We used a range of paint and finishing techniques to replicate the material finishes of this prototype saddle model for Charge Bikes. The saddle was hand-finished to create the sheen of unidirectional carbon fibre, and the 3D printed rails were textured and painted to imitate sintered titanium. Foil vinyl details and logos were used to represent the polished areas of the metal. The seat itself was upholstered by Charge suppliers.
We have also worked with Charge on a packaging design project for their range of saddles. Many of us at Amalgam are passionate cyclists, and we are naturally excited when projects like this come our way.
Replicating material finishes is not limited to props and film work. Many of our vacuum cast master models are given a fine speckled texture which replicates the surface finish created by spark-erosion on the surfaces of injection mould tools. This sparked finish can be anything from a light satin sheen to a heavy coarse speckle. Textures such as brushed aluminium can be created with sanding techniques and multiple layers of metal flake paint.
While we are capable of replicating material finishes using a range of techniques, to recreate material properties within prototyping we often replicate the part as a vacuum cast object with properties analogous to the production model. This is particularly useful for real-world condition testing and ergonomics. One such model we have made along these lines is the Hessiclip.
