Exhibition&Display - Model Makers Bristol / Amalgam Model Making

Ambulance Medical Training Aid at University of South Wales, Pontypridd

October 25, 2013

The Ambulance Simulator is designed to be an interactive medical training aid and environment for paramedic staff and students. As such the interior includes all the typical features found inside an ambulance, and is, as far as possible, a faithful replication of a real ambulance interior with such features as non-slip flooring, the modular storage system which lines the walls and positionable chairs. It was recently installed at the University of South Wales. Our exhibition and display team were able to quickly fabricate the medical training aid by cutting the bulk of the panel work on our CNC machine. This enabled us to block out the internal dimensions of the ambulance and populate it with the equipment, facilities and supplies that would be used in a real emergency situation. We have a strong tradition of projects used in medical and care contexts. These have included innovative product designs such…

Additive Manufacturing used in Bruce Munro Artworks

October 17, 2013

Additive Manufacturing is a media buzzword these days, newspapers and the media generally grab every opportunity to broadcast how 3D printing (The popular term for Additive Manufacturing) is revolutionising everything from fashion to domestic appliance servicing. Here at Amalgam we have been using a range of Additive Manufacturing processes for many years to help our clients realise their designs and have been both amused and frustrated by the sheer volume of (Largely inaccurate) coverage this "New" technology has been getting of late. One area where we can report that Additive Manufacturing has been used to great effect is in the artwork of Bruce Munro, best known for immersive large-scale light-based installations in Britain, the USA and beyond. Bruce and Amalgam have worked together on several projects in the past including Mettabhavana, conceptual piece conceived by Munro in the late 1990s which we built in model form using Stereolithography for the…

ALMA Radio Telescope display model in Houses of Parliament

October 14, 2013

The 1:12 scale radio telescope display model we built for the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) back in June has been in the Houses of Parliament to highlight the economic benefits of the UK's scientific expertise for MPs. The display model was initially built as a centrepiece showcasing the UK's contribution to various international astronomical endeavours, in this case support of the LOFAR Low Frequency Array, an international network of radio telescopes coordinated by Astron in the Netherlands. The array, which is over a thousand kilometres across, enables radio astronomers to view objects and events that occurred billions of years ago. Amalgam has a strong tradition of providing display model services for a range of contexts, and the term 'display model' covers a large range of ground. Consequently we have provided models for point-of-sale displays, exhibitions and branding, and most recently projects for feature films and television, creating…

EDF Energy Touring Exhibition at Party Political Conferences

September 17, 2013

The modular, highly transportable EDF Energy Touring Exhibition, featuring a number of engaging interactives and streamlined versions of our larger displays, will be present at three upcoming Party Political Conferences. The exhibition has been present at trade shows, conventions, conferences and events since earlier this year. The EDF Energy Touring Exhibition is a portable recreation of the displays and interactives we have made for the various EDF Energy visitor's centres around the country. While the Touring Exhibition has been sent along the length and breadth of the country, our seven permanent exhibitions have been experienced by thousands of members of the public. Nearly every member of staff contributed to these impressive pieces which involved our skills as metalworkers, electricians and engineers, involving CNC machining and traditional hand skills, as well as a keen understanding of human interaction and exhibition design. The EDF Energy visitor's centres and touring exhibition have been regular fixtures…

Amalgam’s Models at DSEI show

September 10, 2013

The DSEI 2013 defence and security exhibition begins on the 10th of September, and will continue until the 13th. The exhibition features over 1500 exhibitors from more than 50 countries, to some of whom we have recently provided our marine model making services. More details on the models will be announced soon. Amalgam Models have provided many models to the defence and security industries, largely as exhibition and marketing applications at global events such as DSEI. One such success is the BMT Mastiff, which includes cast rubber tyres and extremely high levels of detail. Other exhibition and 'event' models we have made for conferences and trade shows include the Seagen Tidal Turbine and the Asry-Centrax Powerbarge, both of which had to be built to withstand regular international touring.

Holborne Museum ‘Ghosts in the Garden’ interactive props

August 5, 2013

Interactive props connect past with present Our interactive props for Sydney Gardens and the Ghosts in the Garden project, devised by Splash and Ripple, are soon to be decommissioned as the year-long event draws to a close. Visitors take a Georgian 'listening device' with them as they wander through the grounds. The device picks up the voices of historical Georgian 'ghosts', who describe events and facts about the Garden's past and heritage. There is still a week left to visit the Holborne Museum in Bath and enjoy the experience. The interactive prop boxes were handpainted to a strikingly realistic aged-mahogany finish by our props department, and dressed with clockwork gadgetry and sprocket work to create the effect of a ticking, whirring machine. To play the ghostly voices, each prop contained a Minirig, a portable, rechargeable speaker made in Bristol. More details on the interactive props can be…

Heysham visitor centre and EDF Energy Exhibition News

July 11, 2013

Heysham visitor centre is now open to the public, featuring a series of interactives and exhibition pieces designed and built by Amalgam modelmakers. This is the seventh visitor centre we have supplied interactives for, in a project that began early last year and has drawn in nearly every member of staff to assist in the design, fabrication, assembly and installation of these engaging pieces. As well as Heysham visitor centre, we have provided models and interactives for other sites including Dungeness, Hinkley, Hunterston, Sizewell and Hartlepool, as well as a streamlined touring exhibition which has been making its way around the country for the past few months, most recently at Dunbar Science Festival, where over 6000 people passed through the exhibit. The physical size of our workshop, variety of the skills of those working here and investments in cutting-edge technologies mean we can easily take…

New Blades and Made in Brunel graduate showcases

June 14, 2013

This time of year sees the advent of two significant degree shows; the New Blades Modelmaking degree show and the Made in Brunel graduate showcase. Both are an opportunity for graduates to make invaluable contacts within their industries, to show off their work, skills and passions, and for seasoned professionals to meet young people with fresh eyes and good ideas. The New Blades took place at Holborn Studios and featured some truly outstanding work; the show guide is available for download at the 4D Modelshop website. It is also a chance to meet old friends and former colleagues as the bulk of the UK's model making companies and their representatives meet. The Made in Brunel Graduate Showcase aims to draw the attention of the design industry to a pool of innovative aspiring designers and engineers. This year, former Amalgam intern Jeremy Ireland (https://madeinbrunel.com/) will be showcasing his…

Interactives at Torness power station visitor’s centre now open

May 17, 2013

Torness power station will be re-opening its visitor's centre, for which Amalgam supplied a range of highly engaging interactives and exhibition pieces. EDF Energy has said that the new visitor's centre will give 'thousands of people' access to information on nuclear power, and how the process is managed. Amalgam have so far provided exhibition design and display pieces for seven of EDF Energy's power station visitor's centres, with the centre at Hunterston B opening last August. The visitor's centre at Torness power station will be open every day, but security considerations mean advanced booking will be required. The interactives we have built for EDF Energy has been a truly huge project, drawing in nearly every member of staff and department head. We have produced over thirty individual units, and innumerable graphic display pieces for these visitor's centres. More details and photos will be announced later this year.

Exhibition Design and Build Team install for Chelsea Flower show and British Ecological Society

May 14, 2013

Amalgam's Dan Fenwick and the exhibition design and build team have recently finished fabricating and installing a huge set piece for Chelsea Flower Show and the British Ecological Society. The set, designed by Ravenhill Design, combined a range of CNC machined, slot-together components, optimised for easy, on-site assembly. It also made great use of our in-house scenic art-working talent to create not only realistic textures and finishes on faux brick work etc. but also a completely painted walled garden backdrop complete with bushes, shrubs, flowers and an (Optimistic) sunny sky. Our exhibition design and build team is well experienced and equipped to fabricate, assemble and install large-scale exhibitions and set displays of all sorts for corporate events, theatre, public exhibitions and museums. Head to Our Work to see more examples of our work in this area. More images and details on our involvement with Chelsea Flower Show be announced later in the Spring.