Case Study Transforming Industrial Sales and Training: How Astec Leverages 3D and AR to Drive Business Results
Astec Industries designs some of the most complex equipment used in road building, mining, and aggregate production. Their machines contain thousands of components and intricate internal systems that are difficult to demonstrate, train on, or simulate without advanced visualization tools.
To unlock the value of their engineering data across the organization, Astec implemented VNTANA’s 3D asset management platform to automatically convert CAD files into lightweight digital twins that can be used across sales, XR demonstrations, training, and AI simulation.
These digital twins now power immersive product experiences, enable faster technical training, and generate synthetic data used to train AI models in NVIDIA Omniverse—helping Astec improve both customer engagement and operational efficiency.
Results at a Glance
- $50M deal closed using immersive XR product demonstrations powered by VNTANA
- 90% reduction in time required to prepare CAD models for visualization and XR
- Centralized 3D asset management platform enabling teams across the organization to access digital twins
- Improved customer understanding of complex internal machinery through interactive 3D exploration
- Faster training and maintenance onboarding using component-level digital twin visualization
- Automated CAD-to-USD pipeline enabling digital twins to be used in NVIDIA Omniverse
- AI-driven truck loading optimization through synthetic data simulation, improving operational efficiency
The Challenge
Astec’s engineering teams design complex manufacturing equipment using tools like SolidWorks, Ansys, and Altair. They also scan existing plants and facilities to support retrofit projects.
While these engineering models contain extremely detailed data, they created several challenges across the business.
- Engineering models were too complex to share
CAD assemblies often contain millions of polygons and thousands of components, making them difficult to open outside specialized engineering software.
This meant most teams across the organization—including sales, marketing, training, and service—could not easily access or interact with the models. - Explaining complex machinery to customers was difficult
Astec equipment includes intricate internal mechanisms that are difficult to visualize from the outside. Traditional product images and videos were not sufficient to communicate how these systems worked. - Machines could not always be transported for demonstrations
Many Astec machines are extremely large and expensive to transport, making it impossible to bring certain equipment to trade shows or customer presentations. - Engineering data could not easily be used in new technologies
As Astec began exploring technologies like XR visualization and industrial AI simulation, they needed a way to transform engineering CAD models into formats that could work across multiple platforms.
Astec needed a solution that could automatically convert complex engineering files into lightweight, accessible digital twins that could be used across the organization and integrated into new technologies.
The Solution
Astec implemented VNTANA’s 3D asset management platform to automate the transformation of complex CAD files into lightweight, web-ready digital twins.
VNTANA automatically optimizes CAD models while preserving the full assembly structure—including individual components and meshes—so teams can explore machines with complete fidelity.
Once optimized, these digital twins can be deployed across multiple applications.
Web-Based Product Visualization
Astec uses VNTANA’s web-based 3D viewer to allow teams and customers to explore equipment directly in a browser without downloading CAD software.
Interactive models allow users to rotate, zoom, and inspect machines while visualizing internal components and assemblies.
This makes it far easier for customers to understand the engineering behind Astec’s equipment.
XR Product Demonstrations
At major industry events such as CONEXPO, Astec uses VNTANA-powered 3D models inside XR headsets to demonstrate machines that cannot physically be transported to the show floor.
Customers can walk around equipment virtually and explore internal mechanisms that would normally be hidden within the machine.
These immersive demonstrations helped Astec showcase their engineering capabilities in ways that traditional displays could not.
Sales Enablement and Customer Education
Sales teams can now instantly access any product model through the VNTANA platform and guide customers through machine functionality in real time.
Interactive digital twins allow sales teams to clearly explain complex systems, helping customers understand the value of Astec’s equipment faster.
This improved product understanding has helped accelerate sales conversations and build stronger customer confidence.
Training and Maintenance
Astec also uses interactive digital twins to improve training and service operations.
Technicians can explore machine assemblies and visualize internal components before performing maintenance in the field.
This helps teams better understand how systems work and reduces the learning curve for complex equipment.
Expanding Digital Twins to AI Simulation
As Astec expanded its digital twin strategy, the company began exploring how their engineering data could support AI-driven operational improvements.
Using VNTANA, Astec automatically converts complex CAD assemblies into USD (Universal Scene Description) format—the format used by NVIDIA Omniverse for large-scale simulation environments.
This automated pipeline allows Astec to bring accurate digital twins directly into simulation platforms where they can generate synthetic data used to train AI models.
One of Astec’s initiatives focused on improving its truck loading system, which controls how material is loaded from processing equipment into transport vehicles.
By using VNTANA-generated digital twins in Omniverse simulations, Astec was able to run thousands of virtual loading scenarios and generate synthetic data for AI training.
These simulations allowed the company to analyze loading performance and identify opportunities to optimize operations.
The result was an improved truck loading system that reduced inefficiencies and delivered significant operational cost savings.
Results
By implementing VNTANA’s automated 3D pipeline, Astec transformed how engineering data is used across the organization.
Sales teams can now demonstrate complex machines through immersive XR experiences, helping close major deals.
Engineering data is no longer locked inside CAD systems but instead serves as the foundation for digital twins that power training, product demonstrations, and simulation.
At the same time, Astec has expanded the value of its engineering models by using them in AI simulations that improve operational performance.
With VNTANA, Astec has created a scalable digital twin pipeline that connects engineering data to the rest of the business—and to the next generation of industrial technologies.
The Future of Industrial Digital Twins
Astec’s adoption of VNTANA demonstrates how engineering data can evolve beyond traditional CAD workflows.
By automating the transformation of CAD models into lightweight, interoperable digital twins, companies can unlock new capabilities across the business—from sales and training to simulation and AI development.
As technologies like XR, simulation platforms, and industrial AI continue to evolve, digital twins will become a critical foundation for innovation.
With VNTANA, manufacturers can transform their engineering data into a scalable digital twin infrastructure that powers the future of industrial operations.
