[WIP] Kalmar DCG180-330 Heavy Forklift

[JLiu15]

Hey guys, here's a new project I'm starting. It is a model of a Kalmar forklift. It will be controlled by SBrick, and it will feature drive, steering, pneumatically tilted mast and lifting fork. The wheels will be Unimog wheels (94.3x38 tires). 

https://www.kalmarusa.com/4ae438/globalassets/equipment/forklift-trucks/kalmar-forklifts-1852-ton-capacity/kalmar-dcg180-330-forklift-brochure-en-us.pdf

So far I have the front axle and the rear portion of the chassis completed. The front axle is driven and is very compact - most of the gear reduction is done in the portal hubs so the drive motor is attached directly behind the frame holding the differential.

As for the rear portion, it contains the steered rear axle. Note that the longitudinal beam supporting the chassis is only 3 studs wide directly below the rear axle - the steering lock is very large to ensure a minimal turning radius, and this avoids the wheels from rubbing the chassis when turning while also keeping the chassis sufficiently robust. I also have the compressor (driven by a PF L motor) and the SBrick installed. Note the vertical placement of the motors - I'm trying to make the model as compact as possible, and this avoids using too much longitudinal space. I was concerned that the servo motor might not have enough torque this way as it's driving the steering linkages directly rather than with rack and pinion (it will be limited to 45 degrees of rotation in the SBrick profile designer), but I've seen MOCs that use the servo like this and they work fine.

If you have any suggestions for me, please let me know.

Photos:

Edited January 28, 2022 by JLiu15

[JDL1967]

Looking forward to the end result.

[JLiu15]

25 minutes ago, JDL1967 said:

Looking forward to the end result.

Glad you like it. More updates coming soon. 

[Thirdwigg]

How fun! It will be great to follow this project. I built a Kalmar 180 a couple of years ago, and this one looks to be a little bigger. Check out the Hyster from @TheItalianBrick for some more ideas at this scale.

Always like seeing another forklift.

[JLiu15]

1 hour ago, Thirdwigg said:

How fun! It will be great to follow this project. I built a Kalmar 180 a couple of years ago, and this one looks to be a little bigger. Check out the Hyster from @TheItalianBrick for some more ideas at this scale.

Always like seeing another forklift.

Nice, I’m glad you like it. I’ll be sure to check out yours too!

Edited June 11, 2020 by JLiu15

[JLiu15]

UPDATE 6/12/20

Lots of progress yesterday. The entire chassis is now complete and all motors are installed save for the lifting motor which will be in the mast. I'm also planning on installing PF LEDs for the headlights.

As for the chassis setup, the battery is placed right in front of the compressor, and the valve motor sits transverse right below the battery (note the valve visible on the right side). I also installed a mini inline-6 engine connected to the drivetrain which will be accessible by tilting the cab in the finished model. 

If you have any suggestions for me, please let me know.

Photos:

Edited January 28, 2022 by JLiu15

[JLiu15]

UPDATE 6/13/20

Some more progress here. The fork attachment is done - it has a "kissing forks" function where the forks could be brought closer to each other, and they are manually controlled by linear actuators. The LAs are oriented similar to the hydraulics on the real-life counterpart.

There are also minor changes to the chassis - the most noticeable being that I replaced the black panels on the sides of the engine with red ones. I wanted it to replicate a Cummins B6.7, which is red and is used on the real-life counterpart. I also added lights, and I attached an axle joiner to the speed dial on the 8878 battery to allow brightness to be adjusted (or to turn them off altogether).

If you have any suggestions for me, please let me know.

Photos:

Edited January 28, 2022 by JLiu15

[JLiu15]

UPDATE 6/18/20

Lots of progress since the previous update. The fork module is complete with mast and all. The entire chassis is complete, and note that it's sitting on a modified chassis - I completely redesigned the chassis from scratch, making the overall construction of it more compact. All electronics are in place and, save for the LEDs, are connected to their respective functions.

Here are some changes to the redesigned chassis:

• The L motor driving the compressor is now geared up. The compressor is also now placed vertically rather than longitudinally in the chassis.
• The pneumatic valve is placed at the front of the chassis, near the cylinders so that hoses going to them can be short.
• The rear of the chassis is now more reinforced - a 5x7 frame is used.

At this point, the model is ready to move onto the bodywork.

If you have any suggestions for me, please let me know.

Photos:

Edited January 28, 2022 by JLiu15

[Thirdwigg]

The front wheel looks too far backward. Can you move it forward any, or move the forks backward?

[JLiu15]

1 hour ago, Thirdwigg said:

The front wheel looks too far backward. Can you move it forward any, or move the forks backward?

Yeah I’ve noticed that too. Moving the fork back a little seems doable - I’ll try to do that before the next update.

[JLiu15]

UPDATE 6/20/20

I spent yesterday working on moving the fork/mast back a little - it is now 2 studs closer to the front axle. The mast had some modifications too, as in the previous design it would collide with the pneumatic valve with it moved back. I also replaced the M motor controlling the lifting function with a L motor - it has to be mounted with the side pin holes perpendicular to the mast as the bulge in the motor would prevent the fork from lifting up, which was a challenge but in the end the attachment to the motor and the pneumatic cylinders worked out pretty well.

Note that I also turned the 8878 battery around - the battery will sit partially or fully below the cab in the finished model, which can be tilted to the left. With the plugs on the left, they will be relatively out of sight with the opened cab and it also makes the charging port more accessible with the tilted cab.

If you guys have any suggestions for me, please let me know.

Photos:

Edited January 28, 2022 by JLiu15

[Thirdwigg]

That looks much better.

But I would still go a little more if you could. Maybe trying to "skinny" the kissing fork mechanism now. This seem to be where the rest of the bulk seems to reside.

[JLiu15]

1 hour ago, Thirdwigg said:

That looks much better.

But I would still go a little more if you could. Maybe trying to "skinny" the kissing fork mechanism now. This seem to be where the rest of the bulk seems to reside.

There's still gonna be mudguards in front of the front wheels, and tbh the current proportions are perfect for incorporating the mudguards without interfering with the wheels or the fork.

Also I'm kinda getting tired of rebuilding things now lol, like I've already rebuilt things twice and unless it's critical to the looks/functionality then idk if it's worth the hassle to completely rework things just for a slight change. I had considered moving the fork back 3 studs instead of 2 before I rebuilt it, but I realized at that point the entire front end of the chassis would need to be rebuilt and the valve switching mechanism would have to be placed elsewhere. I guess the kissing forks mechanism could be made skinner, but that would probably sacrifice its structural integrity.

I'll still be paying attention to how the model looks as a whole while continuing with the build ofc, and if something just doesn't look right I'll most likely rebuild it.

[Mechbuilds]

I think the boom needs to be just 1 stud closer. 

[JLiu15]

6 hours ago, Mechbuilds said:

I think the boom needs to be just 1 stud closer. 

I’ll keep this in mind only if it seriously impacts the look of the model at the end - at this point moving the boom one stud closer would likely mean rebuilding the front part of the chassis (essentially everything in front of the fake engine) from scratch. I had originally considered moving it back one stud further, but specifically didn’t due to all the changes I’d have to make.

Once again I’ll still keep this in mind moving forward - if the mast looks out of place even with more bodywork attached then I’ll probably rebuild it, but otherwise I’ll leave it the way it is. I get that MOCing is about making the best you can do, but at the same time I don’t want to stress too much over these modifications that ultimately won’t change much. At the end of the day I build MOCs to have fun, and sometimes that means choosing the solution that balances effectiveness and simplicity.

Edited June 21, 2020 by JLiu15

[Pauls Technic]

This is looking very cool.

[JLiu15]

3 minutes ago, Pauls Technic said:

This is looking very cool.

Thanks! Glad you like it 

[Jerry McGlade]

I really like this a lot because firstly, amazing build and secondly, it really reminds me of my VEX robotics years. I really enjoy the combination of pneumatics and motors combined to make this build. Really awesome build!

[JLiu15]

6 hours ago, Jerry McGlade said:

I really like this a lot because firstly, amazing build and secondly, it really reminds me of my VEX robotics years. I really enjoy the combination of pneumatics and motors combined to make this build. Really awesome build!

Thanks!

I’ve used VEX robotics before as well; I used it in a high school engineering class.

Edited June 22, 2020 by JLiu15

[Thirdwigg]

On 6/20/2020 at 4:21 PM, JLiu15 said:

There's still gonna be mudguards in front of the front wheels, and tbh the current proportions are perfect for incorporating the mudguards without interfering with the wheels or the fork.

Also I'm kinda getting tired of rebuilding things now lol, like I've already rebuilt things twice and unless it's critical to the looks/functionality then idk if it's worth the hassle to completely rework things just for a slight change. I had considered moving the fork back 3 studs instead of 2 before I rebuilt it, but I realized at that point the entire front end of the chassis would need to be rebuilt and the valve switching mechanism would have to be placed elsewhere. I guess the kissing forks mechanism could be made skinner, but that would probably sacrifice its structural integrity.

I'll still be paying attention to how the model looks as a whole while continuing with the build ofc, and if something just doesn't look right I'll most likely rebuild it.

Super. I trust your measurements and decisions, as I can only see the proportions from the pictures. And like I said, the changes you made helped a lot. Mudguards will help some more. And I like the kissing forks, so don't give this feature up just because my eyes may be off a little.

I'm looking forward to the bodywork now. 

[JLiu15]

UPDATE 6/23/20

Some progress on the bodywork. The front section is largely finished, with the sides and front fenders in place. As simple as the fenders may seem, it was actually quite a challenge figuring them out. The mudguards in front of the front wheels on the real-life counterpart are curved to fit nicely around the wheel - I was initially going to use black #3 connectors, but it appeared bulky and out of proportion. I resorted to using this piece to model the mudguards - there's no curvature to them, but their thickness (or lack thereof) made it work imo. There are also working headlights on the front fenders.

If you guys have any suggestions for me, please let me know.

Photos:

Edited January 28, 2022 by JLiu15

[Mechbuilds]

How's the steering? Can you get the angles the real thing can? 

Also is it possible to change the cables into chains instead? 
@Thirdwiggmade a moc like this before and he used chains. 
https://thirdwigg.com/2016/03/14/kalmar-dcg180-9/


No idea how much weight the chains can handle though. 

Edited June 23, 2020 by Mechbuilds

[JLiu15]

1 hour ago, Mechbuilds said:

How's the steering? Can you get the angles the real thing can? 

Also is it possible to change the cables into chains instead? 
@Thirdwiggmade a moc like this before and he used chains. 
https://thirdwigg.com/2016/03/14/kalmar-dcg180-9/


No idea how much weight the chains can handle though. 

The wheels can steer pretty far - about 45 degrees each way. That might not be as much as the real thing can, but the turning radius is still impressive nonetheless. Note that the chassis in the rear is only 3 studs wide to allow the rear axle to have a large steering lock.

As for using chains - I think that might be difficult without a major redesign of the mast. The cable easily attaches to the fork and mast, and keeps moving parts to a minimum. Using a chain would mean gears at the top instead of rollers and attaching the chain to the fork could prove difficult.

Edited June 23, 2020 by JLiu15
thought it was those System chain pieces rather than Technic chains

[JLiu15]

UPDATE 6/25/20

More progress on the bodywork. The model is about 80% complete by now, just missing the rear section and the cab. It's starting to come together now.

There are some parts I feel like could've turned out better. For instance, the "hump" in the middle of the body right behind the cab - the real-life counterpart has it sloped and rather curvy. However, I did not want to put beams at an angle to model the curve (as there would be a bunch of hard edges/breaks in the surface) and I did not want to suddenly transition to System pieces either. The finished version is flat for the most part and slopes towards the end. I'm guessing this piece would've been the solution to that, but unfortunately it is currently not available in red.

The rear body panel is pretty simple - it is modeled using 7x3 curved panels and beams as well as some System pieces. I also made sure to include the towing pin that is found on the real-life counterpart. Unfortunately it can't be used to actually tow anything, as it forms one of the attachment points for the rear body panel. I also plan to use custom stickers in the rear for the warning stripes and the Kalmar logo.

If you guys have any suggestions for me, please let me know.

Photos:

Edited January 28, 2022 by JLiu15

[Mechbuilds]

It's amazing how close it is to the real thing.. Are you using a model scaler? 
scaler <--