake, please let me know.

Special Thanks to AustrianLegoFan for his speed build, which made this digital model possible:

I hope you like it and have fun modding it.

Edited August 10, 2016 by ImanolBB

[Ngoc Nguyen]

Thanks for the amazing LDD! The building instruction is available online, so I think you can use it to check the accuracy.

[Imanol BB]

Really?, i was looking for them some time ago, but they weren't available at that moment, i will look them now (and hope that the model is not too wrongly built), by the way, i also found that the problem with the scale wasn't the truck cab, because i made the scale calculations, and actually is the BWE cab which is almost twice the size it should be, it is supposed that the set is about 1:100 scale (based on the dimensions given in the model), and a human is about 2 to 2.5 studs high, so, another mod would be to resize the BWE cab, what do you think?

Edited August 4, 2016 by ImanolBB

[Gabi_BC]

@ ImanolBB, thank you for your LDD work.

My first ever LDD mod:

starting small, modding the 42055 dump truck to look more realistic, like a large diesel-electric truck

-double wheels on each side at the back

-stop and turn lights, traction motor casing

-whole truck is 2 studs wider

-the area where the engine is supposed to be was empty and dull, added some details there

-more accurate exhaust

-added IGBT cabinet next to the driver's cab

-fuel tank

-dumper knob replaced with lever

.lxf file

https://www.dropbox.com/s/fztws4zxq3uiwfo/basculanta1.lxf?dl=0

[Imanol BB]

It looks very good, the double wheels, the boxes on the sides, the new lights, the bumper and the rim covers give a very realistic look and make it look robust, nice work Gabi.

I have also made an RC mod for the chassis, very similar to what Carver did in his model, i will post some pics soon.

Edited August 4, 2016 by ImanolBB

[Imanol BB]

Here are some "small" mods i have made so far:

First, i have made the chassis RC, it is something similar to what carver did, but it is driven by 2 L-Motors, and both them are placed one stud higher, so they don´t affect chassis clearance:

Second, i have lowered the lower conveyor belt and extended it by 13 studs:

And third, i have made some of the superstructure functions completely RC:

These 3 L-Motors control:

- Superstructure rotation

- Conveyor belts moving

- LA´s movement (still WIP, it is finished)

LA´s movement:

Bucket wheel with L-Motor and separated from the conveyor belts system (i am not sure about the speed of the bucket wheel, it might need some more reduction of the gears):

Now the remaining mods i would like to finish are:

- Finish LA´s RC movement (using the same transmission of the chassis driving system) (Finished)

- Put an L-Motor on the bucket wheel (Finished)

- Separate bucket wheel rotation from conveyor belts system (Finished)

- Improve the lower belt automatic rotation system (reduce the backlash (Finished)

Edited August 4, 2016 by ImanolBB

[Imanol BB]

Well, here are my last mods so far, i was working on the improvement of the lower conveyor belt rotation system, and when i was finishing it, i had another idea for the lower conveyor belt, and i have added 2 small LA´s for its lifting and lowering, here it is:

Now, for the rotation system i made (maybe) the ugliest and most rudimentary solution, but i think it might work, it consist on a beam with 2 12T double bevel gears that can be pushed or pulled to connect and disconnect the system:

Neutral position:

Engaged position:

And i also made an (still ugly and rudimentary) locking system which should be enough strong to hold the conveyor belt in place, but slip if it is locked for mistake and so, let the conveyor belt turn when it reaches the maximum rotation and the whole excavator is still rotating without jamming the whole excavator movement; and if you pull the 20T bevel gear (like in the unlocked position) it unlocks and you can use that same gear for manual rotation:

Locked: Unlocked:

These systems are very basic, but they should work fine, and if you have any suggestion it is well received.

Edited August 4, 2016 by ImanolBB