Caterpillar

Articulated truck 


MDI was involved in the concept and 3D surface
development for the cab, fornt and rear hoods and front
body work.

The two upper images are production vehicle shots.
The lower image is the original concept rendering executed
in Photoshop.

This design was a bit of a breakthrough for Caterpillar in the
use of plastics in the body design to achieve the complex
curvature of the front and rear hoods.

The extreme slope of the front hood provides excellent
visibility for safe maneuvering on job sites.  The engine
cooling package is relocated to the rear of the cab to make
the sloped hood possible.

Composite structure - wheel loader cab


This particular Caterpillar project was a special research and
development program exploring the potential for composite
material structures for construction equipment cab
manufacturing.



























Based on our concept sketches and utilizing a 3D computer
model for the steel ROPS (roll-over protective structure)
provided by Caterpillar enginnering, the body panels,
composite 'A' pillars and glass surfaces were surface
modeled using Alias software.

From this CAD surface data, a full size mock-up/prototype
was created.