Industrial Equipment which should exist (in BattleTech), but doesn't

[Maingunnery]

Deep Drill
A drill that can go through multiple hexes of rock.

[idea weenie]

A super-sized piece of industrial equipment designed to crush things could still exist.

It likely does exist, probably more efficient power-wise than using a Mech as Mario, but the equipment might not be practical to bring along in a combat situation.  Compare it to an ER room vs an ambulance.  The ER room is better in every way than an ambulance, but is not practical to put in a mobile platform.

Deep Drill
A drill that can go through multiple hexes of rock.

That is 30 meters per hex, when a Mech is ~12 meters tall.  This would likely be something assembled on-site, or use the existing rules from these and have the unit follow the drilled hole:
BA-scale Drill
Mech-scale Drill
Mech-scale Rock Cutter

The other option is drilling vertically where each level is only 6 meters tall, but even then you'd likely be using attaching segments one after another.  At this point I'd be tempted to grab rules for Industrial Rules to simulate that, and design a vehicle with that much cargo capacity.

[Maingunnery]

That is 30 meters per hex, when a Mech is ~12 meters tall.  This would likely be something assembled on-site, or use the existing rules from these and have the unit follow the drilled hole:
BA-scale Drill
Mech-scale Drill
Mech-scale Rock Cutter

The other option is drilling vertically where each level is only 6 meters tall, but even then you'd likely be using attaching segments one after another.  At this point I'd be tempted to grab rules for Industrial Rules to simulate that, and design a vehicle with that much cargo capacity.

It is really no problem, either a self assembly system that swiftly add/removes segments or having a long flexible body that can be rolled up.

[Daryk]

A MASH is totally mobile, and also totally an ER by today's standards.  Don't discount technology advancement!  :)

[idea weenie]

It is really no problem, either a self assembly system that swiftly add/removes segments or having a long flexible body that can be rolled up.

Ah.  I was thinking you meant a single piece that would drill multiple hexes (i.e. a Mech carrying a 30-meter long drill bit)

A MASH is totally mobile, and also totally an ER by today's standards.  Don't discount technology advancement!  :)

That same tech advancement would also apply to an actual ER in a building, so the comparison should still stand.

[Phantom000]

Well if you 'battlemech recovery vehicles' then you would likely have 'industrial mech recovery vehicles' which probably would not be that different from the military models, even industrial mechs can weigh up to 80 tons. Still, if recovery vehicles can come in wheeled, tracked and hover variants, has anyone built a legged variant? A 'mech' recovery mech' if you will. It would be like the industrial-mech version of a flatbed pickup truck, a big metal platform with cargo straps and winches and probably using a quad-mech chassis for stability. I could see a smaller version being used as a personnel transport, like an APC with legs.

Also what about underwater? Operating on the ocean floor would require either new industrial mech designs or specialized variants of existing designs.

[Daryk]

Now THAT is something I hadn't thought of before! ;D

[Broken_Metal_Dreaming]

Salvage mechs with lift hoists exist already.

Just read up on the trenching machines being used in Eastern Europe right now. Approximately 3 minutes to dig a 5 foot deep infantry sized trench 30 meters long with our current tech level. So, could a future tech combat engineering vehicle build earthworks on a total warfare round timescale. Seems more feasible than I expected.

[Daryk]

Trench/Fieldworks Combat Engineers (TO: AUE page 153, OG TacOps page 341) can do it in three TW turns (30 seconds), so I'd think a machine would be able to do it at least that fast. :)

[RifleMech]

The other option is drilling vertically where each level is only 6 meters tall, but even then you'd likely be using attaching segments one after another.  At this point I'd be tempted to grab rules for Industrial Rules to simulate that, and design a vehicle with that much cargo capacity.

There could be a drill that has extenders as ammo. Drill 6 meters a turn, reload, drill another 6 meters.

Well if you 'battlemech recovery vehicles' then you would likely have 'industrial mech recovery vehicles' which probably would not be that different from the military models, even industrial mechs can weigh up to 80 tons. Still, if recovery vehicles can come in wheeled, tracked and hover variants, has anyone built a legged variant? A 'mech' recovery mech' if you will. It would be like the industrial-mech version of a flatbed pickup truck, a big metal platform with cargo straps and winches and probably using a quad-mech chassis for stability. I could see a smaller version being used as a personnel transport, like an APC with legs.

Also what about underwater? Operating on the ocean floor would require either new industrial mech designs or specialized variants of existing designs.

May I introduce you to the Uni Cargo Mech? 
https://www.sarna.net/wiki/Uni  When I first saw it, I thought of doing all of what you said. I still think it should do all of what you said. 

[Daryk]

There could be a drill that has extenders as ammo. Drill 6 meters a turn, reload, drill another 6 meters.
*snip*

And after every ton of extenders, you have to withdraw the bit and replace it... ;)

[Phantom000]

May I introduce you to the Uni Cargo Mech? 
https://www.sarna.net/wiki/Uni  When I first saw it, I thought of doing all of what you said. I still think it should do all of what you said. 

Cargo capacity of 17 tons? That seems kinda light considering a BRV of comparable weight can transport a 100 ton battlemech. I guess its the difference between engineering a conventional vehicle to carry the weight versus engineering a mech to carry it. Still, I guess you could always scale it up, make something like a 100 ton Uni that could carry up to a 50 ton mech?

[Daryk]

That's 17 tons without a movement penalty, I believe.  It can carry more.

[idea weenie]

That's 17 tons without a movement penalty, I believe.  It can carry more.

It does have Lift Hoists which on a 70-ton platform means it can carry up to half its mass (70 tons -> 35 tons) with no penalty.  With two Lift Hoists since each Lift Hoist can carry up to half the mounting unit's mass this means the Uni can carry up to 70 tons total at a speed 2/3 its normal.

That would be an interesting set of math, where you look at total cargo tonnage carried multiplied by the Walking speed.  What are some optimal designs that give the highest Cargo_Tons*Walking_speed?  The Uni would be either 156 Walk-tons ([17+35]*3) or 174 Walk-tons ([17+70)*2).

If upgraded with industrial TSM it could carry cargo up to twice its mass at a 2-pt penalty to its Walking speed, or 157 Walk-tons ([17+140]*1).  My math might be off on the Ind_TSM design, can someone check it please?

[Daryk]

I'll look after work if no one else has gotten to it by then.

[RifleMech]

It does have Lift Hoists which on a 70-ton platform means it can carry up to half its mass (70 tons -> 35 tons) with no penalty.  With two Lift Hoists since each Lift Hoist can carry up to half the mounting unit's mass this means the Uni can carry up to 70 tons total at a speed 2/3 its normal.

That would be an interesting set of math, where you look at total cargo tonnage carried multiplied by the Walking speed.  What are some optimal designs that give the highest Cargo_Tons*Walking_speed?  The Uni would be either 156 Walk-tons ([17+35]*3) or 174 Walk-tons ([17+70)*2).

If upgraded with industrial TSM it could carry cargo up to twice its mass at a 2-pt penalty to its Walking speed, or 157 Walk-tons ([17+140]*1).  My math might be off on the Ind_TSM design, can someone check it please?

Those lift hoists do make a difference.   

Using House Rules, a Uni could carry a platoon of techs and a platoon of exoskeletons to help salvage damaged and disabled units.

[Daryk]

The cargo rules were tweaked in the latest errata... I'm still trying to wrap my head around them.

[Daemion]

Mech Costumes!

I apologize for having lost track of the thread, but I think it stands to reason that costumes and animatronics on a large scale might be considered industrial equipment.

While this thought was inspired by seeing a few mini mods down on the miniatures board, I quickly recalled the thermal suit in Fang of the Sun: Dougram for the arctic forces to protect their machines against extreme cold while in general inactivity.   

I bet a wet-suit style version could be derived for industrials that are not normally sealed against water/harsh environments.  (Mech Waders for crossing streams after a night of flash flooding.)

And, then there are the robodragons that get showcased at many a fair or dirby event. 

So, yeah.  Costumes!

[Lycanphoenix]

*severe coughing noises*
I live!

Sorry for my long absence. I got pulled into family drama, moved out, lost my job, got sick, that sort of stuff.

Here's the link to the thread on the Mech Anchoring System, as promised.
https://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php?topic=80579.msg1911951#msg1911951

I've also got a few more proposals...
- Maglev vehicles: A side-grade to conventional hovercraft. Faster, more energy efficient, easier to pilot, significantly quieter, safer for bystanders, and they can theoretically operate in vacuum... But they have a huge downside: They only work on compatible terrain, no exceptions. For this reason, they are not even remotely suitable for battlefield use. (As a second downside, they also have a lower tonnage limit.)
- Multi-armed mechs: You can thank somebody else for this. I'll get in touch with them and we can write up a separate thread.
- Lumber microwave: A giant machine that microwaves lumber. If you stick conventional infantry in it, they die pretty much immediately.
- Waste compactor: Similar to the previously proposed car crusher, but perhaps a bit more generalized.
- Supercritical oxidation tank: Shove stuff in here to make it go away.

[Daryk]

Real life always wins, no worries! :)

[Lycanphoenix]

I'm just gonna steal this...
https://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php?topic=71106.0

Winches! We need Winches in the game.

[Daryk]

You could argue Lift Hoists are "winches"... ;)

[Lycanphoenix]

I'd prefer winches being their own thing. Using lift hoists as a proxy for almost literally everything is getting old.