Triggertrap Ada Prototype

December 2, 2013

The Triggertrap Ada is 'an infinitely expandable camera trigger, making high-speed, camera trap, and timelapse photography affordable for everyone.' Amalgam provided the look-and-feel prototyped enclosure, which was a hand-finished SLS 3D print. The project was funded on Kickstarter and smashed its financial target. We are able to combine contemporary additive manufacturing processes with traditional hand skills and a deep understanding of materials to provide a comprehensive prototyping service. Our vacuum casting facilities are able to handle small enclosure projects such as the Ada, to batch production runs of working products, such as the Gapgun. This has seen us work with an equally broad range of clients, from small passionate startups with bright ideas to larger, more established design houses. The range of processes and expertise we have under our roof allows us to offer our services at every step of the design process, from initial concepts and development, through to CAD, 3D printed…

STFC Radio Telescope

October 14, 2013

This impressive piece of old-school modelmaking was made at 1:12 scale - making it a neat metre and a half tall. It served as a display centrepiece in support of the LOFAR Low Frequency Array, an international network of radio telescopes coordinated by Astron in the Netherlands. This is a model of the UK's contribution to the LOFAR Array, and its addition makes the array over a thousand kilometers across. This enables radio astronomers to view objects and events that occurred billions of years ago in the deep reaches of space - including Quasars, objects that flare out so much energy they out-shine the light of the trillions of stars in their own galaxy.

BMT Defence Services Naval Concept Model – Venator® – 110

October 3, 2013

The BMT Defence Services Venator® - 110 is a configurable concept platform that can easily be customised to a range of roles. The flexibility of the design was demonstrated by fabricating the port and starboard of the model in two different contexts in this small-scale naval concept model - one side modelled to be a patrol ship and the other a patrol frigate. A central polished steel plate was incorporated to reflect the model back onto itself; this effectively created two models out of one.

BMT Defence Services Logistics and Support Vessel (LSV)

October 3, 2013

As with all our marine model making projects, the hull of this model for BMT Defence Services was carved from CAD supplied to us on our CNC machine. At 1/200th scale the level of detail was streamlined accordingly; elements such as handrails and netting were largely etched brass, allowing for a combination of incredibly fine tolerances and strength. We were also able to include 3D printed components, such as the 1/200 helicopter. As with several of our other marine model making projects, the model is mounted on a polished steel plate, which shows the below-waterline detail such as bow thrusters, propellers and rudders. The LSV uses the BMT Aegir® tailor-able platform design, which can be readily modified to suit different naval requirements. The LSV has been derived for the Royal Norwegian Navy, and a configured version is to be used by the Royal Navy in the form of the MARS Tanker. The model continues our strong tradition of high-quality marine…

Naval model of BMT Defence Services Vidar® – 7

October 3, 2013

This striking 1:55 naval model involved some clever jig-making to position the fins and align the intricate internal spaces. The outer shell of the section was made from carbon fibre, which provided a great deal of strength for its overall thickness. We used CNC processes to rapidly carve out the major interior details, such as the engine in the stern of the model. The arrangement of interior walls and partitions within the fuselage were fabricated and assembled in a similar way to many of our architectural models. The panelling on the exterior of the main body was carefully airbrushed by hand, and the baseboard incorporates a seabed texture similar to the Seagen tidal turbine model. The Vidar® - 7 section model continues our strong reputation for naval model making and marine engineering models, and was present at the DSEI 2013 trade show along with the BMT Venator® - 110 model.

Jet Set Go Setbuild

September 25, 2013

Initially istalled at At Bristol, the Jet Set Go was a touring exhibition that introduced children to the world of international travel, going through check-in, baggage and boarding through interactives and role-play. The fuselage of the aircraft was nearly the full length of Amalgam's workshop and includes a huge hand-carved nosecone. The set for Jet Set Go was one of the larger projects we've built over the years. Our workshop is well equipped to handle large setbuilding and exhibition fabrication projects, and the space is incredibly flexible allowing us to customise the layout around the build. Other projects we have built at large scales include the EDF Energy Interactives and the Aardman Thinking Cap.

SPX Flow Technology Chemical Injection Package Model

September 18, 2013

This 1:10th scale Large Chemical Injection Package Model for SPX was built to be displayed at various international oil and gas trade shows and conferences. The level of detail goes right down to rivets and bolts, adding up to a busy, populated, high-detail model with plenty of interest.

Cheddar Museum of Prehistory

September 11, 2013

Our museum fabrication team worked closely with the museum's management to design and build the permanent exhibition at the Cheddar Museum of Prehistory. The human remains found in Gough’s Cave span a 40,000 year period and the exhibition tells the story of Stone Age Humans, through a series of engaging interactives and displays. These include cavepainting interactives, details on how humans were cannibalised, cases brimming with artifacts and displays on the history of site's significance to modern archaeology.

Rapid prototyping ‘The Enchanting Tree’

July 15, 2013

Various rapid prototyping processes and a range of more traditional model making techniques were combined to produce this intricate prototype flute holder for Tord Boontje. The oval base and sweeping conical support was created by Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), which provided strength whilst accurately forming the sweeping curves and mathematical parabolic surfaces. The polished clear ice bucket was formed by Stereolithography (SLA) using Somos WaterShed® resin, then hand finished to a crystal clear surface and lacquered. The stems and branches were hand-worked from lengths of high-quality brass around a series of formers to create the elegant and composed arrangement of flute-holders. To these were soldered machined and acid-etched brass flower work and leaves. At Amalgam we make full use of a wide range of rapid prototyping processes to create our models and prototypes, but projects like this remind us of the importance of traditional hand-working techniques and an understanding of design. While…

Exhibition Pod

July 11, 2013

The Exhibition Pods were created as part of a series of visitor centres we designed, built and installed for EDF Energy. In some instances, the internal space of the visitor's centres were so large we needed to create secondary environments that would facilitate a smooth flow of people around the exhibition and create an interesting route. Each Pod contains a Reactor Demonstrator sunk into its wall, a touchscreen interactive and two monitor screens playing videos of safety information and other issues relating to nuclear power. These pods were designed and assembled from a series of interlocking CNC'd panels, with huge printed graphics applied to the exterior. Being able to quickly create a solid structure this way with a ready-to-apply surface finish enabled us to focus on the engaging details that enhanced the experience of the exhibition, such as the illuminated strip around the inside of the doorway and underside of…