Where to find Original Cat Machinery Blueprints ?

[r@m]

Hi guys, I'm a 3D modeler who has been commissioned to make illustrations of CAT machines for use in training material for GPS installations.

While the web is a great place for finding photo references, I would like detailed blueprints and measurements of the machines and their components on order to accurately portray the machines.

I'm not sure where to start or even if these would be "publicly" available, obviously my first port of call was the main CAT site, but I have had no response as of yet.

Ideally I'd like to model these 100% true to life and animate the moving parts, here's an example of the level of detail I'm aiming for....


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M63ACJqJMX0


Thanks in advance, and info and advice would be appreciated.

 

[r@m]

I cna't seem to edit my OP, so here are a couple of wire-frames of the models I have done so far, a DK5 and 966k..

 

[Nige]

Try searching the internet for a "Specalog" of the machine model you are looking for. It'll be an Adobe pdf file and somewhere within it will be all the major dimensions of the machine. They won't be absolutely 100% accurate but I would think they will be close enough for your purposes, whether they will be sufficiently detailed is another matter.

 

[r@m]

Hey, Nige, thanks, yes I have all of those, also the 360 degree views on the CAT website, I can do these from photographs, but it would be much easier if I had more detail, especially of the component parts.

Anyway it's early days, I've put out a lot of feelers and will see what comes back.

CAT just got back to me and pointed me to the Specalog's too....not looking good

 

[Knocker of rock]

I hope you are who you say you are, and not somebody looking for an easy way to back-engineer a machine

 

[r@m]

Oh damn I've been rumbled....lol

Don't be daft, If I wanted to do that I'm sure there are more underhand methods I could use than posting publicly on a forum, If I was going to "back engineer" anything I'd rent one and 3D scan the parts, then I would have the information to print my own machine...simples.

SCAN:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5_xpPtMGdQ

PRINT:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ebCItx4Ifs

 

[Knocker of rock]

Sorry that anyone would question a person with three whole posts wanting CAT blueprints

 

[r@m]

Now 4, 5 including this one.

 

[Nige]

Having worked with Cat machinery for more than a few years and seen their engineering drawings I can tell you that there are no dimensioned drawings of completely assembled machines, only individual piece parts and certain assemblies.

 

[digger doug]

Don't be daft, If I wanted to do that I'm sure there are more underhand methods I could use than posting publicly on a forum, If I was going to "back engineer" anything I'd rent one and 3D scan the parts, then I would have the information to print my own machine...simples.

Don't YOU be so smug.....you wouldn't have all the "tolerances"....those are a wee bit important....

Having worked with Cat machinery for more than a few years and seen their engineering drawings I can tell you that there are no dimensioned drawings of completely assembled machines, only individual piece parts and certain assemblies.

Exactly.

 

[mikebramel]

What technical value is there in the length of a machine's hood or cab glass???? If you can't contribute to the guys thread stop trolling