Client: RS Components These characters for RS Components were based on real electronic components barely a centimetre high. Our versions, being waist-high were intended for travelling exhibitions as head turning pieces to attract visitors to the RS stand. Amongst the jauntily-posed components, one of the characters was an eye-catching fully illuminating giant LED.
Client: Chivas This ingenious point of sale interactive for Chivas Whisky was designed and made by Amalgam. Visitors are invited to tilt the map of the world causing a ball to roll over several targets on the map. Each target triggers a video clip played out on the screen behind. The back wall was created using canvas with a graphic print which was then stretched over aluminium extrusion.
Client: Glasgow Science Centre Amalgam model makers recently completed the Hydro Exhibit for Glasgow Science Centre. The interactive incorporates a working generator to demonstrate how energy can be generated using water turbines. Behind the vinyl graphics, a steel frame houses the complex arrangement of pumps and motors to re-circulate the water through the exhibit.
Client: Foster + Partners The Canary Wharf 1/100 full-detail section model includes features right down to posters, adverts and tube maps mounted on the walls. Commissioned by Lord Foster for the Norman Foster Foundation, this section model of Canary Wharf Underground Station was built to be displayed alongside models of other signature buildings, such as the Millennium Tower and Swiss Re HQ. The highly detailed 3m long model was finished in a subtly realistic palette and fully illuminated. The model has 800 individual stainless steel plates attached to the escalator treads and 70 vacuum cast resin ceiling panels to replicate the cast concrete slabs in the existing station. More details can be found on the Foster + Partners website.
Client: Foster + Partners The Spitfire is an icon of British design, this model was constructed to be as lightweight as possible. To make this easier, the wings and other elements were designed to be fully detachable and the whole model fits together in one long case. Durable resins and paints were used, since being a 'kit' the model would be handled regularly and run the risk of damage. Great care and patience was taken to ensure crisp and accurate paintwork for the authentic military markings and colours.
Client: Avon Rubber This project was for local client Avon Rubber, manufacturers of rubber products for the international automotive, engineering, dairy and defence industries. This bite valve is used in an emergency escape respirator. The casting master had to be built in two parts for a top quality finish and was cast in a flexible elastomer. Client testing has proved the concept works, and the part is now in production.
Client: Passion Pictures Amalgam made all the sets and props for this animated commercial based on the classic children's TV series Postman Pat. The set needed to look authentic, so attention to detail was crucial, from the treatment of the landscape and buildings through to the vegetables and distinctive foliage. Our art department also worked closely with the production team on set during the three week shoot at Clapham Road Studios in London.
This 1:100 ship model of HMS Daring for BVT displays the high level of realistic detail that can be achieved on a scale ship model. Depending on the scale, details such as panel lines and rivets can be incorporated into the model, as can aerials and ladders; these elements break up the surface with areas of interest and serve as a scale reference. On ship models such as the HMS Daring, these details add hard realism, while on superyacht and luxury ship models fine details such as bespoke furniture can accentuate the sense of luxury and high design. Despite the level of detail on a ship model, which can vary from high realism on the HMS Daring to purely conceptual Speedform models, the fundamental processes are the same; the hulls and bows are shaped with our CNC machine to retain the clean lines and perfect symmetry of a ship's design.…
Client: EDF The 1:16 scale Solar Energy House displays the energy generated from the solar panels, the movement of hot water through the house, and the surplus energy being exported back to the national grid. These functions are shown by rows of colour-coded chasing LEDs incorporated into the walls and floors, activated by buttons on the front control panel. The walls were constructed from a lightweight honeycombed cardboard sheet laminated with acrylic, creating a light and rigid board that could be cut into wall sections. Keeping the weight minimal ensured the model could be easily transported around various shows and demonstrations. This initial model led on to two variants; a streamlined version with a polycarbonate case, and a series of pure white minimalist versions which can be viewed here.
We have completed fifteen sets of these engaging insulation models. They display cross-sections of external, internal and cavity wall insulation methods, and are used for marketing and display purposes. This is of particular use to the Centre for Sustainable Energy in that the models demonstrate practical ways to reduce the energy costs of running a home. At 1:2 scale, realistic brick-like textures were achieved with a range of painting methods and heavy washes to give the appearance of weathering and natural wear. The models proved incredibly popular and Amalgam completed a total of 13 sets, being 39 individual models. By the end of the run, the process for making them had been streamlined to a turnaround of a few days.