15 Most Incredible Machines Of All Time

From the Terminator to Transformers, science fiction has often been awash with astonishing feats of engineering that have catapulted our expectations into the far-flung future. However, whether it's robot man or machine, it seems that fact has rapidly caught up with fiction and in the past few decades our civilization has been responsible for producing some colossal feats of engineering. From brave space explorers to the largest earth excavator known to mankind, here are the 15 most incredible machines of all time. Alright, surf's up because for our first entry we're taking a look at the colossal force generated by the most astonishing natural machine on our planet, the ocean. For decades, as our societies have been scrambling to come up with perfect solutions for tackling climate change, scientists and engineers have been turning towards the innate power of our planet's ocean systems in hopes of solving the crisis. Thankfully for us, the answer has been this incredible new breed of technology, wave energy converters, a series of installations across the planet that come in the form of a wide range of devices. They vary from point absorbers, terminators, attenuators and oscillating wave surge converters and if that sounds like a load of technical jargon to you, basically the ocean is an ever-changing flowing system and so it takes an equally adaptable form of engineering to fully capture its power. Currently speaking, there are over 7400 varying devices that have attempted to become the de facto system in wave energy conversion, but whichever of them will ultimately take the cake is yet to be decided. However, as the old saying goes, to the victor goes the spoils because there's an estimated 1170 terawatt per hour per year potential in U.S. coastal wave energy alone. Yeah, that's a lot of energy. Bagger 288. Alright, forget about world-changing climate-saving technology for a moment because sometimes incredible machines just need to be really, really big. Well, say hello to the Bagger 288, one of the largest terrestrial vehicles in the world that requires pretty much an entire tactical squad of engineers to fully operate. As you may imagine, its purpose is to move large volumes of earth and rock for coal mining and with a central circular shovel digging constantly, it can move up to 240,000 tons of earth along its conveyor belt system in a single day. That's a lot of dirt. First produced back in 1978, the Bagger 288 is a bucket-wheel excavator used for digging coal mining operations, but it also establishes lines for oil and gas pipes to be laid. Although the Bagger 288 is probably among a dying breed of coal-based operational vehicles, there's no denying that in its day, the Bagger 288 is an astonishing feat of engineering. When it was first built, it superseded the Big Musky as the heaviest land vehicle in the world at a staggering 13,500 tons. It took over five years to design and manufacture this beast of transportation and another five years just to assemble, with the total cost reaching over $100 million. When in full operation, the Bagger 288 can excavate roughly the equivalent of an entire football field dug to a depth of 98 feet. The coal production alone fills 2,400 coal wagons every single day. Yeah, that's a pretty good return on investment. Bertha, the world's biggest tunnel boring machine. You may have heard of Elon Musk's Boring Company, the excavation-based machinery that plans to create a Hyperloop system deep beneath the United States, but forget about all that because Big Bertha has already been one step ahead. Talk about cutting-edge technology. Amazingly, back in 2017, the world's largest tunnel boring machine broke through the open air after spending almost four years beneath the dirt. Yeah, you heard that right, believe it or not, but Bertha had been tasked with the colossal challenge of digging a tunnel large enough to carry four lanes of motor traffic deep beneath the heart of Seattle, spanning a subterranean tunnel that ran almost two miles underneath the skyscrapers and skylines of Washington State's crown jewel city. The astonishing piece of machinery is accompanied by more than 300 feet of support gear that trail behind the bulk vessel that includes pretty much everything that the machine and its crew need, from supplies like grout and grease to amenities like restrooms and even a kitchen. Hey, it's tough work boring through the earth. On average, Bertha can cover about 35 feet of rock-solid earth per day. That's pretty dang impressive. The machine itself was named after Seattle's first female mayor, Bertha Knight Lanz, a woman who changed the landscape of Washington State in her own unique way. The Mars Rover. Space, the final frontier. Words that have echoed and reverberated across the cosmos ever since they were first spoken by Jean-Luc Picard, the greatest captain to have ever lived. Whatever your thoughts on the romanticism of space exploration and science fiction, the truth is we're currently closer to the world of Star Trek than we've ever been before. Thankfully for us, that's all down to the incredible work of India's Mars Orbiter Mission, NASA, China, and the most recent space program efforts by the United Arab Emirates. Out of all of these incredible space programs, undoubtedly, the Mars Rover mission back in 2003 gave us one of the most incredible machines of all time. Well, two of them, actually. Launched in 2003 and landing on the surface of Mars in separate locations in January of 2004, NASA launched two Mars Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, to scan the Martian surface in incredible detail. Astonishingly, although the mission only planned to roam the surface for 90 Martian solar days, both rovers far outlived their purpose. Believe it or not, but Spirit was active until March 22, 2010, while Opportunity was active until June 10, 2018, and it holds the record for the longest distance driven by any off-Earth-wheeled vehicle. Talk about being built to last. Fractum. Ever sat around and thought, hmm, I wonder what the most powerful hammer in the world is? Well, fear not, because we've got the answers. Meet Fractum, the most insanely powerful and over-the-top hammer in the world, and for a tool that is usually reserved for DIY cartoon dads to accidentally bash their thumbs in, this piece of machinery is pretty darn outlandish. Built by the Danish engineering company of the same name, Fractum is said to be able to deliver up to 300 kilojoules of energy in a single stroke, which is more than 15 times more than any conventional hydraulic hammer could ever hope to achieve. As you may imagine, this incredibly powerful piece of kit is only ever reserved for the mining and excavation industries, and at the top of its game, the Fractum hammer is capable of obliterating rocks of up to 200 tons en masse. What the heck? Forging hammers. Well, on the subject of hammers, we actually have another groundbreaking piece of machinery to point your way. Hey, you know how the old saying goes, you gotta make hay when the sun's shining, or better yet, you gotta make a really, really big hammer, because why not? Alright, all jokes aside, the industry of metalworking and the even older craft of blacksmithing has come a pretty long way from the old setup of hammers, anvils, and really, really hot forges, but despite that, the core principles have remained pretty much the same. However, recently those core principles have also been thrown into the fiery depths of Heavy Metal Volcano and turned up to 11 in the process. Nowadays, if you're in the mood for forging colossal pieces of metal, you'll need this unbelievable piece of machinery. A forging hammer derives its power from the kinetic energy of a pneumatic ram, where it then collides with an unbelievable force in order to forge the desired material. If you've ever wondered what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object, well, yeah, this is it. Forage Harvesters. There's no denying the fact that agriculture has been one of the most important technological breakthroughs in the history of the human race, and although it may seem like some relic of an ancient civilization, the ability for our societies to keep, grow, and harvest seasonal produce should never be understated. However, from the days of old, where we plowed our fields with ox and roamed the grounds with scythes in hand, agriculture has come a pretty dang long way. Instead of having to work the fields for back-breaking days on end, we now have the incredible technology of forage harvesters to clear the way. Also referred to as a combine harvester, a forager, or a humble chopper, this versatile machine is designed to efficiently harvest pretty much anything that agriculture can throw at it, and despite carrying an astonishing price tag, it's pretty much the only piece of kit that a farmer would ever need. Yeah, it's safe to say that we've come a pretty long way. Mammoet Self-Propelled Modular Transport While many of the vehicles on this list are built to complete incredibly complicated feats, some of them are constructed purely for their mammoth ability to lift things. The Mammoet system is built up out of self-propelled trailer units, which connect to one another front and back as well as side to side to create a maneuverable platform of any size or length. The wheels on each unit are able to turn 360 degrees and the entire moving platform is controlled by a single operator. Although you've probably never heard of Mammoet, this Dutch-based company is synonymous with heavy lifting operations, both in industrial operations, salvaging, and any kind of transport or heavy machinery. In layman's terms, they're pretty the McDonald's of heavy lifting. Specializing in creating SPMTs, otherwise known as Self-Propelled Modular Transporters, Mammoet have gained a reputation for being the go-to company when it comes to resurrecting disasters or wreckages on both land and sea, and they most famously have been used to transport giant ships from dry docks to ocean. The company was initially founded back in 1807 after the Dutch entrepreneur Jan Goldkoop founded the maritime company with the purchase of a 140-ton cargo vessel. At the peak of the industrial revolution, Goldkoop foresaw that heavy transportation would soon be in high demand, and guess what? He was right. Most famously, Mammoet has been responsible for the successful salvage operation of the Russian submarine Kursk, which was previously lost to the bottom of the Barents Sea. Ponzi Harvesters. How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? Well, who cares? Forget about woodchucks because it seems that all you'd ever need in the logging and timber industry is this astonishing piece of kit. The Ponzi Timber Harvester, the ruthlessly efficient modern lumberjack that has given a 21st-century facelift to one of the oldest professions of all time. While tree chopping used to be a manly man's game and an art so precise and physically demanding that it's still heralded as a cultural phenomenon to this day, thankfully, most modern timber harvesting is completed by a rugged, all-terrain vehicle that makes tree harvesting look like a literal walk in the park. Ponzi harvesters strike with terrifying efficiency, hugging trees like a grizzly bear before stripping off bark and branches in a matter of seconds and then perfectly sectioning the trunk into logs of a predetermined length quicker than a lumberjack veteran. The truth is, the modern lumberjack is a ponzi harvester and if you want to compete in the timber industry, there's no other option. The Bucyrus RH400. Alright, while it doesn't look like it, this next entry is famous for being a little-known villain in a popular kid's toy franchise. Wait, what? Meet the Bucyrus RH400, a massive excavator that has since become famous for its appearance in the movie Transformers 2, where its vehicle form featured in a cameo role as the Decepticon character Demolisher. However, when it's not appearing on the silver screen, the RH400 can instead be found in the Canadian oil sands of Alberta, where the behemoth of an excavator can shift over 9,000 tons in a single hour. The bucket on this astonishing mining vehicle can lift and carry up to 57 cubic yards of material in a single movement. Uh, yeah, that's big and it's no wonder that Michael Bay chose to highlight the raw power of his Transformer villains with one of the beefiest and bulkiest vehicles on the planet. Good choice! Tree Spaders. Okay, this next one may sound pretty outlandish, but bear with us for a moment. While chopping down trees with a ponzi harvester is one feat of engineering worthy of note, have you ever wondered if it's possible to move a tree? Well, the answer is not only is it possible, it's also thanks to one of the most impressive instances of machinery of recent times. While not exactly the most luxurious of operations, tree spaders complete the job of literally plucking full-grown trees, roots and all, from the ground before traveling miles on end and then perfectly transplanting it back into the earth. Often complete with six separate hydraulic spades, a tree spader will effortlessly slide into the ground like a hot knife through butter before clasping the roots of a tree and plucking them onto the back of a pickup truck. Believe it or not, but there's pretty much a machine for anything, and it definitely beats just chopping it down. NASA Crawler Transporter. At 20 feet tall, 131 feet long, and a whopping 114 feet wide, ever since its completion back in the 1960s, the NASA Crawler Transporter has been hailed as the largest self-powered vehicle in the world. Originally designed and developed for the moon landings back during the space race between the United States and Russia, what is truly incredible about these astonishing machines is that they're still the best possible logistical vehicle with which to move space rockets. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. During their tenure at Florida's Kennedy Space Center, the NASA Crawler Transporters have shipped the Apollo space rockets, Saturn 1B, Saturn V, and most recently, the Skylab rockets. Obviously, when you're moving spacecraft that cost hundreds of millions of dollars, you want the very best of the very best, and while they've been adjusted and upgraded over the years, main body design still stays virtually the same. Each of them is the size of a baseball infield, and they're powered by huge locomotive and electrical power generator engines. After staying at the top of their game for over six decades, this pair of Crawler Transporters are the only two of their kind in the world, and they roughly weigh the equivalent of 15 Statues of Liberty. Now that's a pretty heavy vehicle, right? Shredders In the world of incredible machinery, there's nothing more heavy metal than a high-powered industrial shredder, right? Well, if you're not convinced, then just take a look at this incredible feat of engineering, the world's biggest auto shredder that can eat over 450 cars in a single hour. Yeah, you heard that right, eats! Like some kind of metal leviathan, this piece of machinery is always hungry. The Lynx S Automotive Shredder is a cutting-edge machine installed in Newport, Wales, and since its installation back in 2006, it's remained to be the largest operational facility of its kind in the world. Feeding purely on scrap metal, this beast can chow down on the equivalent of a highway's worth of cars, processes over 50,000 tons per month like some hot dog-eating champion from Coney Island. In fact, this thing is so dang successful that its successes aren't usually measured in tons, but rather... Liebherr LTM Crane Have you ever looked out across the city skyline at construction sites building skyscrapers thousands of feet into the air and asked yourself the question, how did those cranes get there? What do you use to lift another crane? Well, as you may imagine, you need a bigger crane. Of course, who would have thought? Well, the world's most incredible crane is undoubtedly the Liebherr LTM 11-200, a colossal piece of machinery that can lift up to 1,200 metric tons. Set on a double-cab truck, the LTM can lift the equivalent of 700 automobiles, and it has historically been used to pull off some of the most complex engineering operations in recent history. As the flagship or, uh, flag crane of the German-based company, the Liebherr Group, there are a few vehicles on the planet that can compete with the sheer epic transportational power of this colossal machine. Belaz 75710 Okay, for our final entry, we should probably turn our attention toward this unbelievably colossal machine. Let's take a look at the Belaz 75710, a state-of-the-art mining transport truck that can carry up to 450 metric tons at a speed of 25 miles per hour when fully loaded. It has two 65-liter, 16-cylinder engines, producing up to 2,300 horsepower each. To put that into perspective, in terms of horsepower alone, the most powerful production vehicle on the market is the Koni-Seg Regera, a racer that can produce a staggering 1,479 horsepower. This thing almost quadruples that over two epic engines. Many people have actually described this Belaz as the ultimate dumpster truck, and that's the truth, really, because when you're mining the world for precious natural resources, it requires the most efficient machine that money can buy. Created by Belaz, a company hailing from the former Soviet Republic of Belarus, this staggering vehicle is as long as two double-decker buses parked end-to-end, and it's six times more powerful as the most efficient Formula 1 racing car. And if those comparisons didn't already blow you away, the Belaz 75710 weighs more than a fully loaded Airbus A380 passenger plane. Now, that's pretty darn impressive, right? Well, there we have it, the 15 most incredible machines of all time. Why don't you let us know your thoughts down in the section below, and make sure to hit that thumbs-up button while you're at it. You've been watching Missing Files. See you next time!