Case study of cement plant model production: restoring the industrial texture of a real factory
1、 Preliminary preparation: from drawings to material list
Before production, it is necessary to communicate with the factory technicians to obtain the factory layout plan, core equipment dimensions, and color samples, to ensure that the model is highly consistent with the actual factory layout and equipment form. In terms of material selection, priority should be given to using industrial grade model specific materials, such as ABS board (main structure), metal etching sheet (equipment details), and weather resistant resin (ground and vegetation), to ensure long-term display without deformation or fading.
2、 Core process: Layered restoration of factory texture
Basic terrain and layout construction
Build a model table with a scale of 1:100, simulate the plant floor with the mixture of gray foam board and cement base, and form the height difference of roads and plant areas by cutting and stacking. The road is outlined with white matte paint to restore the actual traffic flow of the factory.
Main equipment production
Rotary kiln and preheater: metal etching plates are spliced with ABS plates, and the rotary kiln body is sprayed with gray matte paint, with horizontal stripes embossed on the surface to simulate wear-resistant coating; The decomposition furnace, dust collector and other equipment at the kiln head and tail are assembled by laser cutting parts to ensure that the pipeline direction is consistent with the actual factory.
Raw material warehouse and conveying system: The raw material warehouse (such as limestone warehouse and cement warehouse) is poured with cylindrical resin molds, and a dust cover model is installed on the top of the warehouse body; The belt conveyor adopts black rubber texture material, matched with metal brackets, and the surface of the belt is embossed with anti slip patterns to restore the material conveying scene.
Auxiliary facilities: The factory building, control room and other buildings are constructed with white and gray boards, and the windows are made of transparent acrylic sheets. Small LED lights are used inside to simulate nighttime lighting effects (power interfaces need to be reserved).
Refined detail components
The valves, pipeline interfaces, ladders, and other components on the equipment are made of metal etched sheets or 3D printed miniature parts, such as the blades of the screw conveyor and the tooth plates of the crusher, which are all made in a reduced size according to the actual equipment form to ensure that there is no discomfort when viewed from different angles.
3、 Post processing: Industrial style restoration of color and texture
Overall coloring
Equipment body: Industrial gray is used for spraying, and the surface is polished with fine sandpaper to achieve a matte texture, avoiding reflection and affecting realism.
Factory building and architecture: The exterior walls are painted in light gray tones, and the door and window frames are outlined in dark gray to recreate the industrial color scheme of the actual factory.
Ground and vegetation: The road is painted with a dark gray cement texture, and the edges are distinguished by white lines to distinguish the lanes; Simulated moss and miniature shrubs are used for greening in the factory area, placed according to the actual tree positions, with a height controlled at 1-2cm to avoid obstructing equipment details.
Special effect processing
Pipelines and cables: Simulate cables with thin copper wires, wrap them along equipment supports, and follow the actual factory pipeline layout in the same direction; The red pipeline is sprayed with bright red paint, which contrasts with the gray equipment and restores the warning color design of the factory.
Lighting system: Install miniature LED lights in control rooms, factory entrances, and other locations, which can simulate nighttime lighting effects when powered on, enhancing the "realistic running feeling" of the model.
4、 Restoration control: key to achieving 90% realism
Layout restoration: Strictly arrange the equipment positions according to the factory floor plan, such as the relative distance between the rotary kiln and preheater, and the connection angle between the raw material bin and the conveyor, which are consistent with the actual factory.
Equipment form: The size ratio and structural details of core equipment (such as rotary kilns and crushers) (such as the wheels of the kiln body and the feed inlet of the crusher) are reduced by 1:100 to avoid "cartoonization" treatment.
Color and texture: The metallic texture of the equipment is restored through multi-layer spraying (primer+topcoat+matte protective paint), and the ground is made of a mixture of "cement+stones" to simulate the rough texture of an actual factory.
The completed model can enhance customer trust from three dimensions:
Intuitive layout: Customers can clearly see the production process of the factory area (raw material input → grinding → calcination → finished product output) and understand the factory's production capacity layout;
Realistic details: The brand logo on the equipment (such as the motor model of the crusher) and the valve opening and closing direction on the pipeline all restore the details of the actual factory, enhancing the sense of immersion of "this is our factory";
Scene immersion: By combining lighting effects with the factory environment (such as roads and greenery), customers can feel as if they are in the factory site, enhancing their professional understanding of the project.
