portfolio - technical illustrations

Astec, Inc. - Double Barrel Asphalt Mixer

Full view of the assembled unit including added belt and drag converyors. This view is the last frame of a 5,189 frame (2 minute 53 second) animation composed of 5 scenes. Rendered in 720p HD, 30fps using global illumination for fill lighting.

The animation starts by showing just the 8 foot diameter inner drum, flying inside it as various components are added, then exiting the other end as this oil-fired aggragate (gravel) drying burner comes into view along with the platform framework.

With all the parts added completing the unit, it is "turned on." The inner drum begins rotating and gravel pours into the breech end of the drum via a belt conveyor. The camera flys into the drum to show the gravel being scooped up by paddle-like flights and dumped through the hot exhaust gasses of this oil-fired burner.

After passing from the inner drum and into the space between it and the outer drum, a cut away view focuses on this asphalt cement injection unit. Cross-section views of the material supply pipes show water and asphalt cement flowing up to the unit. Going in closer, an access panel is removed to show the injector nozzles spraying foamed AC down into the space between the inner and outer drums where it is mixed with the dried gravel by dozens of paddles as the inner drum rotates.

Astec, Inc. - Self Erecting Bin

Anopther, almost 3 minute animation of a mobile unit for loading dump trucks with freshly mixed asphalt. Shown here is the unit in its collapsed state with a semi pulling it on to the work site. Rendered in 720p HD at 30 fps using global illumination for fill lighting.

The unit nearly fully erected by two large hydraulic cylinders. The unit consists of a drag conveyor (which is sort of like a catepillar tank tred that scoops material up by dragging it long the inside bottom of a square "tube"), a small "batch" bin, a large supply bin, and the trailering/transport framework.

This view shows a measured "slug" of asphalt exiting the batcher bin and dropping several feet down into the main supply bin. This action causes the slug to "splat" and flatten out rather than pile up in a cone, keeping the various sized asphalt-coated gravel particles uniformily mixed.

When the bin is full, trucks drive up onto a dirt ramp that covers the bottom portion of the trailer frame. Clamshell gates open, dropping a measured amount of asphalt into the truck's dump bed.

Astec, Inc. - Belt Sampler

Coming Soon.

Astec, Inc. - Automatic Gradation Unit

A 1 minute animation showing a unit that tests aggregate (gravel) that has been scooped/swiped off of a conveyor belt. Shown here is the installation of the various sizes of filtering screens.

After the screens are installed, largest mesh on top to smallest mesh at the bottom of the stack, the unit rotates 90 degress and is filled with a measured amount of aggregate (via a chute connected to a Belt Sampler Unit).

The unit rotates back 90 degrees and two vibrator motors shake the unit causing the aggregate sample to shift/filter down through the stack of screens.

After a minute or so the sample is shifted and once again the unit rotates 90 degrees. Individual "door flaps" open, allowing the shifted aggregate to drop into a container for weighing. When the sample in one screen is weighed, the next door opens, dumping its screened contents into the container.

Astec, Inc. - Asphalt Storage Silo

A 1 minute animation showing details of an asphalt storage silo.

This cut-away view shows the patented cone and air-tight exit gate. Fiberglass insulation is shown in yellow.

Close up view of the exit gate that has been filled with oil to make an air-tight seal, preventing oxidation of the asphalt inside the silo cone.

Close up of the back side of the exit gate showing it being filled with oil.

AquaShield, Inc. - AquaFilter

This is our first interactive 3D web project. AquaSheild, Inc. Chattanooga, TN contracted our 3D services to produce this, their second interactive 3D web movie. We created 3D models, designed the graphical user interface (GUI), and wrote custom Lingo programming code. The final Shockwave movie can be seen here:
[ AquaFilter ]