Subscribe to download
Mining Operation Rovers : Excavater v1.0

Hi everyone,

This Rover is one of three others designed for mining operations.

Tuneler : https://steamproxy.net/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2237574053
Carrier : https://steamproxy.net/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2237573464



After long research on the workshop and experiments in game, I was unable to create a single vehicle for mining operation. A vehicule that can dig smooth and large tunnel, mine effectively with agility, and transport a high quantity of ores to the surface...utopy !
I struggle digging a tunnel to the iron pocket, too steep, not flat, unable to make clean turn, or struggle reaching the ores over my head, or worst, I'm not able to pull back of the tunnel the ores due to lack of power...

So I decide to create three specialized vehicles :

• Tuneler : to dig smooth tunnel and create large and flat room for operations.
  
• Excavater : to mine ores within a sphere quarter of 10m radius (a little bit more)
  
• Carrier : to transport 2.5M kg ores to the surface quickly.

These vehicles use only batteries, with an autonomy of 3 hours at full power. More for the Tuneler, wich is also a energy support vehicule.

All rovers have Oxygen tank, for long operations in hostile environnement.

The Tuneler and Excavater are equiped with Azimuth Ore Detector (mod), if you don't want to use it, you can use a standard ore detector, placed under the vehicle (use the maintenance pistons to access it).
Also, I play with DeepOre mod (uranium on Earth), but Vanilla version will work great too.

I tested these vehicles with a x10 inventory size to make sure that even in the worst settings the vehicles could do their work properly, no matter the weight in it (hauling, mining, digging).


This vehicle is the pillar of a successful mining operation. The Tuneler is highly manoeuvrable. It will dig smooth and flat tunnel to access easily the targeted ore, create a huge room in the rocks, enough space to bring and manoeuver the Excavater and the Carrier, flatten the floor.
If a straight tunnel is the easiest and most convenient way to access ore, the Tuneler can also create turns if needed without difficulty.

The hinge is setup to -43° angle. After several tests I found it as the best angle for use. By braking and point the noze down with gyro you can create a gentle slope down (I advise to stay on a 30° slope maximum). Once the slope is setup properly, just maintain the drills On (right button) and let the gravity work for you !
The Tuneler can be use for semi-AFK digging (slope down only). Just find a way to lock the drill digging command (assign a shorcut in the settings and find something heavy (magnet...) to maintain the caps down).
Make sure that there is no roll angle when digging (you don't want to capsize), this is I think the best advice I can give you..
To create a slope up, or return to flat slope after descent, just accelerate and the Tuneler's noze will go up !

Thanks to its numerous batteries, the Tuneler can be used to recharge other vehicles during mining operation if needed !



This the industrial muscle of your operation. It's equiped with a mouse controlled mining turret (thanks to MART script), with a great freedom of movement (-90°/90° horizontal, -30°/90° vertical, 10m range). It will allow you to mine great amount of ores without mouving the Excvater.
Sometimes MART have some trouble with 90° vertical angle, so avoid to go too vertical.

There is a landing gear to lock the vehicle on place for a very stable control of the turret (using Timer Block). The rotor will have enough power to slowdown and accelerate the drills until 1M kg mass, I advise you to not go further and empty the Excavater as soon as the drills start to stock ores, or connect the Carrier directly behind the Excavater when mining.

Pistons are set to a low speed to avoid crash, by locking the rotors and extend the drills pistons you can leave the vehicle or take remote control of another, waiting for the maximum extention of the pistons. This allow you to work in single player with multiple Excavater, or manipulate the Carrier while mining.

Note that you will not be able to control the turret in remote control (MART need you in the cockpit to calculate the relative movement of the mouse).

Thanks to front, back, and turret camera, you will always know where you mine and where you go. The cockpit is a great spot for an overview of the mining process too.



Last part of these three rovers. The Carrier will bring back the ores to your base, with its 10 wheels power it can easily reach 10m/s speed in a 30° slope (2 630 000kg mass full, 48 300kg empty).

The rear connector is plugged to a conveyor sorter set to blacklist nothing, so it will pull everything in the Carrier (use to empty the Excavater). Do not plug it to your base with the rear connector ! Use the front instead.
In front you also have many ejectors, to quickly throw rocks if you don't need it (the ejectors are On as default settings).

The Carrier has 2 oxygen tank, as it go back to the base often, you can use it as support for oxygen supply.