Creating models will always be a hands-on profession; using modern manufacturing techniques saves time, but model making skills aren’t at risk of being lost.
Using modern manufacturing techniques we can quickly create models of almost any size, utilising traditional skills, our range of CNC Machining Centres and our history with Rapid Prototyping techniques. Working from a CAD file, an outline or shape can be formed in no time at all; to achieve more than just an outline, our expert model makers are required to use some of their hand-manufacturing expertise. Working with incredible detail, our model makers can sand down and create a high quality finish on a range of materials, before utilising our custom-built paint facilities to create a perfect high-quality replica of your product, or a prototype of your design. These can be used for museum exhibits, private collections, commercial exhibitions, or point-of-sale displays.
When utilising modern manufacturing techniques, there are plenty of systems in place to speed up the manufacturing process; using laser scanning
saves design engineers the time-intensive task of manually drawing a CAD of an existing item, and using modern manufacturing techniques like CNC machining and Rapid Prototyping means that our model makers don’t have to hand-sculpt every item coming through the workshop. However, there really is no substitute for a hands on approach to manufacturing; while machines can be used to speed up the process, the best finish will always be achieved by patient and practical hard work.
Just because we’re skilled with rapid prototyping techniques, that doesn’t mean we’re afraid of getting our hands dirty; we still enlist a hands-on approach to a project when we need to. Recently we created a near-life size model of tennis champion Rafael Nadal, hand-sculpted entirely out of tennis court clay. We will always try to choose the best process for any project, and our wide ranging expertise allows us to tailor those processes around what you as the client needs from the project.
With hand-painting models to match the client’s specifications, and hand-sanding to ensure a project has a high-quality finish without straying from the dimensions of the client’s design, our model makers are trained with decades of experience to utilise their skills to create artistic and precise models and products in conjunction with mechanised manufacturing. With producing models from small-scale designs to large sculptures, our model makers can often spend hours hand-sanding and painting a project; it’s this care and attention that creates models of the highest quality.
Modern manufacturing processes also have their drawbacks; 3D printed items need to be painstakingly hand-sanded to create a smooth primed surface for a high-quality painted finish, and CNC machined products also need time-intensive rubbing down to create a smooth surface, whether for moulding or as a finished product. This utilisation of technology and experience is where we thrive, with over 70 years in the model making industry and large-scale investment in recent engineering advances; alongside our sister company Thompson Precision, we make use of 22 CNC Machines with a range of benefits for computerised manufacturing. However these too have limitation; with most CNC machines having limited dimensions of operation, our design engineers can work with these restrictions by splitting designs and inserting dowels at the design stage to aid with the re-joining of the different parts.
Utilising over a decade’s worth of experience with 3D printing technology, we regularly design and create a range of products manufactured from a variety of different 3D printed processes. The experience and knowledge we have amassed concerning the different methods of 3D printing allows us to accurately assist clients with choosing the right manufacturing method for their project; letting them know the benefits and drawbacks of different methods. Many of the styles of printing leaves a colourless or monochromatic object, so we enlist our expert model makers to create a high-quality painted finish. With this mix of traditional methods and modern manufacturing, astounding and durable shapes can be manufactured with the same high-quality finish our clients expect from our projects.
If you think you have a project that we can help you with, get in touch by email or phone using the contact information at the top of the page, and see how we can use modern and traditional manufacturing techniques to aid your project. For a consultation, get in touch and we’ll do our best to accommodate any needs you may have.