Realistically detailed model of Europe’s new space observatory

Having already made several models of Britain’s UKube satellite we were pleased to get this new commission for a model of the European space Agency’s latest spacecraft being launched in October this year. As you can see from the images, 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. It is hard to see in these photos but it is just visible through the “window” openings. Since completing the model, we’ve actually been commissioned to produce three further copies for the UK Space agency.

Waste Treatment Process model at 1:200 scale

This is the second major project we’ve completed for the blue chip pharmaceuticals manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline who demand the very highest standards from all their suppliers and sub contactors. The previous model, a 3D representation of their penicillin manufacturing plant, was used as an orientation tool for visitors to the site. This new model demonstrates how the company harnesses biogases from their waste treatment process to fuel a newly installed Combined Heat & Power facility. The colour coding of the pipes indicates the different stages of the treatment process. You’ll notice they have also installed a large wind turbine on the site to further demonstrate their commitment to sustainable energy. This is a static model but GSK have asked us to update it later this year to include a touch-screen information panel linked to interactive illumination on the model.

 For Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead

1:750 scale is ideal for a masterplan model because it allows you to represent a large area, such as a town centre, on a reasonably compact base but at the same time the buildings are large enough to appreciate storey heights and general massing. This particular example is approximately 1.8m square and includes over 20 removable panels for the redevelopment zones. This allows interchanging of different options so that each development proposal can be viewed and assessed within the overall 3D context. The clients were delighted with the finished model and indeed, one of the councillors wrote to us personally to say “I would like to once again thank you and all your colleagues for doing such a great job.”

Two more industrial models – Sub-sea control module & Ukube Satellite.

Not all the models we make are scaled down to a smaller size. These two industrial models are both life-size replicas of the real thing. The subsea control module 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. The Ukube satellite model, made for the UK Space agency, was unusual in that the original satellite was only about 350mm long so there was no need to scale it down. We’ve actually made four 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.

Interactive model to illustrate best water management.

This interactive model was commissioned by the NFU as a visual demonstration to farmers of good water management practices on their land. The model shows two different catchments, one illustrating a high risk landscape with poor farming practices and the other showing a low risk landscape where the delivery of good practice minimises risks. The buttons on the front of the model activate LEDs set in the landscape to highlight different aspects of land management practice. The brightly coloured area shows an example of a Scimap, a graphic plan that shows farmers the risk areas across their land.

Cardiff city model relocated to Cardiff Castle.

We’ve just moved our 6.5m x 5.5m model of Cardiff city into the visitor centre at Cardiff Castle, an exciting new venue where it will become part of the organised castle tour. The model is fully interactive with a touch screen interface that provides onscreen information whilst lighting up the relevant building or area on the model. If you click on the left inset pic above you should be able to spot (despite the rain) the profile of the castle’s twelve-sided Norman Keep, one of the finest examples in Wales.

Educational puzzle made from 5mm coloured acrylic.

Alongside our core work we like to fit in one-off unusual projects like these laser cut educational puzzles for the Neuroscience department at Cardiff University. The puzzles, a simplified representation of DNA, were designed as a rough sketch by the client which we then drew up accurately in CAD for final approval by the university. The initial order was for a set of four but with an expectation of additional units at a later date. We’ve produced similar puzzles for the university before (see Laser-cut Brain Puzzle - Recent Projects, March 2017) and actually used the leftover coloured acrylic for this project.

Large sales model at 1:250 scale. 

At 2.7 metres long by 2 metres wide this is one of the largest, housing sales models we’ve ever made. The project started off as a phase 1 model only but then the client decided they wanted to market phase 2 and 3 at the same time so asked us if we could model the whole site in one go. With just under 500 units on a complex sloping site this became a 3 month project and we just managed to meet the launch day deadline. For portability and ease of working, the landform is in 4 sections that butt together on a purpose built plinth. The Perspex cover however, was a one piece unit and we had to take a large window out just to get it into the sales office. We’ve got two other models on the go for the same client but thankfully they’re both more manageable sizes.

Two industrial models showing internal components.

SSE, one of the UK’s biggest energy suppliers commissioned us to help create these two demonstration models for use in their educational program in schools. After exploring several different designs we advised them which options were practical to build and also achievable within their fixed budget. The models incorporate cut-away views showing simplified representations of the internal components of a wind turbine and transformer. The wind turbine model is actually designed as six sections that can be easily fitted together to demonstrate how wind turbines are constructed.