In something a bit different, Lego Technic has announced the launch of its latest model kit – a 1:20 scale model of the Volvo EW160E wheeled excavator.
The latest model follows on from the success of Lego Technic’s remote-controlled model of the Volvo L350F wheel loader released in 2014.
Lego says the model, which is comprised of over 1,100 individual parts, has been designed to not only look like the real thing but also to operate like the real thing.
“We didn’t just want this product to look like an EW160E material handling excavator — we wanted it to work like one too,” Lego Technic senior design manager Andrew Woodman says.
“We went a step further and added a pneumatic system that uses pressurised air to replicate how a real machine works with its hydraulic system – it’s what operates the main boom and the grab bucket,” Woodman says.
“The model also has other realistic functions, such as the raising and lowering of the cab, the steering and the outriggers, which come down from the chassis to steady the machine when it’s working. It is so lifelike it’s ready for site duties!”
Lego Technic worked closely with Volvo CE to ensure the design was as accurate as possible. Woodman and his Lego Technic team visited Volvo CE’s manufacturing plant in Konz, Germany, to see actual EW160Es being made.
“Not only did we want to create a great building experience for the people who buy our models,” Woodman says, “we wanted Volvo CE to be proud of the fact that it has a Lego Technic model that is a great representation of its machine.”
Volvo CE vehicle engineer Peter Bauer worked as an advisor to the Lego Technic team and was impressed with the level of detail they were trying to achieve.
“The first thing we worked on together was the elevated cab,” Bauer says. “The Lego team’s prototype was already quite accurate but together we were able to make it as close as possible to the real machine.
“One thing that I found particularly interesting was that they faced many of the same challenges that we did, such as usage of common parts, proto and pilot machines, and so on.”