November, 2012 - Model Makers Bristol / Amalgam Model Making

Hydrate for Health shortlisted for The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise 2013 in Healthcare Innovation

November 30, 2012

Hydrate for health's The 'Hydrant' water bottled developed by Mark Moran, is a simple yet effective healthcare innovation designed to allow immobile hospital patients to keep themselves hydrated and do away with cumbersome and heavy bedside jugs of water. Amalgam Modelmaking assisted Mark in the development of the one-piece screw cap and integrated clip, central to his innovation. The prototypes were used for evaluation and testing before marketing the bottle to the healthcare industry. The product has now been short listed for The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise 2013 in Innovation. Head over to our work for more details on the Hydrant. Healthcare innovations such as the Hydrant are typical of the type of project undertaken by Amalgam either working directly for clients such as Mark Moran or via other design / product development companies.

New CAD and Graphic suite at Amalgam

November 22, 2012

Our newly refurbished upstairs space has proved the perfect location for our Computer aided design(CAD) and graphics suite. The light and peaceful area is isolated from the noise and action of the downstairs work shop and has been welcomed by our many skilled Solidworks practitioners and designers. The space has also provided a new home for our 20" Printer Versa STUDIO BN-20. This dynamic machine prints full colour, plus metallic and contour cuts on a full spectrum of media to an excellent quality, allowing us to keep up with the growing demand.

Bruce Munro Beacon to light Saturday 24th

November 19, 2012

Bruce Munro's 'Beacon on the Hill,' a light installation constructed to raise awareness for Breast Cancer with the support of charity Cancerkin, will be lit this coming Saturday. The Beacon is situated atop Long Knoll, a historic site, and will be visible for many miles in the dusk.

175 Years of the Royal College of Art

November 15, 2012

To celebrate their 175th anniversary, the Royal College of Art is presenting an exhibition of historic and contemporary works of art and design by leading RCA alumni and staff. This prestigious list includes Sir James Dyson, and Amalgam Modelmakers provided a 1/18th scale model the 'Seatruck,' one of his earliest projects. The exhibition opens on the 16 November and runs until 3 January 2013. More details can be found on the RCA Website or on their Facebook Page.

Laser cutting for ‘Fixed n Chips’

November 7, 2012

Amalgam's model makers were very happy to be involved in a small but significant way with a recent event in Bristol which was conceived by creative mastermind Gavin Strange. 'Fixed and Chips' took place in Bristol last month, a race which was open to anyone with a 'fixed gear' bike. The race featured five checkpoints, all of which were chip shops in Bristol . Amalgam used their in-house laser cutting facilities to brand the giant chip forks which were the trophies for the two winners, with very pleasing results.

Develop 3D magazine features Amalgam – twice

November 5, 2012

Amalgam director Mike Harvey features in this month's edition of Develop 3D, a publication dedicated to 3D printing, additive manufacture and prototypes. The article touches on Amalgam's involvement with the Schwinn Folding Bike and the importance of physical prototypes. Also, our client and friend Tom Lawton graced the front page with his Bubblescope, a product our makers had a hand in designing mechanisms for during the first stages of prototyping. It goes without saying that physical prototypes are enormously important to the design process. In many cases digital models simply aren't proof enough of concept - Kickstarter, which has recently launched in the UK, holds as a key policy that before seeking finance, one must present photos of a physical prototype, 3D printed or otherwise. Amalgam has a strong history of helping fledgling projects through these early stages, and right through to manufacture. Take a look through Our Work…

Conran & Partners win planning permission for Walthamstow Greyhound Stadium development

November 2, 2012

Amalgam Modelmaking’s Architectural team worked closely with Conran & Partners to deliver this 1:1000 scale timber model to aid with the planning application for their proposed development of the Walthamstow Greyhound Stadium. This sensitive scheme was always going to be under close scrutiny, so the model had to be extremely faithful to the design. The model was amended several times during the detailed application process. Knowing that the design was going to have revisions over the course of the application, the model was built with a removable insert of the main site. This allowed the amended designs to be completed without the expense of moving the entire model every time. The model was deemed to be an extremely useful tool in the whole planning application procedure and, with a bit of foresight, the clever use of an insert meant the client got good value for money. Victoria Whenray, Associate at Conran &…