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Exhibition Models & Displays

When it comes to exhibitions, it's being different that makes the difference.
Modelmakers specialise in designing and building high quality exhibition models and displays that are uniquely tailored to your needs. From concept to construction, we'll help you to create a display that communicates exactly what your business is about. If your product or service is difficult to visualize or expensive to transport, we can create a custom-built, eye catching exhibition model that draws people to your stand and allows you to tell your story with ease. Some of our previous exhibition displays can be seen below – for further examples make sure you also view our Industrial Models page.

Half Mini Display We created this half Mini as the final piece of an in-store green energy display for a large Garden Centre/DIY chain. The model is actually a mock up of an Electric Mini and illustrates how electric vehicles can be charged at home using a standard off-the-shelf charger, available in store. The cable plugs into the vehicle via what would normally be the petrol filler cap. Apart from creating the vehicle we also had to organize and apply the specially designed vinyls. The client was really pleased with the finished result, particularly as we’d had to rush to get it finished before the bank holiday weekend deadline. As a final point we’d like to just add that this is the first and only time we’ve ever done half a job!

Display models for HSBC branch refurb The image shows four models we created for a newly refurbished HSBC main branch in London. Commissioned as part of an ongoing worldwide branch refurbishment programme, we’ve made scores of these models and sent them to HSBC branches in cities all over the globe. Designed to fit into standardized glass cabinets, the purpose of the models is to draw attention to newly created information panels featuring case studies of companies the bank has supported. All the models began as concept visuals which we then developed from prototypes through to final approved designs, before going into batch production. See more of the models types.

Exhibition Wall Display This large wall display is actually a 3D realization of a 2D visual that was designed by the client’s in house graphics team. They asked us to make 3D version of the image so that it could be mounted on a wall at an exhibition to act as an eye-catching focal point for their stand. Made from Perspex and other plastics, some with painted and lacquered finishes, it is almost 2.4 metres wide and makes quite a visual statement with its strong colours and curved reflections off the shiny spherical surfaces. The client has since mounted it on the wall in his reception area.

Interactive Ships Thruster Model – Scale 1:10 Commissioned to be shipped to a trade show in Germany, this unusual industrial model was a real challenge because of the very complex shaped components involved and also because of the requirement for a very specific interactive element. The model needed to demonstrate the USP of the client’s product and, as such, it had to incorporate a rotating propeller (with speed control) and a movable deflector (clockwise and anti-clockwise) at 6rpm. We also had to work out how to mount the model in a cut-away view of a ship’s bows and create a cut-away view of the thruster to show the main working components.

Interactive Model of Data Centre Systems for International Bank Some projects are very hard to explain in just a few lines, and this is definitely one of them.

The aim of this model was to provide a visual demonstration of the complex networks involved in data handling and storage for the various services of a major international bank.

It was a fully interactive model with the viewer able to press seven different labelled buttons which would then illustrate through complex sequences of moving lights how the data for each banking operation is processed and stored.

Creating a splash - Water Bomber Model at 1:15 scale This eye catching model of a fire fighting “water bomber” plane was commissioned to hang above a stand at a trade show event. We particularly enjoyed this project, especially when we reached the stage of adding the Canadair red and yellow livery which really brought the aircraft to life. The model had a 1.5m wingspan so for easier transportation we designed it in 3 separate sections – fuselage, wings and tail plane – that could be easily assembled on site using just 3 bolts. The model was made almost completely from balsa wood so was extremely light. If we’d fitted model engines and radio control gear we could have flown it out of the workshop!

Ukube Satellite Model - Scale 1:1 Made for the UK Space agency, this model was a life-size replica because the real satellite was only about 350mm long so there was no need to scale it down. We’ve actually made several of these satellite models with possibly more to follow. They’re used for educational presentations and were made with working hinges so that the solar panels and antennae could be deployed in the same way as the real thing.

Gaia Satellite Model - Scale 1:15 Realistically detailed model of Europe’s new space observatory. Large areas of this spacecraft are composed of different coloured, highly reflective fabrics and we needed to replicate the uneven, shiny character of these materials on the model. We also had to create a representation of the optical bench, complete with concave mirrors, inside the main body of the spacecraft (click on the image to view). We were subsequently commissioned to produce three further copies for the UK Space agency.

6U Satellite Model – Life-size We’ve made several variations of this life-size CubeSat model for a number of different clients. Designed for easier shipping, this model comes as five separate main components – a branded acrylic base, a tubular stainless steel mount, a main body, and two plug-in solar array panels that can be easily slotted together on site. Even the aerials slot into place once the main model is assembled.

Olympic Countdown Clock We created 7 of these Olympic Countdown displays for the reception areas of a large organization's main offices. The client's concept design was not very practical to build, or to use, so the first thing we had to do was create a new, simpler system that would allow the boxes to be easily and securely positioned in the different number combinations. Our solution was to incorporate clear acrylic "hooks" on the backs of the boxes that could be universally fitted into precisely positioned slots on the 2 metre high acrylic back wall. It was simple, neat and unobtrusive and meant the client could do the repositioning themselves for each month's number change.

Interactive Displays Engineered for Atkins Designed and built for Atkins Engineers, this was one of five interactive models commissioned to reflect Atkins' huge involvement in the construction of the London Olympic Park. Each model highlights a particular aspect of the unglamorous but essential engineering work Atkins carried out at the site, from creating an artificial level surface for the equestrian event, to installing fundamental infrastructure such as bridges, water supplies and drainage. The models were used initially at an exhibition event linked with the start of the Olympics but were subsequently displayed in the reception areas of Atkins' main offices around the UK. Look at all five interactive models.

Moving Lights Display Featuring pulsing white LEDs, this illuminated display illustrating the workings of a power station had to “Flat-pack” into a flight case for transport to the USA. Comprising 8 main panels, it was designed as a mobile display the client could set up themselves at different venues.

Military Equipment Model "PURIBAD" – Scale 1:10 Platform, Universal, Rigid Inflatable Boat, Airborne Delivery... the name is an acronym for a platform specially designed for parachuting ready-to-go speedboats (or RIBs) into the sea. The model was commissioned as a demonstration tool for use at exhibitions. The client needed all the working components to be accurately modelled (hooks, straps, spring release clips, etc) so that he could explain the simplicity of the design and what made it such a reliable, proven system. It was a challenging project because of the high level of detail required and the wide variety of model making techniques needed to make all the model components.

Paver System Exhibition Model This unusual, life-size model was designed to illustrate the technical aspects of the client’s product at a trade exhibition. The product is a moulded paver panel that creates durable and attractive parking and vehicle access areas, with a choice of either gravel or grass top filling. Essentially, the model shows a typical construction method from surface to subsoil level. The whole thing comes apart for easy transportation and the client has since added branding to the panel in the centre of the tyre.

Waterproof Tapes Display The client provided a general sketch of how he felt this exhibition model should look and we turned it into a buildable design, giving him dimensioned technical drawings to sign off before we started construction. The purpose of the model was to show their range of waterproof tapes in typical applications on buildings. The model had removable legs and packed down into a purpose-built flight case to protect it in transit.

Perspex House Model - Scale 1:20 Produced for a major central heating system manufacturer, this set of three Perspex model houses was designed to illustrate the layout and main components of 3 different heating systems. The model houses were made from clear Perspex so that the viewer could see the position and relative sizes of all the major system components within the building walls. Whilst the houses are obviously a very stylized representation, the heating system hardware is modeled to a fairly detailed level so that the units are instantly recognizable. Red and blue lines were used to indicate the hot and cold flow routes between the components.

Revolving Globe Display To emphasize their strong overseas connections, Nottingham University wanted to create an eye catching icon that visually portrayed their marketing strap line "Closing the Global Knowledge Gap". Their brief to us was to create world globe made up from jigsaw shaped pieces with their logo as the final piece of the puzzle. We took this loose concept and developed it into a fully realized functional display that they could transport and set up easily themselves at any venue. We even threw in the idea of making the globe rotate slowly and up-lighting it from below to add extra visual impact. The globe itself was made from fiberglass (for strength and lightness) with a painted and lacquered finish.

Custom Designed Furniture We were commissioned by Cardiff Castle to design and build some bespoke pieces of furniture for use in their new visitor centre. The three items were an Art Trolley for storing craft materials (pictured above), a Puppet Theatre, and a Costume Rail. Rather than ordering standard furniture from a catalogue, the client wanted unique, original pieces that reflected the nature of the building and its historical links with craftsmanship and detailed design. Each of the units is based on a distinctive element of the Castle architecture and is designed to co-ordinate with the existing wooden finishes in the Visitor Centre.

Rain Making Exhibition Model The main requirement for this display was that it should demonstrate the free draining characteristic of the product, a rail-track ballast stabilization resin. The model also had to be compact and portable as it would be travelling to exhibition venues all over the world. Our solution was to create a “Rain Machine” that showed a sample of the client’s product (using clear stones rather than conventional ballast) under a continuous deluge of water, set within a Perspex tank. The clear void underneath the ballast showed the “rain water” draining freely into the collection tank below where it was pumped back up to the header tank at the top to continue the cycle.

Food Training Models This set of five unusual models were commissioned by a college as training aids for teaching about food hygiene and preparation. Essentially the models are three dimensional graphic devices to help give students a better understanding of the composition of different food products. Producing the models required the application of many different model making techniques and materials, as you can see from the diverse character of the finished displays.

Water Tank Model – Scale 1:12 The client for this project wanted a model that would be an eye catching centrepiece on their stand at several trade shows throughout the coming year. The company produces a wide range of water tanks for markets all over the world and they wanted the model to illustrate several technical details about their products, both inside and outside. For this reason we made the models as half tanks so the inside could be viewed as well as the exterior. We also provided a purpose-built flight case to protect it during shipping.

Sub-sea Control Module – Scale 1:1 Not all the models we make are scaled down to a smaller size. This model of a sub sea control module (used in the deep sea oil industry) is life-size replica of the real thing. The model is about 900mm square and was commissioned because the client wanted a lightweight version of the product to take to exhibition venues. The real unit was extremely heavy and difficult to transport whereas our lookalike version, made from thin plastics, could be easily lifted by two men.

Concrete Canvas Display Models We’ve produced many display models like these in varying designs for Concrete Canvas, a rapidly expanding South Wales company with an innovative construction product. The models are designed to help their sales team demonstrate the speed and simplicity of the company’s unique, concrete based fabric which comes on a roll but sets solid when soaked with water. The models feature the actual product formed over simulated earthworks. Each model was supplied with a purpose-built flight case to protect it in transit and for storage when not in use.

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"Steven’s studio is a pleasure to work with. He does excellent work and he always delivers on time. I would be happy to recommend him to anyone.” Jonathan Adams (Architect for Wales Millennium Centre) Capita Percy Thomas "Thanks very much to all the team for producing such an excellent model, the attention to detail is fantastic. I look forward to working with you again.” Carolyn Merrifield
Downs Merrifield Architects "Modelmakers’ models are of fantastic quality, and allow us to sell our properties more effectively from plan. Not only are the team courteous and helpful, they produce the goods on time, and importantly are competitively priced.” Holly Finer
Redrow Homes "The attention to detail and quality is exemplary and we would just like to thank you and your team for the care and effort you’ve put in. As a practice we will definitely bear you in mind if ever we are requiring models built in the future.” Kelvin Naidoo
Bryden Wood Associates
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